Joy in Our Journey

Update from the Hospital #2

2012-02-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

I am thankful to report that after an eventful weekend we are still here and the steroid shots have now had enough time to help the babies' lungs develop. They, by the way, look fantastic. The nurses monitor them three times a day, which is quite the accomplishment~ finding three different babies with three distinct heartbeats that many times a day:) They were also measured on Monday. Isaac measured 3 lbs. 2 oz., Eliana 2 lbs. 2 oz., and Isabella 2 lbs. 15 oz. We are so thankful to be at this point. And we are so blessed by our Lord to be in such a good place in light of all we've been through. Micah and I even met with a Neonatologist yesterday who talked with us about what our babies' needs may be when they are born. Overall the conversation was very encouraging. We give all the glory to God~ He has made Himself known in such outwardly recognizable ways.

God continues to be so kind. Even in the little things~ Monday we were trying to decided the best place for me to be until the end of this pregnancy. There were a few things up in the air, and I asked that He would make it plain. A couple of hours later, we learned that true labor had begun and the decision was clear. I will be here until the babies are born. Our doctor is still giving me one medication to hold off labor to a point, but if things change more or if the babies show any signs of any distress, we will be ready to receive them.

We will keep this updated. Thank you all for all the love shown to us.

Update from the Hospital

2012-01-29T21:35:00.000-08:00

Tiffany was admitted into the hospital on Friday night. The babies have not been born but are being monitored closely. She has also received 2 steroids shots that will help the babies' lungs mature at a faster pace. The goal is to get them as many days as possible in utero before we must take them out. She is 30 weeks 3 days but her body measures about 41 weeks. For obvious reason she is in a lot of pain. However, the babies are looking very healthy. We are very thankful to our Lord for his mercy and for all the prayers offered up on our behalf.

Please pray that Tiffany will be as comfortable as possible and that the docs would have wisdom about the right time to take them out.

Blessings,

Micah

Admitted for Now

2012-01-28T07:05:00.001-08:00

Last night, I began having some contractions and enough discomfort to contact the doctor on call at our practice. Thankfully, my doctor was the one who very quickly called me back! Within about 15 seconds, he decided to have me come on in. And I was so glad he did. I learned quickly that I was contracting every 1.5-2 minutes. Thankfully, he got them under control with two doses of medication. Long story short, I am here to stay~ at least until Monday. He has decided to go ahead with steroids and help the babies lungs develop more quickly and keep a close watch on us all. We would again appreciate your prayers. Again, we all~ the boys included~ feel very carried and cared for through each and every day. I read this familiar verse on a friend's blog early this morning and it reminded me of God's perfect knowledge and plans for us:In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.~Psalm 139.May this day reflect His plan so clearly that this truth is obvious to us all.

2012-01-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

Everyone looked great yesterday. Our doctor was hesitant to go ahead with the steroid shots because he thought they may cause me to go into labor. We are going to wait as long as possible before attempting those.

The babies are looking more and more piled on top of each other as they all maneuver for space! We have watched them "practice breathe" which is just fascinating. Eliana particularly had a good amount of amniotic fluid and an even better doppler reading than last week. We go again next week to have them measured again.

Friday will be 30 weeks! We feel so humbled to have reached this point.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Psalm 145:10-12

Watching and Waiting

2012-01-20T17:44:00.000-08:00

At Wednesday's ultrasound, Isaac measured 2 lbs. 13 oz., Isabella 2 lbs. 12 oz., and Eliana 1 lb. 11 oz. Even though there is quite a size discordance between our two girls, we were so glad to see that Eliana has grown some and that Isabella and Isaac are growing so well. She did have another abnormal umbilical doppler reading (pointing to insufficient blood flow) but it wasn't higher than other readings. We are so thankful our doc will be back from vacation on Tuesday. We are meeting with him then. There is a possibility of going ahead with steroid shots to give their lungs an opportunity to develop anticipating an early delivery.

We have had moments of speculation about what is going to happen in the coming weeks as we get closer to reaching communicated milestones for the babies regarding the TTTS. I used to say, "If God would only reveal His future plans to me, then I would feel better prepared". I am not so arrogant to think myself so capable of such preparation anymore:) Walking by faith has never been so practical. I know I would not have made it this far, in constant suspense taking one day at a time, if God would have told me just how difficult it all was going to be back then. Once again, "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" proves Himself to be the Only One capable of walking by sovereign sight.

29 weeks

I am treasuring each movement, each hiccup, and each spirited kick. I never thought my body could stretch to this size! Let me just say, it is not comfortable, but holding three babies at one time is a blessing. I had another mother of triplets remind me that it will be near impossible to hold them all simultaneously when they are born. It is hard to believe that 11 weeks of bed rest have passed. Andrew and Elijah officially cannot remember when mommy wasn't sporting a huge belly~ or when mommy actually cooked and did things around the house!

God remains faithfully merciful to us all~

Moving Toward 29

2012-01-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

Friday, Eliana's doppler reading was better than Wednesday's so she is holding steady in that regard AND I was thrilled to learn yesterday that I do not have gestational diabetes. Praise God!

During a break in the three hour diabetes test, Micah pushed me in a wheelchair (actually, raced with me through the empty parts of the hospital hallways) up to the Neonatal ICU where the babies will more than likely be for a while. I am one to do better when I see things ahead of time so this was exceptionally helpful. It takes the ~wondering~ out of it a bit and definitely makes me feel more prepared. We met several nurses and one gave us a tour. She was so kind to us. She introduced us to a few of the babies already patients there, some the size of our babies now, and answered several of our questions. It was a peaceful place and the ladies we met seemed to really love their jobs.

Micah and I already go back tomorrow to have the babies measured. This is a huge matter of prayer~ that our doctor (still persistent in following us from his vacation) will have wisdom about Eliana's growth and what is best for her as he continues to assess Isabella and Isaac. As all of this is overwhelming, pray for us~ that our eyes will be fixed on Jesus as He continues to carry us along.

I have to mention how very blessed and helped we have been by our church family and friends during the last several weeks. There is such beauty in community and our family has felt and experienced this first hand. It truly demonstrates to us the very heart of our Savior, Servant, Jesus Christ.

I must apologize if I have failed to communicate with everyone who has reached out to us. My note writing/sending has been egregiously lacking and I hope you who continue to love us through words and actions will accept this as a huge, heart felt, Thank You.

Andrew Is 8!

2012-01-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

We are so thankful for and proud of Andrew. Today, on his 8th birthday, we celebrate the gift of his life!

Today's Update

2012-01-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update: Today, Eliana's umbilical doppler result was abnormal. She looked great though, moving all around. She had changed positions... again:) and kicked the sonographer several times in the course of the scan. We actually saw her profile better than we ever have today. She seemed to have plenty of fluid around her face~ such a blessing ~and that made it easy to see her cute little features. We go back Friday to check her again and assess what is best. I am so thankful they are following our babies so closely. They appeared to be having a big party for their big brother Andrew's birthday tomorrow. Andrew says sometimes my belly looks as if they are in a bouncy house! Our doctor is on a planned vacation to Key West this week and next. Micah and I were a little concerned when he shared this news last week (to say the least), but he had already temporarily given our case to another doctor and had a plan for following us on his iPhone. He can view all our ultrasounds and even track information on hospital monitors from there. Thank God for technology!

Another note: I failed my gestational diabetes test today. I am also being tested more extensively on Friday to see if this is another thing we are going to have to watch.

Thank you for the continued prayers.

Perspectives

2012-01-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Perspective is an interesting thing. When I look out across the landscape of life and see situations out of context and circumstances unattached, I admit there are judgements I make that I am certain aren't completely accurate.  I try to judge based on truth, but most likely, I understand experiences in generalizations that primarily come from my own perspective. I wish this weren't the case as much because I am sure I miss so much learning in living.

