ONE YEAR TOGETHER!!!!

365 days. 52 weeks. 12 months.

One whole year with my boy!

Ahhhh--mazing!

 

 



Getting prayed-out into motherhood

August 12, 2013

 When I think back of what this day last year held, the memories are so fresh they are tangible. In the middle of a communist country airport, the other families in our travel group spontaneously prayed over me as my mom, Jessie & I separated from the group to fly to the Guizhou Province alone. I can't tell you what confirmation & peace that gave my heart! They would have to wait another day for their children, but Isaac would be in my arms that very evening. Ultimately, we were delayed three hours desperately attempting to communicate our way through the Beijing airport. We arrived in Guiyang thirty minutes after Isaac was already supposed to be in my arms, running to get into a van with a Chinese woman I only hoped was our guide & translator. Then we entered a building that Mom was convinced is where the actual Chinese Mafia was housed! (It was scary looking). The elevator ride up 14 floors was the longest & shortest of my life...and then the final flight of steps, walking through the door, turning to the left...and there was my sweet boy. A tiny bald-headed little boy, dressed in mint-apple green, looking like a jolly rancher, wearing bright blue squeaky shoes. Then he waddled right to me! (And proceeded to poke me in the eye.). It was perfect. And HOT. And tearful. And overwhelming. And wonderful...it was God's plan joyfully fulfilled.



      That little waif of a boy, that could barely hold himself up 1 year ago, now runs & jumps & throws & kicks & wrestles like a toddler boy that has never known anything else. The pack-n-play in my room is now put away as he doesn't need it to be corralled anymore. And we have finished the last of the formula, because he has gained 8 pounds, grown 4 inches and added 16 teeth in the last year! His therapy reports are now splattered with phrases like: phenomenal growth, spectacular improvement, advanced problem solving ability, and age-appropriate social skills (!!). I never could have imagined this for him especially in such a short amount of time...but I know our God did!  Our Father has know since He was  knitting Isaac perfectly together in his birthmother's womb. He has known every breath my boy will take.

     We have celebrated our family all year, but this weekend we took a special field trip to ride Seattle's Great Wheel over Elliot Bay. I'm sure I could come up with some circle of life metaphor, or something about how far God has brought us, but mostly it was just a lot of fun. We took silly photos and banged on the windows and looked for fish from 175 feet in the air, then we got ice cream and watched seagulls fight over french fries. It's what we do. It's our life together.  

Family Day at the Seattle Great Wheel!

      Below is a video of our first year together as a forever family. The sheer number of experiences we've had in 12 months looks intimidating!  But even as Isaac rested in my arms yesterday in church, surrounded by our spiritual family singing Great Is Thy Faithfulness, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by God's hand in our lives. His faithfulness IS great...just look at us!