A Mother's Ramblings

Eight Feet

2012-01-30T13:04:00.000-06:00

In my house, if one child does an activity, chances are the other one will show an interest in it, too at some point--at least in this season of life. I know this will probably change as they get older, but right now, it's normal. When Josh was in Little Gym, Emily would ask when she was going to get to do gymnastics. Of course, since she was already maxed out on activities, the answer was usually "not gonna happen." With Josh, he wanted to play soccer forever--probably because he's been watching Emily play since he was two. And this year, he's suddenly taken a HUGE interest in basketball as well. He's already been telling us how he WILL be playing next year (you have to be in kinder to do Upwards).

Every time Emily practices outside, Josh does, too. And when she has practice with her team, he goes to another basket and starts shooting. Last week during her practice he made at least 20 baskets--almost all of them on the 10 foot. However, all of those baskets were still granny shots. He wasn't confident enough (or strong enough) to make a basket "the regular way."

We've been encouraging him to keep trying "overhanded" shots, and this weekend he finally decided to listen. And yesterday he made his first ever "non-granny shot" basket (on the 8 foot). He was SO proud of himself, and his confidence soared! He and I went outside again today after lunch, and he made 6-7 more. This boy is loving basketball!

I took a few pictures of him while he was practicing today--I love this guy!

Look at that jump!

Taking the shot

Watching it go

Look at me!

Way to go, J-man! It's so fun to watch you grow and learn!

Give Me Jesus

2012-01-27T13:11:00.002-06:00

As I wrote about here, I have had the thought of Heaven and eternal vs. temporal on my mind a lot lately. I admit it, I like this temporal world, and sometimes I have trouble thinking about what's to come. But, more and more, I find myself longing for the world to come. That doesn't mean I don't still enjoy things here, and it certainly doesn't mean I still don't have the desire to see my children grow up or anything like that, but it does mean that the Lord is showing me more about who He is and how this is not the end.

Besides the song I mentioned over at Stitches (New Jerusalem), I just yesterday heard another song called Where I Belong by Building 429, and I think it may be my new favorite song. I can't stop listening to it! You can click on the link if you'd like, but the message is basically this (from the chorus):

All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

So simple, really, but I love it.

I want to live my life in such a way that those lyrics--that reality--is constantly on my mind. I'm not home yet.

Lord, let me live each day fully surrendered to You and to what You have for me. Let me start my day with You in mind, and may You stay at the forefront all day long. Let me not long for the things of this world, but let me long for you alone. And may You be such a part of my life that those around me can't help but notice. Give me Jesus....

Bedtime and Orphans

2012-01-21T21:16:00.000-06:00

Tonight at bedtime I had one of those moments that I won't soon forget. Jeff and I had just gotten back from a date night, and we were home in time to put the kids to bed. It was supposed to be my night with Josh and Jeff's with Emily, but Josh was wanting Daddy tonight, so we switched.

When I got in Emily's room, she was reading her devotional and then we prayed together. We then started talking. She told me that maybe we should adopt 8 kids, and I told her that for now God had only told us about Ella. We started talking about what it will be like when Ella comes, and I was telling her how I'll probably sleep in the room with Ella for the first few months just like Josh and Emily both slept in our room the first few months after they were born. We talked about how though we're so excited for her to join us, she doesn't know we exist yet and it might be really hard for awhile.

As we were talking, Emily suddenly got tears in her eyes. I asked her why. At first she didn't answer, but then she said, "It just makes me so sad that there are orphans." Oh, my sweet girl....I told her that it makes me sad, too, and that it makes God sad as well. I told her about how we know Jesus cries with us because we saw him cry with Mary and Martha when Lazarus was dead--even though he knew what would happen (that he would raise Lazarus from the dead). I told her how even though he knows one day there will be no more orphans, he cries with us now.

We then went on to talk about orphans we know who are no longer orphans because they are now in forever families of people we know. Within no time, we named close to 20 children by name--including 2 who we just met this weekend who live in our neighborhood. That moment gave her hope as she saw that there could be change made.

Emily and I talked about a friend of mine who is moving in a couple weeks to serve at an orphanage in Bolivia. And, as we talked, Emily said, "Maybe one day I'll adopt like 10 orphans." We then talked about how maybe one day she might even work in an orphanage. We talked about her heart and how I could see that God is preparing her for something big, and without hesitation she agreed. I think even at 8 years old, part of her knows that God has big plans for her.

We finished the night agreeing how we want to keep talking--even when she's a teenager and doesn't like me very much (ha),--and I left the room knowing that a defining moment very well may have taken place tonight.

You see, back when Emily was 5, before we ever started the road to adoption, she used to tell us she was one day going to have 100 children. Jeff had told me, "Maybe she's going to have an orphanage someday." And then as I told my accountability partner (at the time) about it, she got chills. Even then, it felt somehow ordained.

Now, if Emily grows up and never feels led to serve in an orphanage, that is okay with me. It might not be what God has for her. But, as her mother, I have a strong sense that my daughter's love for little ones and her heart for the orphan will not go unused by God. He has big plans for my little girl, and I am just thrilled to get to be a part of it as it all unfolds.

All praise be to Him for the mighty work He is doing! I can't wait to one day look back and see how tonight threads into Emily's life story--and God's big picture. His work is surely a masterpiece.