For example, if you would have told me about a baby in a NICU born at less than 30 weeks weighing less than 2 pounds, I would have immediately thought, "Wow- that is really hard and sad".  I would have thought of the mother and father and their struggle as they watch their tiny baby and deal with the plethora of problems that come with prematurity. I would have thought about all the posters in OB/GYN's offices that explain the symptoms of preterm labor. I would remember my own experience with Andrew at 35 weeks~ showing up at a regularly scheduled doctor's appointment totally unaware that three hours later, I would be holding him in my arms.

And yet, here I am, 27 weeks pregnant with these three precious babies. I think of all the days and nights when waiting on the Lord was excruciating. I think of all the ultrasounds, doctors visits, travel time back and forth to Cincinnati, and ups and downs of the babies conditions during this pregnancy.  I think of all the time I fought against the what ifs. And then I hear my doctor's voice saying, "no one in this practice thought you would make it this far". I also remember the stories of other TTTS mommies who have not had as many weeks with their babies. The Lord has done great things for us~ and 30 weeks will be another great accomplishment.

Yesterday's doctor's appointment provided a great deal of perspective for us and our babies. Despite adequate fluid, normal heart rates and umbilical dopplers, there is beginning to be a large enough gap in the growth of our girls to warrant serious conversation about getting them out. It is difficult to imagine that babies at such a young gestational age can do better outside than in, but with TTTS, that is precisely the case. Eliana has only gained a few ounces in four weeks. Isabella and Isaac are growing right on track. Even though the thought of exposing a very small, premature baby to the world makes this mommy very concerned for her (as well as for our other two babies), I am beginning to understand that I should be more concerned about her development in a place where she cannot receive adequate resources. It is a very different perspective.

Micah and I have talked at length about technology. The same advances in medicine and science that have caused there to be hundreds of thousands of embryos frozen in time are the same advances that have allowed for our babies to be cared for to this point with life-threatening syndromes.  They also provide the ability for them to live and thrive outside the womb at such an early stage if need be. We are thankful for God's provisions in these things. I ran across this devotion excerpt today from Spurgeon revised by Alister Begg that reminded me that my greater hope is in an even better Physician:

He is the Physician, and if He knows everything, there is no need for the patient to know. What you don't know now, you will know later; and meanwhile Jesus, the beloved Physician, knows your soul in adversities. Why does the patient need to analyze all the medicine or estimate all the symptoms? This is the Physician's work, not mine; it is my business to trust, and His to prescribe. If He shall write His prescription in a fashion that I cannot read, I will not be uneasy on that account, but will rely upon His unfailing skill to make everything clear in the result, no matter how mysterious the process.

These words, while beautifully true and very persuasive, bring me to my knees. I should despair in my inability to be so faithful in trusting Jesus. This is not descriptive of this gal who is in and of myself 4 needy patients at this moment in time:) Yet, it is descriptive in the way God sees me as his daughter as He invites me to trust Him. I assure you that what you may see as trust in me is one of two things; complete and total exhaustion~ the kind where I am too tired to be anxious~ or Jesus working in me the kind of faith that takes my inadequacies in trust and submission and makes them show His perfection. It is truly compelling, coming to terms with oneself yet knowing how I am loved. Therein lies the means of moving forward with a thankful toast for today and rest in my Great Physician and His mysterious ways for tomorrow for us all. Seeing Him offers the most valuable perspective.

So please continue to pray. God can choose to grow Eliana at a quicker rate or He can choose to care for her in a different way. We and our doctors need wisdom in knowing how to best care for all the babies. We also desire that Issaac and Isabella continue to grow well. Andrew and Elijah are doing very well. They have loved all the visitors we have received over the past weeks. Having our church family and friends in and out to help with housework, take the boys outside, and bring meals has been such a blessing. Micah is juggling! I am so thankful for his diligence and love. We are so thankful for his employees that allow him to care for me when he is needed at home or at the hospital. So far, my body though stretched thin, is holding together remarkably. I have had a few trips to the hospital, but to this point, I have been able to come home each time. We as a family don't know all those reading and praying, but God does, and we are thankful He has brought us such a great multitude of encouragers for this season. Blessings to each of you!

Christmastime and Another Graduation (of sorts)

2011-12-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

It was such a blessing to be home at Christmas. It was a different year for me particularly, participating from bed rest. We have had family visiting. Both Micah's and my parents and my siblings have spent time with us. The boys have had a great time with family and thoroughly enjoyed all the extra love and attention. On top of that, it has even been mild enough outside for Andrew to learn to ride his new bike! As for the babies, it is official! We have been discharged from the Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati Children's Hospital! Since fetal laser surgery isn't offered past 26 weeks gestation (a milestone we reach Friday) and since the babies are still doing well despite small changes with regard to TTTS, we are going to be watched by our home doctor from now on. We said goodbye yesterday and made sure we got pictures of every doctor, nurse, and staff person that has been caring for us and our babies. We are so thankful for each of their God-given abilities. I can't wait to show their faces to Isaac, Eliana, and Isabella.

From this point on, weighing risks vs. benefits changes from considering surgery to considering delivering the babies. There may come a day when the risks of them staying in-utero could harm them more than the risks of prematurity. Our goal now is to keep them in as long as possible. God has been so merciful to keep the TTTS from progressing and we pray He continues. We also pray that my body holds together! I have now visited the hospital twice to stop labor. This past visit, they were able to get all the babies heart rates up on the observation screen at the same time. With a belly full of monitors, Micah and I still stare in awe~ as if bystanders, watching something complete foreign and amazing happen. Then contractions and medication kicks in and I remember quickly that I am not just watching:)

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:7-8

Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Chronicles contain the phrase spoken by Yahweh Himself, then repeated by Moses, Joshua, David, and Hezekiah ~be strong and courageous~ as an exhortation to His people in different contexts to give them reason to not fear and trust Him. In providing for them, in fighting for them, in bringing about His own will for them, God proves His ways are sure. Those whom He loves can put their confidence, not in their own abilities, might, or understanding, but in Him. I say all of this because this is our experience on behalf of these babies. God has proven to us that they are His and He is fighting for them, and we have only to be silent (Ex 14:14).

The path is still unclear. There are moments when I anticipate the day when our doc says, "Today is the day". With all the trials, suffering, hopefulness, peace, turmoil, joy, and uncertainty of the past many weeks contextualized by where we are today, how can we not proceed as exhorted above? After all, the strength and courage comes from and rests upon God and is then perfected in us by Christ. God has continually proven that no matter the outcome, we all belong to Him and nothing can stop His plan.

Update Along With Merry Christmas

2011-12-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

I am thankful to report that there was no change from yesterday. The doctor felt it was safe to send us home for Christmas! No hospital bed rest for now! We continue to pray through each day, one day at a time. Our next appointment is next Tuesday, the 27th, in Cincinnati.

Instead of Christmas cards this year we want to send this cyber-greeting:

May we all find our hearts bent toward celebrating God's perfect and priceless gift, Jesus Christ. We pray you each experience the eternal hope of being found in Him.

Merry Christmas!

More to Pray About

2011-12-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

So sorry it has taken me a while to update! I have been a little more quiet lately... learning to boast in my weaknesses (2 Corinthians). These past couple of weeks have been trying. I have found myself comparing all that I lack to all that I have in Christ. All I can say is that the gargantuan difference between this gal and her Savior is astounding.

Last week, our appointment in Cincinnati went well. There was a slight change in Isabella's and Eliana's heart scores but still not enough for intervention. We had an especially great visit with one of our Maternal Fetal Medicine Doctors. He walked into the room and the first words out of his mouth were, "You puzzle me...". "In a good way or in a bad way?" I asked. He went on to say that our progress is wonderful and "this should have gotten much worse by now." Of course, we aren't puzzled at all~ just thankful that God has been so kind. We were scheduled again to return in two weeks from that day and told to follow up in Louisville in the between time.

