I AM HAPPY

I just wanted to put that out there. I love standing at the back of the worship center during Vacation Bible School watching a roomful of children sing and dance for Jesus! I love spending time with friends, new and old, and feeling like they actually enjoy my company and are happy I'm there. I love when I take the time to look for the good in people even though it's much easier sometimes to find something not to like. I love when my husband comes home for lunch just to be with us, and I love it when he can't come home for lunch and calls three times because he misses that time with us. I love when my little one runs into my arms first thing in the morning like I'm the most wonderful sight he's ever laid eyes on, in spite of my crazy hair and the new zit shining on my forehead. I love sitting in the passenger seat, trying to act cool and unruffled, while my son chauffeurs me around town. I love when his friend gets out of the car, and he reaches over to quickly grab my hand and whisper, "I love you, Mom."

Maybe everything isn't perfect, and maybe I'm still waiting for some pretty big prayers to be answered, but life is good!

Rippin' Rocket Roller Coaster

Well, after five years (of partial construction followed by deconstruction necessitated by a move) and endless hours of labor, the Rippin' Rocket Roller Coaster finally reached completion!

We had a great morning at church! Matt's childhood friend, Evan, went with us. In one of those crazy, it's-a-small-world turn of events, Evan (whom we knew in Illinois as a kindergartner) had grandparents here in Dover, and he's here visiting them for a couple of weeks. We're enjoying some time with him while he's here, and he and Matt are enjoying it. This week is Vacation Bible School at our church, and both boys are helping with recreation. It will be so much fun!

We stopped for lunch after church, and as soon as we got home, Karl and Matt retreated to the basement while I (once again) folded laundry and tried to organize Matt's room a tad, as it's already getting out of control.

Below is a video of the fruits of their labor. Pretty cool, if you ask me!

P.S.

I just logged onto Facebook and saw that my 16-year-old son ranked me as bravest and most trustworthy in comparison to his other Facebook friends.

High praise, folks.....humbling.....incredibly moving.....really something....*sniff*

Come to think of it, I don't mind being invisible sometimes after all. I am loved (and trusted!), and that is more than enough for this mom.

HUGE Scientific Discovery!!!

I think I could be rich...famous..find my own place in the history books! If only someone would listen......

For all of you who would like to be a superhero, I know the secret of invisibility! It is quite simple really. I have discovered today that, in the absence of "The Big T" (as my cousin calls it), a person becomes immediately invisible. Not only that, people can no longer hear them at all. It is the secret to being the proverbial fly-on-the-wall. That's right, folks, testosterone is the key. If you don't have it, you can do anything or say anything you want, and (assuming you're the only estrogen-producing homosapien in the room) no one is the wiser.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I went to the basement to spend some time with my "big T"-laden spouse and offspring while they put together a K-nex roller coaster set that has spent most of the last five years in a box. I managed to have an entire conversation with myself, fold all the laundry and disappear to the computer without being detected. Amazing, isn't it?!?!

I'm sure I could get rich from this discovery.....if only someone would listen....

Jungle Gym

In all honesty, this video stuff is probably boring to most of you, but to far-away grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, it is a lifeline to the grandkids. Hopefully, all of our other friends won't disappear if I post a few too many of these in the coming days/weeks!

Garin loves climbing on his big brother, and Matt seems to thoroughly enjoy it as well. This was the tail end of a long session of "weightlifting" for Matt.

We are getting excited about the 4th of July!!! Some old friends contacted us today to say that they'll be in town for a visit, and we were already planning a barbecue on the patio, which we'll be happy to enjoy with them. I'm boiling ribs now, so they'll be ready for the grill. We're also planning to hit the firework show in town before spending the evening hanging out beside our firepit....at least that's the plan. You know how plans are!

Mama Was Spying....

Monkey see....monkey do.....

(My apologies for the poor quality and lack of editing. Just wanted to get it on here before dinner.)

Mama Was Spying....

Monkey see....monkey do.....

(My apologies for the poor quality and lack of editing. Just wanted to get it on here before dinner.)

Prayers Needed

Our friends who are adopting from China need prayers. Please see their blog today for details. So many of you have been faithful to lift us up in prayer, and we have seen God move mountains that have stood in our path. Jill and Bob need a mountain moved, and I covet your prayers for them as well. All glory to the Father.....

Lori

Make sure your seatback is in the full upright position.....

For those of you who know Matt's history of making his scheduled flights and knew to be very, very nervous about whether he would actually make it to the airport on time today: I am proud to report that he is currently at his gate in St. Louis, waiting to board the plane to bring him back to Philly! His dad dropped him in the terminal rather than walking him to the gate (which is an oddly comforting thing for me....again, if you know us, you know why), and he is on his way.

We are all so eager to have Matt in our arms again in just under three hours!!!

Garin and I spent the morning at the water park with friends until Garin decided that he wanted to be on the grown-up water slide. "No" wouldn't do for an answer, so I resorted to "You may play here or slide there. If you go back to the big pool, we are going home." He just wanted to find out if I was telling the truth, so five minutes later, we had to pack up and come home. Just as well, since I still have laundry to fold and a shower to take!

Have a great afternoon, everyone! I look forward to posting lots of photos and video of my boys together soon!

Right Song, Right Time

Ever notice (of course you have!) how God gets "in your face" with just the right person, just the right Scripture, just the right song....just when you need it???

Today, my anxiety was the highest it's been in weeks. Along with the wonderful, familiar sound of the chug-a-chug of the adoption wheels beginning to turn came the nagging fear that the enemy loves to plant in my spirit. As God works, so does evil, we know. And evil knows right where our weak spots are.

As I went to my doctor's appointment this afternoon, I turned on the radio and heard this song. Once again, He reminded me Who He is. He didn't have to, but He did it because He loves me, and He knew that in my imperfection I needed that reminder.

Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! My God can move any mountain. He is Lord over all things. He overcame death and the grave! There is nothing He cannot do. I only have to be faithful, to be a vessel.

"Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave"

New Adoption Information

There are new developments and changes taking place with our dossier. After further consideration by our adoption agency, it is highly likely at this point that the document we were trying to get from the home study agency will no longer be necessary. This, in itself, is not a negative or a positive for us really....just a change based on the opinions of some experienced adoption caseworkers. It is, however, a positive in that it means that we may be registered sooner than we might otherwise have been. We have been asked to return the completed document which we had to revise right away, so that it can be translated and prepared to be registered with our dossier at the next opportunity.

I should mention that this is the most likely scenario. There is still a chance that they will elect to have the home study agency redo their document after all, but from what I understand, it isn't likely.

Please be in prayer about this. Every decision affects our future and the future of our children. Each decision impacts whether or not our adoption is approved. We ask God to guide each step so that not one person moves outside of His will.

We have also learned today that K's orphanage director, the dear older woman who has been so good to the children, has been replaced. Please pray for the children, who are grieving over the loss of one of the few consistent people in their lives. Right now, the children are away at summer camp. We don't know anything about the new director, but we pray that she will be as kind and loving as the previous one. If some good can be found in this, it may be that this change could make it a little bit easier emotionally for K to leave the orphanage which has been home to her for the last few years. We are praying that God will comfort the children there and help them to build a good relationship with the new director.

IF, IF, IF they decide to go ahead and register our documents in July, we would likely travel on our first trip in August. Mid to late August would be best case scenario for us, with Karl's work schedule and my sister's family coming the first week in August. We want to go soon, but even more, we want to go when God wills it. Please pray with us about this!

God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!

Buzzed

Garin had a haircut this week. Since every haircut is such a screaming ordeal, we decided to go for the clippers and buzz it really short. It's really cute, but Mama has had a tough time with this, yet another rite of passage from babyhood to boyhood.

We had a great time last night at a party for pilots and families. There was a ton of delicious food, a water slide and bouncy castle for the kids and a lot of great conversation and fun for us grownups. Garin spent the entire time in the water, except when we forced him to stop for dinner. He was less than thrilled about it, but "Auntie Mel" kept sneaking him cupcakes, which he appreciated. I asked her if she was going to come help us get him to sleep, but he wore himself out playing and managed to get a good night's sleep after all!

