It Remains to be Seen...

When I see the little Ethiopian-born princess stomping across the church stage in her clumsy cow costume singing Joy to the World, while she grabs a stray toy axe, 3 feet from chopping the baby Jesus’s manger up, I just get to thinking…. About the little girl, who 2 Christmases ago was stuck in an orphanage, with a mound of paperwork and a wide, wide ocean separating her from our family. She didn’t know what was waiting for her. I see my own 29-year-old face, full of hope of what would one day be, but lined from the miles and worry that comes from taking little boys to and from autism therapy treatments and from feeling like your own womb has betrayed you. I didn’t know how God would would work, heal, and restore. I wonder about a specific soul I may never meet. I cannot imagine the brilliant face of the woman, or girl, who birthed my JG. Was she as bright, as tenacious of spirit, as stubborn, as funny? Did she have hope her baby would live? Or have a family who would treasure her?
When I get to wondering, I get to crying- crying over the words of “Joy to the World”. I see people rushing around in their fancy cars and tacky holiday sweaters, buying more loads of junk that their kids don’t need, that their sister-in-laws will roll their eyes over, and another tie that their stepdad won’t like, busy "makin' the yuletide gay." Christmas is about a baby. A baby who was a king, and hardly anyone knew or noticed. But for those who heard, and those who knew it was precious. They were people, waiting for a savior, and they saw him. He wasn’t what they may have expected; maybe their joy was not as complete as they hoped, because the Lord hadn’t come as a 30 year old conquering king, but as a baby. The “Joy to the World” kind of remains to be seen when you are sitting in a stable, surrounded by stinky animals, and the King of Glory is wrapped up in swaddling clothes. They didn’t know it, but Easter was coming.
I am happy when I see my baby girl prancing across the stage and shouting out the words to “Jesus Loves Me” like she’s auditioning to be the next Beyonce. But part of the Joy to the World remains to be seen….and that is the day I’m waiting for…where the glories of His righteousness are revealed in full, faith is made sight, and every tear is wiped away.
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.
I wish you friends, a very Merry Christmas and much joy in the New Year!

A Washington, Oregon, & Florida Thanksgiving with Georgia on My Mind

We have been DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) for 3 months now. We are currently #21 for a baby girl, and #9 for a toddler. We have been visiting relatives all over the nation & homeschooling like mad trying to beat the clock to be finished with 1st & 3rd grades before new baby comes home… and speaking of “new baby” we officially announced her name to family while on vacation: Georgia! Her name had to be sweet, classic, and southern…like me, of course. It is one part George Mueller, one part sweet tea. Perfection.




Eyes as blue as the Atlantic

 

Enjoy the pix of our vacation & I even have a little 3-Month-DTEversary gift for you….

Vacation Hindsight Being 20/20:



Cousin Capers

1. If you walk into your aunt’s house and the first thing you notice is the kitchen smoke detector’s battery is missing, that should be the first clue that you should start praying for take-out Chinese.

2. If your family has more drama than Susan Lucci during sweeps week, expect tears, a surprise family member to show up to events, & learning a deep dark secret. Take it all in stride, not counting the potential cost of therapy needed, but instead consider possible book deals awaiting you in the future.

3. When your cousin says, “ I made yours light on the pina, heavy on the colada”, perhaps you should clarify exactly what that means.

4. When the same cousin says “get out the video camera, we totally rocked that song on karaoke!” perhaps you should consider the ramifications to your self esteem after becoming an overnight Youtube sensation.

5. Karaoke is enlightening b/c you realize that you have been singing the wrong lyrics for about 20 years. BTW: “latigo” is the leather strap used to adjust the saddle’s girth on a horse. In slightly related news: after a month of eating your way across America don’t be surprised if your “horse” needs to loosen his/her “latigo” quite a few notches, if you catch my drift.

6. Don’t allow your beautiful & talented cousin to dye your hair the day before you take Christmas card pictures. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.

