Gratitude Photo Challenge and Thankful Tree

So way back in January I started a project 52- one photo a week for the whole year. I started off strong, posted some of the pictures that I took here on the blog and shared them via a Project 52 that I joined. Then, in March, two little mischief makers entered our world and life became a little, well, crazy. That combined with the fact that these mischief makers became the subject of most of my pictures and thus they couldn't be posted, my project 52 got left behind. (I also blame mischief maker #1 and #2 on my failed New Year's resolution to fold and put away the laundry as soon as it came out of the dryer, but that's a whole other story).
I've been thinking that I wanted to start challenging myself a little more photographically (is that how you use that word??) and then came across this photography challenge on pinterest (you can find it over at positivelypresent.com).

Not only was it exactly the kind of challenge I was looking for, but I also love that the theme of it is gratitude, something I've been learning so much about as we try to teach E. what it means to be thankful. So often it's the things I'm trying to teach the kids that I realize I need to work on myself. So here is my picture for day 1: Favorite Food

Bagel with pumpkin cream cheese and coffee!

I probably won't post my pictures for each day, but I'll highlight a few over the weeks to come.

In light of that a few nights ago we started a "Thankful Tree." We collected branches and put them together in a mason jar to make our "tree," and then each night we each write down on a paper leaf what we are thankful for that day.



I'm not sure E. completely gets what we are doing- the first day she said she was thankful for coffee (so are mommy and daddy!)- but hopefully she'll catch on as we talk about what we are thankful for each night.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

A Fall Centerpiece

I don't just enjoy fall- I adore it. It gives me warm, achy homesick feelings in side that just make me want to curl up with a good cup of coffee, a good book, and a fire in the fire place. Growing up in New England (hello! This is where people travel and vacation in order to experience fall!) I have very different ideas about what fall should be like. Over the last seven years in Southern California (with only one trip back east during the fall in all that time), I've learned to adapt my expectations and appreciate the beauty of Southern California in the fall.

So while I still long for cold nights all cozy by the fire and of course the beauty of fall foliage, I've learned to enjoy the more subtle change of seasons, pumpkin spice lattes, and decorating our home for autumn.

Last year, I posted my fall centerpiece that I created, and so I decided to post this years which was inspired from Pinterest. Mums are my favorite fall flower (our yard is currently full of them), so this was a great way to incorporate them inside as well!


This was super simple and affordable as well. I picked out a pumpkin at Trader Joe's for $2.99 and picked up the Mum's at Home Depot for under $3 as well. I cut the top of the pumpkin (and scraped the inside) so that the Mum (keep it in the pot) slid right inside. After I cut and scraped the inside I filled the sink with cold water and about a tablespoon of bleach and let the pumkin soak for about an hour. I then pat it dry and let it sit outside to completely dry for another hour or so. Add the mum and a ribbon and you are good to go!

A little side note:To water the mum take it out of the pumpkin and water, allowing all of the water to drain through before putting it back in the pumpkin. I also wrapped the pot in paper towels before putting it in to absorb any excess moisture- the more dry you can keep the inside of the pumpkin the longer it will take to get all yucky and moldy on the inside.

Daddy's Biggest Fan

Of course I've always thought that it's hard to resist the vocal stylings of my husband with a guitar in hand....


But nothing can beat the adoration of a little girl for her Daddy....


especially when he's singing her favorite songs from "Tangled."

Amazed

I just keep coming back to look at this picture (and a few others with faces showing that I can't post yet) and am just amazed. Amazed by how life has changed in the last 6 months, amazed by these two little ones who have stolen our hearts (and our sleep), amazed by their giggles and the new things they say and learn every day. All too often, in the midst of temper tantrums and icky diapers and early mornings I forget to be amazed. That's what I love about a picture- one moment frozen in time in front of me that reminds me to be amazed at all of the little moments that God gives us.

We have had a huge answer to prayer; after several delays and court hearings, parental rights were terminated and we are moving ahead and becoming an adoptive placement for our kids. We are still figuring out what that whole process looks like from here on out, but we are thrilled by this answer to prayer! Last Friday, our kids had their final visit with their maternal grandmother. Please keep the extended biological family in your prayers. We know this has been an extremely hard process for them; pray that God in His sovereignty would use this situation to work in their lives. It has been an odd mixture of emotions as we have rejoiced that our kids are now freed for adoption, but also felt compassion for the biological family and the loss they are experiencing.