Foto Friday

2012-01-20T08:24:00.000-06:00

I've been feeling a little writer's block, possibly because one of my favorite people on the planet is moving across the planet today....Yes, after various delays, Jen and her family are moving to South Africa today. I saw her yesterday, and though I'd just gone on a walk and Jen hadn't slept in almost 2 days, I still made her take a picture with me before she left. I know she will love me for posting it on my blog--ha! Love you, Jen. Excited about what God is doing in your family's lives!

After school yesterday, the kids got haircuts. Days earlier Emily was complaining about the fact she had to get it cut (though I think it'd been 6 months!), but yesterday she decided she wanted to get about 2.5 inches cut off. So, she's back to the shorter look....

And Josh's hair grows really fast, so he always gets it cut pretty short. He wanted to make sure that it was short enough to spike this time (though he rarely sits still long enough for me to do more than comb it)....

There's something about haircuts that I just love, maybe the fresh, clean look that comes with it--but I think the haircuts always make them look older, too. When did they get so grown up??

His Voice

2012-01-11T08:51:00.000-06:00

Last night my phone rang with a number that I didn't recognize. It listed my town and the number, so I assumed it was someone I knew and answered it. The person immediately started in with, "Hey! You have a minute?" And I immediately went into figure out who I'm talking to because obviously I'm supposed to know mode.

Within a sentence or two, I realized it was a dear friend of mine who was evidently calling from a different phone number than I have in my phone for her. At one point in the conversation I finally said, "Is this your home phone?" and I told her that I hadn't known who it was right away. She answered with, "Oh, sorry. It's me!" For some reason it was funny to me because it was someone whose voice I clearly should recognize--as indicated even in her answer of "It's me!"

As I thought back on it this morning, I thought about when God calls. He doesn't call me up on the phone (at least He never has!), but He certainly calls me. He calls me to obedience, and He speaks clearly if only I'd listen. But, do I know His voice well enough to hear Him? Do I have to think through all the possibilities of who it might be before I realize it's Him, or am I walking closely enough to Him that I can recognize His voice within the first sentence or two?

In John 10:4, it says ...his sheep follow Him because they know His voice. I want to live in such a way that such a thing could be said of me. I want to know His voice.

Lord, I pray that I would take the time to hear Your voice, that I would attune my heart, my mind, my everything to You and that I would hear You when You speak. I want to know Your voice, and I want to follow You with all I say and do.

Weekend Recap

2012-01-09T10:42:00.000-06:00

This weekend started winter sports in our house. Saturday was Emily's first Upwards basketball game of the season. Last year when she played, she was a great little defender but had the hardest time reaching the basket, so she rarely even attempted a shot. She asked me Saturday morning, "How many goals did I make last year when I played?" I told her that she'd only made one basket last season so she could beat that in her first game--and she did! She started the game a little slow, looking a bit confused and nervous. However, after the first six minutes, she seemed to figure it out and ended up making three baskets in the game. We were so proud of her! (And even though we don't keep score yet, her team won the game.) :) I think this is going to be a great season for her.

Sunday was a send off party for our friends leaving this week for South Africa. It was at another friend's house, but our family helped host (along with a couple other families). We served lunch and had 100 people come to wish our missionary friends well and hug their necks. I think it went really well, and I sure hope our friends left feeling encouraged by the support they'll have back home.

(Here is a picture of our two families--my kids even wore their South Africa rugby shirts to support our friends! The last picture is of our kids, 2 of the 3 kiddos moving, and the 2 hostesses' girls.)

Now I'm headed to meet up with Jen (the friend moving) and a couple other girls--my friends who I lovingly refer to as the South Africa girls. Today is our goodbye, and I am not exactly looking forward to it. BUT, I know that it's not really goodbye, so I am taking comfort in that. We'll see each other again--and in this world of technology, she'll never be more than a computer or phone away!

So, Jen, in case I can't get the words out today, "See ya later. Love you always."

Something Else

2012-01-06T17:36:00.000-06:00

Don't ever think something's so great that you can't let go of it and let God give you something else... --Louie Giglio

Wow. As I was watching one of the Passion 2012 sessions the past few days, I listened as Louie said those words. The session had actually been the reading of the entire book of Ephesians with several moments of time where the speakers would have everyone be silent and listen to God speak.

I am not the best at listening to sermons even when they're live, so listening on the computer is even harder for me as I become easily distracted. However, I was doing my best and asking the Lord to speak to me. When they had finished reading the Scripture, Louie asked how many had just heard God speak to them and spoke of how amazing it is that God can speak to so many all at once. After he'd finished with that, he called the David Crowder band out one last time as they'd announced a few months ago that they were making their last album and that this is the end for them as a band. The quote above is something he said as he was talking to them. And God spoke to me.

Just as He could speak to so many at the conference, He could speak to me as I sat at my computer. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings struck my heart as clear as anything. You see, I have a hard time letting go of things. If someone suggests a change to me that I'm not ready for, I am not one of those people who gets excited. I am the person who gets miserable. Change is not my strong suit. I like to cling to the things (and people) I love.

I've really been dealing with this the past few months, so I knew in an instant that God was talking to me. And as scary as it may be, it was reassuring as well to know that He cares enough to speak to me so clearly.

And then today God used that same quote in a different context for me. I've been a bit melancholy as my dear friends leave Thursday for South Africa. They will most likely be gone at least a couple years, and the reality of it is suddenly back upon me as I realize that I will probably see them just two more times before they go. All day it's been on my mind, but then God reminded me of the quote above.

I have to let go.

