Awww.....

Our social worker is coming over tonight for our 2nd (out of 4) post-placement visits. He has to see how things are going and write a report that gets sent back to Thailand along with some pictures of Timothy so they can see he really is alive and well.

So this morning I was taking pictures. Because I wanted them to be really current. (right.....) Aren't these kids just too cute?????

And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to work on the questionnaire we're supposed to have filled out to submit tonight... you know... before I can be accused of procrastinating.

I Think I'm Back (& I Have a Disease)

Well, I think I'm back... But I'm not making any promises! : ) What I DO know is that I miss blogging and am feeling ready to start talking to you all again! (Even though I'm still not really sure who some of you are... Feel free to delurk anytime!) I do expect there will be some changes around here, though. For one thing, I don't expect to be talking so much about adoption quite so often. While I'm still a HUGE FAN of adoption and how our family has been blessed by being allowed to adopt Timothy, at this point it's not the huge focus of my life that it was a few months ago. As of tomorrow, Timothy will have been home for 2 months (wow!) and in many ways it feels like so much longer. He belongs with us as much as any of the rest of us do. I'm sure I'll still be talking about adoption some, because I definitely do still think about it, BUT I'm hoping that I will be thinking about a lot of other things, too. Especially about God and Truth and the Truths I'm learning from God. For example... Yesterday I determined & declared that I HAVE A DISEASE. I'm still attempting to diagnose it, but I know that the symptoms are: selfishness, self-pity, grumbling & complaining, woe-is-me-ing, whining (OH, the WHINING that goes on in my head!), sighing, depression, blah, blah & blah. Your basic ungratefulness, I suppose. I've tried praising God and counting and thanking Him for all the uncountable blessings in my life. But it doesn't really fix how I'm feeling when I'm feeling bad. It often actually makes me feel worse, because on top of the selfishness, self-pity, etc. (see list above!) I then add GUILT & CONDEMNATION for feeling that way when there are SO many people in the world and even in my neighborhood with REAL problems and not just laundry piles and hungry children and sticky kitchen floors. There are so many people who are really suffering in the world. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. I HAVE NO EXCUSE. SO. Yesterday, I discovered it was 3 weeks before Thanksgiving and I asked God to PLEASE HELP ME learn how to be thankful and show me what in the world is going on in my heart that is causing me to be so ungrateful. And He has already been showing me that it's even worse than I thought. It's like a cancer that has been effecting decisions I make and how I feel even about having to make decisions (wah!). And you know what? Surprisingly, I am already feeling more thankful and praising God because I've been in places like this before. Often, when I get to a place where I'm feeling the grossness of something in my heart that I hadn't really noticed before, it means 2 things: 1. God is exposing it because, 2. God wants to deal with it and free me from it! Hallelujah! So if you decide to come back and visit me again, hopefully you'll hear more (among other things) about what I'm learning about being thankful. Actually, I'm sure you will. Because God very strongly desires that I be thankful and I know that since I'm asking and it's something He agrees with, HE WILL DO IT. And I'm gonna thank Him when He does!!! See ya again soon. (It's nice to be back.) : ) Y, Melissa

AT LAST!

We interrupt this blogging break to announce that after 2 months of coaching and coaxing and dirty hands and knees, O (Timothy) has started walking! He's been taking steps for a few weeks now, but strongly preferred crawling... until this weekend! Yay! (And now... back to the previously scheduled blog break... back soon!)

I Know, I Know...

I said I wasn't going to be blogging right now, and even though it looks like I am... I'm not. I'm just sharing an incredible video with you, whoever you may be... because God loves you!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen - For Now...

OK, So here’s the deal. For the last week and a half I have been planning on writing about some of the exciting “firsts” that have been happening with Timothy. It started with his first steps on 10/2 (finally! though he still strongly prefers crawling), his first hour left with “babysitters” (Lowell’s parents – we went to Taco Bell and OSH. Woohoo!) and our first post-placement visit with our social worker (where Timothy decided to show off and walk farther than he had ever walked before.) Since then the list has gotten even longer… we’ve experienced his first trip to the fair, first trip to the Dr., first cold days… and some other things I can’t remember. I’ve also thought about some profound things regarding adoption, my spiritual walk right now, life in general and who knows what else that I wanted to blog about. BUT have you gotten to read about any of these things????? Have I actually written about any of these things (before now)????? Unfortunately the answer is NO. Today I even thought of some ridiculous ways to tell you what I’m about to tell you: The BLOG is taking another vacation! I thought about writing a letter to the blog (“It’s not you, it’s me. And yes, there is someone else and his name is Timothy.”) but, well, that was just weird. And I KNOW that I had another silly idea, but I can’t even remember what it was – even though it was being thought about less than 6 hours ago. (Another reason I haven’t been blogging… I think of things when I’m not at the computer and then when I’m at the computer can’t remember what they were.) It’s bugging me that I keep thinking of things I want to write about and keep not finding the time to write. K All of the extra time I used to use to blog has disappeared into the black hole called “I have 3 children now.” BUT, ever an optimist, I am determined not to abandon my beloved blog and handful of devoted readers forever. J I am hoping to be back, full of insight and stories in a few weeks. Sometime in November maybe? I was thinking of taking the month of October off, but realized today that October is already almost halfway over. (Huh???) So maybe it will be until Thanksgiving – because you know there isn’t going to be much going on after that and I always (HAHAHAHA!!!) have Mikaela’s birthday preparations, our Christmas shopping, family newsletter and baking done by Thanksgiving. (Yeah…. that’s the optimist in denial.) So December should be the perfect time to start blogging again. J Well, whatever happens, for now I need to stop being frustrated for not writing and just set it aside for a few weeks. This season is so new to me. Not only do I have another child that I’m still getting to know and learning to love, but for the first time in 2 and a half YEARS I do not have “The Adoption” to be obsessing about and procrastinating about and preparing for. It feels very strange. It’s been on my To-Do list for so long, I’m wondering now what’s going to fill the space (besides diapers and nap-resistance.) I know God is doing some new stuff in my heart and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you after I’ve had a bit more time to listen to Him (without thinking about the blog.) Feel free to comment away – they’ll still end up in my inbox. Love you all and see you soon!!!!! Love, Melissa

Once you lock it, you're OK!

My husband is an avid, very talented Do-It-Yourself-er. He is amazing! And I think he might need one of these for his birthday coming up this month.

It's always so hard for me to think of what to get him. But not this year!!!!! : )

Happy Monday!