We have felt for a while now that these are "our" kids and to be so much closer to that being the case in every sense is so exciting. We haven't really talked too much about the concept of adoption with Ella- both because of her age and because of where we have been at in the process- but tonight as I was saying goodnight and telling her how much I loved her and how much God loved her, it was the best feeling in the world to explain that "God loves us so much that he adopts us to be His children, just like mommy and daddy are adopting you to be our daughter." I can't think of a sweeter analogy for the gospel than adoption, and we are so blessed to experience that adoption from our heavenly father as well as through continuing to pursue adoption of Ella and Haddon.

Prayer, a reminder of our need for God

Tomorrow marks 4 months that we've been fostering our little ones! We are amazed at how time has flown and by how much they have grown and changed in that amount of time. It's hard to imagine life without them (did we really used to be able to go out whenever we felt like it?!!). And I'm pretty sure up until 4 months ago, our living room never looked like this.


Tomorrow is also significant in that the hearing to terminate parental rights is tomorrow morning. If rights are terminated the birth parents have 60 days to appeal. In the meantime we will be able to start the adoption process. It is just another reminder in all of this of how dependent upon the Lord I need to be. The first few weeks that was really easy to see- I knew beyond a doubt there was no way I could survive without the Lord. As we adjusted, got into a routine, and things got easier I find myself far less dependent on God's daily sustaining grace.This hearing is a reminder of the reality that God is in control, not me.
I am so thankful for this mornings sermon on Luke 11:5-13 and the excellent reminder from Pastor Danny Lee to trust in God's goodness to give us His best. When we pray we are reminded of our dependence on God. While I cannot wait for tomorrow's hearing to be over, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be reminded of just how much I need the Lord. Please join with us in praying for tomorrow's hearing, we are excited to see how God works!

Multiplied Joy

First of all, I just have to say a huge thank you to all of you who have encouraged us with your support. So many of you have blessed us with your prayers, and I am convinced it is your intercession for us that has made all of the transitions go as smoothly as they have. We have been HUGELY blessed as our friends and family have expressed their excitement for us and have loved us by loving our kids. We are overwhelmed by your love and support!

Many of you have asked where we are in the process of adoption at this point. So I’ll give you a brief update. From the time the kids were first placed with us our goal has been adoption, and, though not “risk free,” the social workers for their case have been very confident that we would be able to do that. There is a hearing set for the end of July to terminate parental rights at which point the adoption plan (us!) would be presented. If no one contests then we could potentially finalize the adoption in September. In the meantime, the kids still have visits once a month with their grandmother. They have had one visit so far and have another one coming up on Monday. Please pray for them (and us) last months visit brought with it some rocky transitions and we are not sure how these visits will continue to affect their transition into our family.

Our prayer right now is that the termination will not be contested and that we will be able to move ahead towards adoption! Obviously there are a lot of things that we could spend many anxious hours worrying about in this whole process. Another foster mom told me recently that the whole process of fostering and adopting has made her realize above all that her kids are not her own- they belong to the Lord. As much as I want to claim these two little ones as my own, this whole process forces me to see that they are a blessing from the Lord, given to us for a time. And whether he gives them to us for several months or for a lifetime I need to hold that blessing with an open hand. Please pray as we learn to trust the Lord with our kids!

In the meantime, we are learning to take things one day at a time; to do what is best for our kids today and to do what honors the Lord today. So our days are filled with bubble blowing, alphabet singing, ball playing, tickling (let’s be honest temper –tantrums and time-outs), glorious nap-time (!!) and lots of cuddling.

Right before we got the kids, Josh asked a friend if we were crazy to take on two kids like this. His response was that, yes, quite possibly we were crazy, but that in the process our joy would multiplied. And he was right. Because despite a crazy, overwhelming 8 weeks, and despite the fears that threaten to take hold at times, I would not trade anything for the joy that has been ours these last 8 weeks.