We enjoyed church today. We were wonderfully surprised when some friends we invited last night at the party showed up this morning! They are a precious family with two of the most beautiful little boys you've ever seen. One is three months older than Garin, and the other is just a few months old. We went to lunch afterward and had a good laugh when the waitress got confused about their dessert order. They asked for one small dessert, and she brought them three: two which she thought they had ordered and one extra because they had to wait. And they all had ice cream in them, which meant they all had to be eaten quickly, as it's a 40 minute drive home, and they wouldn't make it to the freezer in time. It was hilarious after they had made a point of eating a light lunch and only ordered wings to share. Trevor and Kandi, if you're reading this, we really enjoyed spending some time with y'all today!

Volleyball Stud

My handsome husband is number 84 (his high school football jersey number) - the guy with the great jump serve. He enjoys playing on the squadron intramural teams: football, basketball and volleyball. Although he played offense AND defense on his high school football team (which, by the way, played in the state championship game), he is happiest these days on the volleyball court. The team took second last year. Tonight was their semi-final game, which they did not win. It's hard for flying squadrons to compete in intramurals because so many of them are gone at any given time flying missions, so there is little continuity on the team. It's just whoever can show up. They lost the first game by just a couple of points, absolutely killed the other team on the second game, but lost the third. I think they were just exhausted. They have played four nights in a row, and the A/C was out in the gym. It was sweltering! In the end, they took third place for the season....nothing to sneeze at!

Garin and I have been noisy but enthusiastic spectators this season. Garin's love for all sports involving balls has made this a very exciting activity for him. He imitates the referee and pretends to make calls, and he loves to play with Dad's volleyball (and his friends) while we watch.

My friend, Kim, and I had a great day of child-free shopping at the beach. We wandered antique shops, art galleries and furniture stores in Lewes, had lunch at a fresh seafood restaurant (YUM!) and then hit the outlet malls. I had bundles of fun at Ann Taylor and Banana Republic and came home with some cute new summer stuff! I am so thankful for Kim's friendship and really enjoyed our day together.

Still no news on the adoption front. Our caseworker is silent again. It's been over two weeks since we've heard from her. I did call our homestudy caseworker, though, who has talked with her and was able to tell me what's going on from her end. We're hopeful that there will be good news soon, and I promise to post here as soon as we receive it!

We finally saw a little bit (emphasis on little) of rain this evening. It is desperately needed, and we are thankful for whatever comes our way. Our sprinkler system is getting a workout this summer already.

We've been working on 4th of July plans, hoping to do something fun. I think there's a block party in base housing with a bunch of our friends, and some friends have invited us to their shore house in NJ too. We'll see how things work out. I can't believe it's just a week away!!!

The biggest and best news: Matt will be here on Wednesday for pretty much the rest of the summer!!!!!!! We can't wait!

A New Life!

Congratulations to our dear friends, Bethany & Brandon, on the birth of their first child, a beautiful baby girl named Kaya Grace!!!!! Many congratulations also go to Grandpa Wally, Grandma Jo, Grandma Cindy, Aunt Briana, Uncle Jared, Aunt Chris, Uncle Randy, Cousin Rachel Cousin Tyler and the entire Shiloh UMC family!!! I can't tell you how much we still miss you all and wish we could be there to share the love today. Save room for us in small group; we're hoping to be back before Kaya's first birthday. ;-)

Kaya Grace was born on June 24th at 2:57 pm. She weighed 9 lb 6 oz and measured 20.25" long. She is absolutely beautiful! When I get permission from her mommy and daddy, I'll post her pic, but I want to make sure it's okay with them first.

What a blessing!

We're Back!

We've been passing around a wicked stomach flu since Saturday. I think it is now safe to say that we are all on the mend. I thought we'd never get well!

Garin got sick first and was feeling better first, as evidence by this video of his newest discovery, the somersault:

And here is some video of counting. It isn't perfect like it was on Friday, but I thought the proud grandparents might enjoy hearing it, just the same:

GENIUS

In happier news, my highly intelligent two-year-old (and, yes, I'm totally open to the possibility that I'm biased) counted to sixteen yesterday! He has been interested in letters and numbers for awhile and knows the names of many of them, but he hadn't seemed to be understanding the uses of them or the concepts behind them. Until yesterday....

At breakfast, he started counting out of the blue and shocked me when he went all the way from one to ten correctly. I was so proud! He did it again, and I did the happy dance in the kitchen, which he found very comical apparently.

Because Karl was home on crew rest after his mission, we had the whole day together and went to the state park for a picnic, some hiking, playground time and an afternoon in the water park. While we were eating lunch in the woods, he took a sip of his juice box and said, "one." Another sip, and he said, "two." A third sip, and (you guessed it) "three." And on he went until he reached ten. This thrilled me because then I realized it wasn't just a memorized series of words. He was understanding the concept of counting!!!

Then, while we were on the playground, he rattled off the numbers all the way to sixteen. After that, I had to help, but I was, and still am, very proud of him!

He has been counting things all day today too. Who knew he was paying so much attention?

I love being a mom!

Answered Prayer

Thank you all for your prayers for Ron. God heard and answered, although not exactly the way we expected.

This morning Ron went into cardiac arrest again and could not be resuscitated. He has been fully, completely and forever healed by the Great Physician. It is a painful thing for his family to see him go, but he was mentally and spiritually prepared for this day.

A beautiful sidenote to this sad story is that just last weekend, the family had arranged a 40th anniversary party for Ron and Penny. They had known that a 50th was unlikely and wanted them to have a chance to celebrate their life together. One week ago today, they were the guests of honor and were surrounded by precious family and friends. They were able to enjoy the day and the next day, Father's Day, as a family.

Please continue to keep them all in your prayers. Greg, my brother-in-law, is trying to find a flight to get him home from South Dakota right now. My sister and the kids will be on the road today. Please especially pray for Penny right now. Wendy, their daughter, and her husband and children also need special prayer, as life for them is very difficult right now.

Thank you.

My brother-in-law's family

UPDATE: Ron is improving and is stable. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Just a quick note to request prayers. My sister's father-in-law, Ron, was having dialysis today when his heart stopped. They were able to revive him, and he is breathing on his own, but his heartbeat is very irregular. He cannot speak and seems to be disoriented and in pain. They are concerned that he may not survive. My brother-in-law (his son) is in the air on his way to a conference and can't be reached right now, and my sister and the kids are making the drive to East Texas this afternoon to be there if they are needed. There are other stressful events occuring in the extended family right now, and they really need our prayers for strength and peace as well.

Thanks.

A Great Day!

My grandfather had surgery on his face Tuesday. He had a melanoma that had returned, and his doctor sent him to a specialist in Dallas. It was a fairly traumatic day. They removed a large section, tested it, came back to remove more, tested it, came back to remove more, and tested it. Thankfully, they got it all that time, but he was left with a hole in his face that was approximately 2"x3" from what I understand. (If I have the dimensions wrong, please correct me.) He had plastic surgery afterward, which involved taking a skin graft from his neck to cover the hole. Mom says he has 6" of sutures on his neck that makes him look like someone slit his throat. They spent about 6 hours on the road and about 12 hours at the clinic, which made for a very long day for all of them. We are just so very thankful that they were able to get it all and that the surgery didn't leave his face misshapen. Please pray for continued healing.

Our family all burns easily, and we didn't have sunscreen when I was a kid. This scare has motivated me to get an appointment with a dermatologist to begin regularly checking my skin. I don't want to have cancer, but if I ever do, I want them to catch it early. Mom said that Marci did the same thing. Great minds....!

Today, I had one of those productive mornings when most of "the list" was checked off by 10:00 am. It was the kind of morning that left me wondering why most days I am barely out of my jammies by that time. I finished cleaning house and finished all the laundry, including bedsheets! I guess it had something to do with the knowledge that Karl was on his way home from Spain. Garin and I did the grocery shopping and came home and played outside. We played our version of baseball and a little golf (kid style) and had just gotten to work decorating the driveway with sidewalk chalk when Daddy drove up. YAY!!!