Now don't misinterpret that. It doesn't mean I'm just sending them off and forgetting about them. Far from it. However, I am sending them off knowing that the Lord has called them to go. He is giving them something else, and I am excited to see the results as time goes by. They are letting go of the things here in order to obey God and go where He's calling them.

Oh, that I might be so bold in my obedience!

Jen and Brian (and crew), I know you know this already,--or at least I hope you do!--but I want to say it again. I am so proud of you for your obedience, your willingness to "risk it all" to follow the Lord. I know the journey has been long, the frustrations have come, the exhaustion has set in....but it is worth it. Your lives are an offering before the Lord, and He is pleased with your sacrifice, your obedience, your willingness to trust Him no matter what. I will miss you guys more than I can say, but I trust that the Lord has brought us together not just for a season but for life. You are forever friends, and I am so blessed by you. I pray that you would feel His presence each day, that you would cling to Him, and that you would know just how loved you are. I love you....Kim

2012

2012-01-01T17:38:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! It's seems hard to believe that yet another year has gone by. How is it that I am a semester away from having a kindergartner and a third grader? Something about that just doesn't seem right!

As I've been pondering 2011 the past few days, I read this post by Beth Moore. Every year I look back at 100 things I'm thankful for (last year it was 100 people), but this year I also decided to take Beth's advice and come up with three words to characterize the past year. As I "recap" my year, what stands out? What was God teaching me? What was our family learning?

WAITING: The first word I chose is waiting as we have now been waiting a year (officially on Wednesday) for Ella. As we've waited this year, there have been a lot of ups and downs as the process has dragged, stopped, and then finally started (however slowly) again. Waiting is also symbolic of where we were as a church the first part of the year as we waited for a new pastor, and it, too, characterizes Jeff's job as he has now been doing two roles since August--waiting for the reorganization that is to come where he'll once again have one job instead of two. There's actually a song "While I'm Waiting" (from the Fireproof soundtrack) that has kind of been our family's song this year.

BLESSED: This second word I chose is reflective of so many things this year. We've been blessed with good health, great friends, fun family times, an amazing church--I could go on and on. God has shown me more than ever before the beauty of friendship among believers, and I have been blown away. On top of that, we have been financially blessed this year. With the adoption costs leading up to "the wait," we have struggled financially. However, every time that I thought we weren't going to make it, God proved Himself faithful. The auction for Ella was a blessing as we watched generosity both from those who donated to it and those who bid on the items. And we ended the year with Jeff's bonus which left us both in awe of how much the Lord cares for us.

FAITHFUL: The final word goes right along with the first two. In the midst of the waiting, in the midst of being blessed, God has been so very faithful. "The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it." (I Thess. 5:24) He has faithfully led us each step of the way--whether I'm kicking and screaming or walking willingly, He is there. He patiently waits for me, and He continually gives me His peace and joy--no matter the circumstance. As we've questioned whether our adoption path should take a turn one way or another, He's faithfully answered us. As I've dealt with past fears of being rejected, He's been there. As I've struggled with letting go of things, He's held me up. The Lord is faithful. He is so very good to me.

Waiting. Blessed. Faithful. That's my 2011. What about you? Before you jump too far into 2012, what can you say about your 2011? I encourage you to think back, recall your year, and find God in it. I can assure you, He was there. He's always there. And He longs to do life with you. Can you find Him in your past? And will you look for Him in the year to come?

One Week Shy

2011-12-29T22:26:00.000-06:00

As we near the one year mark of waiting for Ella, I wanted to share a little of where we're at in our house as we wait:

1. Josh told me last night, "I really miss Ella." I told him I did, too, and we talked about how you can miss someone you've never even met. (Yes, even 5 year olds can "get it.")

2. Emily prays all the time for the adoption process to speed up and for us to get Ella.

3. We got this gift (see picture below) for Ella from Jeff's family, and the feeling of wanting her there in that moment was almost overwhelming.

4. However, in the same moment, we are thrilled as a friend of ours is currently in Ethiopia meeting their daughter and another family in the area just recently received their referral. Besides being excited beyond belief for them, we know that their good news also means movement for us.

5. Practically speaking, we have about 61 or so ahead of us on the "wait list." Though there have only been 3 referrals each month the past two months, we continue to move up about 6 a month (whether that's people going on hold, switching programs, or dropping out of the program, I don't know....). If we continue to move at that rate, we are hopeful that we'll have seen her beautiful face by this time next year.

And on that note, today I bought a new calendar. It's a "Beaches" calendar and I didn't realize it was even made by Dayspring. However, when I opened it up and went to throw away the cardboard inside, I saw this:

God is never early and He's never late--He's always right on time and His plans for you are good.

Once again, God reminded me--through a piece of cardboard of all things!--that His timing is perfect, and His plans for us are good. Again and again God seems to remind us, He is faithful and He will do it. Thank You, Lord, for taking care of our little girl as we wait. And thank You for taking care of us, too, while we wait. We are grateful for Your love. You are so very good to us.

And Ella Joy, we wish you could've been with us this Christmas, but we know God will bring you home at just the right time. As we wait, we continue to pray for you. We pray that you would feel His love and His joy. We pray that you are being taken care of and are being loved on while we can't. We look forward to the day when you are here with us. We love you, precious one.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T21:52:00.000-06:00

Since we left town on Christmas morning, I haven't had a chance to update, but I thought I'd at least do a quick photo journey through the last several days....

