sad:
Monday, March 22, 2010
fast forward a decade...
josh and i graduated from samford ten years ago, and we've been blessed to not only keep in touch with many of our college friends but to still share our lives regularly with several of them. while we were in school, a few of us girls (namely me, kerry, and julie) became fast friends as we each began dating our now-husbands (who were all fraternity brothers). we did so much together like formals, step sing (you fellow SUers will appreciate that), and double dates.
josh and i even woke kerry and julie up the night he proposed to me so that we could share the exciting news with them. (girls, as for posting a "just woke up" photo of you on the internet, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right? right???)
as the year went on, we even had the joy of each taking part in one another's weddings.
those young twenty-something newlyweds of back then have all grown up now...
...and the double-dates of old transformed last week into quite the party when jason, julie, and their two precious children were in town. is it still considered "double-dating" if you have eight children in tow?
some of the kids hadn't even met one another before, but they played together like they had known each other all their lives.
of course, technically, these two have been friends since birth...
it probably goes without saying that i couldn't stand the thought of all of us being back together and not getting a photo of the whole under-six crowd, so to get a fun shot of everybody, we played a good old-fashioned game of "make this face".
sad:
surprised:
angry:
which quickly turned into laughing:
i love these little guys...
...and i love their parents. thank you guys for such a fun night!!
sad:
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
the winding road
for the last couple of months, we've been doing a chronological read-through of the bible as part of the radical experiment at church, and i've run the gamut of extremes in regards to my understanding (and sometimes enjoyment) of the scriptures i've read so far. i've marveled at god's creation and power in the accounts contained in genesis, but i've trudged through the seemingly countless laws and regulations contained in leviticus.
and somewhere in the middle is the story of the israelites' journey to the land to which god both called and led them.
as i was rounding out the book of numbers a few nights ago, i was perplexed by the stages of israel's journey that are recorded in chapter 33. far from the exciting and tense drama surrounding their safe deliverance through the red sea, this particular section just went on and on and on about all the places the israelites went through on their pilgrimage to the promised land. not only was it terribly uninteresting, but i couldn't even pronounce 37 of the 40 locations listed.
but firmly believing that every word of scripture is inspired by the lord, i took a couple of minutes to dwell on moses' account of their journey as i tried to glean some sort of understanding about its purpose. and what god put on my heart would prove to strike much closer to home than i would know a couple of short days later.
the israelites were standing at point a and the lord was calling them to point b. the practical plan would have been for them to head on a straight path -- no detours, no delays -- toward their end goal. but that's not how god moved them. exodus 13:17-18 says that "god did not lead them on the road through the philistine country, though that was shorter. ...god led the people around by the desert road toward the red sea."
really god?? the red sea?
"for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the lord. "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." isaiah 55:8-9
as i thought back over the path that the lord chose for the israelites, i could see that he used each step in mighty ways and for a glorious purpose. in some places, he demonstrated great power and provision for his people (as when he parted the red sea or miraculously fed them with manna and quail). in other places, he boldly called the fickle and wandering israelites back into his direction and will. and then in other places, he drove them to their knees in complete dependence on his mercy, love, and guidance.
every step of the journey was for the lord's glory and for his people's good.
so why am i writing all this? we got some disheartening news from our adoption agency yesterday regarding the process for bringing our little guy home. as of this morning, the ethiopian courts ruled that rather than being able to sign power of attorney over to the agency to appear in court on their behalf, all adoptive parents must appear in court themselves from today on. so the single trip we had planned and worked to prepare for financially has in one ruling turned into a two-trip process with much greater cost (and possibly additional time until everything is finalized).
i started writing a post earlier today, but as i read back through some of what i had shared, i realized two things: i was writing out of a heart of whiny-ness and i had yet to pray about any of what i was now posting on the internet for any and all to read. so i took it upstairs and spent some time talking to the lord and asking him to give me patience, wisdom, and unfailing trust in him. slowly and steadily, this is what he showed to me...
several years ago, josh and i were standing at point a and god was calling us to point b. we knew he had put orphans and adoption on our hearts. the practical plan would have been for us to head on a straight path -- no detours, no delays -- toward our end goal. but that's not how god has moved us either. what was supposed to be a nine-month timeline has stretched into a sixteen-month timeline (and counting) with more twists and turns than we could have ever imagined possible.
really god?? sixteen months? two trips to ethiopia?
