blooming blessings--9 months

i've been learning that blessings come in different forms.

first trip to meet Aregash in November 2010

what happens when the blessings from God don't look the way we expect?

do we deny ourselves these blessings?

of course not. 

first trip for court--Aregash with her new "stuff"

the fact that it's a blessing can leave us feeling unworthy.

that is NOT what God intended.

so we carry on.....push on,

with a grateful heart for this gift.

leaving to go to the US Embassy to be able to bring Aregash home

and then we realize that having expectations,

no matter how big or small, 

how beautiful or sometimes not.....

leave us wondering why we really don't feel the way we should.

she is "ours"...saying goodbye at a ceremony at the care center

and with time the blessing blooms.

we see what GOD sees.

fierce about the soda pop

 and we feel happy.

~you can pause my music at the top of the page to listen :0)~


THIS is OUR blessing......
home for 9 months.

and when i think that this is how long we mamas carry our babies in our bellies, 
i think about how amazingly well this child of mine has transitioned.
english is her third language.....
as if that isn't the most amazing thing in itself.

(sadly she has completely lost her 1st and 2nd languages, wolaytinga and amharic).

she has always been spunky and loving and sensitive at times.
and now the love she gives,
she gives soo freely,

the trust she has in all of us....
how do you trust when your world has been turned upside down?

all God's doing.

it is incomprehensible what things look like only being home 9 months.

those dang expectations have gotten in the way soo many times.

and what our God wants.....

he wants us to just be thankful 
for each day,

for each little moment,

for each snuggle,

and each kiss.

God is whispering,

"just do it,

enjoy it,

bask in it,

LOVE it.

LOVE HER....

the way that i 

LOVE YOU".

 so i do,

and i do,

and i do,

and 

I 

WILL.

thank you precious Father,

for my gift.


Happy 9 months HOME 
my sweet baby girl!
I LOVE YOU!!!!

give the gift of giving to someone in REAL NEED this Christmas

  
 

this is the time of year we begin to see christmas decorations in the stores and want to hurl our cookies because the thought of going shopping for some sort of "perfect" gift for our families just about sends us over the edge.  

i guess i should stop talking in third person.  

this is how I feel. 

i claim that every year will be different.  it has gotten MUCH better in our family.  we focus on the fact that this is not about us.....some people believe it's "for the kids". 

i say it's about Jesus.  

most people i know, struggle with the fact that because of traditions we grew up with and are hard to break, they don't know how to start over. 

i'm one of those people....or at least i was.

i was that mommy that would say "santa is watching you". 

really???
remember that the REAL st. nicholaus......
the st. nick we have forgotten about over the years....
well,
he loved God too.
 

soo.....with a recommendation from a good friend, i started a tradition which has caught on quite nicely.  each of our children receives 3 packages to open christmas morning.  only 3.  they know what to expect.  there are no questions about why luke got more than cole, etc.  they each have 3.  and each one of the packages is labeled either

"gold", "frankincense", or "myrrh".  

their gold gift is based on the REAL st. nicholaus and his gifts of gold 

(which is what santa clause is really based on).  

it is the gift which that child will cherish--something they desire or sometimes something WE think they will love.  

the gift of frankincense is a gift of necessity...something of need....not soo much desire.  

and the gift of myrrh is something that describes their character or passion 

(like music for a child who loves music.....a craft if she/he is artsy.....a puzzle for a child with that type of mind).  

anyway, these gifts are obviously given with the gifts of the wise men in mind.  

perfect for celebrating His story.  

i was given a book called "Christmas Stories for the Heart" compiled by Alice Gray (in case you wanna check it out, it's sold on amazon quite cheaply).  all of the stories are related to the "true" meaning of christmas.  
i adore it.  
so on christmas morning (and sometimes for a few days before--and hopefully for the whole month of december this year) we will read stories as a family to get the kids off the santa mindset and remind them what we're celebrating. 

on p.102 of this book it reads, 
" Nicholas's heart was moved with compassion and he began to pray that God would show him how he could help this poor man and his family.".

and then we open gifts as a family.  
times are hard for most families and people wonder what they will do for christmas...i know i always do.  and i use to spend wayyyy too much trying to figure it out and have credit card debt to remind us.  
this has really curbed that.  
and this year i would like to do something we've wanted to do, but never have.  

since we started even thinking about adopting i've wanted to purchase gifts that would help a person in need...wherever that may be.  

and the reason we haven't done it? 
because we're always too worried about what that person will think.  
if they open our card and it says "in your honor, a little girl in guatemala will have food for a week",  or "because of you there is a family in uganda who received a goat to better their life", or "with this gift you helped bring a child home to their family and supported a widow and her two small children".......
will they be disappointed because it isn't all about them?
  or will they be angry because helping children across the world isn't their passion like it is ours?  

well, this year, we don't care.  

we love our family...and hopefully they will be excited to know that because we love them soo much, someone's life will be changed, even if just a little.
even if for one day. 

look at this

so now i ask.....if YOU are selling something to help raise money for your adoption, or have an idea of things that we can do for others at christmas time (or any time for that matter).....i'd like to hear it. 

i will have a post of ideas for gift-giving ideas that hold special and true meaning in case you wanna try it too.  

what a great way to help our children see how christ's life is what christmas is all about.  

please email me at cholo5@wescomm.com with your link (for blogging link directly to your post about that item) and idea and i will keep adding them on to my blog post.  i know you're probably thinking, "Oh my gosh, Kendra......we haven't even gotten past Halloween yet!!".  
but these things take time to research.

here's one, in case you're wondering what i'm talking about.....
moments with love:water

(you can give clean water to this village of people who now drink from a bacteria-infested water hole--just click and see and donate) 

wallah, one gift down!!

there are A LOT of ways we can give by giving to someone in REAL NEED!
i'm excited to see what we come up with!!

ready.
set.
GO!!!!

please re-post and pass on to your friends!!