Letter to the kids:

Basketball from Santa:

Matching robes:

Money!:

Gift from Papaw:

Showing Jonah how to play with his new pirate boat:

With Papaw:

Jonah and Josh:

Emily and Gran:

Cousins:

My nephew and me:

Uncle Jeff and Jonah:

Aunt Julie and the kids:

Uncle Dave and E:

Jonah:

A belated Merry Christmas to you! I hope you were filled to overflowing with the love of Christ!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

2011-12-22T11:24:00.000-06:00

Since the Christmas break started, we had Emily's birthday party (a slumber party with her best friend that included a trip to Chuck E. Cheese), my parents and sister visited and we had Christmas with them, Emily attended another friend's birthday party, Jonah turned one, my kids spent some time with their "grand friend," and we went to the library. (I'm obviously leaving out the "other stuff"--like wrapping gifts, shopping, eating, etc....) I realized today that I didn't blog about any of those things, so I decided to wrap it into one blog with pictures of some of my favorite things so far this break:

Emily at Chuck E. Cheese

Josh showing off his tickets for his smooth moves on the basketball game

Matching pjs for the besties

Christmas with my family

Crafts made with Grandma

My new ornament--"Forever Family"

Our "exercise" for the week

More time with family

E and J with one of their favorites

Our attempt at having a fake b.day party for Jonah

Now we're only days away from the Christmas eve service, time with Jeff's dad, stepmom, and stepsister, Christmas day, and then time with the rest of Jeff's family. I can't wait to see what fun the rest of the break has in store for us!

Happy Birthday Jonah!

2011-12-21T14:27:00.000-06:00

Today my adorable nephew turns one! Since we couldn't be there to help him celebrate, we had a pseudo-party of our own with party hats, a birthday cupcake, and a picture of Jonah on the ipad. (Hey, I was trying to be creative!) We all wish we could be there with him today, but we will see him in just four more days, so we will make sure and do lots of celebrating then!

Jonah, our family is so lucky to have you in it! Because you were born, we became "aunt, uncle, and cousins" for the first time ever. You have put a little one back in our midst, and we love it...and we love YOU! Though we live far apart, you are never far from our thoughts. We are thankful to God for your life, and we know God has great plans for you!

Happy first birthday, Jonah! We love you!

Eight is Great!

2011-12-15T07:38:00.009-06:00

Eight years ago today I became "Mom" for the first time. Our sweet little 8lb 4oz bundle of joy entered the world at 11:29pm, and Jeff and I suddenly had new titles. (Little did I know how tired one could get of hearing "Mooomm," "Mommy!," "Mama..." over the course of 8 years...but I digress!) With our new titles came new responsibility. We were now in charge of another life.

Emily was a pretty easy baby--eating on schedule, sleeping through the night by the time she was 7-8 weeks old...She helped our journey into parenthood be relatively smooth.

Now, here we are, eight years later. It doesn't seem possible that she could already be eight....But she is, and the time shows no signs of slowing. In eight years, we've had our fair share of ups and downs, yet I always try to remind her, "I love you--NO MATTER WHAT." No matter where life takes us, what choices are made, I love her. She is my beautiful, amazing, creative, smart, caring girl, and I am beyond blessed that God would allow me to take part in raising her.

Emily, You are incredible! Your creativity never ceases to amaze me. Your ease with those who are "different" is beautiful to watch. I love watching you--no matter if it's on the soccer field, the dance floor, or the basketball court. You are an athlete. You are good at so many things--art, sports, school. But most important of all, you love Jesus. You love to sing songs to worship Him, and that makes both His heart and mine happy. I love you Emily, and I can't wait to see what the next eight years hold! Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Christmas Pictures

2011-12-12T09:37:00.004-06:00

I had the kids wear their Christmas clothes to church yesterday and took the opportunity to snap a few pictures after we got home. Though they weren't overly cooperative, I still managed to snap a few cute ones (thankfully, since Josh ran into something in the playroom last night and now has a big bruise/knot on his forehead...). I think they look so grown up!

E with the bear she made over the weekend

Josh wanted to do the "hold on to an ornament" pose

Daddy was trying to get them to smile

Close up

Full length shot

I just love these two!

Christmas Letter 2011

2011-12-10T11:20:00.025-06:00

Hello friends and family,

As many of you know, I decided a few years ago to stop sending a Christmas letter through the mail in an effort to save both time and money. Though I LOVE getting Christmas letters and pictures in the mail, I also value being able to give money away to organizations like Compassion International, World Vision, Samaritan's Purse and others, and not sending a Christmas card is one way we can reallocate the way we use our money at Christmastime. For our family, this has been a good solution (to do our letter on the blog); I know for others, this is not a solution that would work (or a "problem" that even needs fixing). All that to say, I'd still love to receive your cards and letters though you won't be seeing one in your mailbox from me.

This year has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. In January, we were added to our adoption agency's wait list to begin our official wait for our daughter in Ethiopia. At the time we were added to the list, the average wait time was 8-9 months for a referral (when you get to find out who your child is). Soon after we were added to the list, the process went to a complete standstill for three months. Once it began moving again, the movement was drastically slowed down. All that to say, we are now 11 months into the wait and most likely have another year before we ever see a picture of our daughter's face. It has been a trying process, and yet it is one where we have seen God's hand over and again. He is faithful, and He will bring her home to us in His perfect time.

