Tim and I got to spend some lake days with each of our families and cousins and it was fun! We both grew up on the lake so we are making sure it is a big part of our kids childhood. If I could just be around water every day..... ahhh.
Mackenzie and Joshua
Took the kids back to school lunch shopping at Trader Joes! This picture semi communicates the chaos of shopping with little ones.
Sweet friend hosted a prayer group for all our kiddos that started school together. I can't tell you how those prayers were heard and answered!!
My sweet First Grader. Isn't he sweet in his uniform? I can't tell you how happy this mama is to never have a fight about clothing... they all wear the same thing. And praise the Lord it will be that way for my daughter! He has finished 4 days. Made friends. And loves his teacher.... granted, she was Teacher of the Year and I really would love to just bring her home with me!! Our school feels like home. David fit right in and I can't wait for him to keep developing into who God has made him.
Another sweet friend gave us White Water passes for Friday so we celebrated the mere fact that we made it to school. On Time. Walking. We are not in bus district and the carpool line is backed up to my house pretty much, so we walk :) The kids loved White Water.
My sweet grandma's assisted living place had a party. Mackenzie is always the life of the party somehow. She dances with random people, tells everyone way more information than people need to know about us, and kisses everyone. On the mouth. (Working on that). My grandma was a hoot and it was a fun memory.
I *think* there are 19 great grandchildren on Tims side of the family! We just have SO many cousins we don't know what to do with them all!!! But. We start by having *one* spend the night =) This is the sweetie that slept over and it went awesome!
We even made it to church Sunday morning. Dressed up!
Mackenzie and her bestie having girl time. I asked Mackenzie what "girl time" meant and she quickly responded, "Cupcakes, mom." (Giving me the DUH look) I took a mental note.
Meantime, David ended his summer with his little bestie doing a sports camp. This was able to get out a fraction of the energy this small man has. Whew, outlets for boys.... anyone??
Somehow, these two, will allow their crazy worlds to collide and have brief moments of utter joy that make my heart leap. They will have it out. And then 2 seconds later be laughing and best friends. Can I freeze them like this??
My sweet, sweet nephews. Mackenzie and Joshua have grown into twins. They are crazy the same. I love these 2 little boys so much!!
I am completely aware I need more pics on the house blog, but we are building an office. Walls are now up and we are close to painting and finishing. Finishing. That is a funny word.
Oh Seaside. Possibly my favorite memory of the summer. Tim went "on call" for a week and it is PEAK season for my man. His parents and aunt called last minute and invited us to go to the beach! Tim insisted I go since he wasn't going to be even home... so we did!! We stayed out on the beach the entire day. No exaggeration. They loved every second and never got tired of it.
Our last night there...
We did summer workbooks a few times a week and I think this really helped us transition back into the school year easier. I'll definitely keep this up!
The kids desperately wanted to have a "Pancake Party." We have had Defacs (Department of Family and Children Services) out here a lot for the adoption process and that is the one thing Mackenzie kept telling them about. One of the Defacs workers asked, "Well what's a pancake party?" To which she replied with no sass at all, "You know. When your friends come over. For pancakes. And its a party. I want all my friends over for a pancake party." We finally negotiated and a few friends that live near-by came over for the infamous pancake party. My mom read, "If you give a pig a pancake" (my favorite childrens book) and we made TONS of pancakes. It was another fun memory.
Homemade Turkey Sausage- 2 lbs ground turkey, 3/4 t ginger, 1 1/2 t salt, 1 t sage, 1/4 t cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 t black pepper, 1 T syrup. Double the seasonings. Make patties the night before. Cook on griddle in the morning.
Davids new obsession is 4 wheelers. He is lucky my dad and our "uncle mike" both have one!
Mackenzie wins the colorful award with not only how she dresses, but everything she says.
And they are still wishing. Asking. And hoping for a new sibling to join our family.
So far in our adoption journey, we have turned one situation down. Our case worker even gave us her gut instinct that this was not our child. We felt it. And knew it. But... it was hard to say the words, "no."
That was hard. We were put in for another child and are awaiting the outcome of that... along with the fact I think our homestudy is widespread through the state offices.
So. Waiting. What is funny is that I feel like our whole life journey has been on waiting. Waiting for God to show up. To answer .
I have realized that waiting is a sign of Hope. So all is not lost when you are waiting. If all was lost, there would be no hope, but despair.
If you are waiting on an answer, then you have hope that it will be answered. And faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.
I feel so grateful for our adoption journey this far. It has been an intimate, healing, miraculous journey Tim and I have gotten to share together. So special. Just as there is something special about pregnancy and your bio kids, there is a whole world and journey I have walked in now and I can't ever turn back. And so many opportunities for the gospel to bleed into our very souls. We are adopted as Sons of God. Jesus takes us in just as we are. And loves us like his own. I truly pray God answers this prayer and chooses to grow our family this way.
I am constantly in awe of life and the cycles of happiness, disappointment, hardship, joy, new beginnings, endings, and relationships. You really never know the turn of events that can happen in one day. Nothing specific per say, but I have just been analyzing seasons of my life and marriage, being a parent, family, and friendships. I am always consistently brought back to one main thing.
This world is not our home. But we live like its all we got.
This world is full of sin. Yet we act shocked when we hear acts of sin.
People will disappoint us. And we are disappointments. Again, we act shocked when we are disappointed by another sinful human.
That is why we have a Savior. We look to Him last a lot.
Whom we deeply need every day.
Because without him we wither. We fall away. We are not connected to the vine.
Through Him we can live, move, and have our being.
This world will pass away and everything in it.
Why do we try to hard to make heaven on Earth?
Through our miscarriages, job loss, house renovations, moving, broken family, you. name. it. Feel like at times we've hit almost every bump in the road. And then sometimes, if the road is calm, we detour to go off-roading for fun. We are sick people.
But. Do you know what is glorious? Having situations that make your need for a Savior GREAT. We have desperately needed Him along our journey and man oh man has He shown His face.
Strength. Endurance. Grace. Hope. Love. Guidance. Wisdom.
Would we have run so hard after Him if our life was a chocolate cake? Maybe. But, our life is not chocolate cake and I am completely aware that I am nothing without Christ. I can't mother. I can't love as a wife. I can function as any sort of family member. When I am outside of walking with Him, I am negative. Mean. Sarcastic. I despair. I play the pity card. No win situation.
God is changing me and I am asking Him to fill the holes of who I am. I won't ever be perfect. I will disappoint others. But, how wonderful. We can't live up to anyones standards and no one can live up to ours. Our who need goes back to Christ for whole-ness. Grace. And to be grace to others. Even when they don't deserve it. Because Grace is getting what you don't deserve.
Are we open to hurt to show us the holes in who we are? Knowing that God will fill them? Or do protect ourselves from hurt? Do we ask hard questions about ourselves and ask others to speak into our sin? Or do we shut ourselves off from feeling any hurt? Afraid of something bad happening? I am right back in the scary boat because I feel like my heart is wide open for the chance of hurt through adopting a foster child. Its a pretty scary place to be.
Its a beautiful life knowing the end. God wins. And love conquers all.
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