Sun-kissed

After several weeks of late nights and early mornings, this beach vacation with Nana and Pops could not have come at a better time! I daydreamed of the beach, a nap on the beach, playing at the beach, minimal laundry and dishes at the beach, endless smiles and giggles at the beach, closeness with family and friends at the beach...

Daddy, DI and ND before hitting the beach...ND's first time this year at the aware-and-into-everything age...

This little man was eager to get to the beach and stayed eager all day long...what a bright light!

I will never grow tired of that warm, wonderful feeling in my heart when I see our boys loving and trusting their daddy.  Hand in hand is one of my favorites...

ND thinks that EVERYthing DI does is cool and absolutely what he should be doing.  It didn't matter to him that his water-squirter was upside down most of the time...he was hangin' with his "Brubber".

Upsie daisy.  Getting up in a life jacket is even harder than getting up normally.  

Sweet Daddy and Noah David cheesin' on the beach.  Happy to be soakin' up the sun and waves. 

John David ("Babo") and my precious nephew Jake.  I love them.

Getting to watch this little man in action this year at the beach has been purely delightful.  He's right there, every step and doesn't miss a beat.  My dumplin'.  

"Old Pops" as Noah David calls him didn't act so old when he was summoned to the chilly ocean by Daniel Isaac.  

Pops, Daniel Isaac and the big blue sea. 

I heart wet baby eye lashes.  

I also heart cherry-red baby lips. 

Lunch at the beach...

I really really love him.

Muscles!

Daniel Isaac did one of his awesome little jigs before swimming.  I could watch his dance moves all day long.  He rocks.  

"Doggles!"

ND's favorite water hobby is floating on his back resembling a beached whale and causing great laughter and smirks.

I really really love him.

Cousins in matching pajamas = precious.

Night night from a sun-kissed crew!

Knit

It happened.  I almost broke down in a store today when I saw an itty bitty baby outfit thinking that I will never get to hold our baby at that age, size, newness.  A rush of sadness came over me as I tried to imagine, and then not imagine, what life would be like for baby pre-orphanage, in the orphanage and leading up to his/her homecoming to us.  Who will hold him/her?  Will they get to be carried around in a sling and snuggled up to someone?  Will they be fed on cue and as needed?  Will someone love them and smile at them and talk to them?  Gosh, I don't know how to not think of these things.  And ya know what, it's not at all about me and what I'm going to miss, but the raw truth is, my mind "goes there" and when it does, it's sad.  The only way I know to combat such emotion and sadness so that it doesn't turn into a "slump" is to counteract it with GRATITUDE.

Thankful that....
...so many people here are praying for baby, birth family, and caregivers.
...the Lord is providing a way for us to walk this road and provide for us.
...we have 100% support of family and friends.
...the Lord is preparing our hearts and home and family for baby.
...Noah David proudly tells everyone now that his baby is in "A-ta" and "pane" (plane to ride to get him/her).  Also, "rock rock rock" is what he's going to to do his baby.
...every single time Daniel Isaac finds money he excitedly brings it to me declaring, "Look, Mommy!  Money!  We can use this for our adoption!"
...the Lord has given us two beautiful, healthy, precious little lights in Daniel Isaac and Noah David.
...once baby is home he/she won't be put down until he/she BEGS to be put down!!
...once baby is home, he/she will have lines waiting to meet him/her  and love on him/her.
...once baby is home, he/she will never have to cry alone...or sleep alone...or eat alone.
...once baby is home, he/she will be bathed not only in smell-good soaps and shampoos but the love of Christ, which is priceless, full of hope and peace, and will never ever let him/her down.

My to-do list for today is far from being finished, but I just can't help but think about the baby who could very well be being knit together in his/her birth mama's womb.  Thinking with gratitude for the birth family who will make a decision to place him/her...with hope that he/she will be cared for and provided for.  If I could hug birth mama's neck I would.  For now, I will work on turning every thought towards gratitude....while we wait for this....

Yard Sale Success

Our yard sale preparations to raise money for our adoption started months ago as we began cleaning out and gathering donations from our wonderful friends and family.  Few days went by in the past two weeks where I didn't come home to discover yet another donation awaiting on our front porch.  And with every donation and every inquiry and every prayer and every step towards Saturday, we felt so supported and touched that our baby half way around the world already has a grand bundle of people who love him/her and are helping us work towards bringing him/her home.  With that being said.....check out the yard sale!!

