Birthdays: Oh My!

BIRTHDAYS 

Always smiling with Nana and Pop.  She loves them.

Did you say pink icing?  Only Aunt Jess would find that.

Cealy: We packed a lot into Cealy's birthday! She is one loved child. The night before we ate with Nana and Pop at CR heros, a favorite of hers.  She played with some of her favorite friends at Drew's house.  Then her Aunt Jess came and made cookies with PINK icing on her day. Aunt Jess, Grand Pam, Grandpa, Marm, Sebastian and I took Cealy to Chuck E Cheese. Both the kids had a blast and I told Cealy that the lady at the front only lets you come in the day of your birthday, so we are clear until next year...

Sebastian: We went with a group of some of my favorite people to the zoo!  Sebastian had a blast.  Kate (2 years old) watched him a couple of times and yelled when he tried to jump in with the rhinos and ???  I wonder what exactly he wants to go once he gets in the cage?  Sebastian loves to run as fast as he can in the opposite direction of me.  I am running and my back is crying because I just know that I have to pick him up and he is going to lose it.

My favorite.  Courtney's twin, Ella, and Cealy's friend for life.

Could you get any cuter than this?  Geesh!

Sebastian could swing for hours.  It is the only thing he wants to do at the park and if another child eyes the swing from a far he runs up to it and yells, "Mine!"

My cousin Jess.  Home for a bit of Summer and we had some of the best days yet.  Cards, Bags, Games, Laughter (lots of laughter).  She is one of my closest friends and is the best role model for my kids.  I thank God for her.  There are certain people who just get you.

Aunt Jess and her famous breakfast making skills.

How fun is this group? 

Up next: Soccer!  Taylor, Cealy, and Drew are playing on a team.  This could be a good time.

If only we could afford to keep this bounce house...

Because of Sarah.

I grew up with a story that lives with me everyday.  We were in 3rd grade.  A little girl who was my age drowned in the bathtub.  We were old enough to be in the bath alone.  Her sister was in there with her, and her mother ran downstairs for a short time to get something in the kitchen.  She slipped getting into the tub and hit her head.  She went under water and then went home with Jesus.

I tell you that she lives with me every bath.  You hear the stories of something terrible happening to someone, let alone a child, and those around them live different.  I live different.  I don't take my eyes off my babies in the bath.  I didn't even know her.  My parents met her family, and my best friend was friends with her.   Over twenty years later and this precious young girl has taught me an important life lesson.  I can assure you had this event not happened in my life I would think running downstairs to grab laundry or grabbing my phone or something else was acceptable.  This little girl has saved many lives.  Her family probably doesn't know the extent of it.

Courtney and I gave our children a bath Saturday night.  She was friends with this sweet girl, and still gets sad talking about what happened.  We watched our children, and thanked this sweet young girl for her lessons.  How slipping is so easy.  How water can be so dangerous.  How her life saved so many of her generation's children.

Because of Sarah.  She saved so many.

Good News!

On this day, August 16, as my son turns two years old, I awake to a good email!  Your prayers are being answered and God is faithfully resting on people's hearts.  While I believe my 3 children will soon be home in my arms, I often ask God if this is His will?  While I want more than anything for all my children to be together, I wonder if God wants the same.  Not because he wouldn't want me to be absolutely happy, but because sometimes life is more complicated than that.  Sometimes you have to put your desires aside for the will of others, and I believe the will of God is the most important.  So the next month is BIG.  Whatever happens, please pray that God's will prevails.

Thank you prayer warriors.  I pray that God blesses you abundantly for loving our family.

*Very fun pictures of birthdays to come soon!

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Jesus's Expectation.

A friend messaged me today with this verse.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. -Galatians 6:9  She constantly shows her support with just a sweet note of acknowledgment or prayer.  We were close in high school, and have not seen much of each other since.  What a mighty friend to have and a true blessing.

I read Mark today as my children were napping.  Jesus expects us to stand up for what is right and what is good.  It is an expectation.  You are supposed to be slow to anger unless someone is being treated unfairly.  Orphans deserve to be de-orphanized.  They deserve a mother or father or both.  They deserve the right to have meals with their family, laugh with their sister, or tackle their brother. They deserve a bedtime.  They deserve a soft place to fall.

Our agency director just got back from the country in which we are adopting.  She visited a couple of orphanages while she was there.  One had 5 children die the week before from starvation.  FIVE.  5 children died from no food last week in one orphanage alone.  I am in a panic when Sebastian has not eaten between his nap and dinner.  I can't seem to process this tonight as my children sleep.  Five of God's children died hungry.