Enter my very least favorite thing about winter... the stomach viruses that spread like wildfire through every social occasion. Elijah and I shared a bite of baked apples when he and Andrew returned home from church Wednesday night. Later on, he got very sick. Immediately, Micah took him to the couch and stayed beside him all night~ away from me so I wouldn't get it. But I knew, the damage was already done. By six that evening, I was sick. By ten, I was on the phone with the doctor on call trying to handle the threat of dehydration. By 11:30 p.m., I was in the hospital despite my best attempts to stay hydrated and with contractions brought on by the dehydration. After 15 hours of fluids and some pretty strong meds to stop the contractions, I was back at home.

Yesterday, we all spent the majority of the day at home. It was the first day we had all together without something major going on. We finished up some Christmas preparations (see picture below) and enjoyed each other's company.

Today, Micah and I went to the doctor in Louisville for our weekly check. Overall, the babies looked good. However, this mama's body is struggling to hold on to all of them. It's funny, our perinatologist warned us about all of this the first time we met him. He said that at about 23 weeks, things can start changing. Today, I am 24 weeks, 3 days. At this point, my cervix is shortening and funneling. I go back tomorrow and if it is any worse, I go into the hospital until the babies are born.

My mother-in-law sent me this from a larger devotion by Roy Lessin last week and it is so fitting:

I will not forget you. (Isaiah 49:15)
God will not have a memory loss, lose interest in you, lose track of you, or lose sight of you. He will not be thinking about you one moment and forget about you the next. He will not lose track of you. He will not lead you somewhere and then forget where you are. He will always be paying attention, and He will never be oblivious to your needs or situation.

[I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down ( relax My hold on you)! (Hebrews 13:5 AMP)
God will never say to you, “I’m sorry, I would like to help you, but I can’t.” You will never hear Him say, “I’m sorry, I would like to help you, but this is not a good time for me.” You will never hear Him say, “I’m sorry, I would like to help you, but you’ll have to wait your turn.”

At a time when I feel exhausted in every way and I feel like I have prayed the same prayers over and over, this is the God I need. This is my Loving Father.

Before I go prepare for what may come tomorrow, I would like you to see what I like to call, "Views from Bed Rest":

Sweet boy watching TV in the next room

Andrew beating Mommy at Battleship

Making a Gingerbread House

Coloring, Coloring, and More Coloring

My Cuddle Buddy

Divine Mercy

2011-11-29T08:07:00.000-08:00

Over the past two weeks, God has shown mercy to us all. One week ago, we went for our fifth visit to Cincinnati. Isabella's heart showed even further improvement and she climbed up the staging ladder from a 3c four weeks ago, to a 3b two weeks ago, and then to a 3a last week. The other issues involved with TTTS in Eliana had not progressed further. After watching those things trending in a "going to get worse and worse" direction and knowing historically where TTTS usually leads, that was amazing news.

Yesterday, the babies were evaluated here in Louisville. They were measured well for the first time in four weeks. Isaac weighed approximately 1 lb., 4 oz., Isabella, 1 lb., 2 oz., and Eliana, 13 oz. The things we always look for in assessing TTTS in Eliana (a visible bladder, amniotic fluid level, and normal doppler) again showed no further progression. We met with our in-town Perinatologist for the first time since he sent us to Cincinnati. He was quite pleased with how things are going. He admitted that four weeks ago, he had not been optimistic. HE even used the word "amazed" and communicated the same sentiment as expressed to him by the staff in Cincinnati! He was quick to remind us that we have a long way to go, but I am so very thankful for today.

Isaac

Eliana

Isabella

Elijah demonstrating what Isabella is doing in her picture:)

When I left today's appointment, I was once again humbled at the way God is answering our prayers. I have heard two stories this week of parents who, as I type, are grieving the losses of their babies from TTTS. As I remember them, I feel more and more gratitude for each day God gives us with our babies~ and with each other. And even though I am undeserving, God in His goodness is merciful to sinners. There is no greater miracle!

Andrew and Elijah have been very patient with bed-resting mommy. I was thankful that my parents and two of my three siblings came for Thanksgiving. My mom and sis cooked our meal and my dad and brother decorated our home for Christmas. The boys loved helping with the tree and I was glad they got to do something "normal" (whatever that is:)). Thank you for reading and keeping up with us. We feel carried along both by our Good Shepherd and by His people who offer us prayers and encouragement.

Today's Update

2011-11-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

We got great news today. All the babies looked healthy and had normal findings on ultrasound AND Isabella's echo cardiogram showed improvement! She was moved from stage 3c to 3b. Isaac and Isabella are approximately 13 ounces and Eliana is around 9. We are so very thankful. The doctor felt like we can go a whole week until we recheck them. Last Friday, Micah and I both prayed separately and without each others' knowledge that God would amaze us. Today, we are amazed~ that a syndrome that is known for detrimental progression can actually regress! We have many weeks to go, but for today we press on, continuing bed rest and heart medication, celebrating each day with our babies, and giving glory to God for His mercy on us all.

Balancing

2011-11-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

Not long ago, I re-read the book A Praying Life for a ladies book club at my church. I had first read parts of the book while traveling all over the country with Micah's job. That was definitely a trying time for our family and I remember easily identifying with the themes Paul Miller expounds in his book. This time around, circumstances allow me to more deeply feel his words... particularly these ideas: 1) Suffering teaches me to pray, 2) I can approach the glorious throne of grace boldly, but messy~ as a child, 3) "God wants us to come to Him, empty-handed, weary, and heavy-laden." ~completely helpless. Then there is balancing praying "Thy will be done" yet in expectation of God to grant my requests. Sometimes I lay awake at night and wander through all that I am thinking, feeling, and desiring regarding the persons moving around inside of me. I am sure if my prayers were a painting, they would more resemble a Vincent Van Gogh abstract with random stokes and movement than a clear, still life (a nice bowl of unblemished fruit comes to mind). I love that as I pray here and there, engaged and exhausted, Jesus always lives to intercede for me. He is constantly fixing my ramblings and~ to follow the art analogy~ making a HD, photographic quality still life from my sparsely applied, impressionistic words.

Last Monday, we spent another day at the Fetal Care Center. At the end of the visit, we got the news that Isabella's heart was showing further cardiomyopathy. Thankfully, there were no physical changes to her heart such as enlarging or thickening, but there was indeed more stress shown in her test results. Eliana still~by God's protective hand~ had adequate fluid levels and a visible bladder. Their Doppler findings were normal. All that said, the doctor told us that if we were only considering the two girls, given the cardiac changes, we would intervene immediately. But, of course Isaac is involved. Having triplets changes decision making with TTTS. Weighing the risks and benefits, we decided with the team to continue to watch them all very closely until it is clear the benefits outweigh the risks. As a mother of sick babies, weighing and balancing risks vs. benefits feels like choosing one child or two children over the other(s). Of course the intention is to do best for all our little ones. There is just not an easy way out. And yes, it breaks my heart.

However, we arrived back again for a follow up on Friday and there was absolutely no change in any of the babies. Micah and I were so thankful God sustained them and there was no more deterioration. So we are holding firm to our plan to watch very closely with bi-weekly visits and intervene with surgery when absolutely necessary or we reach the 26 week mark when the babies could "feasibly" be delivered and therefore cured of the TTTS. They do not do surgery past that point.

We are getting very close with the staff at the clinic and testing facilities. Our Sonographer Gena, just to name one, is the same gal each visit and she is so kind. She remembers our babies names and spends a lot of time laughing at them as they bounce around the screen while she tries to gather each LVOT, PV, AV, MV, etc, etc, etc measurement. I have no idea what all those things are and how you find them in babies from 7 to 10 ounces in size, but she does. Each visit with the docs reaffirms their dedication to us and our babies as well. This past visit, I shared with the surgeon that so many people are praying for our babies- and for him. He smiled and said "That is great. I need that." So, friends, continue to pray. It is times like these that we have no other choice but to seek the Creator.

