Philly Area mom, Life forever changed by adoption
Happy Halloween from two pirates, a dragon, and an 8-year-old girl who’d rather invite her entire class to come trick-or-treating at our house because we were giving out full-sized bars and then stay home to hand them out than go trick-or-treating herself.
14 years ago. I confidently walked down that aisle and gazed into the eyes of the man I loved and vowed, guided by my own father, to be married to him until death do us part. The only anxiety I had was about my hair and where we were headed for our honeymoon since the threat of a hurricane had evacuated the Florida Keys where we were headed.
I wasn’t anxious about being married at all. Because I had no clue.
That day, I had no idea what life would look like and what God would bring over the next 14 years.
Losing a parent, infertility, losing 4 babies, work stress, a layoff, the struggle of parenting a child who struggled and the label of “special needs,” adopting from China, starting a nonprofit, the struggle to balance it all.
All we knew was to hold fast (Gen 2:24) to each other. And, looking back over the last 14 years, we’ve done that pretty well–better through some seasons than others.
The 14th anniversary, the ivory anniversary. I don’t know who chose that symbol for this year, but maybe the desire for ivory beginnings is universal when you’ve been married 14 years.
Mark’s card this year — it’s ivory white with a simple message.
As we start our 15th year as one, I want to have an ivory start, forgiving all and living in freedom of all that hinders us from “holding fast” to one another. I look forward to what God writes all over the ivory canvases of our lives as He takes us and puts us where He wants us to be and we do what He has already prepared in advance for us to do.
11×14 Ivory canvases to hang above our bed ready to be filled. Who knows what will fill them–love notes, artwork, photos. Whatever will fill them during different seasons will remind us that though we don’t know the future, He does. And, He is the one that will equip us by His grace to hold fast.
Wonder what Mark is giving me. Maybe he bought me an elephant.
*update* no elephant. My clever, creative husband gave me old piano key facades on a key ring with the words: “You will always have the key to my heart” written on them.
11 years ago today. September 11, 2001. I remember sleeping in. I did that whenever I could. I was pregnant with our first and took every opportunity for more rest. I remember Mark calling from work and waking me to tell me to turn on the television. I remember the disbelief and the horror of the images I saw over and over and over again.
25 years ago, my parents started this thing called Family camp at Young Life’s Lake Champion. I remember years of watching Dr. Bados and Blockhead and other classic characters wide-eyed while sitting beside families instead of the normal high schoolers who filled the camp all summer.
In 1997, a few days after moving back into my dorm at Grove City College for my senior year, I drove myself to family camp to serve and be with folks there…and I met my husband who was there serving too.
These days, my sister and her husband run the whole deal. And, we still get the pleasure of being a part of it as do our kids.
This year, 5 of us did the ropes course together while Lydia obliged by sleeping in her stroller. Once I was up there, I realized a mama can show no fear 40 feet up in the trees while helping her 3 children walk wires and logs and other treacherous elements.
Though it may look like an incredible mini family vacation, there’s more to it than that.
Take families away to a beautiful place where volunteers serve them their meals and folks provide goofy entertainment and great kids programming, and something supernatural happens. Phones are turned off, distractions are cleared. And, in the midst of laughter, hearts open up to hear God speak. And, He always does.
