Catchin' Up

It's been a long while since I've blogged. The recent months brought some challenging times with my health. Barely getting out of bed for several weeks tends to make one re-evaluate how they spend their time when they are able to get out of bed. Blogging is not near the top of the list. I started writing here last year primarily as a way to record our adoption journey. I'm glad I did. As I go back and read the stories, I am surprised at how I forgot many of the details. My other motivation for writing is orphan advocacy. In consideration of whether or not to continue this blog, I prayed and came to the conclusion that yes, I will for now. My prayer is that people will be touched, and God will use this blog to motivate at least one person to rescue an orphan. That would make my heart very happy. 

We are finding it hard to believe that it was one year ago this month that we brought our Ivy home. I have a lot of posts written in my head. We'll see how that goes. So for now allow me to catch up a bit. The moments in this life I enjoy most are the simple ones..like these. Thank you to my family and some special friends for loving me through this challenging time and working extra hard to keep things goin' around here.

Rainy day card games are so much fun.

'Miss Little Creativity' made herself some fancy earrings with bobby pins.

Macy has been busy with sewing some spring skirts.

Ivy worked hard to help get the fruit off the trees before the freeze hit.
Our first crop of blood oranges were super yummy.

It's always someones birthday around here!

So thankful for help getting the garden planted. We are now starting to reap some of the harvest!

Lively visits from the 'cutie-patooties' are the best!

These dear friends came to visit recently. I was so excited to spend the evening with them. We used to hang out with Dave and Becky thirty years ago when we were both newlyweds. We had our oldest babies together in the 80's. Then fast forward to last year when we told our friends we were adopting a little girl from China. Some simply looked at us like we had lost our marbles. But not these friends. They were our faithful cheerleaders. We are so blessed to have them in our lives.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths. Psalm 36:5-6

Our China Doll

I know I'm the Mom...but seriously, isn't she adorable? 

-Gong Xi Fa Cai-

Blossoming

I love seeing Ivy's growth in photos. This first picture was taken about nine months ago shortly after she was dropped off to us .

....and here she is now...growing daily in wisdom and stature

I am daily surprised at the power that love has on the human spirit. 

“But whatever you do, find the God-centered, Christ-exalting, Bible-saturated passion of your life, and find your way to say it and live for it and die for it. And you will make a difference that lasts. You will not waste your life.”  John Piper

hello 2013

Hard to believe January is passing us by. Life is full. Ivy continues to astound us with her ability to adjust and acquire language. I believe her English vocabulary has about caught up with her age. Never would have dreamed this could happen in nine months. Here's a sampling from just this week: "I'm cooperating very well today!", "This bumpy road makes me so nauseous!", "Mommy, does everyone have to die?", "Look, that lady looks like she's Chinese too!", "If I don't obey will you take (send) me back to China?" That one is heartbreaking. It was another opportunity to assure her that she's not going anywhere. She was happy to hear, once again, that this is her forever family. Her response.."It's going to take me a long time to learn to obey!" She's a corker through and through. Lots of laughs, lots of work. Training, bonding, and unlearning orphanage behaviors, takes time and patience. But rewarding it is.

Speaking of work and patience..we celebrated our sweet Macy's birthday this weekend. She tirelessly serves her family daily with joy and humor. Honestly, I don't know how I would have survived 2012 without her working by my side. She is mature beyond her 14 years, has endured a lot of physical pain the last year,  and always wears a smile.

Happy Birthday to our middle child.

Taken with my Nikon D5000

Her first Christmas

Half a world away you spent five years without a family and never hearing of Jesus. Welcome home, Ivy, for your first Christmas. It has been our blessed privilege to bring you into our family and introduce you to Jesus. This family is the place God planned for you, and He planned you for us. Together we all learn what love really is and how much we need a Savior. You teach us as much as we teach you. The beauty is in the redemption--imperfect, hurting, sinful people learning to love. Thank you, God, for rescuing another orphan and bringing her home. And thank you, God, for sending Jesus to rescue each of us from our sinful selves.