Specifically, keep praying for healing. From what we know today, pray that Isabella's heart doesn't show any more deterioration. Pray that Eliana continues to have enough fluid and grows well. Pray that through all of this with the girls, God continues to sustain Isaac. We thank God every time we get to come home and put off more risky intervention knowing that overall, the situation is stable enough for that to happen. Pray for all the people we interact with, particularly the doctors who are using their expertise to care for us all. Pray for Micah and I as we travel back and forth and for the boys as they are with different care-givers. They have been loved on through this by so many and for that, we are grateful. May all our prayers combine and reach the Father's ears through Jesus in a beautiful picture of the value and preciousness of life and in an ever increasing dependence upon Him.

One Day at a Time

2011-11-10T05:54:00.001-08:00

First of all, we have been prayed for so much~ not just over the past few days, but in our whole adoption process. God has heard and continues to hear and we are so humbled at those who are walking with us.

After a 1.5 hour MRI, 3 hour ultrasound, and another 1 hour fetal echo cardiogram for each baby, we did sit down with the team at the Fetal Care Center in Cincinnati yesterday. First of all, I want to say that this experience has been amazing. We had the ability to watch our babies for hours. Isaac loves to kick and punch and wave. He is growing very well and likes to try to get in all the pictures of his sisters. It is almost like he knows what the docs want to see at any given moment and tries to hide that particular body part from them as long as he can:) Eliana can move from one side of my belly to the other in just a few minutes, trying to avoid pictures:) Isabella likes to straighten her legs out as far as they can go. There were times when she and Eliana would lay chest to chest and you could see their beating hearts in a single image. We watched them count their fingers and toes, measure bones in their bodies, multiple parts of their brains and bellies, isolate their tiny veins, arteries, and heart valves, and do studies on their blood flow, etc. They are~we are fearfully and wonderfully made. And the way God has gifted us to be able to see these kinds of things and get to know our babies even now is so very gracious of Him.

The Maternal-Fetal Medicine Doctor did another quick scan of the babies to show us what exactly he wanted to talk with us about and then gave his recommendations. Instead of just one ~this is what it is and this is what we do~ answer, he gave us several things to weigh. First of all, the girls do indeed have TTTS. He commended our doctor here in Louisville for sending us to Cincinnati so quickly because the girls are in the beginning stages. There is a significant size difference in the girls as well as in their amniotic fluid levels but those things alone do not show enough of a discrepancy to warrant a full diagnosis in and of themselves. However, in Isabella (known as the recipient twin), there is some mild thickening in her heart and some hypertension. Cardiac changes in any of the babies are a big concern. Although the doctor feels that surgery is more than likely inevitable, there are a couple of reasons to wait a bit. First of all, our sweet Isaac is guarding the entry point of where they would need to go in to sever the blood vessels between the girls. It would be a big risk to him to go in at this point. Also, I have a history of preterm labor and most women deliver within 70 days after the surgery. I am 19 weeks this week, so waiting is ideal since the girls are still in the early stages.

In order to treat the hypertension in Isabella and alleviate some stress on her heart, I am taking blood pressure medication. Since TTTS can move quickly, they are repeating the ultrasound and fetal echo on Monday.

Throughout this pregnancy, I have found myself realizing that indeed I need Thee every hour. God has been teaching me to pray "Give us this day our daily bread" and to be thankful for each moment instead of taking this day for granted and trying to see way down the road. I think this is where we are left today~ in conscious dependence on God for each breath, each step forward, and only one day at a time. The truth is, this is where we all live every day. The consciousness part is a gift.

However, I do not and will not do this perfectly and I do not have to. During the MRI, the gal told me in the beginning it would take around an hour to complete. Micah was allowed in the room with me but because of the loudness of the machine, we wouldn't be able to talk. I was disappointed that he couldn't even read to me, as he and I are both reading a new book together. She brought out a box of DVDs for me to choose from so I could watch a movie on goggles while in the machine. I looked through the box and just didn't feel that watching Hannah Montana, Transformers, or some romantic comedy would feel appropriate. The gal then offered some music and headphones. I thought those would help drown out the machine and give me a nice backdrop to be still and pray for the babies. Isaiah 40:11 has been a verse I have meditated on during tough days and wanted so much to have a moment to remember how Jesus carries me in His arms while I lay in this noisy tube. Little did I know, the "soft" station she chose filled my ears with songs such as George Michael's Father Figure, Katy Perry's Hot N Cold, and Elton John's Bennie and the Jets just to name a few. The "spiritualness" just wasn't happening... on my part anyway:) But Jesus loving me and interceding for me never ceased. This is not up to me or about me. It is about what He has done and continues to do. I am fully and completely dependent on Him and He is able.

It is in acknowledging that dependence that I ask you to persevere with us in praying. Jesus could fix this immediately with one word. Ask for Him to do it, but then acknowledging what is true for us today, pray that the medication would treat Isabella's heart condition and that the girls would continue to grow (especially Eliana) without more complications from the TTTS. Pray that Isaac continues to grow well. For Micah, the boys, and me, pray that we trust God with each day. Please pray for the staff at the Fetal Care Center who are closely watching and caring for our babies. They call our children by their names and we truly feel their expertise and desire to see our babies born healthy. God has gone before us and continues to go.

***For those of you who would like more information regarding TTTS or the Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, follow this link.

He Goes Before

2011-11-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Isaac

Eliana

Isabella

We got to see our little ones today. I listened to a song by Out of the Grey before I went into the doctor's office called Brave. It reminded me that before Micah and I even walked into the Ultrasound room, God would be there. He was waiting~ and had been there all along. As we arrived, settled in, and watched the monitor, I once again thought, He has gone before us. We saw our three kicking, sqiggling, punching little babies. Seeing their little hands and feet made me smile. Then, when the US Tech panned down to Eliana and did confirm that her amniotic fluid level is quite decreased and that she is still significantly smaller, I really needed that truth. As I cried throught the rest of the US, seeing each one of them thriving yet unaware of the danger ahead, I had to believe that truth.

So what we had prayed for~ that God would keep our twins from TTTS~ He has answered differently than we had wanted. It seems at this point, they do have Stage 1. Our doc immediately called the Fetal Care Center in Cincinnati and by this afternoon, we were scehduled to have several tests this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. The nurse with whom I spoke was very kind and compassionate and assured me that by Wednesday afternoon, we will have their recommendations for caring for our babies. There aren't many things they can do to treat TTTS, but one farily effective, cutting-edge treatment is Fetal Laser Surgery. If the specialists recommend this for us, we would go ahead with it on Thursday.

As you can imagine, we are extremely needy right now. I am going to be following the example of those parents in Luke 15, bringing my babies to Jesus that He might touch them. I ask that you do the same on their behalf. TTTS is a scary disease, but I know that Jesus is able to heal them. He may choose to use the doctors in Cincinnati~ so please pray for each of them. We also desire prayer for the boys as they are with different care-givers. For Micah and myself, I ask that each one of you hold God to His word; that His power is made perfect in our weakness. Even though this road is scary, He continues to go before and will carry us though whatever lies ahead.

Blog Award

2011-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

My blog friend, Ashley at Expecting Miracles, nominated me for a blog award! After carrying 8 babies to Jesus in embryo adoption, Ashley and her husband have welcomed into their family a super-cute baby girl through domestic adoption. I have enjoyed reading the story God is writing through her life.

The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers. From my limited understanding, it is simply a way to acknowledge blogs from which I have benefited and wish to share. I really appreciate Ashley for giving me such a kind acknowledgement and allowing me to share it with my blogging friends! Soli Deo Gloria!