Karl got in the shower, and Garin immediately started stripping down. He wanted in! He loves getting in the shower with Daddy and imitating him. It's a great way to teach male grooming, and I think he needs a little more of that and a little less time with my makeup brushes!

We went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse, where a napless Garin ate with his eyes closed. By the time we got home, however, he had his second wind. He went straight to the shelves with all of the balls, bats, horseshoes and various other athletic equipment, and grabbed a volleyball. Then he wanted the other volleyball. Then he wanted the basketball. Then he wanted the football.....tennis ball, racquetball, wiffleball....you get the picture. We had 5 seconds of volleyball, and then he wanted to play basketball. Karl held him up for a dunk, but Garin wouldn't let go of the rim! It got a little hairy, but he finally let go as I was headed for the ladder. Daddy could only hold him up that high for so long! In the end, he chased the multitude of balls all over the driveway and under the cars while his Daddy and I practiced overhand serves, jump serves and volleys.

Garin's asleep, Karl is exhausted, and I'm sweaty. It's been a great night!

Blessed News and Broken Hearts

It has been a busy day in the adoption world for two families.

Some of our face-to-face friends have seen a miracle happen today. God placed a specific child on their hearts to adopt, but the child was not free for adoption. In obedience and anticipation, they began the paperwork, so they could be ready to go when God started moving mountains. Today they were matched with that child that God placed on their hearts long ago! I will say no more, as I don't want to hijack their story. When they have a chance to put it in their own words, I'll share a link, but let's keep praising God for what He has done and what He is going to do.

Some blog friends are living with us in the roller-coaster world of "yippee, here we go - no, wait, nevermind." They expected to travel to meet their kids this month and learned today that it has been put on hold. I know how that feels all too well, and it really stinks. I am praying that they will have peace, strength and resolve to get them through until God works His plan in their lives.

WAIT

WAIT

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate…
And the Master so gently said, “Wait.”
“Wait? You say wait?" My indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I’m claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to Wait?
I’m needing a ‘yes,’ a go-ahead sign.
Or even a ‘no,’ to which I’ll resign.
You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, “Wait.”
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting…for what?”
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine…
And He tenderly said “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You’d have what you want, but you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You’d not know the power that I give to the faint.
You’d not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there.
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.
You’d never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
You’d never know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I’m doing in you.
So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know Me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still … 'Wait.'”

~Russell Kelfer


This poem was posted by our mutual friend as a comment on Wade and Alice's blog. It touched me deeply as we wait not so patiently for D & K to come home. So many people have tried to guess at what God is trying to teach us through this. I believe that He wants us to know Him more fully, inside, outside and upside-down. He is equipping us, preparing us, building a firmer foundation for us. He is rooting us more deeply in Him. It is my prayer that He is doing the same in the hearts of our children. This poem says it perfectly.

(Wade & Alice are another couple here at Dover AFB. They spent years trying to get pregnant and then felt God calling them to adopt from China. Over a year into their journey, God blessed them with a pregnancy. They continued the adoption process while waiting for their biological daughter to arrive. Eight months later, three years into the adoption wait, they received a referral for a daughter from China; this little angel was born one day after their other daughter! They are all home together now, a beautiful family. God is good!)

So.......What's more fun than playing Elmo's alphabet game on Mom's computer?

Popping the keys off of Mom's computer while she's on the phone!!!

Five of them popped right back on, and four are sitting on the desk waiting for Mom's blood pressure to go down, so she can try again. It is frustrating to try to figure out something so tedious.

I hate working with teeny stuff, as my eyesight isn't the best anyway, and as much as I hate to admit it, it may be time to consider....ugh....bifocals. I'm wondering if I could just keep the contacts I have and get a pair of those cute little half-frame glasses for detail work/reading. Any of you other mature folks out there know about that?

***Update: Well, whaddaya know? I did it! I took another key apart to figure out how to put them back together and managed to get everything back where it belongs! Maybe we can put that bifocal order on hold for a little while??? (And if you can read this tiny font, you don't need them either!)

Garin and I went to the water park at Killen's Pond this morning. Normally I would say it was much too cold and stay home, but we had already paid for five dates this summer. The 9th Airlift Squadron playgroup combined with the 3rd AS moms to arrange for us to go every other Wednesday morning all summer before the park opens to the public at noon. I would have bet money that Garin wouldn't go in today, as cool as it was. He hated the cold water at the beach last week, and that was a warm day. I was so very wrong!

At first, he hesitated and walked in circles near the edge, but then he saw.....drum roll, please....the SLIDE! Right in themiddle of the 1'-deep kiddie pool, there was a big yellow tube slide. He made a beeline into the pool, up the stairs of the slide and *whoosh!*, down he went. He wasn't prepared for the splash at the bottom and froze in terror momentarily. I was sure it was all over, but after taking a minute to regroup, he was off again. When it came time to leave, it was the typical scene that occurs when a child having a great time hears the dreaded words: "It's time to go." Lots of squirming and loud protests. YAY!!! He likes it!!! At $2 per adult and $1 for 12 and under, it can't be beat for summer fun. It's even cheaper than the base pool. If Karl makes it home on schedule tomorrow, we'll have to go back this weekend and let him play too. He often says that he feels he misses so much because of work, but this is an easy one to do over. Who knows? Maybe we'll even camp there this weekend! They have great campsites and cabins and miles of beautiful trails for bikes and pedestrians, as well as a pond with canoes, paddleboats, kayaks, etc. We'll see how Karl feels.

On the way home, I asked Garin if he wanted to stop and grab lunch out. He said, "Pie?"

I said, "You want pie?"

He said, "No. Pie?"

I thought a minute and said, "Fries???"

"Okaaaaaaay," he said. (If you haven't heard him say this word, try to imagine the pitch going up and down like a roller coaster, sometimes one hill, sometimes many. Let no one say the child doesn't have the gift of inflection!)

He's never been one for fries, but apparently had a change of heart today. He ate them all. It's too bad, really. I liked it better when he preferred the fruit.

I'm getting tired of trying to type without the N, the B and the period. (I almost started this entry with an announcement about missing my period, but then I thought of how disappointed the family would be to learn what it really meant.) It's tricky without the keys. I don't miss the Control yet. This, too, strikes me as funny when I relate it to my life. Control is something I like a little too much, and I definitely miss it at times! I could probably work this into a really good devotional. Note to self.....

16

My big boy is SIXTEEN today!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

He really liked it this morning when I went into the "16 years ago today, I was...." speech. ;o)

I am not sure when I got old, but there I was, saying, "It seems like it was just yesterday." Can someone please tell me why, when you become a mother, time stops creeping and hits warp speed?

I am so proud of that kid, and I am so blessed to be his mom, and I am excited to see where God is going to lead him in this big, wonderful life he has ahead!

I'd better leave it at that....doesn't take much to embarass a teenager, you know. I probably already have.

Mr. Sockhead

From the day he was born, my youngest has shown a strong attraction to all things soft and fuzzy: the blanket Grandma crocheted for him that he carries around the house, leaving a wake of blue fuzz behind him; his special dinosaur Halloween costume that is two sizes too small and still gets weekly wear; the teddy bear at Cracker Barrel that couldn't be pried away and had to be purchased.... I could go on, but I won't. Some of the favored softies are my soft, fuzzy, wearing-around-the-house, wintertime socks. I spent much of this past winter with frozen toes because if I put on these socks, they were immediately confiscated by him and carried away. Ditto for my fuzzy houseshoes. I believe there may even be a picture on an earlier post of him wearing a pair.

For the last couple of weeks, the green ones have been favored. He has sock E.S.P. I sneak them away to wash them, and when I start folding the laundry, he comes and steals them before I can hide them. This morning was no exception. He wore them on his feet (they're actually thigh-highs) for an hour or two, and then he brought them to me. I tried to help him put them back on, and he said, "No." I then started putting them on his hands, as he often does that too. He said, "No." He leaned over, sticking his head in my lap and said, "Head?"

I said, "You want them on your head?"

He said, "Okay."

