Thankful

Last night Emma came to me with a game idea.  She wants to have a thankful log today at our dinner with our friends and Family.  “What’s a thankful log I asked?” She said, “It’s a log that we pass around and when you hold it you have to say what you are thankful for.” I thought that was a great idea so off she went yesterday to our yard to find a log.  She found one and then spent lots of time painting it as well.

So today when I get the log passed to me I’m not sure what will be my one thing I utter in a crowded room but here is what is on my heart today. 

I AM THANKFUL THAT -

• I get to do life with my best friend. He has and continues lead our family on such amazing adventures.  I’m thankful for his love, sacrifice, and passion for me and for life.
• I have two wonderful beautiful girls who bring SO MUCH JOY to my life.
• I have a son who has captured my heart who I can’t wait to meet and bring home.
• I get to experience the joy of the journey of adoption.
• There are people in Haiti… who are daily giving their lives away and by sharing and reading in their journey I get to see God’s amazing hand at work.
• In a bad economy, I still have a job and God continues to provide
• I have had good health
• I have a safe, warm, expansive home that I could spend the rest of my life in.
• I have cars that run that get us to where we need to go
• I have a community of friends that give so much to me that totally enriches my life
• I have extended family who live among us and I get to experience the blessing of
• And quite possibly I can say that through anything life has swung my way, God has ALWAYS been faithful to meet me where I am and in those different moments provide, grow, challenge and bless me in His ways.

I don’t know what tomorrow will hold for me or my family but today I REMEMBER the things I am Very Thankful for.  Have a wonderful day everyone being thankful!.

Love Gives

I’ve been stirred beyond words. How do I make our world a better place?  How do I be a part of… “stopping hunger, injustice, poverty, making someone else’s life better, investing in people?”  I don’t know.  And I don’t think many other people know either.  Or they know there are problems out there but at the end of the day, they just don’t care.  So here is the deal.  Love Gives.  That is the bottom line.  The Who, What, When, Where and Why’s?  not sure about all of that but I do know this… Love gives.

So as I read this article today or check be reminded of people like “Tom” I have to also believe that there are certain things that I am to personally be doing or doing with my community that will be a part of changing our world.

I’m so disturbed.  And that is good. 

Love gives  .  Love gives   .  Love gives.

If you believe that then what are you going to do about it?

Realities in Haiti Right Now.

Ideas that are changing the world.

Frankie gets a visit from our friend.

Last week some friends of ours from Student Life World were in Haiti.  They were there filming with Compassion International in many of their projects.  Next summer they will dedicate one of their camp locations in Orange Beach, Alabama to focus fully on Haiti. This location will host 10 events and allow them to speak of the needs of children there in Haiti to an audience of 15,000+.  Dave and I are so excited about that.  Dave will actually be speaking at one of their camps that will feature Haiti.

So while in Haiti our friend Roger was able to stop by and see our Son Frankie.   It’s been amazing that some of our friends have been able to already have contact with Frankie’s life.  Here are some pics of his time with him.  Dave and I can’t wait to get down there ourselves sometime in the next year!

Here is Roger with Frankie.  We sent this quilt down to him.

I’m not sure he knew what to think of Roger. Poor Frankie.

We also sent Frankie some DVD’s for him and his friends.  Roger said Frankie loved throwing the DVD’s around!

And while there Student Life surprised us and got some footage of Frankie.  We have not seen it yet but we can’t wait for it to arrive.  What a great early Christmas gift for our family. 

Farmer Izzie’s Party

We celebrated Izzie’s b-day today with all here “little” friends.  She’s really into any type of animal so we had a farm theme going on.  We had a great time.  Here are some moments from today.  Happy birthday sweet Izzie.  I can’t believe you are 2! 

The picture behind the phone call

So last night as we ate our dinner and had our normal routine… the phone rang.  I saw this picture on the website of Drew Francis this morning who is also in Haiti this week.  Here is a picture of Roger sitting on the floor with Frankie last night. 

Roger sent me these comments…..

“It was a joy to go see where the little guy lives. I think the shock of all the visitors was a little much, but all the kids seemed to have a good time. We filmed him staring at the phone and I am sure you will enjoy watching it know and in a few years when he is laughing about it. Thanks for letting us visit your son. I told him I am looking forward to seeing him home with you guys in South Carolina.”

It’s raining here today.  It’s just one of those blue kinda days.  I did not sleep well last night.  I loved getting to talk to Frankie and letting him hear this voice coming from a phone but I could not shake the fact that I was not there.  I was not there.  This is so hard. It’s a 2 year wait.  It does not seem possible.  Two years is such a long time.  In two years things will be so different.  I am cherishing EVERY memory of today but I’m not fooling anyone.  This is just really, really hard.  I know I’ll make it.  We are strong.  I know that in the end the wait and this whole process will seem like a small moment in our journey but for now it seems like an eternity of time.  And the heaviness it is placing on my heart is indescribable.  BUT, it’s so worth it.  To be on this journey of adopting Frankie is an amazing and wonderful blessing for our family.  I can’t believe we get to be his parents… that we get to walk with him through his journey and his life.  And for that it’s such a happy day.  We are very very blessed.