Starting to put merchandise out on Friday afternoon!  Melanie in the background was a HUGE help in organizing and making sense of everything while my brain raced and drifted.  :)

Getting set up!  Kathy showed up very last-minute to help us price items!!  I don't know what we would have done without her input and yard sale expertise!  

Brenda stopped by, stayed and helped and even called in her "army" as I called them in the form of her teenage sons and their friends to come help out!  What a blessing!

Tables filling up!

Daddy, Daniel Isaac and Noah David after they got the tent set up!

Daniel Isaac and Noah David testing out the tent!

Daddy and Daniel Isaac ready to go to sleep in the tent!  They slept in it part of the night to guard the yard sale items!  Daniel Isaac felt like his Daddy needed to have his real sword with him "in case some bad guys came to take the stuff".  They did an excellent job guarding the sale, though!  Way to go big brother!

Daniel Isaac and Michael testing the toys.  (They all worked really well.)

The most wonderful friends and volunteers in the world!  From left to right, Geraldine (we call her "Deane"...she is our "church grandmother" and is so wonderful!),  Feng and Ye are so sweet and were a big help Friday and Saturday, and Melanie who kept things moving for us!  They were each a God-send!

Shoppers starting to trickle in!

Miles!!!  One of our cutest shoppers!
(Cape shirt made by me and available custom made for sale for $17, proceeds going to fund our adoption)

Isa, Deane and me as the afternoon approached!  What wonderful helpers they were!

GET THIS!!!!  My cousin Wendy and her two girls Peyton and Kirsten came all the way from Birmingham to surprise and support us!  It was so wonderful seeing them and having them here! (And my boys appreciated the ring pops the girls brought them!!!)

"Taata"...Daddy and I stop for a second.  We can't wait to have our little one from Uganda nestled between us.  

 The Raffle!

Marie Mann has a wonderful photography business where she captures absolutely beautiful, priceless photos that are forever cherished!  She very generously donated a photo session and CD of the images for us to use as a raffle to raise money--a $300 value!  Please check her out and book her for any and all of your photography needs!  www.sarahmariephotos.com

Daniel Isaac was our "drawer" for the raffle!  A very big responsibility for mukulu ("big brother").

Eyes closed....and he draws........

Congratulations to the Hulings!  Enjoy your photos!

And this sums it up!  This is how we all felt after all was said and done!  EXHAUSTED!!


Before announcing the grand total raised, I absolutely must thank everyone for your help!  Mom and Dad were such good sports to allow us to overtake their front lawn for the weekend and were so helpful.  Daniel's parents helped with the boys a great deal...especially when they got "yard sale fatigue".  Our volunteers, Deane, Feng, Ye, Trey, Ashley, Isa, Melanie, Brenda, Kathy, the Nell boys, David, were all so wonderful and helpful!  Heather and Race....words can't even begin to describe their help but I'll go with indescribably generous and awesome.  And the homemade sweet potato biscuits with butter delivered to the scene Saturday morning by Heather are still making my mouth water.  And a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who donated items to be sold!  And another HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who came and shopped.

I must say that I expected lots of "bargaining" to be done by shoppers...afterall, it was a yard sale.  But I had less than a handful ask us to come down on any prices.  Instead, ya know what?  People would UP the prices!  I'd say, "Oh that's $2" and get a reply "How about $5?"  Um, yeah!  And then a lady who came by to shop that we didn't even know came up to the check out and said, "I don't need anything today, but here is some money for your adoption," handed us $40 and walked away.  Another stranger dropped off 8 five piece place settings of china to be sold when she heard what we were doing.  And as tiring as all of the work was, even more so was the overwhelming feeling of people rallying around, loving and supporting us and our future baby.  It literally felt like a tidal wave of love being poured out as everyone worked together to make this yard sale happen.

And one last story...when Deane arrived at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, just she and I stood on the dew-filled, cool lawn.  She wrapped her arm around me and said, "I want to pray."  So she did...she poured her heart out and wept over our baby in Africa and asked the Lord to bless the sale and help us.  She asked Him to protect baby as he/she is being knit together in mama's womb.  And I got to hear another heart interceding on behalf of our family and our baby.

And did He bless the sale?

I'd say so....

to the tune of

$1,675.20

Thanks and praise to the Lord, our Provider!