Happy Homecoming 9.17.25

 

It felt much like Christmas morning, although the Texas heat in mid-September certainly confirmed otherwise. The air conditioning blasted in Big Blue as we pulled into our driveway, our new family of 9 finally arriving home after 5 weeks in Colombia completing our adoption. Jeremy excitedly fumbled with the keys, finding the house key as he’d done countless times before, yet now they would unlock a completely different life.

The anticipation had been building during the entire car ride home. Nervous energy filled the van as excited chatter mixed with moments of quiet disbelief. After weeks of paperwork, emotional intensity, and short nights, we were somehow more awake than we'd ever been.

Welcome signs and décor had been thoughtfully placed by dear friends while we were gone—balloons tied to kitchen chairs, handwritten notes taped to the refrigerator, and we would later discover favorite snacks mysteriously stocked in our pantry and cold drinks waiting in the frig.

We opened the door to the house, and a whole new world of possibilities. The sound of feet on tiled floors filled rooms that had been silent for weeks as the kids ran from room to room with cheerful exclamations. Each child's personality emerged in how they claimed their space—one methodical and careful, another impulsive and joyful, someone else hesitant but hopeful. They opened drawers to find new clothes, pulled out toys and bikes and balls in the yard.

Despite the September heat promising that our actual Christmas was still months away, this moment held all the magic of any December morning—the wonder, the gifts, the sense that everything had changed overnight.

We had not yet entered public school, and the kids were not quite in high school yet, but this was Homecoming. No mum exchanges or homecoming proposals yet. Just a new family, new beginning, where each of us would be presented the question daily, hanging unspoken in the air over breakfast tables and during bedtime routines, whispered in quiet car rides and shouted in moments of joy: "Will you be mine?"

"Will you be my daughter, my son?" "Will you be my mom, my dad?" "Will you be my sister, my brother?"

Each answer would be "Yes.” Sometimes whispered tentatively, sometimes declared with confidence, sometimes offered wordlessly through a shared laugh or comfort during tears. But the Yes would take time to settle, evolving from daily uncertainty to assumed belonging. We would take time to build, to trust, to grow, learning each other's rhythms and creating traditions that would stick.

And that growth would not always be linear and lovely. Some of it would be hard fought—navigating language barriers, cultural adjustments, and simply the beautiful exhaustion of nine people learning to move as one family. There would be moments when the question felt too heavy, when vulnerability showed in everyone's eyes, when the Texas storms outside matched the ones we weathered within these walls.

But every small victory built our foundation stronger—every shared meal, every crisis weathered together, every morning we chose each other again. On this different Texas Homecoming, we were laying groundwork that could withstand whatever storms would come.

Every bit of it was worth it. Every single bit.

Omar & Savannah's Rehearsal Dinner

We just got back from a beautiful wedding weekend celebrating Omar and his bride, Savannah. This is our 3rd wedding in just over a year and with the three celebrations we've had, I have figured out that the Rehearsal Dinner night is one of my favorite parts. We have a time of sharing where close family and friends get to stand up and share with the couple what they mean to them, how they appreciate their friendship, and of course, funny memories!

I am including what I shared about Omar at their Rehearsal Dinner (mostly because some have asked me for it) so in honor of the newlyweds, here we go:

Before we adopted, I had a recurring dream of a little boy with a round face and big smiling eyes looking up at me. I would wake up and think "That's my son" and say a prayer for him wondering where he might be. Now when I remember that dream, I see Omar’s face. I'm thankful God gave us you, Omar. 

Some of you may know we adopted Omar from Colombia when he was seven years old. He only spoke Spanish when he first came to us. Omar repeated a couple of phrases many times a day when we first adopted him.

The first was “Me acompanas?” “Will you join me?” Whether he was going out to the back yard or just to the back room, he would look up at you with his sweet round face and big green eyes, and through a smile ask, “Me acompanas?” He didn’t want to go anywhere alone. Not to play, not to school, not to bed and not even to the bathroom!

It was probably a mix of wanting the company but also getting used to his new family and new surroundings. A lot of change occurred in his first seven years.  

Omar’s phrase reminds me of someone else that has said something similar. Jesus invites us to join Him. We have that invitation every day multiple times a day when we have opportunities to love other people and serve those in need. 