Part of receiving the award is to pass it on so that others can feel the love! I am passing it along to the following bloggers:

1) Aaron and Jennifer, who I met on the internet through a family member who, through embryo adoption, have twins, their son and daughter, Abel and Belle. They also have babies awaiting them with Jesus.

2) My friend Jaime at For A Little While. I love the pieces of herself and her family that she shares with honesty and humor on her blog.

3) An old (not in age:)), high-school friend Anna at AM Squared, who blogs about her family, their ~newly built-looks like it's been there forever~ home, recipes, gardening, and other things. She recently won awards at the SC state fair for some of her baked goods. Congratulations, Anna!

4) I was privileged to meet my next blog award recipient, Janet and her blog Life in Focus, when she and I taught VBS together before she and her family moved to Florida. She does beautiful photography and I am always inspired by what she captures through her lens. She has another blog that is exceptional called Frugal and Focused as well, but it exceeded the 200 follower limit! It is worth mentioning anyway~

5) Finally, Heidi at O Taste and See that the Lord is Good, a gal whose husband serves our country with resolve and sacrifice. I met Heidi when her family was stationed at Fort Knox, south of Louisville. Her heart is clearly seen through her words and poetry bent on loving her Lord and serving her family.

Now for those of you who have received the Liebster Award from me, there are a few RULES for you to follow:

You must do the following:
1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your top 3-5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the Internet – other writers.
5. And best of all – have fun!

An Update

2011-10-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

All I can say is, Praise God!

Micah's procedure yesterday showed no signs of a need for surgical intervention to deal with his hernias. Praise God! The most uncomfortable part of the whole day for him was removing the tape from his IV site! I kind of took advantage of the poor guy~ and his humorous short-term memory loss post anesthesia. Telling him the same information over and over and over (adding a few "he won't remember this in a minute" embellishments) and over was pretty funny! After a full afternoon's rest, he was up and back at work this morning.

I also heard from my doc. He spoke with the Fetal Care Center in Cincinnati, OH and they did not give our twin a TTTS diagnosis. Again I say, Praise God! I did learn that even though Eliana is a bit smaller than Isabella, they both have equal amounts of amniotic fluid given their sizes. One of the first signs of TTTS is an inadequate amount of fluid and if this does develop, we will be referred on for more testing. As of right now both girls are growing as God is intending them to grow each in their own, unique way. They will be checking them again in a couple of weeks. Please continue to pray for each of our babies.

Prayers and Praise

2011-10-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

The conversations and situations that led up to this point are so clear in my mind.

A long time ago, I had heard the name Eliana and its meaning; God answered or God responded. A few years ago, Micah brought home a pair of the cutest, brown Mary Janes that had been left in the Chick-fil-A lost-and-found for months and months. Of course we had no girls at the time, but I held on to them and wondered if we would ever have an Eliana to fill them. I am good at sharing things we don't need or use, but for some reason, these shoes have stayed with me along with the name.

In the week that followed our big news~ that God has given us triplets~ Micah reminded me of a girl name, Isabella, that he and I had talked about even before Andrew was born. From the minute he said it, it seemed to be a no brainer. I hadn't imagined that God might give us two girls and I loved the names together~ especially for twins.

The funny thing is, we haven't had the most successful collaboration when discussing boy names. We would have very spirited conversations over Micah's choices (he really likes unique names from deceased past-Presidents and Theologians) and my lack of any suggestions. The week I found out I was expecting, I read a devotion about Sarah and Isaac. When we found out about the three babies, we like Sarah, did a lot of laughing. Micah's mother immediately suggested Isaac right from the beginning. It made perfect sense. If there was a boy that needed a name, that one would fit.

Beyond these, we had no other names. I bought a book of 10,000 baby names but it was no help at all. Of couse, if the Lord had differently for us, we could have adjusted. But I wondered if He had provided us the names of our children even before we knew their genders.

So yesterday, Micah and I went to our appointment. I looked at Micah as he dropped me off at the office door and said, "Let's go see if these babies are who we think they are!" At this point, you may think I am crazy. That's ok. There are many days I feel completely crazy! Through this whole process, I have been impressed over and over to trust God's care and sovereignty. I have spoken out for frozen lives whose days are numbered even before they are a thought in human existence. I firmly believe that God just doesn't create people but souls that show His providence throughout history. Psalm 139:16 says, Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. We are all not here together by chance, friends. When I have thought about names, it has been more about learning who these individuals already are rather than who they will become.

So there we are, in the ultrasound room, watching the screen. Baby A is first; the singleton. Everything looks good... and clearly, it's a boy! "There's Isaac!" I said to Micah. "What if they are all boys?!?" He replied. I knew that the twins would be the same gender so another boy would guarantee all boys. "Five boys!" I exclaimed. The ultrasound tech laughed and said she was then scared to look at the other two babies:) Baby B was the most difficult to see, so she moved to Baby C. It seemed like it took a while to find the right angle and check all the important stuff. Then, it was clear. The UT grabbed my arm. "It's a girl!" she said with a smile. For the next few minutes I tried to focus on the screen with teary eyes. Baby B confirmed it. There they were; Eliana and Isabella.

Three little baby heads (from left to right, Isabella, Eliana, and Isaac)

Then things got a little hairy. Eliana is at the back~ behind the other babies~ and was difficult to measure accurately. After much maneuvering, she did measure quite a bit smaller than Isabella. It took a while to visualize everything necessary to make a clear assessment of how she is doing. Her heart rate is good, but there is concern over her growth. Isabella and Isaac are very similar in size and are right on track. It wasn't until we saw our doctor that our concern for our twin girls grew a bit. There is a condition in Monochorionic, Diamniotic Twins (like ours) as well as other identical twins calls Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome~ or TTTS. Our girls are showing some early signs that could be attributed to this disease. Thankfully, upon our first visit with our Perinatologist, he assured us that while though there are only a few specialists in the country that treat TTTS, we live just over an hour from one of them. He is going to call first thing next week and give them all our babies information and see if they have insight on the best way to follow them.

So here are the ways we need you to pray:
~First, please join us in praising God for Eliana, Isabella, and Isaac. They are precious, overwhelmingly generous gifts.
~Second, pray for Isaac; that he may continue to grow strong and healthy.
~Third, pray for our girls; that TTTS would not be their diagnosis and that their growth issues would resolve. Also pray for wisdom as the specialists watch and care for them.
~Next, Micah found out this past week that he has two hernias that may need surgical intervention. We pray these can be dealt with quickly and effectively.
~Lastly, continue to pray for me. So far, my body has responded as well as it can to carrying three babies. We pray everyday that God provides all I need to physically nurture for them.

How are Andrew and Elijah handling all of this? Well, they just keep on being little boys. They are excited about their siblings (although Andrew wanted ALL girls!!! but he said "two will work!") and are responding with patience and understanding to our crazy family circumstances right now.

Surviving Sickness, Stacking Stones

2011-10-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

At this moment, the house is completely, abnormally quiet. The past week has been trying to say the least. Micah suddenly came down with pneumonia and the babies and I survived some sort of stomach virus. It is a miracle that neither of the boys ever got sick and for that I am astounded and grateful. After being on lock down for a while, they are spending an afternoon with friends of ours and having a ball, I am sure. I thought I might at least share our newest picture of the babies with you all while I had the opportunity. This is a group shot with our twins on the left and the third on the right. You may have to be an ultrasound tech to really see them, but getting a group shot is difficult!I had heard from the beginning of this pregnancy that I would have a lot of ultrasounds and let me assure you, this is true. There are so many things to be conscious of and really no way to check on each baby without one. I have never been more thankful for modern technology! I am learning that with this kind of pregnancy, even the things the books say are not normal at all can be~ and thankfully have been~ very normal. Two weeks ago, an ultrasound showed that all babies were doing well, but our little baby B's growth was falling a bit behind the other two. Yesterday's ultrasound did show that he or she is catching back up. One of the most interesting things to learn from the images are each baby's position. I have been feeling movements for a bit but wasn't sure who was who. Now, I can differentiate each one. Truly amazing. I can't wait to see what their bending, stretching 6 arms and 6 legs feel like and I have a hunch that will be sooner than later!

