D's Third Birthday

Last year we missed it by fourteen days. My heart ached at the thought of not being able to celebrate my baby boy's birthday last year, especially when we barely missed it. But this year we did not miss it. We CELEBRATED...Thomas the Train style.

my little conductor

so excited about everyone singing happy birthday
(cake from Bellissimo Bakery - awesome and tasted amazing too - if you are in Austin, check them out!)

the party table

We spent weeks preparing and talking about his birthday. D was SO very excited about having a birthday and his party. For weeks he talked to everyone he saw about it. Each time he would bring it up with such excitement. Because we have been home almost a year, everyone in our family has had a birthday and we have been able to celebrate almost everyone with a birthday cake and gifts. D has patiently watched and waited for his turn, and although it was his very first time to celebrate his own birthday, he knew exactly what  to expect and was so excited.

His excitement brought joy to my heart each time he would talk about it, but it was also cause for a few weeks of grieving and sadness mixed with the joy for me. Adoption is wonderful, but it is also hard. It is laced with unfathomable memories of the past and sweet, sweet opportunities to make memories in the present.

The day is hard to put into words for me...I would get caught up in just watching him and thinking way too much. The fact that he just turned three is so exciting and such a fun time, but in the back of my mind I keep remembering the words the judge told us "this baby home is only for children up to three usually..." What if we would have said no? What if he would have turned three there?

I cannot thank God enough for creating our family and that we can now celebrate D's life that He so graciously formed. I am honored and blessed that God has allowed me to be his mother. That I get to spend each and every day enjoying what a sweet blessing he is to our lives.

David is the light of our lives and I am so grateful God chose to bless me with him in spite of myself. Now if time could just slow down...I cannot believe my baby is three!

Helping Bring Another Ugandan Girl Home

If you follow me on Facebook you know for a few months I was praying that a family would step forward for a little girl that was waiting in Uganda. We prayed for her as a family and she was always on my mind. I knew God had a perfect plan for her.

There is a couple, the S Family, that has stepped forward to adopt her! I am so excited and blessed by how God provides for the least of these.

This little girl is waiting for her family and this couple is raising funds so they can go and complete the adoption process. Let's help make that happen!!!

Believe it or not, we still have 21 of these shirts left.

I would love to see us sell all 21 of them for this family! We have 9 large, 9 medium, and 3 small left. The shirts are $25 and all $25 goes to this adoption. If we sell all of them, that is $525 towards this adoption. Although international adoption is much more costly, any amount gets this little girl that much closer to being with her forever family. Buy a super comfy shirt and help bring her home. You can purchase the shirts here.

If you already have a shirt but would like to donate to their adoption fund, you can do so here:

Thank you for helping give another child a family! I cannot wait to see her in the arms of her mommy and daddy.

Learning To Obey

I woke up yesterday morning and this scripture on my phone was staring me in the face:

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

I immediately knew it might be an interesting day where God used this to encourage teach me. I prayed for our day and for patience. For the most part that seemed to be working. Even though it was a harder than normal day, I felt prepared, that God had equipped me for the day with that verse.

And then clean up before nap came.

And all the sudden I did not feel equipped at all. I found myself losing patience (after a whopping 5 hours) and wondering in my head "Why can't he just obey?!?!"

God stopped me dead in my tracks with the counter comment, "Why can't YOU just obey?" AH...Good point God.

I am a sinner first and foremost in need of grace. I have been "around the mountain" several times with issues where I really should just learn to obey. And I have been at this for almost thirty years.

My precious little boy has only been learning to obey for three (insert tear that I now have to write three because his birthday is next week!) years. It is my job to "train him up" and teach him to obey. That is a huge reason God chose me to parent him.

When L and I were going through premarital counseling we were told that your spouse would be used like a mirror, to expose and reflect your sin, to make you more holy than necessarily happy. They were right about exposing sin. Marriage does that. But what I am finding is that parenting is an extension of that. God is using parenting to make me more holy. To expose my ugly sin like never before.

My son has taught me so much in the last year. God has used him to teach me how to be a mother and this year has been one of the most precious in my life. And honestly, even if it doesn't always feel good (especially if I am still learning some things like a three year old), using him to make me more holy is amazing and better for me than I could ever dream.