I have an "Adoption Mix" on my IPhone that I just love. It makes me cry sometimes, but crying is cathartic so leave me alone. It also gives me such great encouragement in this journey for our little boy. Hearing God's promises to me, my family, and to Grayson wherever he may be, in this form is such a gift. Music is able to bring about emotion in a very unique way. I am not musical in the very least. Seriously. Tone deaf has been used as an adjective for me..... I am also not very trendy or sophisticated in my musical selections. My IPOD has songs from 3 Doors Down, Keith Urban, Stevie Wonder, Justin Beiber, and T Pain. But God's word, plus talent and passion equals good stuff. I know there is a way for me to make a playlist and put it on this blog but sadly, I am not very sophisticated when it comes to computers either so I have pasted Youtube links so you can hear some of my favorites. Enjoy!
Audio Adrenaline; Kings and Queens
http://youtu.be/U64bongHqYU
Kristian Stansfill; Always
http://youtu.be/hN7L3m9jIcc
Mandi Mapes; This Love
*Could not find on Youtube, but search ITunes, it's GREAT!!!
Chris Tomlin; Whom Shall I Fear
http://youtu.be/qOkImV2cJDg
Switchfoot; This is Home
http://youtu.be/5JAqLGSd2ac
Paul Baloche; Our God Saves
http://youtu.be/9vXnef1jxDI
Gungor; Beautiful Things
http://youtu.be/oyPBtExE4W0
Mumford and Sons; I Will Wait
http://youtu.be/rGKfrgqWcv0
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
February Update
I am a lousy blogger!! We got our wait list number on Feb 1st and I am just now posting it....
38!!!
Four precious ones were matched with their forever families :) We only moves up three spots because a family that already had a referral lost that referral so they had to go back on the list. This is no doubt difficult for them, but they had a wonderful perspective that can only be God given. The child's birth mother changed her mind so that little one will be going back home. After waiting for so long and then finally getting "the call" you would think there would be a mountain of disappointment, however the family is praising God today that a family that didn't have to be broken was not. That is Jesus my friends.
Adoption is less about "getting" a child, and much more about meeting a need that the Bible calls us to meet. I don't mean to take the humanness out of the equation, but I just mean in my heart I wish there was no need for adoption. I WANT Grayson, but it hurts my heart that his sweet life has to start with so much pain and brokenness. This is the world we live in so we have to wait and wait and champion the cause of the orphan. The most vulnerable group in the world is the most innocent. So, I will do my best to wait well and pray for the other waiting families, the children, the birth parents, the government, and anybody else God puts on my heart.
This is my jam right now and it makes me cry but in a happy/excited/sad kind of way. watch it. Listen. Trust me, it's good. I don't know this family but it was the best version of this song going so enjoy. I'm not saying it will make you want to adopt a child, but if it does you can thank me later :)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1scU5hv6azs&feature=related
38!!!
Four precious ones were matched with their forever families :) We only moves up three spots because a family that already had a referral lost that referral so they had to go back on the list. This is no doubt difficult for them, but they had a wonderful perspective that can only be God given. The child's birth mother changed her mind so that little one will be going back home. After waiting for so long and then finally getting "the call" you would think there would be a mountain of disappointment, however the family is praising God today that a family that didn't have to be broken was not. That is Jesus my friends.
Adoption is less about "getting" a child, and much more about meeting a need that the Bible calls us to meet. I don't mean to take the humanness out of the equation, but I just mean in my heart I wish there was no need for adoption. I WANT Grayson, but it hurts my heart that his sweet life has to start with so much pain and brokenness. This is the world we live in so we have to wait and wait and champion the cause of the orphan. The most vulnerable group in the world is the most innocent. So, I will do my best to wait well and pray for the other waiting families, the children, the birth parents, the government, and anybody else God puts on my heart.
This is my jam right now and it makes me cry but in a happy/excited/sad kind of way. watch it. Listen. Trust me, it's good. I don't know this family but it was the best version of this song going so enjoy. I'm not saying it will make you want to adopt a child, but if it does you can thank me later :)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1scU5hv6azs&feature=related
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Camy's 4th Birthday Party
Since we have been in such a transition I wasn't really sure what to do for Camy's birthday. Thankfully, we were coming home for New Year's Eve weekend and it worked out perfectly to meet up and celebrate with a few friends. We went to Kazoing and the kiddos played and played. They ran around and wore themselves out and it was just a great day. Camy got to play with Sawyer, Hallie, Silas, Bella, Presley, and of course Hadley and Will. It was such a sweet time with all of our dear friends. Having her birthday so close to the holidays worked out really well this year. I think it did all of our hearts good to see everyone!