We are truly in the "getting ready" phase of preparing for these babies to come live with us. We are not guaranteed many more weeks of having that freedom given the fact that eventual bed rest will more than likely be the best way to care for them. I have been cleaning out; which is something I love to do. It is a freeing feeling knowing I am getting rid of something I do not use that may serve someone else as the very thing they need. I am also enjoying as many normal days with Andrew and Elijah that I can. We are plugging along with school and taking advantage of the wonderful weather outside. It was one year ago that we began this adoption journey and I cannot help but feel that a pillar of stones would be appropriate to mark the things the Lord has done; both in me and the lives of the other 14 members of the Childs family. Remembering the past has always been one of the most compelling ways for me to look into the future. It wasn't my idea, though (see Deut. 4:9). I pray even if a physical pillar doesn't materialize, I will sense its presence in my soul as a testimony to the marvelous works of the Lord.

The Visible and Invisible

2011-09-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

After an almost three hour doctor visit yesterday, we are on the road of preparing for the arrival of these babies! I have never had such a detailed and exhaustive visit with any group of professional medical personnel in my life. We spent a while with a nurse~ going over every physical issue imaginable and making sure I was on the right track health wise and choices wise. Then we had loads of lab work followed by a sit-down, exam, and yet another sit-down with our doctor~ a Perinatologist with over 20 years experience with high-risk pregnancies. To boot, he did his fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Chapel Hill (Go Tarheels!). Everything seems to be right on track, for triplets that is, so far. Micah especially "clicked" with the doctor and loved his drive and excitement over wanting to give me the best care possible. We go back in four weeks for another ultrasound and to find out the gender of each of our babies.

There are many things to watch for and wonder about during a triplet pregnancy. There are more things in my medical history that cause some reason for extra caution. I left the doctor's office feeling great about the care we are receiving but overwhelmed at all that lies ahead. I was thankful the doc addressed questions in the "what if..." category and gave me clear answers to the most pressing questions. Answers are always comforting to the planners of the world (I think I may be Chairman of that Board:)). Our major concern is that these babies not be born too early. There is a window of time they could be born and survive but have numerous and substantial problems. We are having to plan ahead already about what to do in case of bed rest and possible hospitalization if that is what these babies need. We are going to need a lot of extra hands over the next several months. We know between all the doctors and nurses, lab and ultrasound techs, receptionists and support staff we will see between now and the first days after these babies are born, as well as family and friends, there will be a lot of hands guiding us on this journey.

I was thinking this morning, going over all the information we received in my head, that as believers in a Sovereign God, there is no possible "what if..." that is out of His plan; no surprises or twists of fate. Knowing myself as I do, having a heavenly perspective beyond my earthly view is a must for times like these. My desire and prayer in an attempt to walk by faith and not by sight through this season is to feel God's Invisible Hand even more so than I feel all the visible ones supporting me over the next months. And thankfully, even when my faith is small and I get bogged down looking at the mountain ahead, God's Hand is not diminished. He being the object of faith bears the weight. And even more intimately, His hands and arms are carrying us along (Isaiah 40:11), close to His heart. I can't imagine a better place to rest in the course of uncertainty.

Overall, these days, I feel so very blessed. God did not have to give us these precious gifts. They are above and beyond what I have ever imagined for our family~ speaking of all those in heaven and on earth. And I know we will never experience anything like what we collectively as a family are experiencing now. It is a unique and exciting time.

Commencement

2011-09-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, Micah and I had our very last appointment with our Reproductive Endocrinologist staff. After three surgeries and three embryo transfers, it was bittersweet to walk in and out of the office for one final hurrah. What grace, though. Arriving as a new patient six years ago, I could have never imagined the kinds of visits that have now succeeded the first. God has used each person there to write His story in our lives.

The very good news~ we did "graduate" to a high-risk OB. It's funny, I thought all my deepest fears in adopting embryos were realized in losing the precious children entrusted to us. I am learning every day that the opportunities to trust the Lord with the lives of our triplets are equally daunting. Taking care of myself as the one carrying these babies is also challenging. It is so easy to get caught up in worry. I ended up desperately writing out truths to keep my thoughts grounded. It is so easy to lose focus and I knew I needed some reminders to bring my mind back to the sphere of truth that governs all things eternally as I deal with daily circumstances. Overall, though, my heart is filled with thankfulness and complete astonishment at what the Lord has done. At this past appointment, we did see each baby again~ hearts beating, arms and legs budding, all around an inch long. The larger they get on the screen, the more of a presence they command. It makes us more and more curious to know what they will look like. I am sure that whatever their appearance, they will remind me clearly of my Father, as do all who bear His image. I am starting to find contemplating the logistics of taking care of three babies as a welcomed challenge; putting my organization skills to the test. I did make my first purchase~ a used triple stroller (yay for craigslist!). I figure if we ever want to leave the house, this is a must! We have started compiling a list of names for these three. Coming up with six names will be quite a challenge! Elijah has tried to make it easier for us, suggesting items he sees in the pantry. "Can of Green Beans" and "Fudge Round" top his list:) Andrew has tried to make suggestions but just finds himself cracking up at Elijah's contributions.

As seasons change, our season changes. Last fall, we started this journey. What a year it has been.

Growing Babies

2011-08-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and faithfulness. Psalm 115:1

It has already been another week and we are exceeding thankful for our three healthy, growing babies! We saw all our little ones today and watched their little hearts beat away. Micah and I both feel such gratefulness to God for sustaining the lives of our little ones. It is still surreal listening to our Nurse Practioner use phrases like "head count" and "group shot" during our ultrasound. It is difficult to get them all in the same picture! There has not been a couple expecting triplets at our clinic in 4-5 years. This makes us quite the spectacle every time we come into the office. It really is a testimony to the mindset behind this particular Reproductive Endocrinologist that there haven't been more. We know of other clinics that transfer more embryos, end up with more multiple pregnancies, and in many cases, selectively abort down to the "desired number" of babies. It is a comfort to know there are clinics that strive to be more contentious in a field where life can be so easily drastically under-valued. We know it is not perfect, but definitely more honoring to those made in the image of God.

God has given us such peace over the last week~ as the initial shock has worn off and reality settles in. While I still feel anxious at times, the Lord is honoring my requests to increase my faith and belief in His love for us all. We have felt a gamut of emotions while entrusting our children with us and those ahead of us to God's capable arms. In this whole process, I have found myself whether rejoicing or grieving in the place of "Lord, I have nothing and need everything". It has been a good place to live and a good place to remain. I imagine I am going to feel it even more over the coming months. The nausea x3 is overwhelming, but every time I feel sick I am reminded that the sources are three, rapidly changing and developing persons that are increasingly precious to me. One bit of extra physical comfort though- after 37 consecutive days of PIO injections, I no longer have to have shots!!! Woo hoo!!!

Andrew and Elijah are really doing well. We start school this week. This year, we have joined a co-op where they will each take four classes one day a week. This will be a great opportunity for them to be taught by others and make some new friends. Did I mention that one of the classes they will be taking is Karate? The other day, Elijah decided to karate chop the toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom. It immediately broke to his utter delight. I, being the responsible mother that I am, made sure I gave him the "we take care of the things God gives us" speech. He looked at me with understanding in his eyes and solemnly apologized. Then, he looked up at me, smiled slowly, and said "but it was still pretty cool, wasn't it, Mommy?!?" I have to admit, it was pretty cool! Andrew has really grown up lately. He is starting to resemble a young man. He loves responsibility and feeling grown-up and is really good at taking care of Anakin. We are so blessed. It has been a sweet time for me with the two of them. I spend a lot more time on the couch which gives opportunity for more board games, Wii, and the stuff they love to do.