So I proceeded to stretch the elastic to (maybe beyond) it's limit, but his head was too big. We'd s - t - r - e - t - c - h it over, and it would boing right off. We laughed and laughed as we made multiple attempts. Finally, with his eyes pulled back like a facelift patient straight off the operating table, we succeeded! I don't think I'll be able to wear them again. And here is the final product:

P.S. In case you didn't notice, he's feeling better today!

Happy Father's Day!!!

I am blessed to have two amazing fathers in my life: my own father and the father of my children! I love you both and am so thankful for you!!!

I forgot to mention Friday that one of our dossier documents has been rewritten and approved. That leaves one more to go, and then I get to go on my apostilling journeys again....something to look forward to (?). We pray that we will soon be a family of six.

It's been a long, busy weekend, and I am wiped out! We had a great time at both the Wing Picnic on Friday and the squadron pig roast/picnic last night! The squadron recognized the commander, who will be moving to the Pentagon. He and his wife and kids are just really exceptional people who have worked so hard during their time here to look after their people and families. It is normal to say nice things about a leaving commander, but I was really struck last night, as person after person got up to speak and said that he was the best leader they had seen, not only in the squadron, but throughout their careers. And each speaker became emotional as they spoke. High and well-deserved praise. They will be deeply missed, but we are so fortunate to have another awesome couple stepping in to fill their shoes!

I gave Karl a Wii for Father's Day (a couple of days early), and we have been obsessed. We can't seem to get to bed at a decent hour, which is unfortunate since Garin does not sleep in. And he woke up sick in the night last night. Today has been a blur of medicine, snot and tears (his, not mine...yet). I am so tired!

Karl headed out today on a mission, but we expect it to be a short one, assuming he doesn't get stuck somewhere for a week like he did last month! We have several fun things going on: bowling and lunch with 'the girls' tomorrow, spouses' social Tuesday, and Killen's Pond Water Park with friends and kids on Wednesday. Perhaps the most exciting thing is that Harvey, our Ragdoll cat, is FINALLY going to the groomer. He is in desperate need of a beauty treatment!

Tomorrow is my big boy's birthday. Matt will be *gasp* sixteen!!!! I tend to think I am still about sixteen most of the time. Nothing like your "baby" getting a driver's license to send you crashing back into reality!

Beautiful Day at the Beach

My friend, Kim, and I packed up our three boys this morning and headed to Cape Henlopen for some sand and surf. It was an absolutely perfect beach day, temps in the 80's and a nice breeze coming off the ocean to keep us comfortable! The boys had a great time. Colin, the 6-year-old, played in the waves and made some new friends. Garin and his buddy, Cooper, who is 2 months younger, mostly wanted to wander the beach and take up with other young families who had cooler toys on their blankets. Kim and I got plenty of exercise chasing them. Garin also found the sand to be a very tasty snack and would not stop licking it off his hands. I couldn't decide if he actually liked eating the sand or if it was the only way he could think of to keep his hands clean (one of his OCD things). Either way, we'll have an interesting diaper tomorrow, I'm sure! We were all exhausted by the time we headed home.

The most exciting part of our adventure happened just after we arrived this morning. One of the things I love about Cape Henlopen (besides the fact that it's beautiful and much less crowded than the more commercialized Rehoboth Beach) is that I have never been there in the summer that I didn't see dolphins. This trip was no exception. I have loved dolphins for years. I always thought they were cute, but I got to pet one at Sea World on a weekend college trip to San Antonio, and I was in love. They are such social animals and seem to be so fond of humans. I recently saw a story about a dolphin that saved an injured surfer from a shark that was incredible. At Cape Henlopen, it seems that they enjoy swimming with people. They stay very close to the beach, jumping, playing and, it seems, watching. Today there was a large group of dolphins getting closer than I've ever seen them there. They put on quite a show! And there was one little bitty one that came completely out of the water on the video. I don't know if you will be able to see it, as I have to shrink it and sacrifice quality for uploading, but watch closely. If nothing else, you'll see lots of backs and fins coming out of the water!

The hot mama in the red tankini is my friend Kim. Cooper is the cutie in the askew cap and green shirt walking up the beach with Garin's boogie board. And, yes, Garin has a nasty bug bite on his temple. He got it Saturday night in our backyard kiddie pool.

Busy week coming up! Tomorrow afternoon, we'll go the Wing Picnic here on base. Tomorrow night, our squadron is roasting a pig for Saturday's squadron picnic. We'll hit both of those too. We are saying farewell to our awesome squadron commander and his family this week. :-( There will be a golf tournament Monday and a spouses' dinner Tuesday, also. Plus, Karl has a deployment exercise to oversee Monday through Thursday. And, as if he weren't busy enough, they may have to put him on a mission leaving Sunday, as they are crazy busy right now and in need of an aircraft commander. How many places can one man be at once??? Stay tuned, and I'll keep you posted! :-)

Making Magic

There are certain days in this life that are inexplicably magical. Today was one of them for us, and we soaked up the joy along with the sweltering heat and humidity! Perhaps it had something to do with the relief of knowing that we are back on the road to bringing D & K home. Perhaps it was because it was a completely free Saturday to spend together. Perhaps it was just because we were all open to accept the blessings of the day. I don't know, but we are thankful!

Karl and I spent the morning mowing and doing laundry, respectively. Garin played, watched TV and spent a little time working on his alphabet with Elmo on the computer. (Matt, by the way, was nearing the end of an all-night bus trip...fun, fun.) When our electricity went out on what has been the hottest day of the year so far (in the nineties), at least until tomorrow when we expect 98 degrees, we took off to the mall for some lunch and a/c.

I have worn the same tired, sad bathing suit since before Garin was born. I've had no inclination to even consider trying on another suit since then, as my body refuses to regain its pre-pregnancy shape, and I've not been excited about baring it for the world. However, there comes a point, when your suit is faded, snagged and sporting a huge breastmilk stain from two summers ago, that a girl has to bite the bullet or stay away from the beach. I reached that point today. Amazingly, the suit I have been admiring from afar for several months was still on the rack at Macy's this afternoon! There were two left, and one was my size! I tried it on, and (oh my gosh!) it fit! And it looked good!!! And so the miracles began.........

We came home to a cool house, complete with electricity, and began setting up the swimming pool I bought earlier in the week for Garin. I have to say, for $29 it was a steal. It is huge for a kiddie pool, and it has a debris cover that fastens over it so it won't get nasty. Our little electric air pump worked hard, but we finally got it set up, and Garin had a blast in it! Here's a little sample of our fun (Note that he's still winking like crazy.):

We are going to have a talk about different kinds of kissing, I'm afraid. I'm not sure if the babysitter has let him see some questionable programming or if Karl and I need to tone it down in his presence, but yesterday, Garin climbed into my lap, raised his little eyebrows, shut his eyes and laid one on me. Now this wasn't a typical little-boy peck on the lips. Once our lips locked, he started sliding his head to the right, then to the left (all the while with eyes closed and brows up). Then, I kid you not, he opened his lips and started sticking out his tongue! I busted out laughing and laughed until I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Fortunately, he saw the humor too and laughed with me. I don't know where he learned about romantic kissing, but man, he was working it! I seem to remember Matt going through a phase where he wanted to be the man, too. How do you explain this to a two-year-old?!

Back on the Road to our Children

We had another conference call today regarding the adoption. Some of the issues of concern have been clarified, and we are now prepared to move forward again, making sure that all of our paperwork is perfect (as much as is possible) and getting registered. Things are looking up! Keep praying!

Brushes With Fame....

I've known a couple of famous people. Well, more like almost famous. When I knew them, they were just regular people.

I went to junior high and high school with certain Hollywood heartthrob, but he was just a regular, scrawny (although cuter than average) high school boy then.

My first kiss took place on a church bus on the way to our youth group's winter ski trip to Colorado with a a regular, scrawny (although very musically talented) high school boy I'd known all my life, who became a guitarist in a chart-topping country music band.

Today, I saw a regular, scrawny (although very tall, intelligent, handsome and caring) high school boy on television. It was my Matt on the Today show!!!