Aside from the adoption, things continued to be busy in our home. Emily played Upwards basketball last winter (and is starting up her second season right now). She became quite a defender last year, and I think she'll have some exciting offense this season as well. She also continued with both dance and soccer this past year, too. Emily took tap and jazz last spring and had her recital in June; she then took tap this fall but decided after five years to hang up her dancing shoes at the end of November. As for soccer, she played spring, summer, and fall seasons. This fall she was her team's offensive player of the season with 17 goals in the 7 games she played. Emily continues to do well in school, finishing 1st grade strong and loving 2nd grade, too. She excels in both reading and math and misses school when we have a holiday break. Emily recently ran her first 5K, and somehow I don't think it will be her last! She is really well rounded in her love of sports, school, art, and reading. Emily turns eight on Thursday, and she is thrilled!

Josh had a fun year as well. He continues to go to preschool two days a week and actually has the same teachers this year that he had last school year. He has grown so much in his abilities at school and has begun recognizing and spelling a few words. Though he's a little nervous about going to kindergarten next year, he has told me that he should skip a grade and be in kinder now since he is five. Josh spent this past year attending Little Gym's sports skills class each week, and he has enjoyed being able to continue with the gymnastics side of class while also incorporating several different sports. This fall he also began playing soccer for the first time, and he loved it. He started the season off strong with three goals in his very first game! He finished the season loving it as much as he did when he started, and he is already asking when he can play again. Josh loves puzzles, books, video games, and playing outside--especially with his sister! He celebrated his birthday back in September with a family trip to Great Wolf Lodge.

Jeff continues in his work at Fidelity Investments. He has now completed 14 years there. He also continued to coach Emily's soccer team (all three seasons) and took on Josh's soccer team as well this fall. The kids and parents alike love him, and we are grateful to have him as the coach for both the Ladybugs and Dynamite! Earlier this year Jeff also served on our church's pastor search committee, and he had a remarkable experience working with incredible people. Jeff also continues to work with the youth at our church and has an 11th grade share group this year. Along with Emily, Jeff completed his first 5K this year (back in March) and then went on to finish his second 5K a couple weeks ago. If his knees will cooperate, Jeff has learned that he really enjoys running.

I continue to stay at home and volunteer as I can. I teach preschool on Sunday mornings, sing in the choir, help out in the library at Emily's school, and attend Bible Study Fellowship each week. In the spring I was also able to mentor a student at another local elementary school and work in Emily's classroom each week. I, too, did a little running this year and completed two 5K's as well. I don't think I've discovered a love for running, but I definitely like the idea of being done with a workout in 30 minutes, and I loved the feeling of finishing my first race. I also continue to write for our church's women's ministry blog, and I even had an article of mine published on a couple different blog sites earlier this year.

As a family, we were able to take trips to California (to meet our nephew/cousin!), XTreme Camp with the youth from our church (only Jeff and me), Missouri, San Antonio, Oklahoma, and Waco this year. We also hosted both Vacation Bible School and DiscipleNow at our house once again. We laughed, we loved, we fought, we yelled, we made up, and we grew this year. We were blessed by friends, family, our church, and most of all God.

We end this year thinking back at the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, and we are thankful. He has blessed us abundantly, more than we could ever ask or imagine. Our prayer is that you, too, might know the JOY that can be found in Him alone. He is the reason--not just for this season, but for everything we do.

Blessings to you this Christmas season!

Love,

J, K, E, and J

South Africa Girls

2011-12-08T07:57:00.010-06:00

In October 2008, Jeff and I traveled to East London, South Africa. We were in a group of 12 people, several of whom we had never met until we were placed together by God for this trip. I've written before about how on that trip a friendship was formed with 3 other girls (one which I was already close friends with) who are now simply known as "the South Africa girls."

The 4 of us are unlikely friends, and yet God has worked in each of our lives in such a way that our friendship makes complete sense. Two of us are now in the process of adopting, and two of us are deploying in January to be missionaries. Our like-mindedness in Christ bonds us together in a way that many cannot understand.

Last night we gathered together again, realizing that we're less than 40 days away from two of our group being gone. We hung out in our pjs (well, some of us were in our pajamas), had hot chocolate and cookies, talked, goofed off, and ended up having a Just Dance party at midnight. We ended the dancing with "Girls Just Want To Have Fun," and, as silly as it seems, my heart was so full. I love these girls, and I am so blessed by them.

And on top of that, one of them (the one who is adopting), brought me a gift she'd made. She knows how hard the holidays can be without Ella, and she gave me this:

Just incredible....

I am so grateful to God for these amazing women. This ornament is an example to me of friends who know your heart, and I am blessed beyond measure.

Thank you Delaina, Jen, and Jenn for your friendship. I love you girls! (And I can't wait for movie night....) :)

Tiger Trot

2011-12-03T19:53:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago, we were talking to Emily about her school's upcoming 5K and asked her if she wanted to do it. We decided to start running to see what she thought, and she decided after the first couple runs that she wanted to sign up. Jeff and I signed up with her, and I started running with her. Jeff still runs fairly frequently at the gym, so it wasn't much of a stretch for him to get ready, but I don't think I'd run 10 times since the last 5K we did back at the end of March.

We just started running three and a half weeks ago, but I wasn't all that worried because Emily's pace seemed to be much slower than mine. Last week we did a practice 5K, and it took about 40 minutes for her to get through it. However, that day as we finished, I realized she wasn't breathing heavy at all. She wasn't trying that hard to get through it.

The next day was Thanksgiving, and she wanted to hurry back from our run to watch one of her favorite singers, Scotty McCreery, sing in the parade. And suddenly her real ability began to show. She flew through our run that day, and it changed every run thereafter. I realized that I might be in trouble because I hadn't been trying that hard or worrying about really being ready, and now I couldn't keep up with her on our runs.