Keep praying for us all. And thank you to all those who have offered encouragement. I hold all these things very close to my heart.

A BIG Surprise

2011-08-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

God’s story writing is incredible…

The waiting time between our first appointment and first Ultrasound has been filled with much anticipation as all has seemed to be going well in the “I am very pregnant with all of the great symptoms” department. My favorite parts of this wait have been hearing Elijah quote Psalm 23 to the babies and receiving contentious care by Micah and Andrew extending to the babies as well.

This past week we went to NC for Micah to preach at an “opportunity for revival” service and spend some time with family. We had the privilege of meeting our new niece and nephew~ the soon to be adopted children of Micah’s brother and his wife. They are precious and we are so glad to welcome them into our family! It was a sweet time with everyone; rejoicing in the news of our pregnancy and time ~for me especially~ to hear from my husband about the glorious gospel from Romans 4-6 during the services. The boys sang Your Great Name together at one of the services and the words spoke straight to my heart.

On our last day, I wasn’t feeling so well and seemed to be having some pregnancy complications. Even though the van was completely packed, we decided instead of getting on the road, we needed to have things assessed. Long story short, we ended up at the ER for multiple tests. All tests were normal, praise God! This little detour did provide us with a huge bit of news, however… We saw TWINS! It was a surreal moment watching the Ultrasound gal measure and count the heartbeats of our two babies, growing strong. We felt reassured and humbled at more days with both our little ones.

God blessed us with safety on our ride home. Saturday evening I was having an even more scary pregnancy complication and called my Nurse Practioner in tears. I spent all day Sunday resting, praying, and truthfully, unable to speak. I confess my fearfulness over the past couple of days. It was partially a sinful fear and partially the feeling a mother desiring to protect her children. God heard all of my cries, petitions, and confessions of my lack of understanding and faith for hours. Micah was a precious husband and took care of the house, boys, dog, unpacking from our trip, getting meals, etc. so I could relax. This morning, I called my doctor's office per the NP to see if I could go in earlier since I was not scheduled until 4:00. Thankfully, they told us to come right away. Micah and I arrived and went in to the room. Honestly, I was prepared for bad news but praying for good. Nothing could have prepared me for the news we did receive, though. Not only did our babies have strong heartbeats, but in the first sac, she found two babies! Yes folks, we are having TRIPLETS~ two identical twins and one fraternal sibling. Apparently one baby was hiding during our ultrasound last week. They all are measuring well for this stage. Micah and I have been walking around in shock since then~ amazed at what the Lord has done. The boys were very excited to hear the news~ but a little concerned that they will have to give up their play room. Micah kindly warned them that we all will pretty much be giving up the whole house for these 3!

This is a very precarious time for our babies so we need continued prayers. There are more chances for complications with multiples (it is shocking to even type that word!) and we will be monitored very closely. With every week that goes by, the chances of our babies surviving goes up. This has indeed been an overwhelming, exciting time and we thank you all for continuing to share in it with us. You have to just all promise that you won’t look at us strangely, even if we might begin to resemble one of those crazy families you might see on TLC!

The Two Week Wait is Over!

2011-08-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

It is with great joy that I can report that as of today, one or both of our little ones are growing! After 5 home pregnancy tests, 1 test at our clinic followed by 1 positive blood test (Beta Hcg 1311!!!), I think I am finally convinced:) It is so gracious of God to allow us more days with this/these little one(s). It is very humbling to think that embryos, frozen in a lab just a couple of weeks ago have been given life here on this earth.

Please pray~ that all continues to go well and that Jesus, Who holds all things together by the word of His power would sustain and grow them. We will go back in two weeks for an ultrasound to see if one or both babies are with us.

Final Transfer Day

2011-07-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

We are happy to report that it has been a peaceful day to receive our little ones. When we arrived at the hospital, we learned that our little one from '04 had not survived the thawing process. Sadly but hopefully, we await the day when we see our, now 8, children who now reside with Jesus in eternity. Our other two little ones, frozen in '08, were described as "beautiful" and "couldn't be better" by the Embryologist. She said their grade would most certainly be an "A".

Our Little Ones

After the Transfer~Holding Them~Glad They are No Longer Frozen!

Smiling Daddy

After two acupuncture appointments (one before and one after the transfer) and a good many hours of bed rest we pray they are growing and developing. All the calls, messages, and prayers have increased our faith and we know they have reached the ears of our Lord. Thank you.

Eternality and Infinitude

2011-07-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Just to get you all up to speed, the boys finished the school year heralded with great accomplishment and sighs of relief that summer had definitely begun.After the End-Of-School Celebration, Micah's parents visited and we celebrated even more as my birthday and my dear Elijah's happen back to back.As soon as our company left, things got interesting for a short while. What do a laboring chiuaua, a large dog of unknown breed blinded by optic nerve inflammation, a beagle with a propensity to eat non-food items, and our Anakin, nauseous and dehydrated in need of fluids have in common? The Doggy ER! Which was where I spent this past Tuesday night. New to my resume, I have now nursed a puppy back to health after a canine stomach virus. He is already back to his toddler- chewing on everything (we allow him to, of course), bouncing, flipping, eating, drinking and the not so pleasant result of eating and drinking- self.
We are also moving closer to our transfer date. You know, if you have been following us through embryo adoption, that this is the point in the process when I get pretty reflective, gearing up for the uphill climb ahead. My past experience forces me to accept my neediness these days and how completely limited I am. Broadly speaking, I have a finite amount of energy for each day. There is, I must confess, an end to my patience, tolerance, comfort, longsuffering, ability to cope~ the list could go on and on. There are times I feel emotionally and spiritually deficit especially after pressing into our joys and losses. There are days that having a clear logical thought takes some cognitive gymnastics. As a human being, even the very life inside my cells fade a little more each day. And on top of my personal limited-ness, time is ticking away. Each earthly trial and blessing has a beginning and an end. Then there are "lasts". There will come a time when I will have spent the last day with my children at home or curling up with my husband on the couch to watch a movie (hopefully not in my foreseeable future). This is our last transfer and our last opportunity to care for frozen ones. And somehow, God calls me with all my limitations to adopt and care for embryos! It is a humbling thought. My lot is clear (and so is yours, friends). I NEED everything~ life and breath and everything else. And I need to draw from something- someOne inhuman that doesn't share my limitations. Given our present situation, this is all the more real.

My Father, in stark contrast, doesn't share in my humanity. He is Immortal, Invisible, Eternal and has Infinite Characteristics supplying all the things I need according to His wisdom (1 Tim. 1:17). Compared to infinite, my needs are very small~ even when they feel so overwhelming. He transcends space and time and offers a future hope that is beyond my comprehension. Jesus, however, shares my humanity, and is able to personally sympathize in my weaknesses (Heb. 4:15) and feels my needs as I feel them yet without sin. In Him, I lack nothing. These ponderings aren't a result of my own spiritual gathering but what God is using to entice me to move forward each day. The Spirit moves in me, reminding me to ask for the measures of grace suited for each day and He in His response, is able. Even on the days when I fail to ask, He still moves in me.

Will I be a vessel of life for our little ones or their casket? Sounds like a pretty melodramatic question but is true to my need. I have been prepared for and have experience being either one to the lives of the unborn. And both are beautiful. He hasn't given me the grace to accept His answer just yet. Grace for today is enough. God is always greater.

Our Elijah is 5!

2011-07-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

E ~ energetic, excited, and eager to do almost anything
L ~ loving and affectionate
I ~ immaginative; especially when it comes to explaining the way he sees
life and expressing his feelings
J ~ joyful; with a smile that is infectious
A ~ always ready to break out a dance/kung fu move
H ~ humbling gift from God

Happy 5th Birthday Elijah!