The second phrase that Omar often repeated was “Mira! Mira!” “Look! Look!” Omar has always been able to pick up anything athletic quickly. He learned how to do flips on the trampoline and on the ground. He could walk a tight rope with ease. Jumping on a pogo stick, skate boarding, water skiing, tree climbing…Omar could pick up, climb up, glide on anything in a flash. He excelled in any sport he tried. Gymnastics, football, track, and he set swimming records in the 8^th grade as if he had been a swimmer his whole life.

Anytime we had guests at the house or when Omar learned something new, he exclaimed “Mira Mira” and ran out to show off what he could do or he proudly brought his creative work for us to admire. 

This phrase also reminds me of the times God reveals His glory for us to admire…sometimes a colorful sunset, a vast starry sky when we can get away from city lights, or the delight of cardinals calling from the trees close by…these are all times God is saying “Look! Look!” and we can enjoy His handiwork and marvel at His works.

Some things have not changed. Omar has found the one to join him in life and Savannah is the most important person for him to ask, “Me acompanas?” “Will you join me?” The day he asked her to marry him, he looked at her with those big green eyes, and with a smile, asked that familiar question to the most important person to receive it.

He will now have a lifetime to exclaim, “Look Look!” as they start their adventures together exploring all God has for them in the years to come.

Quarantine Week 4

We are at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic week 4 quarantine. My emotions have swung from being grateful everyone has more time at home to grouchy that everyone has more time at home. I have moments of grace—I look for those moments in each day when I wake up and recall what the day before held.

But seconds after I write down what I remember and before I finish my coffee, I am already disgruntled by the big, hard things going on…like dreading school work, hoping to get some office work done before kids show up at my desk, while not knowing what to do with all the other perplexing thoughts crowding my mind. 

It’s the latter that gets me the most.

A few days ago I texted a friend that I was praying God would use this time to help us all work through what we all needed to work through….that we didn’t miss it. The day after that text, all Hell broke loose. Or Heaven? Is this how God was going to answer my prayer?

I believe sometimes it does feel like Hell when God is doing His most important work on us. Uncomfortable. Uncertain. Unlikely. un Un UN! It’s NOT fun!

I am uncomfortable with no control. I am uncomfortable not knowing.

I am uncertain I’ll see change…ever.

If God is answering my prayer, He is choosing an unlikely path. A path I would not have chosen.

So what do I do in the meantime?

Pray.

Meditate on Scripture.

(this week I’ve been staring at Psalm 91)

Take it one day at a time.

And change the ending of those UN words.

I will not underestimate the God who loves me and who daily displays his mercy, power, and grace on us.

I will ask for understanding for myself and those around me where things are unclear.

And I will trust that God is working in a million untold ways to draw us to Himself, make us more like Him, and to remind us He is with us in the trouble.

Life is Sweet

Life is sweet!

Even though we are a KING SIZE family, I would say we are still FUN SIZE. MOUNDS of events, mostly SWEET with a few SOUR PATCHES, took place as the earth took its ORBIT around the sun this past year. 

If I were to pick a candy to help describe our year for each in our family, it would go like this…

Katerin would get SNICKERS. Milk chocolate, peanuts, caramel, nougat---it satifies. Katerin is more than satisfied with her Sophomore year—she loves UMHB, she loves her friends (we do too!), she is doing so well managing her courses and work, and we are immensely proud of the young woman she has become (more than satisfied!)

For Emily, I would choose SWEETTARTS. Emily graduated High school—sweet! She was accepted into the PATHS Program at Texas A&M—sweet! But with these blessings, came overwhelming and anxiety-inducing changes (tart), for which Emily was uncertain if she was ready. This year has proven Emily to have been beyond prepared as she has navigated life in a new city, new expectations and new friends—sweet!

For Marian, I think of STARBURST. She has a rigorous schedule her Senior year with the EMT program and her other courses, working as a gymnastics coach, and looking for a second job to pay for a Europe Trip with the EMT students.  She is just a rock star at managing all of it. Marian also got to shine this year as she was nominated on the Homecoming Court!

Wesley would be EXTRA. Anything Wesley does, he goes all out. His hair, his humor, and when he displays his patriotic spirit—he not only dresses head to toe in stars and stripes, but he carries his flag pole proudly displaying the American flag. Wes is the only one in the family that wants to dress in a suit for family pictures (we compromised and let him wear a sports coat). Wesley is not just extra with his appearance, it shows in his heart too. He spent Thanksgiving break with his “brothers” in Rwanda—encouraging and serving others.

I would choose MR. GOODBAR for Omar. Omar is well-liked by teachers, coaches, peers and the girls. He is good at anything he tries--percussion, football, swim, and self-taught flips. He always has a smile on his face and often offers a helping hand.