Matt's high school band is on tour this week; they spent a couple of days in Boston and are now in NYC. He called and woke me up this morning about 6 am to tell me that he was at the studio and that I needed to watch TV.

Now, these things don't normally impress me too much, but it was very exciting to see my "baby" whooping it up with his buddies on live national television. (Would not have been so exciting had it been a live feed from MTV's Spring Break, mind you.) But we made good use of the DVR and will be keeping it awhile for show and tell, I'm sure. If you haven't seen the teens with your kids yet, just wait! Everyone says that they grow up too fast. It is cliche, yes, but all too true. There is something disquieting about seeing your baby standing in the middle of a group of men and women and suddenly realizing that he is one of them. He, too, is one whisker away from adulthood.

Sure does make a Mama proud, though!

Memorial Day Revisited

As I looked back on previous posts, I realized that one of the highlights of my trip to Texas was unmentioned in them. I had the humbling privilege of speaking to a wonderful group of senior citizens at Buckner's Westminster, an independent living/assisted living facility in my hometown, at their Memorial Day service. As a military spouse and the granchild and great-grandchild of veterans, this is a very special day to me. I find it difficult to see the way most people "celebrate" Memorial Day, and this year I was able to spend it with people who really understand its purpose and meaning in a personal way. As these people made their way outside to sit or stand by the flagpole in the 85-degree heat and smothering humidity of an East Texas morning, I noticed that almost every one of them was wearing red, white and blue. They wore pins, t-shirts and hats honoring those who have fought for our freedom. Far too many of them also had framed photographs in hand, black and white photographs of handsome young men in uniform - the last picture of someone they loved.

One woman showed me her son, who died in Vietnam. His older sister was one of my own father's childhood friends.

Another woman took me aside to tell me that she, like I, was the wife of an Air Force pilot. He was a colonel who fought and died in World War II; she was a widow at the age of 38, just one year younger than I am.

One World War II veteran showed me a photo of his younger brother. They were in different units and were not stationed together. One day, another soldier saw his brother's picture which he carried with him and said, "I know that guy. He's here." The soldier took him to his brother, and they shared a brief but sweet reunion in Europe. It was the last time he saw his brother.

Below is the text of the speech I gave. I altered it a little as I spoke, but the message is the same. It isn't anything extraordinary, but I hope that as you read, you will hear what my heart wanted to say. I know Memorial Day has passed us by for another year, but there is never a day when we should forget the sacrifice that so many have made for us.



I am so honored to be here to share a few thoughts about freedom on Memorial Day. My name is Lori Heinrich, and I grew up here in Longview. I am the proud wife of an Air Force pilot who flies C-5 cargo planes all over the world. And I am the mother of two sons, ages 16 and 2, who I hope will grow up with a strong sense of patriotism and appreciation for this country and what it stands for.

My great grandfather, John Lester Baldwin, served as an Army cook in France during WWI.

My maternal grandfather, Paul Blackwell, was a fleet mechanic in the Coast Guard, and he and my grandmother lived in New Orleans during the war.

My paternal grandfather, Raymond Risinger, was a B-25 pilot in the Army Air Corps and served in Europe. He lived here at Westminster in 2005-2006; some of you may have known him. I remember him telling incredible stories about his experiences. He often told about the time he and several other men were flying planes from the United States to Europe. They had to make a stop in the Ascension Islands for the night. Their planes were to be maintained and fueled while they slept, and their parachutes were to be repacked. The next day, as they flew the next leg of their mission, his plane began to smoke and sputter. He was able to barely limp to their next stop in Liberia with 30 minutes worth of fuel remaining, and when they arrived, it was discovered that his fuel tank had been sabotaged and his parachute shredded by the enemy.

On another occasion, he and another pilot had one more mission to fly before they could come home. When the opportunity came to fly, they drew straws because they both were eager to return to their families. By the grace of God, my papaw lost and had to wait on another mission. The pilot who won did not return from the mission.

For as long as I can remember, Memorial Day has held special interest for me because of its purpose: to remember those who gave their lives for our country and for our freedom. It is an emotional day for me, as we reflect on the incredible sacrifice that so many people have made to make it possible for us to live in a country where we are able to follow our dreams, to determine our destinies and to worship without fear. More than 1.3 million Americans have given their lives for this blessing of freedom. I know that some of you have lost a spouse, a child, a brother or a friend. My father tells me that Mrs. Langford wears a pin every day in memory of her son who gave his life in Vietnam. I am here to tell you that their sacrifice, and yours, are not forgotten.

I was asked to speak to you about the price of freedom. Many of you who are here today have made sacrifices for our country through your service. It is a humbling experience to share with you, as your generation knows more about the price of freedom than I do. Far too often, the people of my generation take freedom for granted. Memorial Day is called a “holiday,” but I’m not sure that this is the appropriate designation. Too many people see it as a day to have a big picnic and a great party, a vacation day. While we certainly have reason to celebrate our freedom, this day is set aside to honor those who made it possible. Because many of my generation have never had to suffer for the cause of freedom, we seem to believe it always has been and always will be. But that could not be further from the truth. Thomas Jefferson once said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” We must never take our freedom for granted, nor should we forget or ignore the great sacrifice it requires. It seems that so many in our country seek peace at any cost. Peace is a wonderful and worthy goal, but when we compromise our principles for peace, it cannot survive.

I would like to share with you my appreciation with all of you who have served our country. Those who have served in the military are a blessing to all of us. You have laid your lives on the line for our country, and there are no words to adequately thank you. But I also include in my gratitude those whose sacrifice was the loss of someone they loved and those who supported from home their service member. I know firsthand the sacrifices that are required of today’s military families. We spouses deal with lengthy deployments and have to learn to manage all aspects of our homes as well as playing both Mommy and Daddy to our little ones. It is hard sometimes, but I often think about those who were left behind during previous wars. Letters took much longer than email and were censored in such a way that there was nothing left but the salutation and closing. Phone calls were unheard of, and families waited weeks for word from their loved ones. I find myself worried if I don’t hear from my husband for a few days when he is on a mission. I cannot imagine the worry of waiting weeks or months for any word of a loved one away at war.

The protection of our freedom requires a great sense of honor, bravery, purpose and personal responsibility. I would like to share some quotes that I found regarding freedom and its preservation.

- Dwight Eisenhower said, “History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid.” This is true; freedom cannot exist unless people are willing to stand up for it and lay it all on the line.
- Gen. Douglas MacArthur once said, “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.” We all have a responsibility to protect our freedom as a nation. We cannot leave it to others. We cannot afford to be silent or still. As Americans, it is our obligation to do what is necessary to protect our country.
- Daniel Webster said, “God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.”
- Webster also said, “A country cannot subsist well without liberty, nor liberty without virtue.” Virtue (moral excellence, goodness, righteousness), then, is a key to freedom. We must always be seeking the way that is right rather than the way that is easy.


From the beginning of our country, our forefathers recognized the incredible sacrifice that freedom would require. The Declaration of Independence was signed with the following pledge “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” Each man who placed his signature on that historic document also placed his own life on the line.

From Ft. Sumter and Gettysburg of the Civil War to the Western Front of World War I, from Pearl Harbor and Normandy in World War II to the Korean War, from Vietnam to Desert Storm, from Operation Enduring Freedom to Operation Iraqi Freedom, our men and women in uniform have understood that freedom was worth fighting for and that the cost would be high, but they have been willing to pay it. I am so thankful for each one of them.

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry gave a speech titled Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death. In that speech, he spoke the following famous words: "Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

Patrick Henry's speech was given over 233 years ago, but the message is still true today. God Himself knows the painful price of freedom. He gave His only Son to provide the ultimate freedom when Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins.

In 2 Corinthians 3:17, we read, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

I pray that we, as a nation, never forget that true freedom comes from God and that we will always be faithful to honor those who have gone before us by continuing to protect the precious gift of freedom for which they gave their lives.

Thank you so much for having me here today, and thank you for your commitment to our freedom. I would like to leave you today with this poem by Kelly Strong:

Freedom Is Not Free

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

My Gully Needed Washing!