Then, this past week, Jeff and I both developed a cold. On top of that, the weather forecast for today was calling for 70-80% chance of rain. Needless to say, I wasn't entering the day with the highest hopes. In fact, I was instead asking for advice on Facebook about how to run with a head cold and asking people to pray that the rain would hold off until the race was over.

We got up this morning and I saw that it was wet out but not raining. Then, right as we were about to leave, the rain started to come down. Oh no. However, it then stopped almost as quickly as it started.

We got to Emily's school and got our numbers pinned on. Thankfully the school itself was open, so we were able to stay in part of the time so we didn't get needlessly cold or wet before the race began.

We watched the 1K and then headed back into the school for a few minutes until it was time for the 5K to start. Jeff decided to run with Emily and me since his cold was also bothering him--we had previously talked about him doing his own thing since he's so much faster than me, but with the condition we were both in, he stayed back instead.

We started the race off strong, and Emily pretty quickly got into her groove and took off ahead of us. Jeff finally pulled away from me and caught up to her since we didn't really want her to do it alone. Even though I stayed a bit behind them, I could see them the whole race and would watch as she'd at times just start walking to take a drink, walk a minute, and then take off again. A few times, I'd catch up to them only to have her take off running as soon as I could say hi. At one point, I even saw Jeff and her holding hands (which she and I have done on practice runs as well). She likes to do it to help keep her going when she's feeling a little worn out.

Jeff and Emily finished the race in 32 minutes--Emily's official time was 32:04, which I think is incredible for her first race, especially since she's so young. I was just behind them at 32:30, which is actually 11 seconds faster than my time back in March. Considering I was not feeling well, I was quite pleased (and actually quite surprised). I don't think I could've gone that fast if I hadn't been trying to keep Emily and Jeff in my view the whole time. Watching them ahead of me pushed me to keep moving.

When it was all said and done, Emily finished 1st for her age (she "might" have been the only 2nd grader who ran) and 24th overall, and I still don't think she was even out of breath.

We are so proud of her, and I wouldn't be surprised if she wants to do it again sometime. Way to go, E!

11 Months

2011-12-02T09:15:00.009-06:00

Sunday will mark 11 months since we have been "wait listed" for our daughter in Ethiopia. When you add in the time that we were doing paperwork, praying about it, and consulting others, we have been "in" for about a year and a half.

If you know me well, you may know I don't like to wait and I like to be in control. I was the kid who would look for her Christmas presents before Christmas. I don't like to be surprised. And I like to know what's going on....Well, adoption takes all of that away from me. I have to wait (longer than I ever imagined!); I am NOT in control; and, I most certainly don't feel like I know what's going on.

However, I have learned something in all of this--and I bet I'll keep learning as time goes on. I can be sad about the circumstances (the thought of waiting another year before we see a picture of our daughter and know who she is certainly brings tears) while still having peace. Because I know the Prince of Peace, I can dwell in Him no matter what the circumstance. And that fact alone keeps me going when it's hard.

This week has been hard. The holidays bring about a longing for her as last year at this time I thought we'd know who she is by now. And this week we learned what I've already feared--based on the amount of referrals that have been given each month, we are looking at more like a 24 month wait rather than the 8-9 we once believed in. It's hard to know that your family isn't complete and there's nothing you can do about it. It's hard to hear your daughter pray each night that we would get our referral soon, knowing she longs for a sister as much as I long for my 2nd daughter. It's hard to have my son bring home 4 bracelets he made at BSF and hear him say, "I'll give mine to Ella."

But, it's not impossible. Nothing is impossible with God, and our God will bring us through this--refining us and growing us as we wait. I already hear Him working on my children. Emily is already thinking to her future when she plans to adopt a boy and a girl. Josh already talks about going to Africa (as he plays pretend). This is not for naught.

And so I rest in the PEACE of my Savior. He has brought us to this place, and He will guide us through it, too. Ella will one day be united with us, her forever family--and all of the months and years of waiting will be worth it. I cling to that: Every tear, every setback, every heartache, every financial strain is worth it.

We love you, Ella Joy.

Hanging Up the Dance Shoes

2011-11-30T20:11:00.008-06:00

Today marked the end of something that began almost five years ago for Emily. Considering she's only in 2nd grade, that is quite a chunk of her little life. Today Emily walked into dance class for the last time (or at least the last time in the foreseeable future since she's always able to change her mind and take it again if she so desires).

She has been debating the decision for awhile, and I even thought last spring that we were at the end, but she just hasn't been able to pull herself away--until now. A few weeks ago, she finally decided to quit. Yet, when she and I told her teacher before Thanksgiving (which was her decision, by the way), Emily started to cry. I think the emotions of it are part of what's kept her from stopping before now. However, I told her that if she misses it, she can take again next year, and she is okay with that. I reasoned that since she's not quite 8 and is already in an 8-10 year old class that she'll be fine if she goes back. Again, she's okay with that.

Of course, tonight on the way there, she said, "Maybe I won't quit yet after all." (Can you say "Unable to make up her mind?!"--ha!) At that point I told her that it's too late because she's already followed through on the decision by telling her teacher and me telling the studio. She says okay and is fine with it--proof that this is indeed the right choice for now.

