Home with our girl {one month + a few days}

One month ago (+ a few days) our 30+ hour day of travel came to an end as we were greeted by family and friends who welcomed us home with our little girl.  

There really are no words to describe the feeling of being home.  

I look at this picture and stand in awe of the One who orchestrated every detail of our journey to place this little girl in our forever family.  Not only is she our daughter she is THE little one who captured our hearts and whose picture was on our refrigerator for over a year.  The little one we prayed for daily always hoping but never imagining that she would be ours.  What an amazing God we serve who can move mountains to accomplish what in our minds and hearts may seem impossible.  

We came home just in time for Christmas...another answer to prayer and a glimpse of the miracles we see God working in this little one's life. Mary Katherine was in awe of the lights and ornaments, Lily loved wrapping gifts with her Gaga, some sister love on Christmas Eve, MK in her high chair...one of her favorite places to be...this girl loves any and all foods and the first of many more "lap love" moments with her Papaw.   

Our Christmas was small but perfect in every way.  I would have been just as thrilled with no gifts under the tree.
God, His word and people are what matter most and outside of the gift of Jesus, our newest blessing is the gift that makes our family complete.  The way her eyes disappear when she smiles like little crescent moons melt my heart every time.  

I love the look of wonder and awe as she looks up to my mom and learns how roll the play dough in her hands. 

We spent Christmas afternoon with Michael's family.  She did great meeting everyone and warmed up especially to her uncle Tim.   That night we saw the effects of being overwhelmed and decided to lay low the next several weeks.

We had her first cardiologist appointment on December 31st uncertain of what news we would hear based on the severity of her heart condition.
On November 26th 2014 I wrote these words in my journal "You are doing so many miracles right before our eyes.  We stand in wide amazement.  There is nothing too great for you.  You have the power to allow all her heart conditions to be designed in such a way that she could have a bi-ventricular repair.  If that is your will reveal that in the days ahead.  If not, let us accept whatever journey you take us on regarding her heart and the steps needed for paliative care."
The first words we heard from her doctor was that he was hopeful that she would be a candidate for a bi-ventricular repair.
I wept as I heard these words.  Another way we see God's great hand at work in her life.
We will know more for certain after her heart cath on February 10th but we are so grateful for this hopeful news.
We also got the go ahead from her doctor to "train away" for night time.  We had been hesitant to let her get too worked up not knowing the extent of her heart condition so night time was a balance of staying by her crib until she went to sleep hoping we could tip toe out of the room without waking her up!
Since then we have had some hard nights but 3 week later she is sleeping through the night and going down in her own bed without any tears.  The girls share a room and MK especially loves it when her big sister goes to bed at the same time.
A week later she saw her pediatrician.  I love the way he put the crayons in between her toes to calm her during the exam.
She braved 4 shots and being poked twice for a blood draw.  We ended the day with her first trip to Publix and a stop at the bakery for her first chocolate chip cookie :))

The night after her cardiologist appointment she started saying "Eee yuv oo"  (aka "I love you").  What a gift to hear these words from our sweet girl so early on in her transition to our family. 

  

Lily loves to calm her little sister if she wakes up crying, Mary Katherine has had a "few" Target runs in the past month :), she loves to help me unload the dishwasher, she loves to raid my closet while I get ready in the morning, she wants to be front and center when I am cooking in the kitchen, she loves her jie jie (big sister) and wagon rides, Lily loves to help feed her at breakfast, and the girls love their special time with their daddy at night reading books and playing together.  

Mary Katherine is learning new words daily and Lily loves teaching her our verse for the month. (love her little belly that sticks out of most her shirts :))  

Sunshine was our best friend helping us re-adjust our clocks post China even if it was cold!
We have taken many a wagon ride the past month...it is a welcome treat for all when the walls begin closing in on us :))

Mary Katherine...you amaze us daily at your zest for life and ability to learn.  

You are full of life and such a determined little one who will overcome any obstacle you are given.  

We stand in awe of God's faithfulness and we are so blessed to call you our daughter.  

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift"

2 Corinthians 9:15

Make a joyful noise

Spencer recently started taking guitar lessons again and it has been fun to watch him grow.  

He has a natural talent for memorizing and learning new songs with ease.  

I love listening to him practice while I'm making dinner or playing with Lils.  

It also keeps her motivated to practice her violin so that she can get "better and better".  

Lily is also a big fan of hanging out in his room dancing around to all his music.  

