be lovely: April 2012

more on adoption

Adoption is beautiful. The people it brings together... the community that forms... it is so beautiful. You just feel so blessed to be a part of an adoption, no matter what role you play. And to say that you have a new brother through adoption... it is beautiful. Nothing else. Just absolutely beautiful. The baby that I watched grow for two months... though I did not get to be a part of his life for the first 7... is now here and ours. He was given to us... and I get to watch him grow up.

we like watching him sleep

earlier // instagram

instagrams from before... well, last week.

yay for memorization projects...yeahno.

i used to eat this. then i went on a dairy-fast. Jesus, please come soon.

red tights and new toms. yes.

french braids to craycray curls. (oh..and those michigan shorts again. i'm a fangirl and i know it)

blue tights... just for kicks.

clue with the best people evah.

straightening your hair while reading the hunger games... i was addicted.

iced coffee to get me thru until 2am.

hunger games night! we played piano and sang all night.

bedroom details. (i am not a hipster btw)

pink skinnies+red kicks for valentines day.

this is who and what i live with. help.

xo

my life as of late // instagram

"7 proven methods to help you screw up your kids deliberately and with skill!"

opal earrings in honor of grandmother.

team pride // go blue + club team

skyping with the coolest girl ever <3

wednesdays. red tights+florals+boots=yes

the shoes i live in... at the baseball field.

when your class gets cancelled... go back to sleep. i love online school.

donuts for elijah's birthday. (happy 7th, bb ewijah)

my bunny shirt w/ peter pan collar for easter. yep.

when your beloved headphones break... pull out the orange duct tape.

my life.

swimming... in march.

reagan!

road trips with these ones.

meet geoff - my three-year-old flip phone. Also known as, hey! Emma is lame and has a dumb phone. I know, dealwithit. he's cooler than the iphone.

practice. woot.

waiting.

and of course... trey.

xo

always him

It's been two failed adoptions... thinking it was him... to figure out that it wasn't him. That both of those sweet babies were not meant to be. It wasn't that easy to wrap your brain around. Every second of the past two months have felt right. I think it literally took both of those failed adoptions to realize that.

The first one... none of our hearts were ready. It didn't feel right. It was chaotic and not right. The second one... felt right because it was literally thrown in our laps. No. It wasn't right. We called baby in both failed adoptions "Titus". Well, this is no longer Titus. His name is Trey and he was meant to be here. He was chosen before time. We were chosen before time. It always feels right when you were chosen by God.

trey's story

Thought it would be fitting to make a video about Trey's story. Makes me want to cry every time I watch it. God has been faithful throughout this & will continue to be. His timing is perfect. Couldn't ask for any more.

live-birth abortion // thoughts

This video makes me sick. Absolutely disgusting. After having brought this sweet baby boy home and falling in love with him... I cannot imagine. I cannot. Worth your time... makes you think. Every life is precious. Every life is worth it. It is not your right to choose to take that life.

yummy delicious baby

i just want to squeeze those cheeks!

the blessing of adoption

>> Wednesday, April 25 – adoption

"God gave my friend Baby Trey! He is theirs for sure! Thank you Lord."

a quote from one of my dear friends.

What a gift adoption is. If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that it's not easy. There were days (and months) of hard days and questions. For a long time it didn't make sense. And as my mom said yesterday, everyone always says that afterwards you look back and see how perfect it is. This is perfect. God knew which baby was the perfect one for my family. It is such a gift.

We are so blessed with this child. I am so blessed with this child. I look into those beautiful eyes and remember every step it took to get here. It is such a gift to watch someone so selflessly choose this for their child. Such a blessing. And to watch a mother who is so grateful and so thankful to see another mom and another daddy and another sister and another brother love this baby like their own... there is nothing like it. And as the sister of this sweet lovely baby boy, I stand here grateful for the gift she gave us. There will never be such a bigger blessing in my life than adoption.

Praise God for the gift of adoption and the impact it has made on my life.

welcome to the world...

Trey is ours and I am blessed. Thank you a million times over for praying for us the past few days. God is good & always faithful. As my lovely friend said.... Rejoice in the Almighty God always.

pray for us

if you would.... pray for us today. trey is home & we are waiting to share pics with you until his birthmother makes her decision today. pray for her heart today & for us as we prepare. we are in love with this sweet baby.