Josh and Hadley about to go down the big slide
Silas and Kelly's turn!
Will at the top of the mountain!
The birthday girl, hard at play
Boo Boo : )
Best Friends!!
Hello Kitty Cupcakes for my 4 Year Old
Beautiful Bella
Presley and Hadley
Happy Girl
Silas and Kelly
Silly Sawyer!
Daddy with our worn out little girl
What a sweet little man!
Karate chopping the obsticle course
My pride and joy!
Happy girl!
Mom and her sweetie
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Christmas and New Year's Eve in Kentucky
We had a great time at my old Kentucky home over New Year's weekend. We stayed at my dad's house so we got to spend lots of time with him, Chucky, and Will. The kids love each other so much and it was so good for them to get to play for a few days straight. We celebrated Christmas and Camy's birthday at my mom's house one of the nights we were home. She made tons of food, as usual, and the kids had so much stuff we BARELY got it all back to St. Louis! My mom is the ultimate shopper. She picks things up as she goes and finds so many good deals. She always made Christmas really special for us growing up and nothing has changed since she became a grandma. Her and my dad went in together and spoiled the kiddos rotten. For New Year's Eve everyone headed over to dad's to of course eat some more and ring in 2013. Uncle Jim stopped by for a little while so we got to catch up with him. Camy LOVES her Uncle Jim so she spent a good 15 or 20 minutes snuggled up in his lap just chit chatting away. My mom brought crafts for the kids and fake mustaches that were supposed to be for the kids. We had fun sticking them on and taking lots of goofy pictures. Hadley didn't make it to midnight and Josh almost didn't make it either! He went in to put her to bed and didn't come out! I went in to check on him and he was snoring right along with her. He did come out to play games and give me a smooch at midnight. Camy and Will stayed up the whole time and probably could have stayed up later, but the old folks were ready to crash. It was a sweet time visiting with my family and loving on my nephew. I'm so thankful for each and every one of them!!
The first night at my dad's the kiddos had to have a slumber party and watch the Lorax
Christmas at Mamaw's! More toys than any kid should have!
Hadley being the doctor
Best Buddies
Dad and Chris
Loving on Daddy
Hadley loving on Papaw!
The three amigos
Mamaw making noise makers with the kids for New Year's Eve
Too much fun with stick-on mustaches!
Katie workin that mustache
Camy being an Angry Bird
Josh about to pick Katie's nose
Friday, January 4, 2013
An Adoption Blessing
I have so much to blog about, Christmas, New Year's, and Camy's 4th birthday, but I have another story to tell tonight. When we got home from Kentucky this past Tuesday and started going through the mail we got a letter from an unfamiliar address. Inside the letter was a Christmas card featuring the cutest little baby girl, a letter, and a $100 bill. As I started to read the letter, my children were going crazy after being in the car for four and half hours, the dog was running everywhere and Josh was unloading the car. Everything seemed to fade as I looked at the words written to us from people we have never even met.
This precious family had gotten our names from a friend at church, as a family in the process of adopting. In 2011 they lost three sweet babies through miscarriage. I can't imagine the heartache and grief and questions they must have had. During that time they found peace in knowing their babies were with the Lord and he was their "forever family". The comfort they found in this truth led them to think about children that are orphaned on earth. Back when they began their journey to have a family they attended some adoption classes and learned a lot about adoption and the cost associated. As a way to remember their children's lives were here and were a blessing they decided to support three families and help give three children forever families here on earth. God is so big, he turned 3 into 7, so this precious family blessed us AND six other families!!
This is a 100% God story. God is sovereign and only He knows why he chose to call those babies home. I can't pretend to understand this, but I do know they are in the very best place there is or ever will be. However, I am sure that He has done a mighty work in this family through their losses and the gift they were able to give us (and six other families), was just the tip of the iceberg in His plan for them. To me the most amazing thing about this story is the strength He gave this family. They lost three children in one year. You are allowed to be depressed and grieve for these children. No one expects you to think of others. Your heart is broken. But the words written in this letter are not words of crushed people, they are words of those who "Are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus." They KNOW where their kids are. They are so confident in their God, it made them think of other children who don't have a "forever family" and call themselves blessed. If that is not the Holy Spirit I don't know what is. What a testimony of faith. What an encouragement and blessing to us. In this time of transition for us it has been easy to get discouraged, frustrated, and anxious for what our future holds and when our child will be in our arms. What a gift from the Lord to start January 1, 2013 with this example of faith and demonstration of His love. We are humbled and undeserving, but oh so thankful.
