Blessings and Raindrops

seeking joy in the midst of the ordinary

It. is. on.

Five hundred and seven days.

It was five hundred and seven days ago when our world was rocked. Our hearts were forever changed.

Five hundred and seven days ago, we saw her face. The face of our daughter.

These beautiful big, brown eyes have greeted me every single morning for the past five hundred and seven days.

This photo has remained on my bathroom mirror, on our refrigerator and on our dining room wall for five hundred and seven days.

Five hundred and seven days ago, my boys became big brothers. We have all been head over heels since that first glimpse.

Five hundred and seven days of prayers; desperate prayers of a mother’s heart…pleading, begging, facedown-on-the-floor-sobbing prayers.

Five hundred and seven days of dreaming. Imagining what life will look like with her here. Picturing her running and laughing with her brothers. Envisioning her in my arms.

Five hundred and seven sleepless nights. Awake in the dark, worried. Restless thoughts invading…has she eaten today, is she sick? Where is she laying her head tonight? Is she afraid? Is she alone? Is she safe?

Five hundred and seven days ago, I had no idea where my feet would walk. I had no idea that I would fly halfway across the globe and hold this precious child, the one who has stolen my heart, and I would board a plane to come home without her.

I had no idea how long and how treacherous this road would be. And, for that, I am grateful.

I am thankful for His goodness and mercy. Five hundred and seven days ago, my heart could not have handled the battle ahead. If I had known, my knees would have been weak and I would have been afraid.

Yet, His grace is sufficient. Strength doled out each day. Reminders of His Faithfulness marking each footprint left behind.

There have been days when He has asked us to fight. We are battle-worn and bruised. We have seen glimpses of Glory and we have toed the pit of despair.

But, today. Today was a day when He whispered, “be still, my child.”

Today, we watched Him fight. A flood of renewed Hope has been poured over our weary and worn hearts.

A print hanging in our daughter’s room. Source: Etsy.com

“If you are His child, He’s on the front lines battling on your behalf.” – James MacDonald, Always True.

As I sit here in tears, refreshing my browser, I am in awe.

Over the past 48 hours, families have bound together to advocate for justice. We have sent out the rally cry and have decided that we can remain silent no longer. We can not fight on our own any longer. We have to stand together. Arm in arm.

Friends and family have spent the day emailing, mailing, and calling representatives and senators on behalf of our family and the hundreds of others with legally adopted children stuck in Congo. They have shared our daughter’s story and are joining alongside us in pleading for justice.

A friend, who is in the middle of her own adoption, sent this photo. 
These are letters she wrote on behalf of our daughter. Tears. Overwhelming gratitude. 

In less than four hours, an online petition created by Both Ends Burning Campaign to help families with children stuck has sent nearly 20,000 letters to members of Congress.

God is on the move.

I have prayed for mountains to crumble, a pathway to be created where there was none, walls to fall down, seas to part … I have begged God again and again for a miracle. A miracle beyond anything I could hope for or imagine. And, tonight, I am watching one unfold.

I don’t know what lies ahead on our path but I do know the One who goes before us. I know how the story ends. I know victory awaits and joy is just within reach.

Please join us in the fight by signing the petition asking for a resolution for families separated from their legally adopted children. It only takes a few minutes and we need every signature to create change. Find the petition HERE.

*I’ve included photos of our daughter’s face for the first time on this blog only because she has grown and changed significantly since this photo was taken. We are still unable to share current photos publicly. {Can we just have a moment to talk about the overload of CUTENESS?? I can hardly handle it. See why I have been dying to share photos with you?!}.

a BIG week for Feed Their Tummies!

Another round of food was delivered over the weekend for the Feed Their Tummies program. I LOVE seeing these photos and knowing that these children, whom I have held and laughed with and prayed for, are going to be given the gift of food for another two weeks. 

Two more weeks of security. Two more weeks knowing that their bellies will not be rumbling as they lay their heads down in the dark night. Two more weeks of knowing that they are not forgotten. 

It is not too late to be a part of this work. We need you. We need more friends to step out in faith and give up $10 each month for these children. 

An update from our Pure Charity site:

We continue to work toward securing ongoing support in order to ensure the monthly deliveries are funded. The majority of our monthly sponsors donate $10 per month and we are grateful for the opportunity this week to push for a BIG goal of another 50 monthly sponsors (or a total of $500 in monthly support)!!
A generous donor has offered a one-time gift of $500 to be given when we reach this goal of $500 committed monthly!! 

We have until this Friday, April 4th to raise the monthly support!!
After we reach our monthly goal and ensure food is delivered, we will be able to provide medical care and education opportunities for these children!
Thank you again for being a part of the work of transforming little lives through love!
Please consider joining us in this work and please share this with your friends and family!! Every dollar is vital to this goal!!!!

