Never A Dull Moment, Indeed!

Wow! What a week/weekend! Sometimes my Sunday evening calls with my mom can seem somewhat mundane, simply re-capping the ordinary weekly happenings but last night, I had PLENTY of material :)

On Wednesday evening, we picked up a sweet 16-month old little girl (Lily) from a nearby ER where her mom was admitted earlier that day. Lily seems to be adjusting well, although the first week is always somewhat experimental in determining schedules, eating habits, developmental abilities, etc. At one point on Thursday afternoon, the X-man said with great drama, "Mom. She won't leave me alone. I want to play by myself" and then shortly after, he laid himself on the ground saying, "Tackle me, Lily. Tackle me!" He is proving to be a great big brother!

The next unexpected event of the week was a lovely back-up of our sewer on Saturday morning, what is becoming a somewhat annual occurance due to some shifting/mis-alignment of pipes where the city system meets up with our house. Or something like that. Sewer back-up. 'Nuff said.

Fast-forward to Sunday morning as I am helping the X-man remove his oh-so-comfty footed pajamas. One minute he is standing. The next he has face-planted onto the tile floor. I checked his mouth/teeth and thought he had escaped unscathed only to see blood dripping. Further inspection revealed a nice, deep gash under his chin. Off to the ER/Prompt Care where our little guy received his first stitches. And this mommy tried to be as brave as her 4Yr-old.

So, here I am welcoming a Monday morning and hoping for a week which holds a little LESS excitement than the last :)

Fall Fun With Friends

The Botanic Gardens is great for those with refined, expansive knowledge of plants, bushes, trees, etc. But...it is also super-fun for little ones, too. Lots of wide open spaces to run, run, run! Last Friday we had a 'small herd' of kids that we guided chased around the gardens. A tad-bit chilly/rainy but still totally fun day with friends.

 



xander and new buddy, Logan

logan, shae, skyler, xander (thrilled to be with his big-boy friends!)

shae leads the way with the little ones

sisters! -- alea a bit more thrilled about that than maille

mr. blue-eyed Owen

 

Botanic Gardens: End of the Season (?) Visit

I have always thought of the Botanic Gardens as a 'summer' place to visit, when the blooms are alive & at their peak. And I know it is beautiful during that season. But, we recently went with some friends and I found the end-of-the-season landscaping/plants to be just as amazing. Here are some pictures of the plant life. Photos of the human-life, the friends we went with, to come shortly :)

 

 

 

Corn Maze with the Plattner Pals!

Our Nashville cousins (aunt/uncle, too) were in town recently. While Blake was at a work event, Xander and I tagged along on our first ever Corn Maze adventure. All I can say, good thing we had some 'big kids' along or we might STILL be trekking thru the cornfield :)

racing ahead of zachary

X-man with Miss Moriah

feed Mr. Bunny. the x-man LOVES bunnies, much to his daddy's delight who has fond (and sometimes not-so-fond) memories of raising bunnies when younger

   

very important! must punch the card!

 

emily, savannah, elijah, jonathan, xander, zachary & moriah

 

Playing At the Park

With the chill of the fall season fast descending, I am all too aware of the limited number of park days that remain. Just a couple of shots of our latest park adventure with cousins, Isaak & Brooke.

 

 

Love This Drew-by!

So much fun to see the X-man loving on his cousins. We helped bale some hay while downstate recently and these two guys were my 'helpers' as I kept them occupired and safe, while all they wanted to do was be close to gpa/dad. I had them run around the hayfield picking up loose hay piles; soon they were giggling together and having a blast! 

 

Farming Buddies

While taking a break for the fields outside (it was Sunday afternoon), Xander and Isaak practice their inside farming skills. Pictures can be deceiving, though. These images do not begin to capture the number of brawls/shouts/screeching and other such boy-ness that accompanied their farming together-ness. Who cares if there are 2 combines and 5 tractors in the room -- I want THAT one, now! 

 

Football Guys

Alexander does not believe it is possible to play football without hiking his shoulders up to his ears and flexing. Here he is showing of his 'skills' with cousin Ethan who has a REAL football costume :)

Adoption Update

Unlike our first adoption when posts about our progress headlined this blog, I have (obviously) not written as much about our second adoption journey. The main reason? Instead of simply aniticipating being parents, we ARE parents and that keeps us plenty occupied & blessed. Secondly, I have come to realize my mind can too easily become fixated on the when/how/whys. God has been teaching me that my questions/desires/fears are just as safe and seen by Him when tucked within my heart as those which are daily pulled to the surface and expressed.  

Nonetheless, many of you have inquired about our 'status' and shared with us that you are praying. Thank you! Here is an attempt at answering the most frequently asked questions of late.

Why is the wait so long? Not sure exactly; a combination of things perhaps. (1) Revised Ethiopian governmental regulations and paperwork requirements. (2) Orphanages closing their doors, not because of a lack of orphans but because of staffing, funding or other circumstances. (3) Part of God’s plan in allowing us to become involved with the Safe Families for Children ministry at a heart level, not just a way to fill the time but in a no-turning-back manner.

When do we expect a referral/to be matched with a child? We are hoping & praying, and hoping & praying, this will happen before the end of the year. It is possible. In the meantime, we hope for the best and prepare our hearts for the reality that it might not/probably will not happen this soon. 

Where are we at with things emotionally? We are okay, on most days. It is unsettling to believe your child is somewhere on the other side of the world without knowing that child’s story or having an image to look upon. In addition, the knowledge that another family’s pain/heartbreak is a pre-requisite to OUR joy…well, these emotions can only be resolved by trusting in the sovereignty of God whose ways are above our ways & thoughts above our thoughts.

How can you pray for us/continue to pray for us? Pray for patience. Pray for JOY in the waiting. Pray we do not become self-focused but instead see opportunities to serve others. Pray our hearts can continue to be prepared for transitioning to a family of four. Pray we can treasure our Alexander without the burden of fear in wondering exactly how we will bond with/love another child – okay, so perhaps I am more anxious about this last item than Blake :)

Thanks for joining us on our adoption journey. Thanks for loving us. And thanks for praying for our family.