Saimon is a FIREBALL. This kid is full of endless energy and just like a fireball candy, sometimes he is too much. But we love his intense passion, his giant, tender heart, and his excitement. The way Saimon tackles projects with dad is unmatched by anyone else. And his ability to sing along to every song with his sweet, raspy voice amazes me.

If M&M’s stood for “making memories” this would be the perfect candy for Savannah. Savannah loves to plan family game night and family movie night with whoever will attend. She counts down to the day when the siblings choose their Secret Santa names and she helps keep the Elf on the Shelf moving day to day. Savannah loves old traditions and enjoys creating new ones.

For Jeremy and I, there is no other person in the entire MILKY WAY we would rather be with than each other. This year we celebrate 23 years of marriage and we do not take for granted that we enjoy working, serving, and parenting together (most days).

This time of year, we are especially thankful for Jesus, our LIFE SAVER. Without His birth, we would not enjoy these sweet gifts. We certainly do not deserve them. Much of daily life is spent “bracing for impact” so recalling these sweet things is just as much for us as it is to share with you.

We wish you a SWEET Christmas filled with the best kinds of gifts, The Evermons

My favorite homecoming

It's that time of year -- Homecoming.  This is a big deal.  Although I have lived most my life in Texas, I was born in New Orleans and went to high school in New Mexico.  So I bypassed the whole Texas homecoming thing until my girls got into 8th-9th grade.  At which time we adopted from another country and entered public school for the first time.

To say we were overwhelmed is an understatement.  When a friend offered to make my girls mums that first year, we all said 'uh no thanks' not really believing girls wore those things.  My girls adapted a year or two later but I'm still not used to it.
I'm still wide-eyed at the mums and my eyes get wider each year as the mums get bigger for my upperclassmen.

But this is not the homecoming I'm talking about.  My favorite homecoming happened Sept 17th 6 years ago.  With the buzz of school starting and the new routine, I often almost let it slip by. 

However my oldest seems to always remember this anniversary.  A quick text this morning of "Happy Homecoming Day" stops me and brings me to tears.
At first, I think she doesn't realize homecoming is still a month away for my high schoolers.

But then I remember what homecoming she is really talking about.
 
I wrote a post about it 3 years ago and I had to look back at what I wrote.  Oh all the FEELS. 

I remember seeing my parents' faces as we walked through the final exit at IAH, and as I hugged my mom I cried.  It felt like I just crossed the finish line of a marathon.  Little did I know it was more like the first mile of the first leg of an Ironman Triathlon.

With little sleep on the midnight flight and 1 less bag that someone in Colombia thought they needed more than us--we made it!

We piled all of us and all our luggage in Big Blue

And headed to IHOP

This is us translating the menu and waitress just to get drink orders started.

As hard as those first weeks (months...) were forging our way through, I am forever grateful for this HOMECOMING. 

 It will always be my favorite.  

Laura, Mari and Lily

"My sisters are very important to me." 

Laura is 13, the oldest among the three.  As I watch their video and look at Laura's face when she talks about her sisters, I recognize her face.  The worry, the concern, the sadness if they were separated.  

My daughter, Katerin, will tell you the first time she prayed was when she begged God to keep her and her siblings together. She prayed,

God, if you are real, keep us together...

At the same time, God was preparing us and we were asking, "Lord, where are our kids?"

He answered both of our prayers....in each other.

And in doing so, He drew Katerin into relationship with Him and grew our trust in Him.

You know these girls need a family, but what you may not realize is that your family needs them.

You can know more about them here and contact All God's Children International to learn more.

Jonas and Dylan

Just a little update on these boys--they are spending their first Christmas home with their forever family this year!!  YAY! Thank you, Lord, for their adoption! (December 2018)


Something about these boys remind me of my Saimon and Omar...they have the same age difference between them, they entered the orphanage at the same ages my boys did. But Jonas and Dylan are still there.
I remember days before heading to Colombia to get our kids praying with Carla and Mindy because I was shaking scared. It has been 5 years now and I look at my family and echo David's prayer to God, 

Who am I and what is my family that you have brought us this far?

There are no guarantees in adoption. We risk. We make mistakes. We fail. We pray. We ask God again and again for His strength to be made perfect in our weakness. We beg God to draw us all to Himself.
 
I know the thought of adding teenagers to your family is scary and then layer on from another country, culture, language...it might seem impossible. 

But what might you forfeit if you don't stop and consider? 

