Sweet Poetry for Month Number 8

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
                                  i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

                                                                 -by e e cummings

I have a fledgeling love of poetry. This one's a classic, and I love it because it strikes a chord in me that has something to do with how I feel about my husband and about our children, and in some ways about what goes on between God and man.

My friend is coming home from Ethiopia this weekend with her son!!! We've walked through this process together, meeting at first through the blog world, then developing a real face-to-face friendship, we've coached and commiserated, and helped each other maintain focus and perspective. I'm so excited to get to meet the little buddy soon!!! We've prayed for him so long :) Praise the Lord!!!

Our 8 months' waiting stats are much like our 7 months' waiting stats. A conference call a few days ago revealed that average wait times for a referral are around 16 months, and not likely to get shorter. So as is, if we end up waiting a total of only 16 months, then we're half way and we'll get a referral somewhere around May of next year. At the same time, we could get a call tomorrow or we could wait 2 more years, there are no certainties. God knows who our kids are, and He knows what's best.

Thanks to everyone who's been so supportive and encouraging along the way. You've acknowledged the weight of our wait, encouraged us, counseled us, sometimes cried with us, prayed for us, and even written songs for us... we're humbled and warmed by your love and support. We thank you and praise God!!!

Summer visitors!!!

July has already been super-full of fun. First, my blog-friend-turned-real-friend came with her kiddos, and we hit up the beach for a day, which was awesome!!! Their family is preparing to go to Ethiopia for their first trip, to meet their son and go to court, and we're all praying hard core that they would pass so they can bring their baby boy home before the rainy season. Thanks for making the drive!! The double-family annual beach day is established, now all we need are those husbands and Ethiopian babies of ours to come :)

Next up, a visit from my college roommate and bestie. She and her husband came to the beach as well, and we had a week of reconnecting and special fun activities!! Doughnuts on the boardwalk, beachin' it, arcade games, paddle boating, it was super-special!!!

 

 

We can't wait for the rest of our summer visitors to come as well! We LOVE living at the beach!!!

4 months

Another month down!!! Hopefully 4 months means we're somewhere around half-way through the wait to see our baby. Yay! Right now we're #10 for girls, #8 for boys, and #5 for either gender, so that makes us #21. Not many referrals this month, and I'm trying to find out why that is, but for now there's nothing to do but be patient and trust.


It's been a little bit of a chaotic month, full of uncertainties, but I feel like we're pulling out of that into a period of being able to relax a little and just be excited about this baby. People tell you at the beginning of the process that no adoption story is straight forward, but that they are more often than not full of unexpected obstructions and stressors. I believe them now :)

Favorites:
-Lunch date with my blog-friend. We ate, we talked, we bonded, we drank some buna, and we laughed our butts off... it was amazing!
-I've started working with a teen mom program here in town. I LOVE it!!!! I love the girls, I love the babies, I love love love it!! Did I mention the babies?!?!
-I love Fall...

 Here's an assortment of pictures from the last little bit:

Summer Concert Series

 I was soooo sick on this day

photography sKylllz

My boy

This is a series of pics from Young Life's All Area Club:

It was awesome!!

Young Life pursues un-churched, lost high-school kids. All these kids are being loved on by college-aged Christians. All these kids heard the Gospel that night, and they do every week!!!

Summer Fun Beach Visitor Recap in Pictures

 

 

 

Andrew Peterson

Last weekend we went to the most special concert of the century!!! Our very favorite christian musician, Andrew Peterson, and his friend, the amazing Ben Shive, played at our home church!!! What?!?! That's right! It was a complete dream come true! Plus, they played some stuff from his new CD, and it was AMAZING!!! Seriously, go buy it, you won't regret it.

Andrew Peterson

Ben Shive, playing the 4th of July!!!

Thank you Andrew and Ben. Thanks soo, much!!! You've impacted our lives, our marriage, and our family. You've encouraged us in hard times, given us words to praise and rejoice and fall in love, and you've helped us to see beauty and meaning in what might otherwise just seem like regular old life. Thank you for your songs, thank you for this concert, thank you for staying the course.

My sweet fam amidst the crowd

Thank you also to everyone who worked so hard and served so lovingly to make this concert happen. It encouraged the crud out of us!!! And, just thanks for lovin' on us, guys. It was a sweetness fest to be with you guys again, and I know it was just a taste of what heaven's gonna be like!!!

the gang :)

My little H bird

How could you say no to that ??!!

Thanks, Andrew!!!!