wordless wednesday (i'm not the only one who's grown through this adoption process)

december 2008:


april 2011:

i know, i know...

it's almost 10:00 at night, and i'm just now getting this info out.  it's been a looooong day of talking to airlines, coordinating a herd of people to help with the little ones, and doing this freak-out/nesting/packing/cleaning thing that keeps happening when i get new info about our travel dates.

what was that?  travel dates??

that's right, friends!  we found out tentatively yesterday - confirmed today - that we leave next sunday to go get micah and bring him home.  next sunday.  mother's day.  the beauty of that isn't lost on me.

we'll be gone less than a week this time and will be returning to birmingham on the afternoon of saturday, may 14.  so many of you sweet people have asked if it's ok to greet us at the airport when we arrive, and the answer is a resounding YES!  it's yes as long as you don't mind a potentially bleary-eyed, weepy mess of a momma, her pack-mule husband, and the cutest little chubby chunk of preciousness you've ever seen.  :-) 

we are one happy group of people today.  and praise god from whom all blessings flow!!!!!

salvation comes from the RISEN king!

my little people surprises

jack:  he loves all things music.  it's no surprise to anybody who knows him that he can play a mean electric guitar (a red one, mind you) and that he plays his drums all. day. long. 

isabel:  she's sweet, she's cuddly, and she adores dresses and all things pink. 

so imagine my surprise when jack found a suddenly strong interest in this:


and when izzy dug in the backyard to find and play with this:



like me, josh loves that jack is so passionate about music at such an early age, but a little part of him was bummed that it didn't look like jack had much interest in going out back and hitting some balls.  but out of nowhere, the little guy asked to go outside and play baseball and now his favorite game is playing "ground balls" with his daddy (which he follows up with a celebratory band performance back inside).



(for the record, i'm still waiting to see how the throwing part of this new endeavor all shakes out...)



little izzy cracks me up - and perhaps grosses me out - when she decides to "dig foh wohms".




abby and jack are content to let her do the dirty work...



and dirty work it is!



just when i think i've got them pegged, they throw me a curve ball.  but hey, that's part of the joy of parenting all these little people!

torn between "in awe" and "of course"

i began praying a while back about doing something to help our friends, family, and yet-known friends know and love the women and children of sadamo genet the way we do.  several options came to mind, but when the opportunity for a $1,000 matching donor arose, i knew the lord had provided the golden ticket.  so twelve days ago, on compassion sunday, i shared with you that we needed $1,000.  by the grace of god in all of our lives, not only could our $1,000 instantly turn into $2,000, but that money would go directly to the sadamo genet child survival program in ethiopia to nourish bodies - and to nourish souls. 

i prayed this prayer over and over:  by the prompting and work of the holy spirit, lord, please provide us with a minimum of $2,000 to deliver to those in need for your name's sake.  on good friday - the day that our savior was pierced for our transgressions, the day he was crushed for our iniquities.  our peace came from his punishment, and by his wounds we are healed. 

now we are free to SPREAD HIS GLORY, and we are free to GIVE.

five-thousand, two-hundred dollars.  i'm grateful to the lord.  i'm grateful to you.  and i'm grateful to the lord for you.

  

"this service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of god's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to god.  because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise god for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.  and in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace god has given you.  

thanks be to god for his indescribable gift!"

2 corinthians 9:12-15

overheard at our house today (jack edition)

daddy (after teaching on the matthew account of the sheep and goats parable in family worship):  "what two animals did you hear jesus mention in that story?"
jack (after thoughtful consideration):  "ummmm...an african elephant?" 

me (after a brief "around the world" science lesson):  "guys, if you could get on an airplane and travel to anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?"
jack:  "i would want to go to ethiopia.  or moultrie."

looks like i may need to schedule another weekend of photography sessions down south!

wordless wednesday

just two days left to make the most of this thing i like to call god-math.