Almost

12 months ago I fell in love with this guy!

Today we are having his first birthday party! Tomorrow is his actual birthday! But as for today, I hope you have a great day Bubby! I love you!

Happy Birthday to my China boy!

Today this little boy turn 4! Yikes! This was the first time I saw his face. He was 11 months old and forever away in China! He was the first adoption I watched from start to finish! God used him to start the love of orphans in my heart!

This past summer his family moved and so I have not seen him in several months...*sniff sniff*



He has the best smile and a better laugh!

For the LONGEST time I could not understand a THING he said. Usually I would start laughing because he was laughing at the fact that I was guessing all over the house!



His precious personality lights up a room! He is so sweet!

I miss him so much!
Happy Birthday little boy! I hope you have an amazing day! Te amo!

Peru

I wanted to participate in Kelly's Korner Mission Trip post but this is the best I could do! I already made a post about my trips...kind of...a few months back here.
Here's a quick run down of where God's taken me!

Baltimore Maryland - Spring 2005
(sorry can't find any pics! Before my days of digital camera)

Gallup New Mexico - Summer 2005

Baltimore Maryland - Spring 2006

New and North Brunswick New Jearsy - Summer 2006

Hermosillo, Mexico - Summer 2007

Baltimore Maryland - Spring 2008

Lynchburg, Virginia - Summer 2008

San Jose de Quero, Usibamba, and Lima, Peru - Late Summer 2009

A sister date

Last week my sisters and I went to see a local youth theater's production of Cinderella. We had a friend who was a part of the cast. She was a part of the town's people and one of the ladies at the ball! Unfortunately she was never up front enough for me to get a decent picture!

We had a blast on our sister date! Even Bean, who is NOT a girly-girl, loved it!

We had AMAZING seats! We sat in the balcony on the left! No one in front of us. We could see the entire orchestra, which Bean and I loved!

The step-sisters were PHENOMENAL! They were so funny and our favorite characters!

This was Bean's favorite part! Anyone who knows the Bean knows why! =)

Madalee and C(the one in the play)!

just a trim

Yesterday my sisters and I did some yard work. The weather was FINALLY so pretty we took advantage of it before it turned to rain today and tomorrow. =(

One of the jobs that needed to be done was pruning the crape myrtles in the front. They were very shaggy. As I was trimming I kept recalling the words of my neighbor, "you have to take it back to strong, solid branches. Get rid of all the dead, weak, and scrawny twigs hanging off. Leave it looking something like this."

My neighbor is a wise man. He did not win the County's award for beautiful lawn (although I think he should), but he could probably teach anyone willing to listen how to make a yard beautiful and healthy. So, he spoke, I listened, and followed his advice...and memorized VERY carefully my other neighbor's freshly trimmed crape myrtles (who by the way, did win the award). =)

Back to the trimming...I realized something. That sometimes coming out of the winter and in preparation for the spring God has to prune us. He has to cut back the branches so we grow, take away the dead twigs so we bloom to our fullest, cut back and take away any branches causing the over all appearance to lack, and take us back to the solid strong branches.

Does it look pretty? I don't think so. I think a freshly pruned crape myrtle is not one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. In fact it is quite u-g-l-y. Whitish, naked sticks coming out of the ground.

Is it beneficial? ABSOLUTELY! I know what the crape myrtle is capable of now that it has been trimmed. Come summer (I think) beautiful lacy pink flowers will canvas those whitish naked branches making them beautiful again.

The trimming process is hard. I mean really, those sheers are huge. Who wants to be whacked at with those!? But, in the process it is being formed and shaped to fully be the plant it was created to be. For the moment, it is hard. It is not pleasant. The result is worth the pain. Hebrews 12:11

If you don't trim and crape myrtle it become shaggy, scraggly, and crazy. Proverbs 13:18

Come summer, a pruned crape myrtle blooms and blooms to it's fullest. Psalm 94:12 and Job 5:17

If a crape myrtle is left to it's own they grow wildly, untamed. When summer comes, they don't bloom beautifully. The underneath is barren and dead looking and it is masked by the blooms on top. It is not easily hidden and screams so. The gardener has to take it back if it cares at all how it grows. Hebrews 12 and Revelation 3:19

The present pain being trimmed and humbled is resulting later in a growing, blooming, flourishing plant constantly becoming who God made it to be.

with tears...

...and praise, precious Layla is with Jesus. Her little body is healed and perfect, resting in the Father's arms.

My heart is burdened for her family. She has 2 sisters ages 3 and 9. I am praying for peace and strength for them. Please continue to pray for them!

Layla

Today God broke my heart for what broke His. My heart is so heavy for Layla and her family.

Layla Grace

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Matthew 21:22

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:13-14

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 5:14-15

questions for him

1- What's his favorite color?
2- Where did he grow up?
3- What did God break his heart for?
4- If he could have anything to eat, what would it be?
5- What did he want to be when he grew up?
6- Am I the first girl he gave his heart to?
7- Is he close to his siblings?
8- Does he have an nick-names?
9- What is one of his embarrassing moments?
10- Is he good about learning from his mistakes?
11- How long did it take him to ride a bike?
12- Has he been outside the country?
13- When did he know that he was not enough and needed Jesus' blood?
14- How many times did he take the test for his license?
15- Has he allowed full surrender of his life to the Father?
16- Does he like to travel?

My list is forever growing. For now, as I wait, I will keep praying for him and asking one question - Is he waiting for me?

finally

The weather was finally nice enough to enjoy...emphasis being on "enjoy"...some time outside! The ground was mostly dry and the sun was out! YEAH!

Monkey and I ate a quick lunch and darted outside to enjoy some time before nap! We did it all! Swings, Trampoline, car, slide! Everything!

20

I have joked about not wanting to have my birthday tomorrow. It's not the birthday. It's the age.

20

That's it...no more teenage years. Over and done. Shouldn't I be in a different place by now?

If I am honest with myself, there lies my struggle.

As a kid I loved dolls! LOVED them! I had every kind you could think of! I loved to play with them, dress them, collect them...I just loved dolls. When I would play I made up this whole persona for myself. I had a husband, a handful of kids. I was settled. Happy. Grown up. Together. I was 20.

Now being 20...almost(!)...I don't have any of those things. I have struggled with that very thing. As a kid I had this vision of what I was supposed to be by this point in my life and I let me down. I didn't make it. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered mommy...I never had an ambitious goal. I didn't have this great picture of a wonderful career. I just wanted to be mommy.

Being at this point and turning to look back I wouldn't trade the things I have been through over the last 2 years for a husband and kids. I wouldn't be where I am. I wouldn't be who I am.

I had to grasp some reality about turning 20.

The first truth I had to swallow is that life isn't over. God is not done working on me. He won't be. I am constantly a work in progress! Thank the Lord!

Second, 20 starts another phase in life. I am not a teenager. I am fully an adult.With that alone comes certain challenges. But a whole new phase in who I am becoming. Who the Father is shaping me to be.

Third, and maybe the hardest. God doesn't have me married right now. And for what other reason than that currently I need to strive to bring Him glory where I am right now...single. Is it what I want to do? maybe not. But the all-knowing, awe inspiring, gasp-giving, mountain moving, all powerful, mighty to save, planning for my hope and future-God has a plan bigger...MUCH bigger than the one I had at 5 or even 5 minutes ago.

Yes, I am turning 20 tomorrow. No, I am not dreading it. I feel a bit like Kuzco...bring it on!

Make sure you scroll down and turn off the music!