Okay, now I can confess it. I spent most of last week in a funk. It was something resembling a really bad case of PMS, only it was the wrong time of the month, so there was no excuse but my own bad attitude and a lot of stress. I was emotionally and physically exhausted after the adoption setback, Eli's illness, Garin's new rebellious streak and the travel trauma, among other things. I was trying to resign myself to the new developments and make it all okay in my head, and I was trying to do it without falling apart. My conclusion: Sometimes you just need to fall apart.

I give it to God and stoically determine that because I have, I don't need to cry. My faith is so strong that nothing hurts much because I know that God is working all things according to His plan. Then I get all tied in knots on the inside, and I give it to God again. This brings up the question of how I can give it back to God if I already gave it to Him in the first place. I know the answer, but I don't like it: I keep taking it back. I don't do it on purpose. In fact, most of the time, I take it one little bit at a time, and it sort of creeps back so slowly that I don't even know I have it until I start feeling ugly again.

I don't know why I think that my composure and control is what makes the world continue to spin. What arrogance is it that causes me to believe that I am somehow the glue that holds everyone else together? I spent the second half of last week tired, beating myself up that I didn't get everything done around here as soon as my feet hit the Delaware soil.

This was "race weekend" in Dover, one of the two weekends each year when all of NASCAR-dom descends upon this small city in RV's and pickup trucks, taking every hotel room and claiming our main road, a six-lane state highway, as a pedestrian walkway. Race flags go up on every store and restaurant in hopes of enticing a little business, and drunken people of all ages and socioeconomic groups weave their way from one to another in various states of dress and undress, without regard for traffic. Those of us who live here know to buy lots of groceries before Thursday, go home and don't leave the house again until at least Monday.

I was looking forward to FINALLY having a quiet weekend with my family for the first time in many weeks. We had planned a menu of favorites - NOT diet food - and I had gone shopping. We had Karl's favorite pasta dish Friday and a favorite breakfast bread on Saturday morning, followed by a Chinese cole slaw accompanied by a complete meltdown for lunch. It was proof that food does not, in fact, solve every problem. Shocker!

I confessed my weakness to my husband, who, to his credit, had not said a word but must have been wondering what kind of hormonal imbalance had overtaken me. I had another talk with God, and within minutes, in an amazing display of power, He sent a spring storm to rival even the best East Texas gullywasher. As we watched the lightning and the rain pouring down and listened to the booming thunder, it felt like my soul got a good powerwashing - something I need every once in a while when I let the gunk build up, when I let the past haunt me and present taunt me, even though I know Who holds my future.

I don't have to be strong; God is strong within me. I don't have to be perfect; Christ is perfecting me. I don't have to to live in fear because the Holy Spirit gives me hope.


"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~Romans 15: 13


(So we spent the rest of the weekend eating more of our favorite foods and playing outside. We missed church because driving from Dover AFB to Middletown is impossible on race day. Three of my favorite movies were on TV - The Holiday, Under the Tuscan Sun and Steel Magnolias. And Karl and I played Rummy for hours after Garin's bedtime and during his naps. Karl commented last night that it reminded him of when we were dating and newlyweds.... *sigh*.... Me too! We needed that reminder.)

The Wink!

My two year old has learned to wink! I know....hard to believe, isn't it? In this family??? I guess with two ooey-gooey, mushy-wushy parents who still wink at each other across the dining table or across the room at least 30 times each day, it was inevitable. As we were finishing up our supper Saturday night, Garin looked over at his daddy and gave him a perfect wink! Since then, he's been unstoppable....except of course when I asked him to wink for the camera. This is the best I could get on film. It appears he was going through a lizard phase yesterday afternoon when I took this. I'm hoping this tongue thing doesn't become a habit. Watch for the winking just after he licks his filthy fingers.....yuk!

A Boy and His Grandpa....

I'm not sure where to start with all that has transpired in the last couple of weeks! Karl left on a mission three weeks ago. He was scheduled to fly to S. Carolina, Germany, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bahrain, Germany, Texas and back home to Dover. "The Plan" was to be home within a week. Well, as any good Air Force wife knows, plans are made to be changed. Due to some maintenance issues, the trip ended up taking two weeks. A few days into it, it became apparent that his mission would be longer than anticipated. Since I had a couple of free weeks ahead, Garin and I packed up and flew to Texas to visit family! It was wonderful to be home! Garin loves the farm and the animals, but more than anything he loves to be outside. His first word upon waking up the first morning was "outside?" From then on, it was his most-used word; he wanted to be outdoors every waking moment. It took three adults to keep up with his two-year-old energy in the 90-something-degree heat. We spent time with cats, dogs, horses, cows, goats, the sole surviving chicken (long story) and Garin's favorite: frogs. We had fun with my grandparents, my aunt and uncle, my cousins and my cousin's kids. There was also a family reunion last weekend for my grandfather's family, and I had the privilege of meeting and reconnecting with some great family that I don't see often enough! We also were able to catch up with some long-time friends who are like family.

We spent one day with Karl's mom in Oklahoma and enjoyed some time with Karl's grandmother, sister and two nephews - one of whom was only six days old! Needless to say, Aunt Lori made the sacrifice of holding him and loving on him for much of the afternoon! As you can see in the video, Garin had a blast with Clancy Paul, his cousin who is 4 months older.

Our exciting trip home was somewhat less enjoyable, but we survived! There is a certain feeling of accomplishment that comes when you've gotten through such a test without tears or a straightjacket! Our plane was delayed five hours, and being the early birds that we are, we spent almost seven hours in the terminal. AND...being the IDIOT that I am, I had decided to check the stroller through with my bag rather than dealing with it through security. Never, never, never again. It was a huge risk that didn't pay off. I spent the entire seven hours trying to chase and manhandle a tired and cranky two year old. Needless to say, we were thrilled to finally get to Philly and get in our car. I used an awesome new parking service this time; for a $10 fee, they will bring your car to the airport and let you leave directly from baggage claim. That was worth a million bucks to me when we dragged in at 11 pm!

We're just trying to get back into our routine today. I'm doing laundry and working on the last few things I have to do for our final OSC board meeting of the year. I'm so ready to pass the presidential duties on to next year's board!!!

Some of you have been reading the blog of Audrey Caroline's parents. Audrey was born and passed away on April 7th. Her cousin, Gregory Luke, who is two months old, passed away in his sleep Tuesday night. Please continue to pray for Todd and Angie, and now for his sister, Nicol, and her husband, Greg. And let's continue to remember the Chapman family as they grieve little Maria. So much pain in these families. So much pain in this world. There is only One Hope. There is only One Comforter. There is only One True Peace.

We'll keep finding joy in the little things and looking forward to Heaven.....

Getting back to normal...

Great news! Eli began feeling better yesterday and seems to have recovered from whatever ailed him! He was admitted to the hospital and underwent ultrasounds and x-rays, but the doctors couldn't find anything, and he eventually began to feel better. It could have just been a bad stomach virus that caused cramping, but with his history, they certainly couldn't take any chances. We are so thankful that he didn't require surgery again!

Garin and I arrived in Philly about 10:30 last night after a five-and-a-half-hour delay at DFW. What an insane day! But we survived with sanity intact...barely. I have a bag full of great stories of a cranky two year old in a busy airport, but I'll have to get to those later, as I still have to unpack and get to a luncheon this morning.

I didn't want to mention that I was in Texas because my husband was stuck overseas. 1+1=2, and I didn't want to announce to the world wide web that no one was home at my house! I have some great video and fun to share from our trip as well!

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

Prayers for Eli

Many of you prayed with us last year when my nephew, Eli, was critically ill and had to have part of his intestine removed. He went to the emergency room early this morning with the same sort of symptoms, and we are waiting for word on his condition. The doctor had mentioned that there was a possibility of adhesions in the intestines following the surgery. Please pray with us that Eli will not require further abdominal surgery and that this will not have long-term effects.

I have been in Texas with my family for the last ten days and am scheduled to fly out this afternoon. Unless there are any major developments, I guess I will stick to that plan, although I hate to leave my family during a difficult time.