"for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the lord. "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." isaiah 55:8-9
now as i look back over the path that the lord has chosen for us, i can see many of the exact same patterns that i saw in reading about the israelites' journey out of egypt. the lord has continually shown his power and provision for us through blessings from friends, family, our church, and our jobs -- or from unexpected events that still strike us with wonder and awe. in other ways, he has boldly called us back into his direction and will when we have been fickle and have strayed. and then at other times, he has driven us to our knees in complete dependence on his mercy, love, and guidance.
that's where i found myself today.
i can't control this process. i can't speed it up, and i can't bring our baby home faster. but what i can do is trust in the lord's timing and ways and pray for his perfect plan to be done in our lives.
because if i know one thing, it's this: every step of this journey is for the lord's glory and for our good.
and somewhere in the middle is the story of the israelites' journey to the land to which god both called and led them.
as i was rounding out the book of numbers a few nights ago, i was perplexed by the stages of israel's journey that are recorded in chapter 33. far from the exciting and tense drama surrounding their safe deliverance through the red sea, this particular section just went on and on and on about all the places the israelites went through on their pilgrimage to the promised land. not only was it terribly uninteresting, but i couldn't even pronounce 37 of the 40 locations listed.
the israelites were standing at point a and the lord was calling them to point b. the practical plan would have been for them to head on a straight path -- no detours, no delays -- toward their end goal. but that's not how god moved them. exodus 13:17-18 says that "god did not lead them on the road through the philistine country, though that was shorter. ...god led the people around by the desert road toward the red sea."
really god?? the red sea?
"for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the lord. "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." isaiah 55:8-9
as i thought back over the path that the lord chose for the israelites, i could see that he used each step in mighty ways and for a glorious purpose. in some places, he demonstrated great power and provision for his people (as when he parted the red sea or miraculously fed them with manna and quail). in other places, he boldly called the fickle and wandering israelites back into his direction and will. and then in other places, he drove them to their knees in complete dependence on his mercy, love, and guidance.
every step of the journey was for the lord's glory and for his people's good.
so why am i writing all this? we got some disheartening news from our adoption agency yesterday regarding the process for bringing our little guy home. as of this morning, the ethiopian courts ruled that rather than being able to sign power of attorney over to the agency to appear in court on their behalf, all adoptive parents must appear in court themselves from today on. so the single trip we had planned and worked to prepare for financially has in one ruling turned into a two-trip process with much greater cost (and possibly additional time until everything is finalized).
i started writing a post earlier today, but as i read back through some of what i had shared, i realized two things: i was writing out of a heart of whiny-ness and i had yet to pray about any of what i was now posting on the internet for any and all to read. so i took it upstairs and spent some time talking to the lord and asking him to give me patience, wisdom, and unfailing trust in him. slowly and steadily, this is what he showed to me...
several years ago, josh and i were standing at point a and god was calling us to point b. we knew he had put orphans and adoption on our hearts. the practical plan would have been for us to head on a straight path -- no detours, no delays -- toward our end goal. but that's not how god has moved us either. what was supposed to be a nine-month timeline has stretched into a sixteen-month timeline (and counting) with more twists and turns than we could have ever imagined possible.
really god?? sixteen months? two trips to ethiopia?
