We truly are a family redefined. We are husband, wife, son, daughter, step children, biological and adopted children and most importantly, Children of God.

A friend pointed out that I needed to update my blog header. After our adoption from Ethiopia, I had updated it stating how the adoption of Sara Joy completed our family. Well... the journey continues. After much prayer, we have decided to follow what we feel is God's calling for us...we went to Ghana with the intention of adopting a four year old girl, Isabella Hope. Little did we know that she would be the catalyst to bringing home not only her, but her half brother and sister. We will now be adding not only Isabella Hope to our family, but also Mary Grace (9) and Gilbert (6) who we will transition to the name Nathaniel Timothy. The shock is wearing off and the JOY and EXCITEMENT are overwhelming. Now truly, our family is complete. The great part of journeying with God, is that it's always an adventure. He knows where we are going, and for us it is all a marvelous surprise. Looking forward to sharing our family adventures as we walk daily through life and as we venture off to Ghana to bring home Mary, Nate and Isabella! It's always an adventure redefining our family!



Sunday, January 10, 2010

When it rains....I grow

When it rains..... what happens when it rains?  We all know.  When it rains, it pours.  When it rains, you get wet.  When it rains you feel cold.  When it rains, things grow.  Hhmmmm - when it rains, I grow.  Then it must be growing pains.....  Because it's raining and it hurts.  I do have to qualify my hurt though.  I know that some people have so much more to deal with in their life than I do.  I would not trade them places to save my life - but I can still grumble a bit, can't I?

I wrote a few posts ago about all that is happening in our life / home financially since we started moving again with regard to the adoption.  Well, add another bill to the long list.  Thursday night we got home from work and I had Anna upstairs in her bathroom taking a shower.  Laundry was going.  I was on the phone with Anna's teacher.  Tim came into the office where I was sitting.... he didn't look happy.  He keeps sighing like I have been on the phone WAY too long.  I give him a look like "It's Anna's teacher, what am I supposed to do???"  When I got off the phone, I found out why he looked like that.... While Anna was showering and the laundry was ... being laundered... the tub and shower in the master bath were filling up.  And even when the water was off and the laundry stopped - they were not draining.  SERIOUSLY????  Come on!!!  We haven't even finished dealing with the floor problem in the kitchen yet!  So, Tim ran out to get some Draino.  It would've had to have been some pretty strong Draino.... and unfortunately it was not strong enough.  With two kids and not being able to flush a toilet, we had an issue.  We waited awhile to see if the Drano would work and then we headed off to a hotel for the evening.  Fun stuff!

Friday Tim and I were home dealing with that.  The first guy that showed up - USELESS and might as well have been a bank robber for what he wanted to charge us to do nothing.  Tim then called someone else, and a very respectable guy came out, explained the problem and discussed our options.  We ended up getting running water, but it cost us a bit!

I wonder when it will all end?  When will Satan see that we are going through with the adoption no matter what he throws at us.  Short of one of us dying, we are going (I probably shouldn't have even said that).  When will he get the clue?  Our DAUGHTER is there, and no one will keep us from getting our daughter!  Not even all of the financial intervention of Satan!

And now for the growing part.  I think all of the problems were have encountered with the house lately have allowed me to grow.  I've learned to step back and say "it's ok".  No, we don't have our kitchen floors replaced yet, but what difference does it make?  I still have a house to live in and my family is healthy!  Normally things like this would freak me out.  I would obsess over getting the floors completed.  I would have CRACKED at the plumbing falling apart after our floor issue.  I would have put the for sale sign in the yard and started finding my new home.  One without all of these issues.  Well, I'm not moving and there is no sign in the front yard.  Now that we have had to deal with the plumbing issue, it may take us a bit longer to get the floors, but that is ok.  At least Tim and I both have jobs that allow us to make good money and for the most part fund these projects without credit.  It may take us longer, but we eventually get it done.  I've learned to let go a bit.  if you know me at all, you know just how difficult that is for me.  It is time though to look Satan in the eye and say "nice try".  There is no detour for us.  God is our GPS and this is where He is taking us through to get to our daughter.

I mentioned before that another one of our financial slams has been my upcoming eye surgery.  The surgery itself will cost us a bundle, but then also I have had to get both new glasses AND new contacts.  Well, that time has come...On Friday I will have my second eye surgery.  Please pray for me that it goes smoothly.  I'm a bit nervous about it.  I probably won't be able to see for awhile, as they are working on my right eye, and that is where most of my vision is.  And to make matters worse, Tim is going out of town.  He should be home for the surgery..... or should I say he WILL be home for the surgery.  He was orignially supposed to leave Monday and come back Wednesday afternoon.  It has been changed to leaving on Tuesday and coming back Thursday afternoon.  The only question mark in the whole deal is that he is going to Baltimore.  My guess is there is snow there.  He has promised me that if there is more than a 20% chance of snow on Thursday, that he will not go.  I know he needs to go, and I also know I can call on my family and friends if I need to, to help me out if he misses the surgery.  But, I would really like my husband there for this.  There are very few thinggs in life that I'm really uncomfortable and nervous about.... however, one of them is eye surgery.  I'm also not real comfortable expressing my nervousness in front of anyone - really not even Tim, but I can with him.  Last time I couldn't sleep for days before the surgery.  I just kept thinking of all that could happen.  I kept wondering what I would experience, what I would feel.  It all ended up being fine last time, but this time... it's my right eye.  That ups the ante a bit.  I'll need Tim there.  So, please pray for me and pray that Tim makes it home in time to be with me for the surgery.

Finally, and I know this is a long post - but for all of you that have been praying for Cameron with regard to the situation with is dad, THANK YOU.  He is managing fairly well.  Cameron is sad about the whole situation, but he understands.  He is handling it well.  It was heartwrenching for me to have to tell him, but it had to be done.  I'm not sure when he will have the opportunity to see his dad again so please continue to keep Cameron in your prayers.

In Christ,
Charity

2 comments:

Lori said...

Praying for all your concerns and so glad to see you are pushing through....that's what brings the hope!

Corinne said...

My prayers are with you for a succesful eye surgery.It is so true that when it rains we grow!! Hang in there with all the rain of growth!