It has been a wonderful visit, and there are a number of things I'd like to blog about, but that will have to wait until I get back to Dover. Time with family is too precious to spend much time on the computer!

Please Pray

Our adoption roller coaster has reached a new low. At the request of our agency, we are not able to give details, but this is the most daunting road block we've seen so far, and it could end our efforts unless something changes. We covet your prayers now more than ever before. We ask God to give our agency representatives wisdom. We know that He is Lord of All, and we ask Him to intervene on behalf of His children. He is also the Great Comforter and a Loving Father. We pray that D & K will feel His incomparable love, protection and peace, now and always.

Thank you all.

Happy News!

The last few days have been crazy in a most enjoyable way! I promise to explain more in the near future. In the meantime, I will share with you the happiest bit of news that just can't wait: I am an aunt again!!!!! Karl's sister, Jill, gave birth to Auzy Luke at 1 am today. He was 8 lb 11 oz and was 21" long. Everyone's doing fine, praise God! Jill, Trint and big brother, Clancy Paul, have a lot of fun ahead! I called Karl's cell when I got the news, in the hope that I might catch him on the ground somewhere, and he actually answered. Who knew they had such good cell phone reception in Kyrgyzstan!

We love you guys!!! Congratulations! I can hardly wait to hold him.

Rekindling Old Passions

NO...I don't mean like THAT!

We have been in need of a focal point in our front entry hall since we moved into this house. This week, I finally took matters into my own hands! I made a trip to Michael's yesterday afternoon and picked up a pretty pot and some silk flowers to create an arrangement.

It's been about 12 years since I've done any floral design. I didn't really think I missed it. In fact, as I recall, the last time I did an arrangement, I was so unhappy with it that I lost interest altogether. But I spent the last hour putting this baby together, and I am so happy with it!

The photos don't look as good as the real thing (they never do)....bad lighting, bad focus....but I am proud to share my latest creation. I figure it's not too shabby for someone who hasn't stretched her creativity/color/texture muscles in a long time!

Here it is on my great-grandmother's dresser, where it will spend the next year or so, at least. I refinished this dresser several years ago. The mirror is in the basement and will soon be making its way up to join the party. As you can see, Harvey is going to be a challenge, I'm afraid!

Blessings and Burdens

Waiting is hard for me! Those of you who know me well are not shocked by this, I realize. I prefer to drive ahead, to "git 'er done." I have discovered that even after all God has taken me through and all the times He has told me to be patient, I still take off at a full gallop as soon as He reveals His will and expect everyone and everything else to fall in line because I am being obedient. I am not a steam roller, taking out anyone in my way, but I do carry a lot of frustration with me at times. These verses spoke to me this morning, another gentle reminder that I am not in control, and I need to get over myself. I suspect that there are a lot of us that may need to remember this:

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:13-14


It's been a strange weekend...

You know how there are certain old friends that you know will always be friends, the pick-up-where-you-left-off sort? Kim and Rob are those type of friends to me. We met 12 years ago when they were Air Force, I wasn't, and we went to church together in Illinois. Our kids played together; we laughed a lot; and we spent most Sunday afternoons and some holidays together. When my life fell apart, they were there for me, sacrificially giving of their time and labor to help me move, watch Matt, whatever. We stayed in touch, but they were overseas for many of the last ten years. I saw them last year for the first time since 1999, and it was wonderful.

I got an email from Kim on Saturday, saying that Rob's brother (who lives here in Dover - it really is a very small world) had died that morning of a massive heart attack at the age of 42, and they were headed this way on Sunday morning from North Carolina. They spent the day with Rob's parents and came here last night at 10:30. Kim and I were able to catch up a bit last night. It was good to see them, but I hate that it was under such painful circumstances. Kim's parents have both passed away in the last couple of years as well. Please keep them in your prayers. They are doing a lot of traveling in the next couple of weeks and will be back here next week for the memorial service.

Some close friends of Karl's family are facing a frightening diagnosis as well. His sister's lifelong best friend, Erica, lost her first child at birth because of a birth defect. She has two precious little boys now, but the youngest has developed either a tumor or cyst behind his eye that is impairing his vision. He will be having surgery in the coming weeks, and we pray that the doctors will be able to remove it and be done with it, that there will be no sign of anything to cause ongoing concern.

Mother's Day with my baby boy was relaxed and quite lovely. We spent the morning at church and came home for a relaxing afternoon. I missed Matt, but he called just after lunch to wish me a happy Mother's Day. Karl ended up getting stuck in Germany for a couple of days, so we were able to have some "family time" thanks to the webcams. (Greatest invention EVER for military families or any family that is separated frequently!!!)

I spent much of yesterday thinking about my new blog friends who have lost babies this year and praying for them. There is just no way to make a day like that better, and I hate it. It is like trying to ignore the elephant in the room. You wish you could just pretend it's any other day, but it isn't, and - frankly - in the midst of such grief, "any other day" doesn't feel that good either. I am fortunate to have so much to celebrate on Mother's Day because of the two boys I have and the hope of D & K coming home soon, but I still dread those days that will forever jump off the calendar at me: July 22nd and November 26th especially. I pray that in time these families will find a way to cherish the memories, make the most of every day, cry sometimes over the loss, but mostly look to the future and the plans God has for them with more anticipation and joy and with less fear and grief. God is so good, and He has a beautiful way of counterbalancing the deepest sorrow with the most incredible blessings!

I got some wonderful news today from my friend, Shauna. Her son, JT, is continuing to progress with treatment. When his leg was amputated, it was sent to pathology, so the doctors could get an indication of how well the chemo was working against the cancer cells. The doctors were hoping for a 50% success rate, as most of the kids are averaging 30-40% right now. The idea being, of course, that if it's killed 50% of the cancer in the leg, it is also killing 50% in the lungs, liver, stomach, groin, etc. They received the amazing report that it was almost 100% effective for JT!!!! (They cannot say a certain 100% because there could be one little cell in there somewhere.) JT has a couple more intensive in-patient chemos to go, and then in June/July, they will do one last high-dose treatment which will take his white cell count to zero and hopefully kill off anything that's trying to hang on. Once this is done, he will begin radiation on the tumors throughout his body. It is absolutely incredible to realize how far he's come in the last six months! God is so good!

I am walking in the Relay for Life with our church team in June and will walk in honor of JT and Julie (my neighbor who beat Wilms Tumor last year) and in memory of Billy Palmer and Karl's grandmother. There are so many lives affected by cancer, and the children touch me most of all. Our church is also having a hope and healing service next week to honor the survivors and the memory of those whom we have lost.

This is beginning to sound morbid, but I don't mean for it to. Part of celebrating life is recognizing how fragile and precious it is and how very blessed we are to enjoy it!

In other news, we had a storm last night like I have never seen in Delaware! The winds blew all night. The house literally shook and creaked. Our iron patio furniture was scattered this morning, and Garin's play equipment was completely disassembled and strewn about the back yard. The back windows and the car were pasted with shredded leaves that had been torn by the wind and plastered against the screens. I got very little sleep, and most of my friends say the same thing. It even woke Garin up. It was so loud all night! There is a lot of yard cleanup to do!

A Wonderful Gift of Faith

My precious husband surprised me today with the most beautiful Mother's Day gift I could have imagined.

I am the one whose spiritual gifts survey listed Faith as her greatest spiritual gift, yet when my own faith is waning, my husband comes through with enough for both of us.

I casually mentioned to him at Christmas that I wanted a mother's pendant for Mother's Day. At the time, we expected that D & K would be here with us by now. As the months drag by with delay after delay, I sometimes forget the clear call of God in our lives and the many ways in which He's done the impossible to bring us to where we are now, and I allow myself to slip into moments of doubt. I've never doubted that He has called us to parent these two, but sometimes I doubt if it will ever happen. How dare I! Hasn't God brought me through greater difficulties than these?!

Karl will not be home for Mother's Day this year; he will be serving our country elsewhere. (We've actually only spent one Mother's Day together since our marriage.) Tonight, after dinner, he presented me with the beautiful necklace above. It was exactly what I had explained that I wanted months ago. He found a jeweler that would custom make a journey necklace with six stones rather than the usual seven and do it with birthstones (from the top: Garin, K, D, Matt, Karl, Me).