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, {Matthew 25:35 ESV}

trust & hope.

My parents were here this week for a quick visit. We had a wonderful week and time passed all too quickly, as always. They drove up and brought all of the goodies I received at my recent surprise shower for Charlotte in Florida.

While they were here, we worked to get the disaster that was the girls’ room into some semblance of order.

Why, yes. This is a nursery and toddler bedroom. Isn’t it beautiful? Go, on. Pin it. I wouldn’t mind at all if you use this as inspiration for your own little girl’s room…

There will be no “room reveal” photos in this post. It’s still a major work-in-progress. But, we are getting closer.

We spent hours sorting, organizing, washing and hanging adorable little-bitty girlie-girl clothes…

{Yes, you may also want to use the below photo as inspiration for a major landscaping project. As you can clearly see out the windows, we have been hard at work creating a serene garden landscape out there…ha!}

Anyone that has ever prepared for a newborn knows that this is all very exciting. Holding up the little clothes and imaging that an actual person will be wearing these ridiculously adorable frocks very soon is incredibly fun. The fact that this precious one is a complete miracle that we never could have imagined in our wildest dreams makes it all that more special.

Yet, it was there.

That ever-present ache.

We had to move our S’s clothes out of the closet to fit Charlotte’s vast wardrobe and newborn gear. We boxed up many of the adorable outfits we had for our S because she has already outgrown them.

While it’s amazing to wrap my mind around the fact that we will have another little girl to wear these clothes someday, it doesn’t make my heart hurt any less for all that we have missed with our oldest daughter. And, mostly, all that she has missed. All of the loneliness and pain and loss that she has experienced in her short life… none of that can be filled with a cute room or clothes or toys, I know that and I would never even imply that it could… but what about the love of family? Or, trust? Or, security? Or, laughter?

Several times over the past few days, I have been overwhelmed with doubt and fear. Suddenly finding myself facing IF she will come home, rather than WHEN.

I had to make a very concentrated effort to turn my eyes back to the One Who is the author of this story.

I have to stand on Truth. I have to trust that He is not written the last page.

Renewed hope seeped into my aching heart this morning through these life-breathing words…

Great is his faithfulness. His mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him.” The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. {Lamentations 3: 23-25}

For surely you have a future ahead of you; your hope will not be disappointed. {Proverbs 23:18}

So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. {Romans 15:13}

Precious friends, whatever mountain you are facing, whatever fear you are fighting, whatever grief you are walking through; it is my prayer that His mercies will refresh your heart today. They are real. He is real. He is wholly, completely and wonderfully good. Trusting Him at His Word with you.

the farmhouse restoration. {part 1}.

Y’all may remember that we moved a house. Yes, you read that correctly. We moved a house. 

The restoration has taken a little over a year. It has truly been a labor of love {the line between love and hate is so easily blurred sometimes, isn’t it!?! I’m kidding. We adore this house so much}.

In all seriousness, we have been fortunate to NOT be living in the house while it was being restored. It’s still a construction zone today – there are no front steps… you can’t close the door while you use the guest bathroom because, well, there isn’t a door…the boy’s bathroom is covered in sawdust from endless projects…our shower has a giant hole in the wall where the steamer was just installed {yes. I will take that hole happily because the steamer makes me giddy} – but, the complete overhaul of the interior made it not fit for human inhabitance last year.

I have had so much fun looking back at the old photos of the house throughout the process. I needed a reminder of how far we have come {or I may have tried jumping off the front porch – the one without stairs – haha. I’m kidding}.

I really thought I had taken “before” photos of the interior before we {again, when I say “we”, I mean “Dave”} started working. But I can’t find the photos anywhere. They may have been lost in the great computer crash last year. So, these will have to suffice. 
February 2013.
The kitchen. The ceiling was originally covered in these huge tile thingy’s {technical term} that we tore out to expose a much higher ceiling that we left exposed. And, I think the toilet adds a nice touch of ambiance to the dining area. 
The sitting room. 

The living room.

 The guest bath. {Don’t worry, we kept that tub. And, cleaned it. Many, many times}.

The stairs. These were built after the move. The original stairs were a rod-iron curving staircase similar to something you would see in a Disney movie… Rapunzal, maybe?

Master bedroom. I’ll sell that gold-plated fan to the highest bidder…

The girl’s room. {Yes, we put the boys to work}. Should we repaint that blood red color? Spooky or luxurious? Let’s take a vote…

The boy’s room.

The play room. Be careful not to fall through the holes…

And, most of all, I love looking back on how much the boys have grown throughout this process. They were so little here and, at the time, we didn’t even realize it. Slow down, time, slow down.

 Stay tuned for more. I have a year’s worth of renovation to share! “See you” soon…