3 Mouseketeers

7. When you travel cross-country with 3 beautifully mismatched children, people will stare because they wonder if you are crazy, a kidnapper, or perhaps a celebrity nanny.

8. Next fundraiser idea:: take pledges for a Potty-a-thon : if I had a dollar for every time my 3 year old begged to use a public restroom, I could have saved myself the many hours of filling out grant applications.

i think we are starting to look alike!?

One Monthiversary on the Waiting List!

It has been one month since our precious paperwork flew across the pond to Ethiopia.  Being wild and crazy as DH and I are, we celebrated by eating takeout from PoBoy express, opening up the windows to enjoy the nice fall Louisiana weather, filling out adoption grant applications, and then having intense allergy attacks resulting in sinus infections.
While I'm feeling reminiscent (maybe it's the cold, maybe it's the paper-pregnancy hormones, maybe it's the homeschool mom's dry erase markers)...here's where we were a long time ago, on our DTE One Monthiversary waiting for Jane-Grace...you know back when we only went through three boxes of cereal in a week, and I could still pick up middle child without making a strange grunting sound.

Last Day to Order Show Hope Shirts!!!!

*******Order has been placed.  Still want a shirt?  That's great!  I will place my next order in about a month...or as soon as I have 12 shirt orders. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ORDERED!!!  You helped us raise $500 to bring home our next princess & also helped fund Show Hope in their amazing orphan care ministry!  ***Do you love Steven Curtis Chapman, know every word to his songs, and wave at the "Franklin, TN" highway sign as you pass by, sighing that your hair will just never stick up in the right places like SCC?  Well, friend, your sighing days are over!  You can look like Steven Curtis for only $30 (or at least own a replica of his shirt). 
We are selling Show Hope shirts to help bring home our next Ethiopian cutie!  Here's how it works: 1. Pay for a shirt ($30 adult/ $25 kids).  Half the $$ goes to help our adoption, half to Show Hope (win/win).  I will place the order as soon as i reach 24 shirts (hopefully the end of September).  2. You wear your shirt proudly while you lip-sync to "The Great Adventure"!

Red, Chocolate, Smoke, Blue "I Show Hope": S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X
White long-sleeved Tree Tee (Women slim fit): S, M, L, XL, 2XL
I Dig Show Hope (Women slim fit): S, M, L, XL, 2XL
I Dig Show Hope Youth: YXS(4/6), YS(6/8), YM(8/10), YL(10/12), YXL(14/16)
Black Tree Tee: S, M, L, XL, 2XL
Violet I *heart* Show Hope (Women slim fit): S, M, L, XL
Violet I *heart* Show Hope Child: 6months, 12 months, 18 months, 2T, 3T, 4T
Please specify shirt size and style in the paypal message and thanks for your order!! (Locals can write a check)

Adult or Child Size

Adult Size Shirt $30.00 Child Size Shirt $25.00

Prudence, Mercy, and Risk

More than one person has said to me, "You can't possibly want to adopt a child older than an infant!  Think of the psychological damage, the bonding issues!"  In light of that fear, this is a good read by Dr RDM: "Is the orphan my neighbor?"

Junk Posse Necklace Giveaway

Admit it.  You troll Etsy or blogstalk innocent people 2000 miles from your home, looking for cool adoption/ Africa (or Guatemala or China...) fundraiser stuff.  It's ok.  I'm here to help!  Into the Streets of Ethiopia is doing a giveaway of a beautiful swirly Africa necklace!  Check it out!!  If you don't win...you can buy it on Etsy.  What a wonderful way to celebrate finally turning in that adoption application, being DTE (hint, hint, Dear Hubby), getting your referral, or the anniversary of gotcha day....  I happen to know that Into the Streets is an amazing organization.  DH is on the board and our church supports and prays for the orphans & street kids that N2TS (that's the street lingo, get with it, sista) helps:)

Look Who's 3!!!!!!!