A 2nd Grader's Widow's Mite

My eyes are still wet.
I sat here with Oliver before bed, watching the video about a sweet girl who is DESPERATE for a family to choose her. Her video is compelling and it breaks your heart to see her plea for a family...and break into tears. The nanny tells her softly, "No, don't cry. Don't be sad."
But it is just so, so sad.
Oliver and I watched it.
He said very little. He's an inward processor. Very UNlike his momma! ;)
He asked me about Esty, "Why can't she walk, Momma?" 
I explained spina bifida. I explained incontinence.
I then shared that she's been waiting (like the girl in the video) for NINE YEARS for a family to come for her.
It's longer than he has been alive.
His eyes widened.
Still, he said nothing.
He then asked me about the money we needed to go get her.
"How much more do we need?"
"$21,000."
"How much would we need if we just started?"
"$29,000."
"So...we only need $2,000?" he asked quietly.
"No, actually a lot more than that. Twenty-one thousand," I shared.
"Ohhhh. That's a lot." 
Yes. Yes it is.
But God is WAAAAY bigger.
He was gone then. Not sure even when or how he snuck away. The next thing I know he has returned with his wallet open and he is handing me two dollars.
"Mom, I want to give this to bring Esty home." he said with his hand holding the two Washingtons.
"Oh Oliver, are you SURE? Maybe you want to keep it for later when you are with Esty?" I offered.
"No, mom. I want to get her home. This is all the dollars I have. Please take it." 
And he smiled.
I'm in tears again as I write.
It's just like the widow that Jesus praised in Luke chapter 21:

² He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³ “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

I held the two dollars and prayed over them. So precious. Gifts of the heart. My boy. Esty's future brother.
Sometimes people question whether adopting other children into your family is "fair" to your biological children. I wonder if it's fair NOT to. God is using the adoption of Esty in a powerful way in many people's hearts...and I think Oliver is one of them.
I'd love to share the precious video he and I watched together tonight. You never know, it might spark something in you or your children's hearts too. Emily NEEDS a family!!! And so do SOOOOOO MANY OTHERS!!!

Celebrating His First Flight!

Okay. No lie. I think I was more excited than perhaps THEY were in the sky.
Well....maybe not! ;)
But my baby boy...who was previously afraid of flying...was circling our house IN. A. PLANE. GASP!!!!!
For some reason, this child has avoided plane trips his entire 7 1/2 years!!
He was born just AFTER we came home from China. (If you picture me with a VERY round belly coming home--you've got it right!)
We left him with grandparents when we flew with the girls to Disneyworld. We didn't take any children with us to Uganda to adopt Zeb. And we took the older girls back to China when we went to get Toby.
Everything else has been done in four wheels on the ground!
And...he had developed a tiny bit of a fear of flying I'm afraid.
Recently, Toby and I flew in a tiny little plane to Philadelphia. And the spark was ignited in his heart!
I saw it!
So we planned this day for him to go up in a plane...and have his first experience! 

The rest of the gang and I stayed home (conveniently during nap time!) and we texted back and forth so we could be outside watching as he flew over! What a fun joy it was!!

America, the beautiful.

Here's a shot from Brian's phone...look carefully! YOU CAN SEE us in the driveway jumping and shouting and waving!!!

 And what did Olly say about his experience?? "It was AWESOME mom! I'm gonna be a vet, a Bobcat driver AND a pilot!!" 

:) 
Worth every penny.

Owliver's Birthday Celebration!

Cousin Henry, in attendance!

October is packed full of happy fun times for our family! Our first son, Oliver was born 6 years ago. (HOW does time fly so fast!?!?!?) We celebrated that marvelous birth with family and a most important cousin Henry! Henry and Oliver have made a pact to attend each other's birthday parties for life! :) This is a bit of a feat since they do not live near each other!

Being in school now, I wanted to send a special birthday treat that he would remember. I still remember my own Kindergarten birthday cupcakes! I got the idea online for these cute owl cupcakes:

It was fun to figure out which candies to use for the eyes and beaks! I used Oreos and Junior Mints for the eyes, Mike and Ikes for the beaks and piped the ears and feathers on with a chocolate buttercream icing.

So then on his actual birthday cake for his party:

What fun it is to celebrate this precious boy!

“Children are a heritage from the Lord,”

                                                                             Psalm 127:3

Love Strand 20/28

The snow melted, briefly. It was glorious! I wanted so desperately to nap that afternoon after two nights of being up with his little sister...but he begged me to play outside.

"Will you play baseball with me, Mommy?"

I mean, how do you say no to that? This is probably why this sweet child came down with the fever virus a day later!! But fun was had!! :) What's the price of a memory, anyway?

Love Strand 10/28

Is it really real? Did I stage this? Ha! No way could I get this happy look out of a child if it weren't there on its own! My son has begged me all day to vacuum and I find myself telling him, "Okay now, that's enough vacuuming!"

Have I died and gone to heaven? Did my cleaning fairy finally arrive? Perhaps the answer is yes...but if this is heaven, I want new carpet!

The Love Strand 6/28