Where are we?

Still here!  I'm coming up for air.  We are still swimming in paperwork but I can see the transition area ahead (If you are not familiar with the triathlon, you have a transition area that you go to after the swim.  And then again after the bike.  It's where you get your bike and your running shoes.)

 (my first tri in 2008)

(Emily's first tri)

This adoption process feels kind of like a tri.  I have never done an Ironman (and really don't plan to at this point in my life) but I have done an Olympic and QuarterIron.  And I can say about both that it takes training, endurance, strength, perseverance, flexibility, and determination.  These same qualities I need as we navigate through the process of bringing 4 more kids home.

It's really kind of funny to see the look on people's faces when they find out we are adopting 4 kids....and that we already have three.  Mouths usually drop, eyes grow larger, and we either get, "Wow, you are crazy." or "I'll be praying for you" or "Wow, God is good."  That's my favorite.

God is good.

So why four more kids?  Why these kids?

You have to look back over my blog to see how God has moved.  Like when He showed me this verse last November

I Thessalonians 3:11

Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you...

And last January I wrote about how I missed the son we do not know yet...

Everyday I think about him.  I don't know who he is yet and I don't know if he will come with siblings.  But I missed him on Christmas day when we were opening presents.  I missed him at church the other day when we got there a little late and had to sit on the second row.  (can you guess what kind of church I attend?) =)  We were all sitting there, all 5 of us, and I looked at the empty chair next to Wesley...missing him.

In March I shared about BIG DREAMS and how I finally came to my homeschool decision.  One of the reasons I wanted to start homeschooling this year was because I knew adoption was on the horizon....adoption of an older kid, maybe a sibling group, maybe from another country, and I wanted to have a year of homeschool under my belt before trying it new with everybody....whoever that everybody might be.

God was working on us and showing us many opportunities right here, right now to enlarge our family.  And we just started saying YES (yes there are 4 posts to that story!)

And we let Him say "No"

And He did say "no" or at least "not now" to a couple of opportunities.

Fast forward to July when we met 3 out of the 4.  How the girls shared a room with Emily and Wesley shared a room with the boy.

How quickly we bonded. 

How easily we loved.

Jeremy and I did not talk much about it the first week they were gone.  We knew we would make a decision soon but we needed to let everything sink in.  The day I put them on the plane to go back to Colombia, I came home and went to bed at 6:30 pm. 

It was hard to say good-bye. 

I really hate good-byes.

After a week of praying and listening, we knew.  Jeremy said he quit praying, "Lord, is this the right thing to do?" because he knew it was the RIGHT thing to do.  He started praying,

"Lord, give me the courage to do what you want me to do."

Like when we read stories in the Old Testament of God speaking to the Israelites and telling them to do something and they don't do it and we think, "You idiot!  Isn't it obvious?  Hello--God TOLD you."

Anyone reading our story, how it started as God opened our hearts to adoption the first time 5 years ago, how he gently started nudging again 3 years ago, how He showed us we could love an older child just as much as an infant.  So we pray and ask Him to show us where our children are and He.brings.them.to.our home! 

How could we say, "Oh, no these are not them.  Show us where our children are..."

Hmmm this post is getting long.  I have more to share but I need to get to bed.  Thanks for checking in and I will come again soon.

Notice anything different?

If you have come by my blog recently you saw some recent posts about our time with the Colombian kids that came to visit for 3 weeks.  Well I had to remove those posts that included pictures because.......

we are....

officially EXPECTING!!

We are very excited (and nervous and cautious and thrilled) to start the adoption process to bring home FOREVER the 4 (yes FOUR) beautiful, wonderful, energetic, unique children that we had the privilege of hosting.

We are swimming in paperwork now, getting used to our new homeschool schedule, and staying very busy with work so little by little, I will share how we got here.....

In the meantime, keep ALL of us in your prayers.

Thanks!!!

Gotcha Day!

We celebrated Savannah's 4th birthday June 13th (4th birthday!! cannot believe it!) and I'll share more about the Birthday celebrations below, but today is

Gotcha Day

Gotcha Day is the day we met Savannah and she became ours--June 28, 2007.  Since she was born 11 weeks prematurely, she was still in the NICU when we found out about her. 

We met her birthparents and the birthfather's parents before we met Savannah.

Her birthfather introduced us to Savannah.

You can read all about our adoption experience with Savannah starting here--it's a story I love to read over and over.  NOT because I wrote it, but because only GOD could have pulled that off.  I am in awe of His work and that He lets us in on it.  WOW!

Savannah is into everything princess and ballerina.  So we had a Princess Ballerina Dress Up Birthday Party.  We just invited family, but she was as happy as could be because she was getting to dress up with her cousins.