I am incredibly humbled by this gift....by the beauty and meaning of it, by the effort and thought that went into it, and by the love and faith that it represents. I can hardly wait to show our children what their Daddy did!

The Boy Loves the Slide!

The child has no fear, but by-golly he does not want to be dirty! (Note the way he stops frequently to wipe the dirt off of his shoes.)

Off to the Playground!

Casting Bread Upon the Waters...

...or as we called it: "feeding ducks." Truth be told, the ducks weren't very hungry, and Garin wasn't exactly aiming for them. I think the fish, however, were appreciative! At one point, the seagulls were circling and diving to grab the bread. (Although we are a mile or two inland, the gulls like to hang out about town and pick up crumbs during the daytime when folks are around with food. If you've ever been to the shore, you know that they are like ants at a picnic!)

Pickin' & Grinnin'

Garin and Daddy were having some musical fun tonight....

Sowing Seeds

Most days, Karl comes home to have lunch with us. Today was no exception. As usual, it was a free-for-all, assembly-line, hodge-podge sort of lunch. Garin's meal was heated first, followed by Karl's, then mine, and we all sat down to eat.

Our custom is to hold hands around the table while we thank God for His blessings. Since Garin was old enough to sit in a high chair, our hand are always extended toward him as an invitation to join us. We have never forced him to hold hands. At his young age, it was impossible to explain the reasons, and it was not something we wanted to become a battle. Just as Christ extends His invitation to us, and we must choose whether or not to accept it, we have invited Garin to join the family in prayer and hoped he choose to do so. At times, he would grab a finger for a moment or two.

Today, something beautiful happened. Garin was in his booster seat, and Karl and I sat down. Before we had a chance to reach across the table and join hands, Garin extended both arms, hands opened to grasp ours, and said, "Okay?" We joyfully took his outstretched hands, and as Karl began to pray, Garin began to pray with him. Only our Heavenly Father knows what he said; it was in his own language. But to peek over and see that sweet little head bowed, eyes closed, praying to our Lord, was an indescribable gift and one I will always treasure.

Feliz Cumpleanos a Mi!

Today is my birthday......

I received my parents' birthday card a week ago and have kept it unopened on the kitchen island for seven days. It has been a constant reminder of the love that brought me into this world and the joy that these two people share on "my" special day.

Finally, this morning, I got to open it! My mom said that my sister and I are "all a parent could ask for in a daughter." It's amazing, isn't it, how even as an adult approaching (or maybe in?) middle age, such words from parents are still so meaningful and important....probably even more than they were in childhood because we now know how easy it is to stumble, to fail and to disappoint. I still need to know that I am making them proud, just as I need to know more than ever before that God is pleased with who I am.

My dad made this statement in the card: "If it is true that life is an adventure, I submit that you have and are continuing to live." It struck me how very accurate that is! As I look back on the last 39 years (YIKES! 39??? REALLY???!!!), I can certainly describe them as an adventure.

I've moved around and had the privilege of living in several different places...some that were less than enjoyable, others that felt like home the moment I stepped on the ground. I have learned to be content wherever I am and to appreciate the good things, and I am thankful for that.

I have met some wonderful people and some very cruel ones. Each of them has taught me who I am and, more importantly, who my GOD is. I am privileged to have grown up in a family that pointed my way to Him. I was foolish to ignore His guidance and spend almost a decade of my life feeling worthless and hopeless because of one man's opinion of me. But, by God's strength - and ONLY His strength - I found a chance to really live again. I took with me a beautiful son who gave me a reason to go on and get out of bed in the morning. My Heavenly Father surrounded me with amazing brothers and sisters in Christ, who held me up when I couldn't do it on my own and who walked with me down the long and painful path of healing. And then I walked into praise team rehearsal to see a handsome new face at the keyboards....and the rest, as they say, is history!

God has blessed us with another precious son and with two other little ones whose faces we never had the joy of seeing and whose cries we've never heard, but whom we look forward to meeting one day at the greatest family reunion we can imagine!

And now, here we are, waiting for our two precious kids from Russia. Again, children whom we have never held, whose tears we've not had the privilege of drying. But they are in our hearts, and we long for the day we will be together. It is a God-led journey to them.

I have been reading the blogs of two amazing families who have lost babies recently and are suffering unspeakable grief as they seek to heal and lean into God's loving and capable arms for the strength to keep going. It brings so many painful emotions back to mind, but it is beautiful to remember and to hear their stories. Those times in my life when I felt most weak and broken were also the times when the presence of the Holy Spirit was heavy upon me, when I physically felt Him there, when I knew that I knew that I knew that my prayers were heard, that he felt my pain and that He was making something beautiful out of it all.

I still have so far to go, but I wouldn't trade a moment of this life because of what I have learned in it. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness. Thank you for taking my messes and turning them into blessings. Thank you for turning my pain into ministry. Thank you for teaching me to love myself and others the way you love us. Thank you for making me more like you....

Thrills & Spills

A word of warning: This video contains a couple of good spills that might cause grandparents to jump out of their skin slightly.

Garin has never fallen off the slide before...until today. Shortly afterward, he fell head first out of the tube. And of course I had to catch it all on video. In case you're wondering, my comment about needing a valium was a joke. I have never even seen a valium. I do believe, though, based on what I've seen in these first two years, that my adrenal glands may get a good workout over the next couple of decades! You will notice that wiping out doesn't deter the child a bit.

He Shoots - He Scores!

It's been a beautiful spring day here. After church, we had a quick lunch and went outside to play before putting Garin down for a late nap. Here is a peek at Garin engaged in his favorite sport. Yes, it's an over-three-minute peek. So maybe I lied, and I am going to bombard you with cute little videos, but I really am trying. I cut almost five minutes out of this one!

More Videos...

Okay, I know, I'm sorry....I promise I won't upload 50 boring new videos every day. I just can't stand not to show you how cute Garin is (even if he is in desperate need of a haircut). In the video of Karl, listen carefully for Garin's comments. Enjoy!

Whew!

Air Force life is nothing if not interesting! More on that in a moment...

Yesterday was a gorgeous day with highs in the upper 70's! When Garin napped, I got out and mowed and trimmed the yard. I also planted a couple of hanging baskets for the front porch. It was so nice to get outside and get dirty! After Karl got home and I got cleaned up, we drove south to Milford, where there is a wonderful store that sells all sorts of fresh seafood. One side of the building is a restaurant where you can get the most delicious seafood dinner you've ever had. It is a down-home, comfortable beach restaurant - no frills, but awesome food. You just can't get seafood like that in the middle of the country. YUMMY!!! I took a few photos of our yard last night, trying to capture the azaleas. The sun was too low to show their vibrancy, but here are a few of the pics anyway:

It was a great night out, and then we came home and plopped ourselves down on the couch. Just after 10 pm, the phone rang, and it was the pilot scheduler. He needed Karl to head up a very exciting and unusual mission, but they were to leave Sunday morning! Bummer for me, as he would miss my birthday Tuesday, as well as Mother's Day. I wasted no time making alternative plans, though, and had airline reservations on hold by morning. Garin and I were going to fly down to Texas to spend the week with family. By noon today, I had all the arrangements made, but I hadn't purchased the tickets yet (thankfully). Karl had been at work all morning doing mission planning and called after noon, sheepishly saying he had some news: his mission cancelled! So as it turns out, I am not going anywhere after all, but I do get to spend my birthday with my husband. Garin and I are going to plan a trip to Texas in a few weeks instead. I may make a run to Illinois soon too, as Matt is eager to see us, and we are also missing him an awful lot.

This afternoon has been fun too! I bought the new Flip Video Ultra!!! I have been wanting a teeny digital video camera, so I can document our lives and post video here for family and friends to enjoy. I was so excited to find one at Sam's this afternoon, and it was $25 cheaper than I've seen it anywhere else. Happy birthday to me!!!!! Here is my first video....nothing spectacular, but fun nonetheless...with an extremely handsome subject!