She dances her way through her last class, and I can't help but think that even though I'm glad she's quitting/taking a break, I will miss seeing her dance. The class she's in this year is tough, and she has risen to the occasion. She is a good dancer, and it's fun to watch her when she's enjoying it. But, more than that, I'm glad that she is taking a break. It gives her a chance to relax a little more, focus on soccer more if she chooses, or maybe even try something new at some point.

No matter if she takes again or not, she'll always be my little dancer. And part of my memory will always flash back to her looking like this:

I love you, little dancer. I can't wait to see what you do next!

Catching Up

2011-11-30T13:54:00.008-06:00

Wow, I am quite the blogging slacker recently--and I can't even blame it on being out of town or being away from the computer. We stayed in town for Thanksgiving, and I've been doing plenty of online shopping....I guess life has just been rather "regular" lately, and I haven't had any inspiration for writing--I'm sure my 3 readers have been heartbroken, so I'll try to do a better job in December! :)

As I said, we stayed in town for Thanksgiving. This is something we've done a lot throughout our marriage, and I rather enjoy having a low key Thanksgiving before the busy-ness of Christmas sets in. The four of us watched the parade, Emily and I went on a run, and Jeff and I made our meal. That night we put up the tree and got the lights on it, and then I put the ornaments on that night and the next day. Jeff and the kids went to see a movie Friday evening while I finished the tree and got started on some of the other decorations.

Saturday afternoon Emily and I both had rehearsal for our church's "Deck the Halls" service. This is our annual service where we decorate the sanctuary and ring in the Christmas season. It is by far my favorite service of the year, and I love getting to be a part of it. We had three services on Sunday, and it was packed. It seems everyone loves the service as much as I do! I sing in the choir, and Emily sang in the children's choir. They got a video shot of her singing during the 3rd service, so I took a picture of it off of my computer. She saw herself on the big screen in the worship center and actually looked forward and smiled once she realized she was on the screen. I think she looks pretty cute!

Josh has been a little under the weather with what started as asthma/allergy issues and seemed to turn into a virus. He is better now, but he didn't want to go to school yesterday, and I didn't make him. Next year he'll have to go since he'll be in kinder, so I figured why not let him miss a day now while he still can? He hasn't missed any days yet this year, and I really do want him to be 100% before he goes back, so we had a relaxing day at home.

Of course, by relaxing, I should mention that I decided to read "The Hunger Games" trilogy, and that wasn't exactly relaxing. Those books were intense for someone like me, but I got through all three of them (in super fast speed--like less than a week because I had to find out what happened) and really enjoyed them. They aren't something I'd usually pick, but they certainly kept my interest.

So, that's it. Pretty basic stuff going on. I hope I didn't lull any of you to sleep with my exciting life. :) But if I did, I hope you enjoyed the nap.

Until next time.....

DiscipleNow 2011

2011-11-20T22:27:00.007-06:00

Every year the weekend before Thanksgiving our church has something called DiscipleNow. It is a weekend for the youth of the church (and their friends) to be discipled and to learn more about Jesus and a relationship with Him. There are host homes where the teenagers stay (usually about 8-10 in a home); they arrive on Friday night and are there till Sunday morning. A lot of Saturday is spent out and about playing a game, having a canned food drive, and having a worship service at the church.

This year our church had about 560 teens sign up for DiscipleNow! They were divided into 70 host homes, and we were one of them. (This is the 6th time we've been a host home.) We were assigned 10th graders and had 4 girls and 5 guys at our house (plus the leader). Our leader has been one of the youth interns the past two summers, and he is awesome!

My kids always love having the teenagers at the house for the weekend, and this year Josh especially had a blast. The boys at our house were really good with my kids, so our kids spent the "free time" with the teens as much as possible. Here Josh is catching a ride in the backyard. :)

During the free time, we also were serenaded a lot by two of the boys who sing and play guitar and piano. I've never had that much music played "live" in my house!

Aside from all of the free time activities, they really did spend a lot of time digging deeper into God's Word and hopefully growing closer to Him. The weekend's topics covered different relationships in our lives, and I pray that they left feeling better able to handle the relationships in their lives by the grace of God. I pray they also left with a strengthened relationship with Christ.

It's a privilege for us to be able to open our home for the furthering of the Kingdom, and I pray this weekend had an eternal impact on all who were involved.

Feasts

2011-11-17T12:54:00.006-06:00

Last Thursday was Emily's Thanksgiving feast at school. Of course, that translates into me buying lunch (from Sonic that day) since she won't eat the "feast." Regardless, it gives me a chance to have lunch with her, and since she always wants me to and I'm rarely able (and who knows how long she'll want me to?!), it's worth it.

When I got there, she found her best friend, so we ate with her. As you can tell by the picture, they were a little wound up. I asked Emily's teacher what she'd given her to make her so crazy, and she assured me that she wasn't acting like that in class. I will take comfort in that fact because she was CRAZY while I was there. :)
And today, one week later (thankfully not on the same day this year), was Josh's feast. They ordered food and ate in the classroom, so the parents were allowed to come but not partake in the eating. Honestly, I wasn't really looking forward to it, but it was actually quite nice to come and sit with Josh for his lunch time. He was super happy to see me (and again, how long will that last?!), and I enjoyed talking with him and some of his friends. I know several of them, so they are pretty comfortable talking to me--and a couple even gave me a hug as I left.
Leaving there today reminded me just how thankful I am for these two little munchkins God has blessed me with--they may drive me a little batty now and then, but they are precious to me. I am thankful to be their mom, and I am grateful that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom and can go to lunch with them. I am blessed.

