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Category Archives: Day in the Life

a gift…

Foster moms. I’m sitting here…pouring over page after page after page…of 2 years documented from my son’s nanny from the orphanage in China. This is not normal I know. Such a gift for me to have this. A treasure. Every milestone…every funny…every illness…every new mannerism–2 years this special caregiver–so much more than a care-giver…really “middle […]

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lynn - August 16, 2013 - 6:37 pm

How wonderful. Such a precious gift to have. Not sure if you can, have or have thought about…but can you send her just a note with a picture to show/say how he is doing and to think her for taking such amazing care of him before he could come home to you? Sounds like she loved him so much and sure she still does. Might rest her mind knowing. (but then again might open an old wound…not really sure but thinking might bring a smile).

lynn - August 16, 2013 - 6:39 pm

***thank her…not think her

Frances - August 16, 2013 - 9:50 pm

Thank you friend…from the middle moms. It is not an easy journey, but such a beautiful
one. The Lord has led us to THREE of our children through the journey from foster care to adoption. And truly…I count it a treasure to have known and traveled with their birth families for years. It is a grace-filled, sacred place and we are grateful to be along for the ride of a lifetime with our Father!

No matter whether you put biological, birth, adoptive or foster in front…at our hearts…we are MOMS!

admin - August 16, 2013 - 9:55 pm

Lynn–I just had to share that I got to MEET his special nanny in PERSON while I was there! Such a treasure! We have been sending over pictures–and the staff there has shared what a delight it is to receive them! THANKFUL! Oh how LOVED our sweet one is!

Michelle Lafayette - August 18, 2013 - 8:38 pm

What a beautiful post! How lucky your on was to have this amazing woman in his life!

Jeni - August 19, 2013 - 9:50 pm

As a foster mom, I love this :). I love that he was ready to love you because she loved him. It encourages me to keep on keepin’ on even when it is so hard.

Great is His faithfulness.

I love blogging…”online journaling”…whatever you want to call it–simply because I just love looking back and seeing what was happening this same time last year. It rings of His faithfulness. Always. Can you remember? What was happening this time in your life LAST year? What were you trusting God with? What were you stepping out […]

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Rhonda Braswell - August 13, 2013 - 12:40 pm

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you …. and did I say Thank YOU!!!!! I didn’t even know I needed to read that as bad as I did until I read it!!!! I am prone to get busy and only focus on what is around me and what people are saying to me today …. thank you for reminding me to take the time to look back at everything that God has done, answered, repaired, created and solved in just a year!!!! God Bless you and your “littles” (I now use that term due to reading your blog everyday, I hope you don’t mind).

Megan - August 13, 2013 - 1:17 pm

This is lovely. May His ways and plans and faithfulness always shine through our years :)That’s why I love to journal too- to see how everything is unfolding and how He is loving us through each detail.

Gini - August 13, 2013 - 2:07 pm

What a year! I LOVED reading this post–how amazing and what an adventure is this life we are given. Thanks for sharing!

Jennifer Pighini - August 13, 2013 - 2:26 pm

I can’t believe all of that happened in just.one.year! Wow isn’t God amazing. I am continually blessed to see your faith in action and how everything has played out with your sweet family! Thank you for the reminder to be thankful for all of the joys (big and small) in our lives.

Mary - August 13, 2013 - 4:40 pm

You’re absolutely right, don’t listen to the remarks. Children say interesting things, whether they’re adopted or not.
I happen to have two beautiful children who were adopted.

I was just thinking about T yesterday. Thank you for updating! We have had many things happen this past year. I love to look back to see what God has done. The biggest one is we finally know why are son behaves the way he does and have a diagnosis that has helped tremendously. God moved mountains this past year and in a swift fashion, I might add. All praise to Him!

Laura - August 13, 2013 - 7:30 pm

I love that maybe your littles are sometime confused about adoption, but none of them are confused about what a family is!

You are all blessed to have eachother.

JEthiopia - August 13, 2013 - 10:54 pm

Haven’t commented in a while but always read. Love this post! You are so right. It is easy for people to judge from the outside looking in, and I know for me it is each to take those comments to heart.

Reading this post, it is truly amazing what has happened in the past year!

