All before 9am

Technology is amazing.  You can embrace it or decide to not use it but for me,  it has given me amazing opportunity to impact people and be tremendously impacted by others.  It has made me so much more productive…for instance… today is my day off.  I’m about to head out the door and this morning and already……

• I was able to wish my tennis partner a happy 50th b-day.
• I saw a picture of a friend in High School who’s little girl went to Kindergarten today for the first time and was able to wish her well.
• I made 2 dr’s appointments
• checked in with my boss and sent info he will need for today
• was encouraged by one of my blog friends posts who is raising Haitian children.  It seems every day I grow in knowledge of how to better prepare for having Frankie as our son.
• corresponded with 2 people for events… One in Oklahoma and one in North Carolina.
• checked in with some ladies from our PTO team that I will see in less than an hour.
• Got 2 girls ready this morning… time to french braid hair and all
• Packed lunches
• Actually got ready myself for today…which means I put on make up and actually took a shower.
• Had some good time with Dave this morning before he headed out the door… (conversation people!)
• Dishes are being cleaned
• Two loads of laundry about to be done.
• Coffee (good to the last drop)

Well you get my point.  And today they would call me at stay at home mom?  Yeah right!  Now the funny thing is that I have 13 more hours in my day and possibly too much time on my hands to have time to even write a post like this.  What has my blogging come to!

Songwriter?

This weekend we had family movie night.  Dave took the girls to pick out a movie.  Izzie came back with Care Bears and Emma came jumping in with Hannah Montana the Movie.  We never got to the theater to see it so I was excited myself to discover her pick. 

We watched the movie and then Saturday Emma starts asking about wanting a guitar.  Just so happens that her cool mom has one in the closet that I used to attempt to play when I was in college.  I’ve yet to introduce her to it so I figured what a perfect time.

She locked herself up in the guest room for over an hour and out she came with her songs.  “I’m a songwriter” she declared. 

Song 1 – My dad is a dog. (poor Dave)

My dad is crazy. My dad is nice. He’s like a dog.  He’s so Crazy.

Song 2. (thought this one was sweet)

I don’t want my dad to go away.  I miss him when he is gone.  I don’t want my dad to go away.  I miss him when he is not here.

And Song 3 (my favorite)

I see angels protecting me through the night.  I love God He is my Holy Father.  I will worship him my whole life.

 

I don’t think she has a future in singing/writing… but in her mind she is the next Hannah Montana.  I just smile and try not to laugh.  These are the days I don’t ever want to forget.  Days when anything is a possibility in their worlds.

The journey of life

I talk about the journey a lot.  Maybe sometimes too much.  To the point where I am wondering if I devalue what it really is?  The journey… so worth it but the paths we walk are not always so certain and the journey is not always full of fun and fulfilment.  I dare say most of the time it’s full of wondering, questions, and why’s.

I am lucky.  I do not walk it alone, where some do.  I have this amazing man, husband, and life partner who holds my hand as we go along.  I often stop along the way and he does not let go but keeps pulling.  Or when I say I just need a break, he stops and sits and listens.  And then when I question the path we are on and if we should have taken the other road a ways back because the current path seems to not look right, he looks at me with such certainty and says we are on the right road.  I trust him.  His words ease my fears for the moment and we continue to walk.  We walk this journey that changes all the time.  At times the storms come and make it hard for us to see.  At times we get lucky and have this “amazing Chicago day” as we like to call it.  A day the city has not seen in 60+ years.  We walk.  And at times I can’t hear the Fathers voice for my own, I look to Dave when I know he has heard and I trust.

I’m a flawed person.  I’m full of major insecurity, doubt, questions about myself and about life.  I stink at relationships among many things.  I carry a lot of baggage from being brought up in the church as a pastors daughter.  I would  love to say that it allowed me to see people struggle with faith and end up at their best.  For me in my life it allowed me to see most people hardley struggle who said they loved God.   I was able to see them and how many choose to love people at their worst.  I take that into almost every relationship and situation that I face in my journey.  It’s baggage that is a part of me that I try to hard to push aside.  And 33 years later I still have to force myself to try and make myself believe that I can trust people to not love me at their worst.  I’ve made great strides but I am flawed.

It’s a mystery to me.  This journey.  But I will trust, even when I don’t understand or can’t see what tomorrow may look like.  I wil trust even when the hand that holds mine is uncertain as well.

Per the words of Aaron Ivey in his new CD.  (It’s been really ministering to me)

Beautiful Mystery.

The Sovereign Lord, will be my strength
Beautiful mystery
Through the suffering and loss, your mercy remains
I will trust in thee

Worth it.

“I’ve been listening to Aaron’s song “Amos Story” a lot this week and wanted to share it with you….  I love getting pictures of Frankie.  It’s the best.  I cherish every photo I get.  It is hard seeing your childs life in pictures when your heart desires for them to be physically with you.  It’s the wierdest feeling and so hard to explain.  A picture brings such joy and such raw awareness at the same time….  Yet still I would not trade a second of this journey.  It’s so worth it.