Is Jesus Enough?

2011-11-10T11:37:00.014-06:00

I've heard it be said (and I've said it myself--on here even!), "Jesus is enough. Jesus + nothing = everything. Jesus is all I need." And it's true, He should be enough. If I received no other good gift in my life, it would be enough because it would be eternity with Jesus. But I am spoiled.

You see, I've been given a lot of good gifts in my life. From the beginning, God has given me other good gifts, "bonus" gifts if you will. I was raised in a godly family. I was surrounded by people who loved God. I went to a Christian university where I was surrounded by more people who loved Jesus, and who taught me more about what that meant. I married a godly man and I birthed two amazing children. I was allowed to go to South Africa three different times and learn more about reaching the world while also falling in love with a whole different group of people--people who have influenced our decision to grow our family as we now are adopting from Africa.

We now live in an incredible town with more than I could ever ask for. We have great neighbors, schools, sports teams, our church family, and, of course, friends. Nothing beats the friends I've made in the last nine years. And I mean it: NOTHING beats the friends we have here. We have been abundantly blessed.

So, what if God took it all away? Would it still be "enough" for me?

I've been thinking about that this week, and I have to tell you, it's rather unsettling to me. You see, I want Jesus to be enough, but I find myself saying, "but, God....". And I find myself becoming rather pouty at the idea that God might ever take away anything that I'm not comfortable losing. Selfish? Yes. Honest? Yes.

What about you? If God told you today to do something that didn't fit into your plans of what your life should look like, how would you respond? Would you immediately find joy and peace or would you struggle? (Please tell me I'm not the only one who would struggle!)

As I move forward in this Jesus life, I want Jesus to be enough--even though my humanity argues it even as I type it. My spirit wants Him to be enough; my flesh says I want it all. It seems like a battle that may not be reconciled fully until Christ returns or I join Him in Heaven. But, I want to continue to fight the battle. I don't ever want to grow so comfortable that I fail to reach the lost. I don't want to grow so comfortable that I no longer grow.

I want to live the Jesus life, even if it hurts.

Homecoming 2011

2011-11-08T09:46:00.006-06:00

This past weekend we made our annual trek to Baylor for Homecoming. This is generally one of our favorite weekends of the year, though this year both of my kids were giving us a little attitude about it before we left town. Emily was missing her last soccer game of the season, and she was NOT happy about it. Josh was, well, I'm not sure what he was complaining so much about, but they were both being fussy. However, once they got there, they remembered how much they love it and were thrilled to be there (and Emily's soccer team won the last game while we were away, so E was happy about that, too).

We picked Emily up a little early on Friday and were able to make it to Waco a little before 5. We had dinner and then headed to campus for the Extravaganza and Bonfire. First, though, we had to stop and see the bears.

I'm not sure if that's Lady or Joy in the picture, but both bears were there, and one of them even got up on its hind legs while we were there which the kids thought was really cool. After we saw the bears, we headed over to the bonfire area and saw the ferris wheel. We knew the line would only get longer, so we went ahead and got in line. Here are the kids waiting....

After about an hour, we were able to get on the ferris wheel. While on it, I started panicking a bit about the kids falling out, so it wasn't the most enjoyable ride in the world for me. But, the kids enjoyed it,--and we all lived--so I guess it was worth it. Once we got off the ferris wheel, we headed into the library for Starbucks and then went back out to watch the band/pep rally/bonfire. Before the bonfire started, I turned around and saw our former pastor, so we then went and saw his wife and twins as well.

Emily and Whitney are in Pi Phi, and their sorority had the winning Sing act last year, so they were in Pigskin during Homecoming. I think they're the cutest grannies I've seen! My Emily of course wanted to take a picture with them.

Once we said goodbye to them, it was time for fireworks and then the bonfire. Josh had been really tired and wanting to leave, but he loves the fireworks, so that recharged him long enough to stay for the fire being lit.

Once it was lit, we left pretty quickly to get a little rest before the next day's festivities.

Saturday morning we met our friends around 8am and headed back to campus for the parade. My kids LOVE the parade because they get tons of candy as the different floats/people pass by.

This year was no different--they got a ton of candy--and probably were even more noticeable since there were six kids in our group this go round. We had a nice time and were thankful when the sun came out because it started off quite cool that morning.

Once the parade was over, we went and saw all of the float entries up close and then made our way over to Judge Baylor for our yearly picture with him.

From there we went to the bookstore and eventually to lunch and then swimming in the indoor pool before a quick rest time and then on to the Baylor/Missouri game.

Our friends' managed to stay for 3 quarters and we made it the whole game (with a bit of whining from the boy--until we gave him Jeff's phone to play with).

In the end, Baylor pulled out a 42-39 win, so I was glad we stayed and waited it out. It's not every day you get to see Baylor win--I'll take what I can get!

Unfortunately, the next morning, I woke up with a stomach bug, which put a bit of a damper on the end of the trip. However, Jeff and the kids were able to go swim again with our friends while I stayed in the room, so they were still able to enjoy themselves. And thankfully, we were able to make it home without any trouble. It certainly wasn't the perfect ending to our trip, but it was still a fun weekend.

I think we all left already thinking about doing it again next year. So next year if they start complaining before we go, I'll just show them this post and remind them how much fun we all had....Sic 'em Bears!

Wordless Wednesday--Halloween Pictures

2011-11-02T12:16:00.004-05:00

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader

Batman

The 3 of us

Daddy, too

Time to Trick or Treat