Happy Birthday Savannah!
We thank God He brought us to you June 28, 2007!

How's your dash?

Today I went to the funeral of a person we have done business with for several years.  Although we did not know this person up close and personal, we are friends with the family and enjoy working with them.  I am still pondering some things that was shared in the eulogy. 


One story the pastor shared was about a man and his son walking through a cemetery and talking about the names of family members that had passed on.  The boy asked his dad what the numbers meant, and he explained the first date was their birth and the second was the date of their death.  The boy continued his questioning with, "what does the dash mean?"  The father replied, "That's the most important part."

It got me thinking....

How is my dash?

When I am gone, what will people say about me? 
About my life?

God keeps bringing to my attention His words in Matthew.  When He does that--when He keeps showing me the same truth in different places through different people, songs, and sermons, I know I need to stop and listen.


"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6: 19-21). 

treasures in heaven

A blog friend of mine, calls each of her children "treasures".  I think about the orphans coming to spend 3 weeks with us in July.  Each one a treasure....


I pondered more during the eulogy as I listened to what his children and grandchildren said about him, I couldn't help but to wonder what my kids would say about me and my husband when we pass.  What would they remember?  What will they cherish when I'm gone?


In the same moment my mind (heart) went back to the kids we will have in our home in July who do not have a mom and dad.  They have no inheritance.  No family to make memories with.  No dad to teach them Eskimo kisses.  No mom to hold them when they hurt.  No parents to celebrate their successes, their birthdays, or just them.


As I left the funeral, I prayed that I would let loose of any earthly treasure.  That my treasure would be in heaven.  That my "dash" would glorify God--that I would fully love, fully trust, fully hope in Him.  And that I would feed Him, clothe Him, give Him water, and serve Him faithfully everyday, as I look into His face in "the least of these."

How's your dash?

Generous people

There is something I have noticed about generous people in the last few weeks and I want to share it.  Recently we had our first fundraiser garage sale for our next Rwanda trip (leave a comment if you want more details about this trip).  Many many people donated items for the garage sale, and a few friends even gave of their time in pricing and helping on garage sale day.  ONE FAMILY even had their OWN garage sale the same weekend and gave us the money they made!!  You know who you are and you totally ROCK!

But this is the thing that I notice about these folks:

they give generously and abundantly of their time, money, and/or resources and to them,

it is no big deal...

like of course they would give so abundantly. 

They don't even think twice about it--it is just what they do.

And I am amazed by them.

I am utterly humbled and it just makes me want to

live generously,

give abundantly,

and be a wise steward of what we have been given.

I want to live like that!

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day 2011

Happy Father's Day!

Remembering Mamaw on her Birthday

My grandmother, who we called Mamaw or Little Mamaw, was born June 17, 1914.  "Little" was added to her name when my very large aunt became a Mamaw.  Don't worry, we did not call my aunt "Big Mamaw." 

That would just be rude, don't you think?

Little Mamaw passed away in April of 2008 and later that year, I wrote this song in honor of her--well, I wrote the words and gave my brother an idea for the tune and then he did the rest.  I wrote it from my dad's point of view and dedicated it to him.  If I can get it on youtube I'll share a link later.

The Way It Should Be

She was born in Arkansas

With eight brothers and sisters in all

The oldest girl in the family

Caring came quite easily

She caught Daddy’s eye one spring

It wasn’t long the church bells rang

In a few short years the kids came along

Life was hard but love was strong

Then the year when I left home

Mama called me on the phone

Daddy took his last breath

And she looked to the Lord when he was put to rest.

CHORUS:

She cared for friends and family near

And told stories of memories dear

She thanked God for all she could

And her pride in her children was understood

Mama lived ‘til she was ninety-three

Filled with the love of her family

I tell you that’s the way that it should be

Yes I tell you that’s the way that it should be.

Verse 2

A kiss and “I love you, Hon”

Was what I got when I walked in

And that same sweet affection

When I walked out again

You ask her how she’s doin’,

She says she can’t complain

Yea she loves the sunshine

But she’ll take the rain

When the holidays would come

We’d find our way back home

We’d talk about the weather

And she’d say “Isn’t it good to be together”

CHORUS:

She cared for friends and family near

And told stories of memories dear

She thanked God for all she could

And her pride in her children was understood

Mama lived ‘til she was ninety-three

Filled with the love of her family

I tell you that’s the way that it should be

Yes I tell you that’s the way that it should be.

She cared for friends and family near

And told stories of memories dear

She thanked God for all she could

And her pride in her children was understood

Mama lived ‘til she was ninety-three

Filled with the love of her family

I tell you that’s the way that it should be

Yes I tell you that’s the way that it should be.

In memory of Mamaw