"for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the lord. "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." isaiah 55:8-9
now as i look back over the path that the lord has chosen for us, i can see many of the exact same patterns that i saw in reading about the israelites' journey out of egypt. the lord has continually shown his power and provision for us through blessings from friends, family, our church, and our jobs -- or from unexpected events that still strike us with wonder and awe. in other ways, he has boldly called us back into his direction and will when we have been fickle and have strayed. and then at other times, he has driven us to our knees in complete dependence on his mercy, love, and guidance.
that's where i found myself today.
i can't control this process. i can't speed it up, and i can't bring our baby home faster. but what i can do is trust in the lord's timing and ways and pray for his perfect plan to be done in our lives.
because if i know one thing, it's this: every step of this journey is for the lord's glory and for our good.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
overheard at our house today...
abby: mommy, when i grow up, i think i'm going to eat diet coke and chicken.
(funny that she says that because anytime the well-meaning deli clerk
at publix offers her a chicken finger, she politely says "no, thank
you" while simultaneously making a semi-vomit face.)
josh: i feel like i've joined satan's army. (on finally succumbing to the facebook craze)
izzy's diaper: errrrrrpppbbbttfffffffff
me: oh izzy, what do you need to say, baby?
izzy: silence
me: izzy, what do you say when you do that?
izzy: TOOOOOOOTS!
me: yes, is this poison control? my littlest two just *shared a tube of toothpaste. is that dangerous?
and since posts are always better with pictures, here are a couple of shots of josh teaching abby to play baseball on the wii that bethany and bailey let us borrow. (might need to talk to him about the difference in a grown-up man swing and a five-year-old girl swing)
*we had just returned from the dentist, and the new toothbrushes and toothpaste were too fantastic to resist. i had one of those moments when i realized that it was eerily quiet, so i dashed upstairs only to find jack and izzy, reeking of minty freshness, finishing off the goods. but not to worry -- the sweet poison control lady did a couple of flouride-in-grams-to-weight-in-kilograms ratios and told me they would be fine. she had me pump them full of calcium in whatever form i could and call it a night.
guess i'll have to keep the colgate under lock and key from here on out.
josh: i feel like i've joined satan's army. (on finally succumbing to the facebook craze)
izzy's diaper: errrrrrpppbbbttfffffffff
me: oh izzy, what do you need to say, baby?
izzy: silence
me: izzy, what do you say when you do that?
izzy: TOOOOOOOTS!
me: yes, is this poison control? my littlest two just *shared a tube of toothpaste. is that dangerous?
and since posts are always better with pictures, here are a couple of shots of josh teaching abby to play baseball on the wii that bethany and bailey let us borrow. (might need to talk to him about the difference in a grown-up man swing and a five-year-old girl swing)
guess i'll have to keep the colgate under lock and key from here on out.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
mr. hollow legs and the poor man's playground
we've taken part in a couple of fun family activities recently that, until today, just hadn't made it to the blog. i've had photoshop tied up with some recent sessions, but now that those are all loaded into their respective galleries, i want to toss these goodies in here while i can.
my sweet, sweet grandmother (abigail's namesake) and almost all the rest of my mom's side of the family live in the same town (on the same street to be exact) just over an hour from here. it's just far enough away that we don't get to visit with them as often as we'd like, but it's close enough that we're able to steal away from birmingham for a few hours when we've got a free day to head to "relative road". i mentioned to my mom a couple of weeks ago that we might run to meme's the next day, and we were thrilled when she made her weekly trip down there a day early so that she could join us.
if you'll notice in the picture above, meme is cracking up at jack holding all the tangerines that his little arms can handle. well, there's a story behind that giggle...
for ages now, my mom has made muffins for the kids each and every time she's seen them. coming to birmingham for a visit? she arrives with a bag of muffins. meeting in trussville for a quick bite? she's got muffins. having us up to her and my dad's house in gadsden? you got it -- muffins. i'm worried for my mom's sake that it's actually gotten a bit out of control, though, because not only does she continually make those yummy goodies, but now she's taking orders. there's currently a rotating schedule of chocolate, pumpkin, and banana muffins -- or something like that. actually, i'm the wrong one to ask about the arrangement. jack, on the other hand, could explain the process in great detail.