This precious family had gotten our names from a friend at church, as a family in the process of adopting. In 2011 they lost three sweet babies through miscarriage. I can't imagine the heartache and grief and questions they must have had. During that time they found peace in knowing their babies were with the Lord and he was their "forever family". The comfort they found in this truth led them to think about children that are orphaned on earth. Back when they began their journey to have a family they attended some adoption classes and learned a lot about adoption and the cost associated. As a way to remember their children's lives were here and were a blessing they decided to support three families and help give three children forever families here on earth. God is so big, he turned 3 into 7, so this precious family blessed us AND six other families!!
This is a 100% God story. God is sovereign and only He knows why he chose to call those babies home. I can't pretend to understand this, but I do know they are in the very best place there is or ever will be. However, I am sure that He has done a mighty work in this family through their losses and the gift they were able to give us (and six other families), was just the tip of the iceberg in His plan for them. To me the most amazing thing about this story is the strength He gave this family. They lost three children in one year. You are allowed to be depressed and grieve for these children. No one expects you to think of others. Your heart is broken. But the words written in this letter are not words of crushed people, they are words of those who "Are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus." They KNOW where their kids are. They are so confident in their God, it made them think of other children who don't have a "forever family" and call themselves blessed. If that is not the Holy Spirit I don't know what is. What a testimony of faith. What an encouragement and blessing to us. In this time of transition for us it has been easy to get discouraged, frustrated, and anxious for what our future holds and when our child will be in our arms. What a gift from the Lord to start January 1, 2013 with this example of faith and demonstration of His love. We are humbled and undeserving, but oh so thankful.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Santa, I Know Him!!
This post is mainly pictures because that really says it all! This year for Christmas we went to Indiana to spend time with Josh's side of the family. We celebrated with Justin and the Burt Bunch Saturday. The cousins had a great time playing with each other and we all had fun visiting. That night we drove up to Logansport, where we stayed until Christmas day on Tuesday. Santa came early so the girls got to open all their gifts on Christmas Eve, which is also Josh's birthday. The weekend was full just like our heats. We watched the nativity story, read the bible, had birthday cake for Josh and Camy, exchanged gifts, and ate.... a lot! Poor Hadley was fighting a virus most of the weekend so she needed extra love and care. She did play for a long time on Christmas Eve and that did my heart a lot of good. Both kids were so excited to see what Santa had brought them. Camy wanted to tear into everything, whereas Hadley opened one thing and was content to play with that for the entire night. Daddy opened most of her gifts! I'm so thankful for family to share the holiday with and I look forward to celebrating with my side of the family this coming weekend for New Year's. This time of transition is tough, but we are so abundantly blessed to have a savior that came to this earth for us and be just a car ride from those we love. Merry Christmas from the Burt's!! (Since we didn't get to send out Christmas cards this year, this is it! LOL!)
Me and the girls in front of our first real Christmas tree!
The girl's visiting Santa at Cintas
Nana and Halle
Jordan and Hudson having a heart to heart
Halle looking after Hadley
Laying on a box to read, so cute!
Christmas at Justin and Miranda's
Cooking baking tradition with Nana
The cookies won the battle
Josh relaxing on is 29th Birthday!
Twins
My love
Lily was in charge of watching Jingles
Helping Daddy open birthday presents
Poppy roughing up Camy
Mommy and her sick baby
My big 4 year old!
Sweet, sick girl
Birthday buddies
Hadley poking her finger in Dad's cake
The cool club house
Cuteness looking in her stocking
This girl loves clothes!
Holiday Barbie from Hadley
She took the clothes out and immediately threw them to the side!
Daddy and his girl
The Burt's
She's saying, "Cheeeeese!"
Stuffy got a cupcake from Hadley
Hadley was so tired, but had to keep playing!
Lily's new toy from Santa
Hadley with the best toy of all, the box!
Cam with her beloved Lamby
Me and Camy
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