One Year Ago

A year ago today we began our journey to Siberia.
We boarded a plane, prepared to travel to the other side of the planet, ready to see what God had in store for us.

A year ago today, we didn't know if a little boy and his 2 little sisters were part of the plan. But we did know this, God said, Trust Me, Go.

A year ago, we went.

A year ago, we met our son.
I still remember how I tried to keep my heart so guarded. I had my long list of questions for the doctors. I observed his face and his movements so carefully. I wondered if I might see evidence of one of the many behavioral or cognitive issues the specialists had told us about. Yeah. That lasted all of a few minutes. This little boy, with his sweet smile, hazel colored eyes and dark blond hair was perfect.

By the time we made it over to meet the girls I'd completely forgotten my questions. When we met with the doctor at their orphanage, I imagine I fumbled my way down the list I'd printed out, but I can't remember any of it. I just wanted to meet our daughters. I wasn't worried about facial features or speech proficiency or gross motor skills. It didn't matter. The indescribable peace that had washed over Scott and I was all the answer we needed.

God said, Trust Me, Go... and now he was finishing His statement.

Trust Me,
Go...

...and you will find your Family.

These Shoes

I put these shoes on recently. It was the first time I'd worn them since July 2, 2008. How do I know? That was the day I walked through LAX, with my new little family of five, finally home. These were the shoes that I brought to Russia. Besides a dressy pair I brought for court, these black shoes were the only ones I wore for 28 days straight.

Putting on these shoes took me back.

Back to the brown linoleum floor in the entry of the orphanages... the smell of cabbage... and those little blue footies we put over our shoes when we came in.

Back to the soft green grass where we played with our girls... where we chased them and carried them... and prayed they would know we loved them.

Back to the crunchy brown dirt where Justin landed as he jumped off the swing or came down the slide... where several of his little friends clung to us and hoped we'd love them too.

Back to walks down cobblestone sidewalks, with a rickety double stroller and awe struck stares from the Krasnoyarsk locals.

Back to the too close for comfort elevator, where we rode up and down to the 4th floor at least a hundred times... where I could look in the mirror and gaze at my new family... and be awe struck myself.

Back to the vans, the traffic, the hotel rooms, the business centers, the fountains, the airports, the airplanes, the Embassy, Red Square.

Back to the exhaustion.

Back to the place where I was supported by the prayers of others... where I was protected by the love of my husband... where I humbly watched my God move mountains.

It was good to go back... for a few minutes at least. But I'll be honest, it's so much better to be here...

Here... where I'm still being supported... still being protected...

Here... where I will continue to face mountains...

Thankfully, I've got the shoes for the climb.

I lift my eyes to the hills-
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven.... and earth (including my mountains)
He will not let my foot slip
Psalm 121:1-3

It's John Grisham's Fault

Sorry about the lack of blogging lately. I've taken up the art of reading for pleasure again. Okay, so John Grisham books aren't exactly art, but it's nice to read something not written by Dr. Seuss or Eric Carle. Most recently, I've moved on to Twilight (thank you Beth, wink wink). I've also been putting more time into my bible study and the book I'm reading for small group Experiencing God. And now, with American Idol starting again, I'm not sure when I'm ever going to find the time to blog!

Speaking of American Idol. Does everyone out there realize that Scott is a total, unashamed fan of the show? Yes, my husband, the consumate TV snob (unless it's sports related), loves American Idol. We even went to the concert a couple of years ago. Mmm hmm, we've seen Sanjaya in the flesh.

Anyway... here's some pix taken over the last few weeks, to catch you up on our life. By most accounts, it's just your ordinary, day to day life. But, I do not take for granted the enormous amount of grace (and forgiveness) we experience daily.

Here we go:

I came into the girls' room a couple of weeks ago to find Justin and Natalie, cozy as could be, taking in our latest library books. They are certainly best of friends or worst of enemies. Thankfully, this was one of those best of friends moments.


Within minutes of Scott arriving home from work, Justin is by his side, "Wanna wrestle, Papa?" On this evening, Justin ran head first into Scott's hip, resulting in a bit of a nosebleed. He was very quick to recover, though, and they were soon back at it!


Not for the first time... Natalie decided to stick something with moving parts in her hair. The result was a tangled mess that I eventually had to cut out. Luckily, she had a haircut scheduled for later the same day.


Lexi hosted a little luncheon for her babies and, of course, Molly.


Here are the girls, just home from getting their hair cut. Not sure where Lexi's boxer pose came from, but it's pretty cute. And while I'm at it, here's a shout out to David Gex at The Loft, who has generously been taking care of our haircuts since we brought the kids home. He's the best!


Natalie asked to help clean up after dinner. Here's her first lesson on doing the dishes. Years from now, she will probably regret this day. But for now, it was some good bonding time for Natalie and her Papa. Good work you two!


A rare moment of relative CALM. Justin and Buzz are enjoying the latest episode of something... Not sure what, but I'm sure it involves animated creatures that dance and sing.


And then there's Lexi.. just being Lexi. It can be comedy central around here when she gets going.


Oh... and today's my birthday :) I'm the #1 Mom and I've got the sticker to prove it.


Mocabees... out.

Christmas Videos

All 3 of the kids love music and singing, but Natalie is like a walking ipod. She sings everywhere... in the car, in the bathroom, at the table, in bed... She learned several Christmas carols this year and led my little trio in a mini concert. Did I say trio? This one is a quartet.

More caroling from Molly


Ah... the preschool program. You never know what you might catch on video. Dig in!