I have been abundantly, exceedingly blessed knowing that all of my kids have come to faith in Christ. On the hard days, when relationship is difficult and attitudes abound, I step back and consider eternity. 
My life, our lives, have been forever changed. When I consider their (&my) salvation and that God is just getting started with them (&me)--what impact they already have and will have for generations to come...

the risk is worth it.

  

Watch this short video to learn more about Jonas and Dylan...or message me if you want help starting the process.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/agcintl/videos/?ref=page_internal

4 years

Tuesday is the 4th anniversary of our Colombian Gotcha Day.  As I get ready to share some things about the past 4 years with some friends, I pulled up a few blog posts and photo albums.

I looked at highlights of our life in the photo albums from each year and compared that with the lessons and experiences I shared in the handful of posts I wrote in the past 4 years and the contrast is striking.  

Yet my feelings from both are the same.  My feelings of what it was like when I wrote Wrecked and Homecoming Anniversary--feelings of being overwhelmed and inside out with a touch of faith are the same feelings I have when I look at the smiles, firsts, and memories in the album.  I remember what surrounded those pictures and yes, the feelings of being overwhelmed and inside out with a smidgen of faith were very present behind those snapshots.

What prompted the beginnings of our bigger family were compassion and love.  I loved my kids before I knew them.  When I met them, and they were in the foundation in Colombia, I wanted to go through our process as fast as we could because I needed to get MY kids out of the foundation and into my home where they belonged.

Questions like "How do you think adopting 4 kids into your family will affect your own kids?" disturbed.me.hugely because in my mind, four out of my seven kids were in a foundation in Colombia and how was growing up in a foundation going to affect my kids??

We did consider our three kids that already called us mom and dad and we tried to prepare them as much as we could.  Really as much as we could. 

But you just don't know what you don't know.

What compelled us to act on that compassion and love was obedience.  During our adoption process we had an opportunity to share how we felt our Father ask "Will you join Me?" in this short video.  And I wrote more about it here.

Compassion, love, obedience started this journey.  God's provision, the blessing of others along side us, and training got us through the beginning.  But we have said it many times that after getting all our kids home we felt like we were running a marathon but trained for a 5K. 

One of the things that was mentioned in our training was to know yourself and your own issues.  

Know what makes you tick 

and what gets you ticked off.  

And how are you going to deal?   

I slightly remember that part of the training

but I clearly remember thinking, "I'm good."

I thought I knew myself well.  I thought I knew how to deal.  But the peculiar thing about adoption is that my kids who are adopted have a way of revealing things about myself that my bios never had.  Adoption brings out the best and the worst in me.  And that's a good thing.

For example.....I learned that my love was conditional.  It was all along.  But I never noticed before because the people I loved loved me back.  They were affectionate and said "I love you."  We had not yet had teenagers when we adopted so pretty much when I said to do something, it was done, although sometimes with a little added motivation. :)

When we adopted (and as our kids were entering teen years at the same time), I gave love but it wasn't given back.  I tried showing love on my own for a while but then I couldn't.  Some of the behaviors got in the way and it was really hard loving someone with unlovely behaviors.  I thought it was just a problem with me and the ones adopted, but what I realized is that I loved Jeremy conditionally and all my kids--bio and adopted--with conditions.

How did I deal?  I got it wrong for a while and still sometimes do, 

but mostly I lean back into my Savior.  

He loves me when my behaviors are unlovely.  

He forgives. 

And forgives again.  

He loves even when we don't love back.  

I ask for that love to fill me and pour out.  

I can't do it on my own.

Another thing I have seen over and over again, especially as I have looked back at old posts and flipped through the photo albums, is that He is enough.  His grace sufficient.  I can't meet all the needs and I don't know how we have made it other than HE IS SUFFICIENT.  Remember I said a second ago that we adopted 4 kids and started parenting TEENAGERS at the same time?  

When we spent 5 weeks in Colombia cramming our family on the second floor of a seminary/church, 

He is enough.

When we put 3 teenage girls in one room, He is enough.

When I "homeschooled" all seven kids for a VERY short period of time, He is enough.

When we had to say everything in Spanish and English and then say it again about 10 times, 

He is enough.

When we came home to meals provided by supportive friends, He is enough.

When we attempted family photos, He is enough.

When I took too long to dry my hair just to drown out whatever was going on outside my door, 

He is enough.

When we say "I love you" and it's met with silence, He is enough.