AMOS STORY
Aaron Ivey. ©2009 IVEYMUSIC. (ASCAP)

Another photograph to wrestle in my head
Another sleepless night on concrete featherbed
These thoughts of you like bullets to my soul
We’ve got to find a way to get you home

I’ll find a way to get you here
If it takes my fleeting breath
Another sunrise hits the ground
And it’s a dark lonely sight
Lightyears away I hope you know
There is somebody searching
For the way to get you here

I will get you here

Throw the clocks away and run out to the street
We’ll fly to distant clouds where it’s just you and me
A day will come when all of this is gone
You’ve got to find a way to believe

I’ll find a way to get you here
If it takes my fleeting breath
Another sunrise hits the ground
And it’s a dark lonely sight
Lightyears away I hope you know
There is somebody searching
For the way to get you here
I will get you here

Close your eyes and dream of a better day with me
As angels hold you tight, may you sleep in peace tonight

So dream, dream, dream my child
Hear the whisperings of hope
It’s a song that you can sing, as you sleep in peace tonight

First day of first grade and Nana school

First let me just say…I’m not going to apologize about not posting much.  Why?  Because I’m done apologizing…  not just about not blogging but I swear I get so annoyed at myself because I feel like I’m always apologizing.  When, I really have nothing to be apologizing about.  One of the ladies I play tennis with said, “Kim, please stop saying you are sorry, when you say that it makes you sound like you are a bad player and you are a great player.”  I agreed!  So no more sorry’s.   It’s a good life lesson to learn.  Lived in it way too long.  And yes, there are things to be actually sorry for but I have a tendancy to be sorry for everything! Ok, now that is off my chest…. (insert smile here)….

Drum Roll Please……. first day of school hit this week. Emma started first grade.  She was so excited to go to school.  She got home on the first day and said, “Mom, can I go back right now?”  That tells you how much my social butterfly likes school.  She missed her friends and she still loves recess time the most.  She has a wonderful teacher this year and we look forward to all the fun times ahead. 

And Izzie started Nana Preschool this week.  She loves it as well.  Starting with the letter Aa this week.  They had an apple tasting and she declared out of Red, Green, and Yellow Apples that Yellow was her favorite!  We are so thankful for Nana who watches Izzie.  She’s the best Nana ever but better yet she is an excellent teacher as well!

Peace

Whenever we get in conversations about Frankie and our adoption process… hardly anyone leaves the following comment out… “I just don’t know how you guys do it… waiting that long? ”  For us it’s pretty simple.  We signed up for this long wait.  We knew going into an adoption from Haiti that the wait would be long.  2 years… dare I say maybe even 4? 

Is it hard?  Yes.  Did we know that going into it? Yes.  Do we wish we could go grab him right now and bring him home? Yes.  Is there tremendous peace in the process? Yes.

This picture says it all to me and helps this crazy wait.  Because in our waiting, Frankie is always found in loving arms.  And because of that reality, there is peace.

Oh no he did not!

Oh no he did not decide to outgrow his toddler days and become such a little boy!  Just got these pictures of Frankie this morning taken yesterday.  Can you believe it?  I’m really not shocked since I walk around each day with Izzie and wonder how the past 8 weeks could drastically take the baby out of her face and keep the little girl look.  Frankie is doing so well from all the reports we get.  I am so ready to get my butt on a plane and go see him.  November come quick!

It’s a Great Day

It’s a great day!  Why?  You don’t have to ask, just keep clicking these links and they will tell why.  Let the bullets begin.

• Just read Amanda’s Blog.  They are adopting a little boy from Haiti and I follow their journey.  They have been stuck in IBESR forever and she  just posted they are out of IBESR.  Woo Hoo.  Check out her news… click here.
• Remember me telling you about the Medika MambaProgram?  Well it really works.  Check out these four kids and see for yourself.  Woo Hoo for changing lives! … click here.  And click there to follow Caroline’s journey.  I love her posts and love reading her views on Haiti and her ministry there these next months.  So inspiring.
• Yesterday I stumbled on this blog.. Party of Five. I don’t think I actually stumbled upon it if you know anything how our God works.  This family is raising two Haitian boys and I already know I’m going to learn so much from following their journey.  It’s just another tool that God can use to help prepare our own family as Frankie one day will be with us.  I’m SO THANKFUL for access to this kind of blog community.
• Mentioning Frankie.  He is doing great.  And we have some exciting news as well.  Our dear friend Chad Norris is heading to Haiti at the end of August to visit with some organizations there.  He’s going down a day early so he can go spend the day with Frankie.  I am constantly amazed at God’s blessing to our family.  We have had so many people we love visit Haiti and actually see our son.  Where else does that happen?  You’ve got me?  We are so thankful.
• Dave and I are researching ticket costs these next few weeks for a trip we are taking in November.  We both will be heading to see Frankie in November and can’t wait.
• I’m amazed at some ladies in our neighborhood who have come together to help a family out with back to school supplies for their 4 girls.  Blown away is more like it.  I’m so thankful for our neighborhood community that God has placed us in.
• Today I head out to meet with some parents at Emma’s school in preparing for the new school year.  I’m serving on the PTO board as treasurer.  I’m really excited about it.  I often wonder why I was Treasurer of our student council while in high school, or treasurer of our HOA board…  it kind of all just keeps fitting together and now the opportunity to invest in our public school this year has me so excited.  We love our school.  It’s a diamond in a hay field and we are so thankful Emma gets to attend a public school that actually runs like a small private christian school. 

Lots to be thankful for.  Way too much to be thankful for.