"It is not about God making my dreams come true, but about God changing my dreams into HIS dreams for my life. As I go with Him to the hard places, He changes them to the most joyful places I could imagine."  Katie Davis

Taken with my Nikon D5000

View from my window

Nine years ago when we moved from our country farmhouse to the desert, I thought this was the ugliest place I had ever seen. I never dreamed I would someday look out my window and see beauty in the dirt and cacti.

 Perspective. 

 

How did it change?

The only answer I can come up with is.. when I saturate myself in something I often grow to love it.

The years have made my heart grow fond.

Made me consider what else I love. Living in this world is a battle of the heart. It's easy to fall in love with life here. John Piper put my thoughts into words so well:

"I am wired by nature to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in. I start to love what others love. I start to call earth "home." Before you know it, I am calling luxuries "needs" and using my money just the way unbelievers do. I begin to forget the war. I don't think much about people perishing. Orphans and unreached people drop out of my mind. I stop dreaming about the triumphs of grace. I sink into a secular mind-set that looks first to what man can do, not what God can do. It is a terrible sickness. And I thank God for those who have forced me again and again toward a wartime mind-set."

But our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also wait eagerly for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

-Philippians 3:20

Many Roads

After intentionally spending the entire summer at home, a few weeks ago we ventured off to oldest daughter's house. Ivy adores her oldest sister and her family so she couldn't wait. One hour in to the 4 1/2 hour drive she exclaimed, "Mommy, this is LONG!" But she did great. It was a peaceful drive listening to Andrew Peterson's music, and comforting to be on the familiar drive again.  I was reminded of the many roads we have traveled.  The last road trip we took with Ivy was when we left her hometown city in China and watched out the window as the life she knew passed her by. And now I turn around see her sitting there on our first American road trip. Many roads, many hopes, many fears, many glimpses of Gods hand directing our path.

My sweet Grand babies let me kiss them more than usual so that was the highlight of the weekend. I was called "Grammie" for the first time which was music to my ears. And by the way, I'm thrilled to announce that Grand baby # 3 is on the way! More blessings.

  

The remaining days of our fall season have been extra busy. We sold our house and moved a few miles away, a very emotional move for our family. When so much of life is lived in one place it's hard to walk away. The empty walls were screaming at us to stay. A week full of tears and goodbyes.  The new house feels void of memories.  No babies have learned to walk here. No daughters have been married here. No welcome home parties. Nobody has broken their ankle jumping the pool fence. No termites in the couch. The dog hasn't ruined the new floors or jumped through the windows. It's sterile. But not for long.

So, this Thanksgiving season even though I am exhausted and emotional, I am grateful beyond words for Gods grace on my life. There is no better place to be than following Him. We begin another new journey by faith, day by day.

And oh...Ivy's Thanksgiving question: "Can we go back to Grandma's tomorrow and have Thanksgiving again?" I wish, Ivy.

“If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world” C.S. Lewis

Taken with my Nikon D5000

The Fathers heart

Recently I had one of those moments where God just stopped me in my tracks and reminded me of His heart. You know how it is..some days life just gets so busy we default to survival mode..trying to get everything done before we run out of time. So typical of our American life. At least typical of mine sometimes. Then God so faithfully answers the prayer we have been praying.."Help us to love the things You love, God".

Here's how it happened. Ivy stopped me in the middle of my cleaning and said, "Mommy, why did you love Ivy and go get me from China?" I sat down and shared with her how God loves her and has a special plan for her life. I explained that God spoke to us and told us that there was a special little girl in China who needed a family and she needed someone to teach her about God. In typical Ivy fashion she inquired, " Did God come here and tell you or did He call you on the phone?" I proceeded to explain to the best of my ability how God speaks to us  through the Bible and through prayer. She paused and said so seriously, "But Mommy, there are lots of children in China who don't have a family." I sat down and cried. Yes, I remember their faces. I remember the smells. I could never forget. But I do forget, temporarily. Thank you, God, for another reminder of the orphans you love. Another reminder of the utter meaninglessness of so many things we pursue and spend time on. God, break my heart for the things that break yours. And once again, Thank you for our littlest daughter who continually reminds us of Your Heart. Happy Sixth Month Gotcha Day, Ivy Ruth.

Photos courtesy of Lisa at http://atruefocus.blogspot.com/