Clinging to Hope

Andy and I spent part of our weekend at an amazing prayer conference.  The speaker was so much fun and yet very challenging.  I probably gained more from this event than I have in years of attending such things.


Of course, we were attacked immediately following this amazing time.  We already knew of some challenges that seem bigger than we can handle on our plate.  However, a new one sprung up on Sunday morning.


I am intentionally being vague as I hope to see God work in an amazing way in these compounded situations.  One thing that stuck with me this weekend is that if I am asking for something I can do in my own power, I am thinking way too small.


Please pray for us.

Flashback Thursday?

Today I am spending the day with Julia.  We are going on a school field trip and then I will visit her science fair.  I find this especially special as seven years ago today, I saw this sweet face for the very first time:

On that day I knew that we would be getting our much anticipated referral.  We had seen our group number (777) posted on our agency site the night before.  We had a plan for taking the call on three-way so that Andy and I could get all the information at the same time.  You know what they say about the best laid plans.  Well, Andy had worked all night the night before, and the call came earlier than expected. I could not get him to wake up, so I had to take the information without him.  However, my work e-mail blocked every attempt from our agency, Andy, and my mom to forward the picture above to me.  I got the information first on Julia, and Andy saw her picture first.  Andy printed the picture (after weeding through 200 e-mails on dial-up), brought it to me at work, and then we went to get our other kids from school and show them.

What I didn't expect from just seeing the picture is how immediately I would fall in love.  Nothing was going to stop me from getting to China once I had this picture in my hands.

I remember that during Julia's adoption process we held onto a well-known analogy. We knew we could not save all the orphans, but we could make a difference for one.

One day a boy was walking along the beach upon which hundreds of starfish had been washed up and now lay stranded on the sand.

As he continued walking, he noticed an old man in the distance, picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

He  approached the the man, and asked, “What are you doing?”

The  man replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. They need to be in the water, if I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

 The boy said, “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

After listening politely, the old man bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.

Then he looked up, smiled at the boy, and said:

“I made a difference to that one.”

And this story leads me to my Gilgal moment. Gilgal means "circle", and Gilgal was the place where God brought the Israelites full circle and broke the old cycle.  This was a place of restoration and promise.  When we were headed to the airport in June 2005 to leave China with all of our children and both grandmas, our guide, Jocelyn, gave us some parting words.  She recited this very story of the starfish, expressed gratitude to us on behalf of the CCAA, and talked about how helping families adopt gives her life meaning.  I was stunned when she brought up the starfish story because it was one of many God-markers on Julia's adoption.

Seven years later, we have have experienced so much joy because of this girl.  Her orphanage director called her an "impressive" girl, and that she is!

Happy Birthday, Savannah!

Savannah turned 14 yesterday, so we had the family over last night to celebrate.  She spent Thursday night with a friend, so she awoke on her birthday in a different house.  She is growing up.

Savannah normally helps Andy make cheesecake, and she is always disappointed when he does it without her.  However, there was not enough time to let it set and cool if he waited for her.

She did make her cupcakes, so yummy.

As Andy and I approach our 19th anniversary in a few months, we finally bought deck furniture. and had it set up almost on time for the party.  Zach did most of the work.  I have always wanted deck furniture, but we could never squeeze something so unnecessary into the budget.  We finally decided to buy a cheap set and go from there.

Ask and you shall receive.  Savannah wanted frames for her artwork, and she is now well-supplied.  By the end of the night, she had already framed several pieces.  Now we just have to hang them.

Our tradition of taking pictures with all the family continued.  Tara needed a repeat because she looked shorter than Savannah in this one.  Tara, Savannah, and Joshua

Jonathan, Regan, Danielle, and Savannah  -- May 24th is the big date for baby boy Todd, a name is  yet to be determined.  Danielle looks fabulous!

Austin, Tiffany, and Logan - maybe when he gets his braces off, Logan will smile again.