If you have read my blog much you may have seen that last Fall I started naming gifts.  I am on number 870 now.  Eight hundred seventy different blessings named since October 26, 2015.  What has surprised me by that little exercise is how much joy and love and peace I have in the midst of circumstances that have not changed much.  And it is not only transforming me but my people around me too.

I can say "I love you" and mean it and still have joy when the words are not returned.  Because it's not my own love--my own love is shallow and ends at some point.

But His love never fails.  

His love endures forever.  

So 4 years into our new bigger family and I have much much to be thankful for.  I usually say, "Overall we are doing well."  But now I can see beautiful gifts in each one of the people I love the most.  And I am so so grateful.

Homecoming Anniversary

From our first pic as a family of 9 to the latest one taken this summer, it's still hard to believe today marks our Homecoming 3 years ago. 

Many have said we are inspiring, amazing, a beautiful picture of the gospel. 

When I look back I think "how did we survive those first 5 weeks in a guest house in Colombia? how did we manage with 3 teenage girls in one room when we got home? how did we learn to live together, learn language, just FEED everyone all the meals and snacks, learn how to love, grow, give space, lean in, get help?" 

There are many days I wake up or go to bed thinking "this is too hard. It's just too hard." 

And it's true but that's how I know God is REAL. 

He is WITH US. 

We are too weak, selfish, ill-equipped but HE fills in the gaps, gives us gifts of helps from His people, gently leads us. 

There were times I could not encourage others to adopt, but people ahead of me kept hoping, believing for me. 

Now I can encourage you to say YES to adoption. Say YES to whatever God has for you. He will not call you and leave you to it alone. 

I am thankful for the good and the bad. How God uses and does not let us stay at our worst. He gives us new mercies and grace. YAY FOR GRACE! 

Happy Homecoming Anniversary Katerin, Emily, Marian, Wesley, Omar, Saimon, and Savannah! I am so privileged to see God work in you and through you. 

You ARE an inspiration! I love you with my whole heart! 

Thank you, God, for letting me be mom to these kids. 

Don't deserve it-- and that IS the gospel.

Adoption Saved Me (changes everything series)

Some might look at adoption as saving a child.  
I look behind me and see how adoption has saved me.

It has saved me from getting too comfortable. 
(I can barely think to expand on that because there is so much to say and I can't put it all together in my head or in a nice, neat list that you would want to even read.....but here we go.)
It's not comfortable seeing my issues and weaknesses come out. 
It's not comfortable learning how to love in a way that does not come naturally.  (especially when it is not returned)
It's not comfortable being someone people admire for what we did when what we did makes the first two things happen.

It has saved me from thinking that having children is all about....me, what I want, when I want, who they look like, how many I have.
I look back at my 25 year old self when I gave birth to my first child and I don't think it is wrong to have dreams and thoughts about what you want in a family.  But I think we need to continually put those dreams and thoughts before the Lord and ask for His will and His way to be done.  Sometimes in joy and expectation and sometimes in grief and feelings of such longing and not understanding.

It has saved me from focusing too much time and money in a child's sport, hobby, passing interest. 
A. We don't have the time nor the money.  B. I am glad we don't.
Again, I don't think it's wrong to be involved and invested in these things.  I am learning....STILL....to focus more on developing and encouraging my kids' walk of faith, their character, and their effort and attitude in life over their performance.
Still learning.

It has saved me from thinking that I need to make my children happy.
This is a tough one.  We do things for them and with them that make them happy, but we also do things that are really hard on them. Not for the sake of making it hard on them, but it just happens....because we are a large family, because we value giving and people, because we adopted, because mom hates screens, because we have boundaries (they would say "STRICT rules"). 
This is a tough one because I hope that one day they will look back and see how God was with them and taught them and prepared them.  But they could also ditch God and say that was too hard and I am not following a God like that.

I don't know if this really counts, but I have noticed some things that I no longer do now that I have a larger family...

I buy the cheapest, largest, singly-ply toilet paper I can get.  I only notice when I go to other people's houses and find soft, cushiony toilet paper--and I remember what a toilet paper snob I used to be.

Going out to eat.  We rarely take our kids out to eat at a restaurant.  Again, has to do with the budget, but also it is just not fun.  It's hard to please 9 people. It's hard to have a conversation.  It's hard to enjoy a meal with kids constantly getting up, or are giddy with laughter because of the experience or maybe the high fructose corn syrup in their drink!  Most of the time I eat out with just my favorite guy.

So we have passed the 2 year mark since bringing our last 4 kids home....thinking about another post.