Maureen - August 14, 2013 - 12:41 pm

I remember last year following all of your adventures about Miss T. I so wanted you to adopt her and just couldn’t understand why you weren’t, but you would allude to reasons and so I waited patiently for you to reveal the whys…and I was heartbroken for you when you wrote about your sweet little angel going to heaven…I cried and prayed for God to be good to your family because you were all so sweet and I couldn’t fathom why your hearts were being broken.

All of this while my own journey to adopt my twin babies was finally coming up to their birth! They were born on September 2nd, wonderfully made and like little angels they have transformed this house of girls into a loud, messy, but joyful home! Just 2 years before this I had come to the point that I believed that my baby days were over. After 5 children (1 homemade and 4 adopted.) I kept trying to talk myself into feeling content. After all, God wants us to be happy where we are and I felt like I was so blessed to have my children that I should stop praying for more!!

And then He so gloriously blessed me with twin boys!! And I was sooo happy! And everyone around would say, but I thought you were done? Didn’t you say you didn’t want anymore?! But I never said that, I just never said I was anything but content. And this past year holding my babies and living faithfully through mothering twins, which is never easy, I never let go of the miracle that is my boys and the fact that I get to be their mother! Thank you, thank you, thank you LORD!

And I have watched your family grow again and rejoiced with you! Yes, God is so good!! Yes, His plans are so much more wonderful than our own! And yes…as my boys get so big now I catch myself looking at newborns and saying little prayers…just one more? Whatever He has for me…I am so excited to see how our stories continue to unfold!!

Rachel - August 14, 2013 - 10:23 pm

I was about to go to Europe for the second time in a year after I’d won a trip for 4. I was taking my then boyfriend (now husband!), brother & his best friend, an awesome girl we all love.
I was deepening my faith.
I’d found out I was about to become an aunty! Gorgeous baby girl was born in April.
My sister announced they would be moving with the baby from Singapore…taking that baby to Houstom (gasp! so far away from Australia)
And this time next year…we might be starting the foster/adoption process!

I still hope to maybe maybe be able to visit the US in March to visit sissy, BIL, & precious niece & it’s my hearts desire to attend the Created for Care weekend in March. We will see if God opens up doors for that trip!

Jennifer - August 16, 2013 - 1:55 am

“Never listen to the opinion of someone who hasn’t been there all along–who has no idea where you have been and all that the Lord has done and is doing in your life now. Instead–allow the truth of what God has done and His faithfulness be what carries you through the current unknowns and uncertainties in your life. And marinate on what is true.” Thank you for this post! We too have been judged and misunderstood concerning our family’s choice to adopt. I wrote about it on my blog as well, though not as eloquently as you have here.

The things kids say {in families that grow through adoption}

The car conversation I will never forget: Frank: Mom, when will I get to meet my birth mom? Isaac–I was adopted and one day I want to meet my birth mom…my real mom. Isaac: Frank. Mom is you REAL mom. Frank: Well, I know–she is NOW. Me: Frank darlin’–I am your birth mom. You grew […]

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Amy - August 7, 2013 - 8:31 am

That absolutely made MY day!!! Oh so funny!!
amy

Candy - August 7, 2013 - 10:06 am

THAT is hilarious! They all definitely know you wanted them whether birthed by you or not. Kids are so funny and delightful.

sarah hurst - August 7, 2013 - 2:10 pm

this is hysterical!! absolutely loved it…thanks for sharing!

jeanne - August 8, 2013 - 11:56 am

Ok, I loved the IG story but the whole story is even better! So cute!

Rebecca - August 10, 2013 - 7:03 am

That is SO funny!! Laughing so hard I’m crying.

Back from Traverse City, MI…

We are back after an AMAZING week in Traverse City! Did you think I’d fallen off the planet?? Well–I kind of have. I’ve really just been trying to be 100% with my littles–and having 5 littles 8 and under–this is just such a sweet time. Having so many that are little right now–also means it’s […]

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Allison - August 24, 2013 - 9:59 pm

What a blessing to spend some focused time together. I LOVE Traverse City!! I was born and raised in West Michigan and spent many summers in TC as a camp counselor. The beaches, the dunes, the Cherry Festival, Moomers Icecream–I didn’t know what a gem northern Michigan was until I moved away (married an Air Force guy). It makes my heart smile that you love it there, too. 🙂