Dad and Tara (on her tip-toes I think)

Tessa

silliness

Jean (Andy's mom) and Victoria (Jean's Korean exchange student)

 I did not think about it until everyone had gone  and I saw my sister-in-law's post on Facebook, but Savannah's 14th birthday marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Andy's dad.  Tom was out running in a nearby town when he was struck by a car and killed on Savannah's fourth birthday.  We had celebrated the night before because my mom was leaving for Europe that day.  Andy has always made this day about Savannah, and I am so grateful that he is able to do that.

I think Savannah had a fabulous time with the family last night. We all love this sweet girl!

Spring Break Fun

Our spring break has been a blast so far.  We started with a game night on Monday night with some great families.  We've done this with them three times now, and it is always a blast.  


On Tuesday, we headed out of town to visit a fantastic zoo.  We met up with a family that we traveled to China with on our trip to adopt Julia.  Julia and Ellie were adopted on the same day, and they hit it off very well.  Andy and I really enjoyed reconnecting with Lou.


Julia was our photographer, and I have worked on editing some of the many, many pictures this morning. Unfortunately, none of my edits saved...ugh.


We had a terrific time, and even the big kids want to return to this beautiful zoo.

petting an American alligator

The cougars were super-cool.  We happened upon them while the trainers were working with them, and they were really fun.

I couldn't believe Julia got such a great shot of this beautiful owl.

The carousel made Delilah happy.

Ellianna and Julia really hit it off.

Savannah has always liked the polar bears.

adopted on the same day and fast friends

Zach loved, loved, loved cheetahs when he was little.  His kindergarten teacher called him Cheetah-boy.  Unfortunately, the cheetah exhibit was closed for the season.  I do think we will return in the summer because this looks like an exhibit worth seeing.

Is the zoo the only place to get a good picture of my four kids?

The weather was just right for this visit.  It was cool but not cold enough to be miserable, and the cool temperature meant we saw active and happy animals.  A great but tiring day overall!

Happy Easter!

Easter brought us beautiful weather.  We started the day with the scavenger hunt for the baskets, followed by breakfast.  We attended church together earlier this weekend and had a great Easter service with a wonderful reminder that all things will be new one day. Cancer, financial stress, suffering will all be gone.  It was a timely service, as a family we do not know but who is a part of our school community, suffered unbearable loss today when their only child died after complications from injuries sustained in a car wreck last week.  Even as we celebrated the resurrection, my heart held a heaviness for them all day long.  

Andy and I worked the church nursery and had a rather unusual end to our shift when the fire alarm went off just as the last of the children were being picked up.  Apparently, a naughty little one pulled the alarm.  Lovely.

We ended the day at Dad's with a feast, egg hunt, and egg coloring. Oh yeah, we put up a tent in the front yard too.  Yep, you read that right.  My dad's latest way of having fun is buying tents so that we can camp in a nearby city and enjoy their attractions.  We had to put up the tent to time our efforts.  Let the camping begin!  

a clue on the shadow box of family memorials

reading clues...We used the same clues as last year, and Zach and Savannah remember them, so we will have to get it together and do new clues next year.

the destination

couldn't miss this picture...Julia had to have UK Wildcats edition of  Sports Illustrated

egg hunt

so fun to have a toddler in the family

Regan will be sharing the attention come May 24th when her little brother arrives.  Yes, it is scheduled, so we know the date, and it happens to be a special date for us as this is Wyatt's referral date as well.

coloring eggs, she worked hard to avoid the camera all day

We are now officially on spring break.  While we don't have any big plans, this break is much needed.  I am worn out and almost didn't think I would make it, and maybe I didn't on some level.  Just a week and a half ago, I had to take a sick day to be home with Julia, and I slept that day, a lot and really needed it.

Wyatt has already started begging for daily play dates.  Zach is disappointed that he is stuck here while his friends visit the beaches, but I am ready to do some spring cleaning, have a little fun, and get a lot of rest.  We'll see what shakes down.