A Little Update

Just a little update...
Life is moving along and we're already in April!  March was full of friends and work and swimming lessons and conferences.  We celebrated Chris' 42nd birthday a little early with a surprise Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy themed party, said "see-you-later" to the sweetest of friends, welcomed dearest friends Bill, Amy & Liam for a long visit over Easter, are soaking up these lovely warm weather days spending lots of time outside, and are feeling so very blessed.


And now for the exciting news:  We are officially home study approved! 
 “And what exactly does this mean?” you might ask.


 It means that our profile can be shown to expectant parents as they consider adoption and choose adoptive parents for their child.  It also means that I need to finish our profile on Shutterfly and get them ordered ASAP!


 Annie Update
One of our greatest joys is watching our sweet girl learn and grow and develop into this incredibly independent little being.  We are constantly amazed by her heart and her compassion and empathy for others, old and young.  My favorite moments are listening to her pray at meals and before bed each night and the different people she remembers and prays for. 


A few weeks ago, Chris and I headed up to the Bethany office to complete our second home study/visit.  It consisted of lengthy individual interviews with both of us and we knew Annie would have more fun at home, and get to bed on time, if we left her with a sitter.  Our dear friend Bev came out to watch her.  Annie was not happy with us leaving and I shared with her that we were going to spend some time talking to Miss D about getting her a baby brother or sister (she is insisting on a sister, but will be thrilled with either, I think).  Later in the evening I called to check on her and she asked, "You bringing my baby home?"  I told her we were working on it but no baby yet.


For Chris' birthday last week, Julie, Annie's beloved Sunday school teacher and our friend, gifted us with a date night - dinner, a movie, and free babysitting!  Since this Saturday is our date night, I was telling Annie that Miss Julie was going to come and play with her.  Knowing that she is having some separation anxiety issues, I was treading lightly.  Here's out that conversation went:


Me:  Wouldn't it be fun to have Miss Julie come to our house on Saturday?
Annie: (thinking)
Me:  I bet Miss Julie would love to play with you and maybe go to the park.
Annie:  (very skeptical) Are you two going to leave (meaning me and Chris)?
Me:  (trying to avoid a freak out) Well, we could play for a while too, and then maybe...
Annie:  You and Daddy should go get me my baby. 


I had to laugh when I realized she had connected the dots between the last time she had a babysitter and this time!   

The Difference Five Years and One Three Year Old Make

Our first home study for this adoption process is tomorrow evening.  Five years ago, as we were preparing for our very first home study ever, I was a wreck.  There was much cleaning and scrubbing and dusting and vacuuming and lamenting the uncleanliness of our almost 120 year old home.  This time, eh not so much. 

I did spend parts of the weekend sorting thru the Hoarders-style mountain of clothes in Annie's room, sorting them into sizes and totes, and having Chris relocate them to the basement.  There was some effort put into cleaning off the dining room table, and generally straightening the piles of correspondence, books, art projects, and to-do lists scattered around the house.  But for the most part, we are in take-it-or-leave-it mode.  And that is OK with my normally OCD self.

Chris and I work full time outside of the home.  I spent last week out of town for work.  I leave again on Wednesday for three days.  I'm home for a week and leave again for a full week, this time out of state.  

I have a sweet little three year old who has needed some extra attention from mama since I got home on Friday. Instead of frenzied vacuuming, there have been snuggles, Target trips complete with popcorn, longer bedtime routines, giggles at made up stories, and family time.  

So yes, my house could be cleaner and there could be less clutter and cobwebs.  And yes, I could have spent more time wiping tiny fingerprints off of windows and mirrors.  But there will always be time for these kinds of chores.  

Tomorrow evening, our case worker will come to our less than immaculate house and she will see streaks on the mirrors and spots in the carpet and probably a dust bunny or two. But she will also see a family that loves deeply and spends time on the most important things - each other.

This Long & Winding Road

When Chris and I met and fell in love, we had a ton of songs that, to us, seemed to represent our love story.  We struggled with narrowing our list down to one song, our song.  One evening, we were driving to meet friends.  I'd somehow won the radio station battle and country music was twanging thru the car, as we bantered back and forth.  The words of the song playing penetrated our conversation and we grew silent.  As the song concluded, our gazes locked and we both knew it was our song.

Little did we know then, or even months later as we danced to it as our song at our wedding, how poignantly those words would ring for us in the years to come.  After almost six years filled with tests, fertility treatments, doctors, hope dashed again and again, miscarriage, dreams deferred, anxiety, letting go, adoption plans, a failed placement, endless waiting, and heartache, our arms were filled as an amazing woman placed a beautiful baby girl in my arms and said, "Here's your mommy!"

In the almost four years since that moment, our lives have been filled with cuddles, giggles, tears (ours and hers!), pink, elephants, feedings, food aversions, diapers, potty training, ABCs, Pigeon books, purple, curls, laughter, puddle jumping, 123s, running, slides, 4 am chats, scooter riding, dare devil antics, threenager attitude, and buckets and buckets of love.

God blessed the broken road that led Chris and I to one another and then led us to our sweet Annie. Once again, we know this road will not be easy but we are eager to see where it will lead as we try to add another blessing to our family.

Bless the Broken Road

I set out on a narrow way,
Many years ago,
Hoping I would find true love
Along the broken road.
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through.
I couldn't see how every sign,
pointed straight to you.

Every long-lost dream
Led me to where you are.
Others who broke my heart,
they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way,
into your loving arms.
This much I know is true...
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

I think about the years I spent,
just passing through.
I'd like to have the time I lost,
and give it back to you!

But you just smile
and take my hand.
You've been there.
You understand,
It's all part of a grander plan,
that is coming true!

Every long-lost dream
Led me to where you are.
Others who broke my heart,
they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way,
into your loving arms.
This much I know is true...
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

Now I'm just rolling home,
Into my lover's arms.
This much I know is true...
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.
That God blessed the broken road
That lead me straight to you.