when nanny gave him the muffins for this trip, he carried them around the house like a newborn baby. he held them, cradled them, and i'm pretty sure i heard him whisper "i love you so much" a time or two.
then he went all cannibalistic and he ate 34 of them.
lunch was a sight to be seen with his consuming every bite on his plate in addition to half of what was on other people's plates and a good portion of what was left on the table. seriously people, the boy can eat his whole body weight in food in one sitting. izzy did manage to rescue one cup of pudding from his feeding frenzy, but she was happy to give it a home in her belly.
the event that is known as "jack at mealtime" has far-reaching influence. my dad even drove in from gadsden to see the spectacle. (ok, that really had nothing to do with it. he just couldn't stand the thought of missing out on seeing the grandbabies.)
with all that eating going on, there's got to be some balance with good exercise. bethany and bailey come over for lunch each sunday after church with their little ones, and now that the weather is hinting at warming up a bit, the kids love to play outside.
well............................
that gets really interesting when you've got one swingset torn down (wal-mart doesn't build 'em like they used to)...
...one swingset that has yet to be put together (that we bummed from some friends)...
...and four large trees down across the whole yard.
my sweet, sweet grandmother (abigail's namesake) and almost all the rest of my mom's side of the family live in the same town (on the same street to be exact) just over an hour from here. it's just far enough away that we don't get to visit with them as often as we'd like, but it's close enough that we're able to steal away from birmingham for a few hours when we've got a free day to head to "relative road". i mentioned to my mom a couple of weeks ago that we might run to meme's the next day, and we were thrilled when she made her weekly trip down there a day early so that she could join us.
for ages now, my mom has made muffins for the kids each and every time she's seen them. coming to birmingham for a visit? she arrives with a bag of muffins. meeting in trussville for a quick bite? she's got muffins. having us up to her and my dad's house in gadsden? you got it -- muffins. i'm worried for my mom's sake that it's actually gotten a bit out of control, though, because not only does she continually make those yummy goodies, but now she's taking orders. there's currently a rotating schedule of chocolate, pumpkin, and banana muffins -- or something like that. actually, i'm the wrong one to ask about the arrangement. jack, on the other hand, could explain the process in great detail.
then he went all cannibalistic and he ate 34 of them.
well............................
that gets really interesting when you've got one swingset torn down (wal-mart doesn't build 'em like they used to)...
but do not fear, my faithful blog readers. the crouch girls are a couple of really smart cookies when we put our heads together. the original swingset might have been lying in a mangled heap on the other side of the yard, but the ladder and slide were as good as new. all we needed was a little elevation. hmmmm? how about a tree? i happen to know where you can find a couple of those...
the little ones each waited in line for a turn...
...and then slid down happily on the other side. the whole setup worked like a well-oiled machine.
bethany has some sort of weird twisty-slide adoration disorder, and she couldn't stand the idea of not taking advantage of the perfectly good twisty slide that laid just twenty feet away (never mind that it wasn't actually attached to anything).
so after some really creative maneuvering, we had a second slide up and running. now think through the physics of this situation with me. when the slide is screwed into a playset several feet into the air, a child would theoretically make a gentle descent downward and out of the mouth of the slide. unfortunately, we didn't have the luxury of such elevation, so the kids had to climb up the first curve of the slide...
...and then they were kind of vomited out at the bottom.
ahhhh, it's never dull around here. oh, and by the way, if you're thinking that all of this old-fallen-trees-across-the-yard business doesn't sound very safe, we had the fire marshal here to inspect.
she approved us, but josh and bailey cleared the yard the next weekend just in case. now we're the proud owners of permanent tree impressions in the grass (guess that's what happens when you leave the trees down for around three months or so).
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