Go Read This: Mine

It has been a very tough week for us. This blog post sums it up quite perfectly: Mine.

My Heart . . . In Other's Words

I have read two different blog posts in the past 24 hours that put into words nearly exactly what is going on in my world lately. I couldn't help but share them in case they could encourage others, too. The weight of the "tension" my daughter carries and all of the "not yets" are threatening to pull me under lately. I'm so thankful to be living as an adoptive mother in 2013 where other adoptive moms can mentor me from afar via the internet and be used of God to help me know how to keep on going. 

From Owlhaven:

Adopted children constantly live in the tension between the happiness of the adoptive-parent side of the story and the sadness that led them to be relinquished in the first place.  We as adoptive parents need to be aware of the tension that causes the child.  They’re carrying a lot.  The human body can’t hold it all.  It will be expressed somehow.


From Every Bitter Thing is Sweet (this post is word-for-word, in better words, what is going on in my heart at this moment):

And here she is again. Another of my days at risk of being absorbed into this vortex, I moan under my breath, feeling the weight of what’s not yet healed in her and all of its uncertainty.
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Their not yet isn’t a time to be tolerated, but one to be cherished. He is training your eyes to see Him and your heart to receive Him, right here in the utter weakness that threatens to reek of failure.

And if you can find Him here, His love just might pull a total-life takeover.

Praying for God to help me find Him in all of the "not yets" and "tension" that is carried around and frequently spills over. 

The Boys

I haven't taken many pictures since Christmas, but I just downloaded what I have and thought I'd share what the boys have been up to lately. Having two boys six months apart continues to be one of my favorite things in life! Sure, they have their share of fighting and not sharing, but their friendship and playing together definitely WAY outweigh their spatting.

 Two little boys in sweatshirts and vests and hats with shovels is an all-time favorite of mine.

They love to use my decorative jars as drums. The lampshade and glass jar on the shelf are also part of their drum set. Normally, I wouldn't let them bang on decorations like that, but look at him? It is one of the cutest/fun things they do, so I have let it go!

I guess another thing I have let go . . . the glider rocker that gets turned into a rocket ship, boat, house and in this case . . . a teeter-totter. The chair is a hand-me-down from my sister. It outlived her rocking her four babies and I currently use it to rock my three non-babies. It has had a good, long life so why not use it as a teeter-totter!

Not sure what this is.

They love to help in the kitchen, of course.

Not sure what was going on this day. I think they were playing "office" with Zoe because Abram has an ink pen attached to the collar of his shirt. They were also probably playing "hotel" since they have shorts on. They love to pack up their bags in their room and take it to the back room to their "hotel" (a tent they've made out of the table).

Riding horses 

(The bungee cords we gave them for Christmas get a lot of use!)

Baseball in the front room with dad. Why not?

 Lots of "Narnia" goes on with the shields and swords. And the goggles, of course!

Love them!

Go Read This: On Raising Gracious Kids

Not even an hour ago as I was rocking one of my boys before nap time (have I mentioned I am squeezing every last ounce of "baby" out of both of them!?), I was praying and telling Jesus that if anything remotely good ever comes out of my parenting these kids it will be ONLY because of Him...ONLY because of His grace and mercy. The task seems so impossible lately.

And then I just read this blog post from Life{in}Grace. Wow. It hits me smack-dab right where I am. Definitely one of the best things I've read on parenting as Christ-follower. I started thinking about the people I should send it to and the list kept getting longer so I decided I better just put the link on my blog!

Go read it!