ruffles, glitter and feathers

Last week I decided to attempt my first "real" photos of the girls.  

Two moving targets are definitely more challenging than one.  

As you will see I have missed being behind my camera just a little.  

Mary Katherine had plenty of plastic tea set toys to choose from but decided that
her favorite would be the one breakable glass with a straw :)
Thankfully even after throwing it a few times we didn't have any shattered glass.  

Even Lily's lasso of love couldn't stop our little girl on the go for long.  

I had fun stepping back and watching them interact with each other.  

Lily, the nurturer always trying to take care of MK and teach her something new.  

Mary Katherine, full of zest for life and curious about everything around her.  

These give you a small glimpse into her personality.  

She has a smile that lights up the room and a little laugh that is contagious.  

She doesn't like hair clips or bows in her hair.

I love her little feet and the way the pad on her fourth little left toe is bigger than the rest making it 

stick down lower :)

She is fearless and will try most anything.  

She is our little heart warrior.  

After the tea party they found the bucket of feathers which led to lots of giggles and laughter.  

We ended with some hershey kisses love.  

Lily was very patient to get her share of the shiny silver treats.  

I laughed when I saw this last picture in camera.  

It is a perfect reflection of their personalities.  

Lily is our rule keeper, "You already have your stash.  You can't have mine" and Mary Katherine,
our little mischievous one hiding her stash of kisses asking for more :)

We are truly blessed beyond measure with our two China angels.  

I find myself looking at Mary Katherine and continue to stand in awe 

of how God orchestrated every detail to bring her into our family.  

Mary Katherine has her heart cath this Tuesday.  

Please be praying for our sweet angel.  

We will have a better road map for her future after this procedure.  

We know that God is in control and surrender to His perfect plan for our daughter.  

If I had listened to my fear...

Four years ago today, we received a call that broke through a season of silence.

A call that was an answer to our prayer for a little girl.

I remember the excitement and pure joy of that day.

I also remember the fear that started rising in my mother's heart about all of the unknowns we would face in the journey ahead...surgeries, speech therapy, orthodontics, more surgeries, possible teasing from her peers, her physical scars and the emotional impact it may have over time. 

 The list in my mind went on and yet there was peace in my soul knowing this was the daughter
God had perfectly chosen for our family.

If I had listened to my fear, I would have missed the blessing.
I would have missed...

Little fingers taking hold of mine as we walk hand in hand.

Giggles and laughter that fill our home with joy.

A smile that lights up any room and a constant range of expressive emotions that keep us on our toes.

The gift of time together learning more about how to capture the music in our hearts.

Experiencing first hand God uses His children to point us closer to Him.

Looking into these dark brown eyes filled with love.  

Believing in the hope and promise of the future God has planned for her.    

Once I released my fear, I never looked back. 

Fear led me to trust.  

And in trusting I have been given an unspeakable gift.

I would say "yes" a million times over.  

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear."  

1 John 4:18

The gift of interrupted plans

I am not always grateful when "my plans" are interrupted, but this moment in time is a gift for which I am thankful.  

My plan to take pictures of Lily on the beach at sunset were diverted by strong winds and a little girl who needed to find a bathroom. :))

The closest stop was my parent's church.  After we took care of business, I decided to swing around back to show Lily the flowers on my grandmother's grave.    

I have shared many stories about my Mimi with Lily and she knows how special she was to me growing up.  

What I thought was an inconvenience turned out to be a magical moment in time.  

The light was beaming down and my Mom was able to tell her about my sweet Mimi and the legacy she left our family.    

Today is my Mimi's birthday. 

I am reminded of her quiet gentle spirit...her creative talents...her humility...the times I would walk down to tell her goodnight and hear her praying for us by name...her love for the Lord...her servant heart...her gratitude to others.  

I wish she could have known Lily.  She would have loved Lily's laugh, her funny sense of humor, her smile and the songs she loves to sing.  

So grateful for diverted plans that remind me of God's desire to orchestrate even the smallest details to show me more about His unfailing love.  

    

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."  

Proverbs 16:9

  

   

Inaugural blueberry picking

Earlier this week Lily and I ventured out to the Golden Bell Blueberry Farm  to meet some friends from our adoption play group to pick blueberries. 

It was opening day at the farm so there were plenty blueberries for all.  

This was a first for both of us and Lily was hooked.  

We arrived a little early so we had fun exploring on our own before meeting up with our friends.  

What started out to be a cloudy morning turned out to be a beautiful day enjoying God's beauty.  

Lily wasted no time filling up her bucket even if she had to reach high to get the perfect blueberry...and taste test a few along the way :))  

She was very happy to see her friend "E" and meet some new friends from our group.   

She said over and over..."Mommy look how full my bucket is!!"  

Needless to say we don't have many left...another visit may be in order soon!

I think this may become an annual tradition.
Praying next year Lily can show her little sister how to fill her bucket full.  

Happy 4th!  

We are headed up to enjoy watching some fireworks on the lake.  

Forever Family Day...3 years later

When we met Lily on March 14, 2011 she held an apple tightly in one hand and a sucker in another. They were her sense of security when her world was changing upside down.

I ran across the sucker recently as I was looking for something in our attic. I was amazed to find it exactly as it was the day we met her. The wrapper slightly torn...half way open...covering the sweet treat hidden inside. An interesting analogy to the gift we were handed that special day. Our little girl...broken yet full of sweet joy beyond measure once we began to unwrap the layers of her personality over time.

These are the shoes she was wearing...in perfect condition...purchased just for her to wear to meet her forever family. An act of love and thoughtfulness on behalf of those who cared for her.

It is amazing how time heals and changes our perspective on life. As I reflect on this pivotal day, I am humbled by the beauty that continues to rise out of the brokenness...out of the hard places we have walked. So much joy...so much gratitude...so much hope fills my heart. Our daughter, chosen from the beginning of time, is a beautiful reflection of God's grace.

I love these words to Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Only One and Only You".  

 Happy forever family day Lily Grace! You are God's masterpiece and such a blessing to our family.

A little fedora love, smiles and a beats pill...

I am WAY behind on posting pictures to my blog and plan to catch up in the near future but for now, I wanted to share two of my favorite valentines with you.

These two certainly have enough love and joy to go around and their smiles can light up any room. A few weeks ago we got a break in the weather and headed out to have some fun with our Valentine props Lily helped me put together.

Spencer is always a good sport but I'm sure the fact that I promised to take some pics of him with his new beats pill (a portable speaker) was an added incentive :))

Spencer was playing his favorite songs (to which Lily knows most all of the words) and she had a ball dancing around to the music.

They both are looking so grown up in these pictures and it reminds me how quickly time passes.  

Spencer is counting down the days until he gets his driver's permit and Lily becomes more independent daily.   

My heart overflows with love and gratitude for these two blessings God has given us and we wait with expectation for the little one God has chosen for our family.  Wouldn't that be a great Valentine's gift to receive today?    

Earlier this week I was soaking up some quiet time studying God's word and writing in my journal.  

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."  Colossians 3:2

Easier said than done in this world where so many "things" can easily distract me and take my eyes off course.  Life has been a little crazy lately and it's been awhile since I have stopped to rest in God's word and let His truth wash over me. 

When I make time to silence the noise of life I am reminded that when I invest my heart and my time in eternal things, I experience more of the fullness of God.  

Our family verse for the month is a great reminder of this truth.  

Above all else guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."  Proverbs 4:23

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Love isn't love until you give it away...who will you show some love to today?

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.