Phone call from Haiti

Our phone rang tonight around 6.  It was Roger.  He’s in Haiti and was with Frankie.  We got to talk to Frankie on the phone.  I got to tell him that I loved him and so did Dave and Emma.  I heard him make a couple of noises.  Roger said he was just looking at the phone. I’m sure he had no clue what was happening but it was just nice to have an open line to him.  To be able to speak words to him.  Thanks Roger for a wonderful unexpected gift.

A surprise visit for Frankie today.

This is Roger and today, if all goes as planned he will get to meet Frankie and see where he lives.  I really have sat in awe as we first had Jamie, and now Roger to have the opportunity to meet our son.  Seriously, how often does that happen?  I am in love with Haiti for many reasons but one of them is that it’s not half way around the world.  It’s a 1.5 hr flight from Miami.  It’s actually longer for us to fly to TX from where we live than it is to Haiti.

Roger is in Haiti with Compassion filming some material for Student Life Camps this summer.  This summer SL is featuring Haiti at all their Beach Camps and showing students ways they can help children through Compassion there.  Dave will be at one of the beach camps this summer.  I can’t wait to hopefully go with him and be a part of even telling our own journey with Haiti, a country we deeply love.

We have been friends with Roger for over 15 years.  I actually worked with him, we used to live in community together and as time allows we try and get our families together as often as we can living in separate parts of the country. 

So Frankie, I hope you enjoy a surprise visit today from Roger.  Don’t let him scare you.  He’s really a big teady bear when you break away past that facial hair! Ha!

Happy Birthday Izzie

2 years ago today after a long day of labor, I was finally given news that I’d have to be rolled off for a C-Section.  I thought I was about to die.  After 4 tries of them trying to get me numb the 5th time finally worked.  You were born at 11:55PM.  I don’t remember much of that time since I was given medication to calm me down since I was totally panicking on the table.  All that to say you were born into a room of severe anxiety and I’m wondering if that has set the tone for you life. Let’s hope not.

The moment you came into this world was the moment God reminded me with his Grace that miracles still do happen.  I still can’t believe He gave me you.

Izzie – Happy Birthday.  You have brought so much joy and fun into our family.  You are setting a stage for life right now.  Discovering your independence and voice.  I’m so thankful for you.  You make our life so much richer.  You’ve officially hit the terrible two’s.  They are not so terrible but it’s fun seeing you embark on them.  I think this picture tells it all.  Tell you to smile and watch out world… you’ve got your own look to give.  We are looking forward to celebrating your b-day this weekend with you.  We love you Izzie!

Flaws

Dave heard a quote yesterday on meet the press and we were talking about it last night.  Brokaw was interviewing Valerie Jarrett, the new co-chair of Obama’s transition team.  Brokaw asked her about Obama’s flaws…

MR. BROKAW:  I want to share with you something that was said in the Chicago Tribune.  “Obama said that having an adviser like Jarrett, someone who `knows your flaws but also knows your strengths’ is crucial.  What are his flaws?

MS. JARRETT:  Well, that’s the advantage of being his friend is that I only talk about his strengths.  We never talk about his flaws, but he does have them.  Nobody’s perfect, of course.

It lead Dave and I on a great discussion.  About how it’s so important to surround yourself with a group of people that really knows you.  Knows you at your best and knows you at your worst.  But what hit me really hard about our discussion is that it’s important to have friends who at the end of the day will come to the table with you in all of your mess and then CHOOSE to talk about your strengths.  I hope that I am in the process of becoming that kind of friends to others.  To know we all have crap in our lives but to be sure that I am emphasizing people’s best about them and not their flaws.  Because we all have flaws!

Dave’s Parents have a house.

We have a house!  Ok, I don’t have a house but Dave’s parents do.

Imagine going to a community that you would potentially like to live in.  They would build you your home.  You ask for the largest floorplan they offer.  You get the best lot you could get.  You spare no expense and whenever there is a chance to upgrade you do it.  From Screened in porches to custom cabinets.  From hardwoods to upgraded carpet to even installing the jets in your tub.  They ask if you want this, and you say yes.  Then they write up the ticket.  The house costs a lot.  Then they surprise you because they say this house is already built and move in ready for you.  It even has all your blinds in place.  Then they say… just because we are moving out of the area, the economy is bad and we want this house off of our books in the next few weeks,  we are going to take off 96,000.00 of the price of this home for you.  Do you want it?  Does this stuff even happen?  I would NEVER imagine it could but it did. 

Dave’s parents have found a home.  It’s beyond beautiful.  It’s beyond anything I could ever imagine for them.  Debbie walked in and started to cry.  It’s too good to be true.  The price of the house… it can’t be possible?  No way did that just happen?  There has to be a catch right?  No catch.  It’s now their home and they are moving in in 2 weeks.  As I look at what has unfolded for them in their journey I just really can’t believe it.  Sometimes you serve God you whole life and just get by.  Sometimes you serve God and random blessings come your way.  Either way you still serve and you still give your life away.  But when the unexplained blessings do come you just have to sit back and sit in awe and thank our father for his unexpected and undeserved blessings.

WELCOME HOME!