3.21.2011

Garden in the Park: BOOTH

This Saturday Keep Opelika Beautiful is hosting the annual "Garden in the Park" at the Municipal Park in Opelika from 8:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. and the exciting news (aside from all the great festivities and train ride and carnival-ish food being offered of course www.keepopelikabeautiful.com)...


We will have a booth there and will be selling...

  • vibrant, colorful adult and children's aprons,
  • precious, original baby and children's clothing, 
  • bright, fun baby items
all handmade by Heather and I and all proceeds going to BENEFIT OUR ADOPTION!

Our merchandise make beautiful, one-of-a-kind gifts for babies, Mother's Day, Birthdays or "just because".  



Come stop by and shop!  And an added bonus:  Daniel will be representing Lifeline Children's Services at the booth next to ours and would love to share about the adoption, orphan care and birth mother ministries of Lifeline.


Come check it out; it's going to be GREAT!


For additional information or questions, feel free to contact me at littletaylorlights@gmail.com

3.19.2011

Not if but when...

is a lesson that keeps coming up repeatedly in my little corner.
starting sidenote: ergo baby carrier = the most comfortable baby carrier ever


Not IF my boys fall and get hurt, but WHEN...
Not IF my boys mess up and make bad choices, but WHEN...
Not IF things in life are going to be hard, but WHEN...
Not IF we're going to struggle, but WHEN...



And rather than going nuts to prevent hardship or trying to "make" things right, I take heart in knowing Who to turn to. And the cry of my heart is that my children will know Who to turn to when they blow it....Who to turn to when they're struggling...Who to turn to when they are hurting. In my perfect little Mommy Dreamland, I will always get to be a part of loving them and soothing them. For now, when they fall and get hurt, they come running and crying (or just lie there and wait for me to come running) and I squeeze them close and wipe their hot tears from their rosy cheeks and shush them and rock them and kiss them and assure them that they will be ok and play "Dr. Mommy" if necessary. For now, when they fall down and I can tell they aren't hurt, I am there to cheer them on, "Hop back up! You're ok." For now, when they mess up and make bad choices, I am there to correct them...to teach them. For now, when they are exhausted and hungry and worn down and falling apart, Mama is there to hold them, to help them and get to physically have the opportunity to be the hands and arms of Jesus to them. To pour on them the Grace and Patience. To comfort them. To be a funnel of peace and love and hope. To teach them...to guide them...to help them grow. What a marvelous role I get to play in the lives of our boys. It is simultaneously humbling and exhilarating.





(He thinks he has to bend down to walk underneath this ramp...)







And as I think of my boys, my mind always goes to "who will our next baby be?" What will be his/her "whens"? And then the thought of getting to mother him/her just opens the flood gates of delight and glee and at the same time, my heart already hurts thinking of the possible "whens" that baby will have had before meeting our family's arms. I want to already be there for the "whens"....

when he/she is growing in his/her birth mama's womb
when he/she is kicking and hiccuping inside mama's belly
when he/she is born
when he/she is held
when he/she is abandoned
when he/she is spending his/her first night in the orphanage
when he/she wakes at night crying and alone
when he/she smiles for the first time
when he/she holds his/her head up...rolls over...
when he/she coos.

I can't be there for all the whens, but He can and He is. What an opportunity and privilege this role of Mama is. I'm in awe and in love with the Author of it all.

3.14.2011

Cleaning with Meaning

Saturday was one of those total-purge-and-clean day, and Spring Cleaning never felt so good! You see, we were throwing away years of stored junk, but we were also accumulating this huge pile (2 truck loads to be exact) of "YARD SALE" items. I've never hosted a yard sale before, but I am very excited about our upcoming one. Every item that landed in the yard sale pile marked a little inch closer to bringing home our baby from Africa. Every item trashed marked a spot that was a little cleaner and a little more ready for welcoming our child home. I (with Heather and Daniel's help, thankfully) am "nesting" as Daniel pointed out, and it feels so good. Those of you who know me, know that cleaning and organizing is not my forte...to put it mildly. Give me the daily choice between making pillow forts, playing outside in this beautiful weather, doing art projects with my boys OR cleaning....and I pick playing every time. And I am fully aware that more balance needs to be brought to this area, and I'm working on it and working towards finding a happy medium between playing and enjoying and soaking up my boys and husband and then doing the mundane necessities of house keeping. BUT, Saturday was a grand start in the direction of getting more organized and cleaning out our home! And I'm thrilled to see the outcome of our yard sale to benefit our adoption. With that being said, here are the details....we need your help!


Saturday, April 23, 2011
7:00 a.m. - Noon (or later if we still have customers!)
414 N. 10th St.
Opelika, Alabama


How can you help?

  • Donate items to be sold at the yard sale (we aren't selling any clothing but everything else welcome!)
  • Volunteer your time to help us that day
  • Come shop!
  • Pray!



Email me if you would like to help out: littletaylorlights@gmail.com


Put some meaning into your spring cleaning, too! Every cent made will go directly towards our adoption fees. It takes a village....to bring our baby home, and we're thankful and excited to have you partner with us!