I will fight for my children to get home, and then I will continue to fight for all children to get home.  And if I annoy anyone in the process, so be it.  It is His expectation.

Adoption Update:

Oh you ask...And often after you do, you say "Sorry I asked, I just want you to know I care."

And it crushes me.  Because I realize that maybe my face does not show you that I 100% cherish your love and concern for our family.  I do.  I think you are so absolutely awesome and I pray that God blesses you for loving my family.

Today was another setback.  And while I was angry, upset, and wanted to be important enough to change the way the United States looks at International Adoption, I realized I wasn't.  There is nothing really I can do to get our children home.  I can do nothing at this point.  God and Jesus can.

And in the times where I feel that no one understands or wants to hear about yet another setback...A dear friend brought me dinner, dessert, and a bottle of wine.  And I realized God was sending me angels throughout my day today.  Whether someone listened or told me something funny or allowed me to go to the front of the line at the store because Sebastian was in a mood, He sent me angels.

Oh, The Differences.

I ask both kiddos to get into their seats.  And where does Cealy go?...Her seat of course.   Every.time.I get.into.the.van.Sebastian.does.not.get.into.his.seat. Instead...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He always looks at me real serious like... What? I thought I was driving.

Playing with sister means always having a doll's passy in your mouth...She can convince him of anything.

My favorite is seeing Sebastian hug and kiss his sissy.  He held her this morning while they watched cartoons.  Just a boy and his sister.

"There's A Little Bit Everywhere."

I wrestled on whether or not to tell this story.  It is my story, I thought.  A story I might pass down for my children, but certainly not tell the whole world.  Then I realized that my story was God's Story.  And so here it goes:

Let me tell you about a woman I know.  She embodied the word, entitled.  She was certainly not raised that way but she liked nice things.  She lived in a constant state of deserving.  She deserved name-brand clothes and shoes.  She deserved a nice car and good food.  She worked hard so everything she had was well... deserved.  She always claimed to be a Christian, and she was.  She went to church on Sundays and loved God and Jesus.  She volunteered at a women's shelter and had two girls whom she supported in another country.  She'd kiss their framed picture when she passed by them, and felt like she was really doing a world of good.  She knew their was suffering on the other side of this world, but it didn't directly affect her. She didn't know their stories or maybe she didn't care.  She claimed ignorance.  "You can't save everyone." 

There was a wonderful man who wanted to marry her.  She told him absolutely...when he was able to afford this ring she always wanted.  This ring.  Oh, let me just tell you about it.  It was over two carets.  It shined 'like the top of the Chrysler Building.'  This precious man saved up and bought his bride this ring.  It was beautiful.  Every outfit looked perfect with it.  Compliments were constant.  And she loved the compliments, even if she swore she didn't.

Years would pass by and she would be blessed with four children.  Each child changed her for the better. 

Then it happened.  She hadn't prayed that God and His son would change her heart.  After all, she felt like her heart was pretty darn good.  She prayed for wisdom...and with wisdom came humility.  She would look down at her ring and feel embarrassed.  She thought about her children.  What if she couldn't feed them?  What if they couldn't wear diapers and had to urinate on themselves?  What if her child died in her arms from starvation while a woman not so far away was wearing a ring that could pay for her child's food?  What if not naming her baby was better so she didn't become attached when it died?  A ring.  A pesky diamond ring.  What's in a diamond ring anyway?  This ring could pay for her child's food and education, that's what.  But she wasn't worth it to this woman.  The ring was worth more.  

What if a ring signified what was wrong with the world?  This ring shined on her finger while women, men, and children died of hunger.  The ring was no longer beautiful or stunning.  The people she met and the stories she encountered were just that...beautiful and stunning.

She needed wisdom from the only being that could provide such clarity, God and His son Jesus.  Wisdom changed her heart.  Her generous husband allowed her to sell the ring he thought meant so much to her.  His heart had changed too.  They were able to buy mattresses for children sleeping on concrete floors of their orphanage.  They were able to buy chicken coups for girls to sustain a living in their sons' country.  They were able to make more lasting relationships with women all over Africa, helping them with schooling and keeping their children.  They were able to help people all around them who needed it.  They were able to use God's money to love others. 

I bet this was His plan all along.  And to think He knew how our story would play out years ago when I accepted a ring that I so thought I deserved.  He knew our story.

I didn't think anyone would notice.  Then I started feeling anxious about how to respond when people asked where my ring was.  So I went back and looked at pictures of all the lives that were changed. Now I can say, "There's a Little Bit Everywhere."