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." Psalm 37:5-7

and if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what could stand against? Our God is greater :)

encouragement

People have told me about how they've encountered an angel from the Lord, or something like that. Well, I think I might have found one.

It was late, and I had spent the entire day in a hospital room. I was hungry and just ready for bed. I took the elevator down three levels and thought about how horrible my hair looked today, since I threw it into a messy bun in 5 minutes that morning. I walked down the long hall to the hospital cafeteria. I just wanted that day to be over. I walked over to where I ordered my food, and this lovely young woman probably in her early-30s looked at me and said, "Wow, girl! You are SO beautiful.". She then began talking to me about what I was going to eat. After I had my food I looked around for her, and she was no where to be found. I'm still convinced God sent her.

It wasn't that I needed to be told that I was beautiful. I didn't need to hear that. It was the fact that God is looking out for me. I wasn't thinking about myself at that time. I was just in awe of how God chooses to show me that He's there. It was just this young woman who He used to encourage me that day, and I'm so grateful for it.

letting it go

I have completely fallen in love with this baby. There's no escaping it. I've only been away from him for two hours and I already miss him. It's easy to forget that nothing is mine. Nothing on this earth belongs to me. But to just let it go is one of the hardest things ever.

He's the sweetest baby in the entire universe... and I have to think about the possibility of letting him go. It kills me. I know how selfish that sounds, but I can't help but say it. Today I feel like I'm just one step away from my entire future. I just want to let it all go.

I held him in my arms today and remembered every step I took to get to today. To get to where I am right at that second, holding that precious baby in my arms, listening to his tiny snores. He never left. Even when I thought it was all gone, He never left. I'm in the arms of His mercy and He'll never let me go.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. I will praise the God who gives and takes away. He is the same God. He's never left my side, so I will let it all go.

he is here

Trey is here, healthy and so precious. 7 lbs 11 oz 21 in and I have fallen in love with this precious little stud. What a gift he is to us. Precious gift.

I spent twelve hours running from the waiting room to the delivery room. I loved every second. I was reminded every minute that God is in control of all of it. The doctor that delivered sweet Trey was totally a gift from the Lord. He walked out to talk to us about some things, and ended up telling us about how he adopted twins from China and was a believer. He asked us to pray, and we formed a circle and joined hands in the middle of this hospital waiting room and prayed. It was one of the most special moments I have ever experienced in my life. When does that EVER happen??!? It doesn't! It only happens because the Lord is involved in every moment.

This sweet boy can become ours on Tuesday. Until then, it will be a crazy 72 hours. We would so appreciate your prayers for his sweet birthmother as she makes this tough decision, and also for my family as we are preparing for what will come. We know that God is in control and everything will work out perfectly no matter what :)

Thank you to everyone that prayed through those 12 hours of waiting. Thank you to my lovely Jemima for being there every second of that day praying. It was a beautiful day. There is nothing better than a new baby. What a whirlwind couple of days.... I just pray we can get through the next.

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my savior; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7

that time i did a photo shoot with my 5-year-old neighbor

I took a bike ride in my Ugg boots to the orange tree between two houses with my 5-year-old neighbor, Reagan.

(yep, this is how people dress in Arizona. Ugg boots and shorts)

...and then she takes my camera and starts telling me what to do. Like a real photographer. Maybe this could go somewhere, and, I wonder where she learned all this? ;)

"Put your hands on your hips. No, like this. With both of them. Okay, perfect. *snap* OH MY GOSH. Ohhhhh my gosh. THAT IS GORGEOUS. Perfect!"

trey

Today is a week from Trey's due date. In seven days we may have a baby in our arms. A lot can happen in a week. We've come a long way. A year ago I waited for this day like no other. Now, I am just days away from the day I've anticipated for what seems like forever. So... I will say it again.... when you feel like giving up.... keep going. You never know what's over the next horizon. Pray for us...... if you will.... this week brings a lot of anticipation.

cautiously awaiting his arrival... anticipating every moment. loving every second. i am in love with adoption.