Sweet, sweet man...

He doesn't know it yet, but he is a father.  He exudes it in the way he lives and loves.  It is written all over him, and that excites me for our children more than I can say.  I know he will be the best for them. 

He is a gentle spirit, caring and sensitive with love.  He takes his role as husband and soon to be father very serious, as he strives, and succeeds to honor the covenant he has made with me and our God.  He is the epitome of a man and the definition of a servant.  

He is faithful to his commitments, always providing, always comforting.  Not afraid to dirty his hands as he leads and takes care.  Passionate in faith, his eyes are focused on the One above us, and his heart is strong and steadfast in seeking, listening, and learning to live and lead a godly life and home.  

A sweet, sweet man is what I typically mutter to describe him, and what a truth it is.  This man, my husband, and the father of our someday children, is the love of my life.  What an honor it is.

It's the little things (cont...)

Here we go again...take #2 of the little joys that are being revealed to me every day. They're those little tid-bits that bring a smile to your face, touch your heart, or even make you wanna dance like a kid, as they shed light in rather dark seasons of life, helping to change your perspective and live a life in a constant state of thankfulness. **No matter how trivial or important, "the little things" are things meaningful to you.**



It's the little things like...quiet time. It's good for the mind, body, and soul. Take some for yourself.

It's also things like sunshine & suntan lines - which could be surprising to some who know anything about me, especially because this is coming from a non-outdoorsy kind of girl. A negative self image trapped me indoors for many many years, causing the sunshine to become my enemy, burning my flesh with the tiniest of UV ray exposure. With lots of encouragement & love & grace from my husband, friends, and family, my love for sunshine began to return to my life (in more ways than one), and some brown pigment is returning to my skin. Finally.

Which leads me to this:

It's little things like learning to embrace and love the person you are today. For way too long, I let trivial things like weight gain & stretch marks define me, and hold me back from really living. I was consumed. I was miserable, and often times made others around me miserable because of my insecurities, as much as I hate to admit. When I say these things are trivial, I mean that they are trivial. They do not define who we are, and although some days it is still a struggle, I have to decide to fight insecurity, and own the FACT that I am worth more than a couple extra pounds. I totally believe in a healthy lifestyle and staying active...but I no longer believe in striving to portray a certain image or reach a particular standard. My new life mantra includes a cute swimsuit and lots of pool time, while the old sweat suits and layers take a much needed break at the top of my closet. Extra pounds or no extra pounds, I am still a daughter of the King - treasured, sacred, and His...yet curvy, and owning it!

Looking through old pictures.

It's the little things like family weddings,

...and learning.

It's helping someone,

...it's someone helping you.

It's allowing yourself to dream.

Things like meeting sweet neighborhood kids, and finding the good in the not-so-sweet ones...even if the only good you can come up with is how fast they can run.

It's the little things like being genuine,

Being kind...

And practicing grace & mercy...

And having someone do the same to you.

It's learning to be slow to speak, and quick to listen.

It's the little things like a sweet little old mail lady, whose presence is amazingly infectious.

It's growing...

It's resting...

It's changing...
and being changed by all the little meaningful things.

A longing fulfilled...

I am excited to report that our first home study visit has been scheduled!! As of June 27th, we will complete this next phase of the process within 6-8 weeks. I dropped off the last of our formal documents yesterday, got to chat a little more with our adoption specialist, payed for our home study (thank you generous, kind-hearted friends and family), and finally got to put the first home visit date on my calendar. It was a short, brief little visit, but nonetheless, I left there feeling much relief. I find myself thinking we are one step closer...one step closer...

I try my hardest not to wish myself out of this season that God has us in. I know He is doing some serious work within, and I commit to be obedient to what He is doing, and where He leads. I know everything happens in His timing, not mine, so whether I wish myself out or not, God is gonna do what God is gonna do. I truly get it. I understand. I surrender my wants to His. ...But it would be a lie if I said that I am not looking forward to the day when the silence of our home is filled with the beautiful chaos of a life with children.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 NLT

...We strive to grab hold of that second part. So we grudgingly unclench our fists and let go of the heartaches and pains, and surrender it to the hope of that longing fulfilled. That tree of life. We take it day by day, and step by step.

Financially speaking, we are definitely getting closer. Several beautiful people have donated outside of the blog, putting the donation percentage right at about 14%...which is amazing!! We are working on being able to get that to show up on the little meter :-). Still, all I can say to any of you who have sacrificially given, is THANK YOU. Your gifts and willing hearts are helping to make this dream a reality. Every single gift has touched us so deeply, and often just brings me to tears. The generosity has humbled us, inspired us, and motivates us to give of ourselves. We thank God for every one of you!

To those would still like to donate - there is still time!! This is a very lengthy process, so there is much time for many opportunities. In advance, we are so grateful for your gifts, your thoughts, and your prayers! We cannot do this without any of you.