Living in the HERE and NOW..

This last week has left me completely exhausted from the stress of this emotional roller coaster. It has left me with puffy eyes from lac of sleep and lots of "bumps" on my face that will not go away.

Why did the Lord have us go through this last week of ups and downs....leaving, not leaving, leaving, not leaving? I don't know why, but some obvious reasons are:

1. It forced us to get on the ball and really get packed. So now we are pretty much ready to go tomorrow if we had to. A week ago we would not have said that. So this is an answer to prayer.

2. I had time to get all this private blog stuff worked out..emails logged in, etc....

3. I have had time to start this new adoption book that I ordered called "Toddler Adoption", which is very informative.

4. We were able to finish Henry's Super Hero ABC book so we can take it on the air plane.

5. It forced me to trust God with more things in my life, allowing me to realize how much I am not in control...at all..not one little bit! I have a feeling he will be teaching me this a lot during the next several months of this adoption journey, especially once we get to Uganda! Things do not usually go as planned over there...can you tell?

Several friends sent me really encouraging emails during this past week. Those have definitely lifted my spirits and ministered to me. Our Generations social worker sent me this email after I talked/cryed to her the other day. I really appreciated her insight on this whole situation...how wonderful that she prays for our family!

I don’t know if this will be comforting to you, but it was for my burdened heart as I prayed for you and our families in Uganda. Yesterday Cathy sent us a devotional that she received through her email with the verse in Gen. 8:1: God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” As I thought about this verse and the words “remembered”, I felt God impress on my heart that it wasn’t that all of sudden God said, “Oh my gosh, Noah…I completely forgot…I can’t believe it’s been 40 days…oops” but instead God remembered Noah because the 40 days that God had already appointed and decided Noah would need to wait in the flood were finally over and God could finally come and make the water recede. He has NOT forgotten you today, but has a plan and purpose for your families’ life and it is good, even though sometimes it is dark, painful, disappointing, and never what we are expecting. The time you are waiting for this process to be over might just be God’s timing for you, even though you don’t understand it.

I really do think, sometimes, that God has forgotten about us, or it is up to me to make it happen. But, the Lord wants this adoption to happen more than we do, because it is his heart for orphans to have families...it is just not the right timing yet.

Then another friend, Laura, sent me an email about how much she has enjoyed following our adoption journey and she gave me some great insight for why the Lord has planned this story the way he has...

"I know you feel so ready, but you have to know that God is preparing Charles Tucker, and maybe preparing the hearts of Mary Taylor and Henry to be at an age/stage, etc when they are ready to accept their new brother in the easiest, least stressful way."

Thank you Laura for this perspective, I have never thought about this before. There really are, real and just reasons for why we are still in the United States and not on a air plane. It is not random, the Lord has not forgotten about Charles Tucker. He wants to write the most amazing adoption story to bring the most glory to his name, which is exactly what brings us most satisfaction too! So cool how it works that way!! Can't wait for that day!

Then my sister-in-law, Leslie, sent me this encouraging verse and some words that Beth Moore talked about in one of her studies. So neat to think of God longing with us....

"no matter what you’re going through, longing for or waiting on, the Lord is right there longing and waiting with you"

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious

 he rises to show you compassion.
 For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30:18

And thank you to our wonderful friends and family who have helped us out during this last week while we thought we were about to leave. Thank you to Caroline for watching the kids at the park on Tuesday afternoon while I ran errands for Uganda. Jenn. G., thanks for picking the kids up and bringing them home...we had fun eating dinner and chatting with you too! Then the next day, my sister-in-law, Jennifer, and her son Dexter watched Henry and Mary Taylor so I could continue this packing adventure...I am glad we got to hang out a bit too! Then today, my Grandmother and Aunt picked up the kids and took them to story time and to lunch so Dee and I could make a Target run and spend time together....what a big help you all were today! And then late this after noon when I went to pick up my mail, my across the street neighbor Beth, graced me with her delicious m'n'm chocolate chip cookies! Wow what a great surprise to lift my spirits after our crazy week! Beth, you have no idea how much I love chocolate chip cookies!!

And to add another reason why we are still here...

6. The Lord wants to teach me to live in the present and be content with what he has for me today. There are blessing I am missing out on when I am anxious for the future. So to show you how we have been living in the "here and now" here are a few pictures from our events from the last two days.

What blessings my children truly are. I truly have the coolest and most fun kids out there...they might be wild, defiant, impatient, etc, but they are a lot of fun!! Let me show you what we have been up to. We went to the YMCA fall festival on Friday night. I took some great pictures of the kids without my sim card in my camera, so here are a few pictures I took with my iphone.

Then Saturday night we attempted to go to "Boo at the Zoo", but we got there twenty minutes before it closed. But they let us come in for a little while to look at the flamingos and play on the playground. Henry was a little upset the train was not running anymore. But, he managed to have fun on the playground after he met some friends. Henry of course was "Batman" and Mary Taylor refused to put on the "Robin" costume that Henry picked out for her. So she wore her pumpkin dress that still fits from last year. I found the "Robin" costume at the thrift store, because Henry always talks about how he wants Charles Tucker to play "Batman and Robin" with him.

Look at those teeth! M.T. got her first tooth at 15 months so we are just a little bit slow in this area of development...don't worry the dentist did an xray of her mouth...she has all of her teeth they are just taking their sweet time...

  

 Before we got back in the car we stopped and listened to a trumpet player on the street  play "twinkle twinkle little star" and "row row row your boat" at Mary Taylor's request. Then right before it got dark we found a park to run around and play "Batman and Robin". I guess Henry has settled with Mary Taylor...for now...

 Dana nana nana nana dana nana nana nana...Batman!

 Hiding behind the tree...

Faster than a speeding bullet....or is that super man? 

 What's the next move Batman?

Oh, you want your sister to put on the Robin costume? Ok, she will...Oh, now she said, no!

 Please Ta Ta???

 NO...

" Well, then I will put the Robin cap and mask on and be Bat-Robin"...with Ta Ta right behind him

Henry's first attempt at taking a picture of us...

Please, sister, will you put the Robin costume on???

Ok.. He He...

Go Robin!

Could she be a cuter Robin??? Hilarious!!

 And always remember to bring Pablo where ever you go... my grandmother and aunt bought this for her today at the book store. This is her new favorite friend...

 Yes, at last...Batman and Robin together...there is a costume, but we could only talk her into wearing the mask and cape...

And don't forget Pablo...

Didn't I tell you they were fun? What a great night to realize my precious blessings that are right in front of my eyes.

Tomorrow we have a soccer game and our cousin Dexter's Halloween Party!! Stay tuned for more events while we live in the "here and now!!!"