We met someone recently who didn't know either of them but immediately noticed the unique bond they share.

Sometimes it is easy to take that for granted so it was a great reminder of how truly blessed we are.  

He is makes her laugh and be silly.  

And she looks up to him as if he hung the moon.  

I cannot wait to see another little one join our family and experience the love they have to share.  

Do You Believe?

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

What keeps you from Bethlehem?

For me...it is the business of this season and trying to check of the "to do" lists that never seem to end.
 If I allow it, this can easily take me away from the truth of that holy night.

The lyrics of my favorite Christmas song this year, Carl Cartee's "Do You Believe", says it well...

If God became a baby, to take the sinners place

to be our salvation...think about the meaning of that day.

Do you believe he made the world?

Do you believe he changed the world?

Do you believe he saved the world?

Oh, the meaning of that night...

The hands, that placed the stars in the sky, wrapped tightly around Mary and Joseph's fingers.

The voice, that spoke the world into being, cried out in the stillness of the night.

The love, poured out for our sins on the cross, reached into a mother's heart.

The light of the world became flesh so that we might have life. There is no greater gift.

Thank you Jesus for your love and pursuit of me even when I stray off course with the distractions of this world.

Oh that I may return to Bethlehem daily to be reminded of the never ending, all consuming love
that entered into the world that Christmas night.

Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

Praying your Christmas was filled with the awe and wonder of the gift we have in Jesus.  

Catching up on memories...

My hope for the future, rises and falls according to my level of gratitude for what God has done in the past.

Our pastor spoke these words this past Sunday in a powerful message about having a grateful heart.

What if I woke up tomorrow with only the things for which I gave thanks today?

As another year begins and I ponder these words, I want to stop and give thanks for the memories that were created with family over the past several months.

These were taken over Thanksgiving where, every other year, we spend time removed from the business of life at a retreat center with my sister's family and our parents. It was an added blessing to have my Nana with us.  She is a beautiful reflection of God's love.  

The last time Michael and I made the this trip, we took our referral picture of Lily and worked on finishing paperwork for our adoption. Let's just say Lily in the flesh is so much sweeter!!!

My brother-in-law planned a train ride with Santa and rented out the entire caboose for us complete with Starbucks hot chocolate that he made! The night before the ride, he showed The Polar Express to Lily on a big screen and she sat mesmerized during the entire movie.

She woke up that morning with a bell and note from Santa. She still talks about the special memories that were made that day.

While she didn't want to sit on Santa's lap, she was happy to tell him that she wanted a Tinkerbell cake (which later changed to a Fancy Nancy cake and a Hello Kitty Umbrella).

Another highlight from our time together was cooking with Gaga making Santa hat brownies! 

 Lily loves to help cook so this was right up her ally. 

 She had a great time stirring, pouring and taste testing along the way.

We started off our Christmas season by making a kindness advent calendar. Lily was eager to help me glue the paper on each envelope that held our random act of kindness for each day in December.

I saw this last year on Pitter Patter Art and loved it so much we decided to make a calendar we can use each year. This has quickly become one of my most favorite things we do together each Christmas.

We decorated the tree together as a family which always makes my heart full. 

 This was the first year in awhile that we didn't use the glass balls and hung the ornaments that we have collected over the years...such fun reminiscing about the stories that lie behind each one.

Lily and I tried our hand at making and decorating sugar cookies using these recipes I found from Pitter Patter Art. 

Although ours were not nearly as artistic and beautiful as hers...it was totally worth the effort to see the fun she had decorating each one.

Christmas would not be complete without the beauty of light.  

I am taking another photography class and had fun playing around 

trying to capture some bokeh with our lights.

I especially love the one of Lily playing the piano.

While not the greatest (due to grey, rainy weather we had all week) these are a few snapshots from Christmas day. We had a quiet morning with Lily who was super content with her Hello Kitty umbrella. Later that day, Spencer joined us and Lily was eager to bring each gift for him to open.

That night, we celebrated with Michael's family. His mom cooked a yummy meal, we sang happy birthday to Jesus and it is always fun to see the joy light up in the eyes of the kids.

My parents came in town after Christmas...they bought an electric train for Spencer and Lily that came complete with steam, a whistle and a chuffing sound! Needless to say they were in awe.

I am thankful for the shared memories I have of our time together with my parents. 

 It was simple and quiet but certainly filled with much love.

The King of Kings, who took off his royal robe, removed his crown, and entered into this world in the fullness of a little child, reigns today and every day of the year.