And the Winner Is............

2011-06-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Amanda! Thank you to all who participated and shared with us!

Shirt Giveway!!!

2011-06-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

We have one(1) Black, Tree-T, Show Hope Shirt up for grabs!!! All that is required: please comment below and share something you have learned or been encouraged to do or think about regarding embryo adoption. If you can't think of anything, I will accept anything about adoption in general. Those of you who supported us through purchasing a shirt will have your entry counted twice, if you choose to participate. Entries will be accepted through Wednesday, June 22 at noon. All entries will be complied and I will choose the T-Shirt recipient through a random drawing. The winner will be announced on June 22 at 2:00 p.m.. That person then has 24 hours to contact me through comments with mailing information or another winner will be chosen.

Adding, Again

2011-06-15T07:58:00.001-07:00

Well, it is mid-June. Our clinic suggested we call them to see if any families had relinquished their rights to their own embryos and made them available for adoption at this time. Honestly, I was very pessimistic. As I previously stated, the clinic had many embryos that had been abandoned and through letters from the staff, had been encouraged to choose to allow them to be given to other families or take responsibility for them themselves. Knowing they could choose to have them destroyed as another option, Micah and I had been praying they would choose life for their little ones but were not sure many would respond that way.

Over the last couple of months, I have enjoyed the healing time. I have been reading a lot~ particularly in the Psalms, adding in C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed and I Will Carry You by Angie Smith. Valley of Vision continues to be a source of weighty truth. It hasn't been the most cheery of book line-ups but indeed a help in pressing in to the call we have been given. Since our little ones now with Jesus don't share Micah's and my DNA, I see their faces in every culturally diverse place I go. I love the smiles of children, especially my own~ shadowing the faces of those sharing eternity with the Son. There has been one question driving my relentless searching and grieving; can I echo Job in saying "Though He slay me (and may slay again), I will hope in Him?" Can I test this one more time? With adoring fear and supernatural fortitude, my answer is, I am His. Please don't hear that as a boasting in my ability to hold myself in His hand, but rather a testimony of His saving grace. Now, the abundance of infinite strength to move forward at all is found only in the One who calls and supplies all our need according to the riches of Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:9).

So today, we met our third and final group of embryos. My initial call had revealed that the clinic had families respond to their letters and they asked that Micah and I come in as soon as possible. I was, at first, shocked and terrified. Then, remembering what I had asked~ that God move in these families' hearts to choose life for their little ones~ I felt humbled by His answer. As I stepped into the clinic I had so desired to run from a few months ago, the Lord again brought Micah and I into His hope. We sat down and were handed choices for our children, once again. There were two families with five remaining embryos. We chose two from one family that had been in storage since 2008. Then there was one remaining embryo from a family frozen back in 2004. I asked our Nurse Practioner if we could please add this one and she did finally agree. Andrew and Elijah now have a sibling conceived in Andrew's birth year that will be younger than the both of them if God has that child to come and live with us:) It is amazing to us how after all this time, God has provided for these babies. It was such a tangible reminder that God never forgets or abandons. He is always working and willing on our behalf. I just pray one day I can share this precious truth with these children! Speaking of the little one frozen for 7 years, we were a bit concerned since the adopting family pays back storage fees, but our clinic staff was so kind and just added the one from 2004 into the mix of the others. Again, we are provided for.

So here we are, hearts bent on loving these frozen ones no matter the cost. We are beginning medication in about a week and if all goes as planned, they will be transferred on July 20. We know that God's plans for them will not be hindered.

Soccer and Seven-Year-Olds

2011-06-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

Run, smile, laugh, jump,
Eight players in a bunch.

Hustle, move, quick-step,
Sweat, deep-breath, water break.

Remembering which way to aim,
The other way, again.

Kick, hit, kick, miss,
Out of bounds, out of bounds again.

Throw in, dodge, gain control,
Sixteen feet, dancing around a ball.

High-five, gather, look around,
Encouraging Coach, smiling crowd.

Andrew scores, very first time,
Scores again, misses, then a third.

Jumps, skips, yells in delight,
The happiest boy I have ever seen.

Whose the Boss?

2011-05-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

I specifically told myself I wouldn't let this happen~ Since last year, I vowed that if we got a dog, he would not be an Alpha Male. I did not want to worry about what happened last year happening again. What dog has God provided us? An Alpha Male.

First, it was new children. A friend of mine brought her kiddos by to see the puppy... the cute, sweet puppy. Anakin began growling, then snapping at the oldest girl. Then later in the day, he decided to do the same with Elijah.

So how did I react to my aggressive 4.6 lb. puppy when he chose to act this way? I crumbled. Immediately I remembered the dog attack and let him have his way with me, too. I had no idea what to do. You have to understand that I am not a dog person. I have had one dog in my life that I was only able to keep for a while. I think she just had a docile, sweet nature. I had been reading for days about how to raise a healthy, happy, obedient puppy but apparently Anakin hadn't read the same books. It reminded me of when Andrew came into the world and I was shocked that he didn't understand a eat-awake-sleep schedule!

After an evening of regrouping (i.e. Micah lovingly sending me to have some grown-up time out of the situation), I concluded that I have to be what dog trainers call the pack leader. This is a new hat for me and one I realized I needed to put on quickly. It was also clear that Micah and I had to encourage the boys to show dominance to Anakin after we establish a clear hierarchical structure for the little guy. So how did we do it? From my reading, I remembered a suggestion: I picked up my fuzzy pup, looked deep into his eyes, and growled. As a mom, you end up in situations that one could never imagine and I have to say this now is near the top of my experiential list! Anakin went limp and from then on, things have been better. Micah, being a natural-born male (thank goodness:)) was already on the top of the chain of command.

After gaining control of Anakin, Micah and I sat the boys down and told them, "If we are going to keep this dog, you have to show him that you both are the boss." They made it clear they wanted to keep him thus the people training began. After just a few minutes, Elijah and Andrew were petting Anakin and even forcing him onto his back and rubbing his belly. I made it perfectly clear when he began to growl just how inappropriate that was (a can of pennies and a guttural "NO!" are pretty effective tools:)) and thankfully, it has stuck so far. The discipline is effective and so is the praise. I have heard "That's a good boy!" come out of my mouth in the most ridiculous sounding voice too many times to count. I don't know who has the better reaction~ Anakin or Micah as he laughs and rolls his eyes at me. After a few days, the boys are getting more and more confident handling Anakin. Now, he just wants to play with them all the time! After just one more beginning-to-growl-which-I-immediately-handled incident, he has done really well! We have him signed up for obedience classes in a few weeks as well, so we hope this will give us an even better handle on him. He seems to be a really intelligent dog and young enough that we can establish some healthy habits in him. He already obeys "come", "sit", and "drop it" and has heard "no bite" enough that I think he could almost say it himself:) All in all, we are all growing together. I think this is going to be really good for our family; especially for Andrew and Elijah.

Anakin

2011-05-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well, today our family grew yet a bit more! Anakin Skywalker Hooper Childs joined us! It was quite a drive to pick him up so we all had a few hours of eager anticipation. The moment we met him lived up to the excitement. We first met his parents, who were equally if not more excited than we were. Andrew was a little freaked out at this point, but then Anakin came through the door. He was mild mannered, cuddly, and immediately appreciated all the attention he was getting. The trip home was uneventful except for everyone catering to Anakin's every need, want, or possible desire. It seemed perfectly natural for him to hang out with us in the van. We quickly realized we had the wrong size collar (He is really really small!) so we had to run by PetSmart. The sales lady quickly dashed all our hopes that we are ready for a dog (oh well:)) but we did leave with some hope knowing his new collar/harness will definitely fit! As he settles in, Elijah says, "I love him and all the things we can do with him!" and Andrew, "He's nice and calm!" For me, I am happy to report: no accidents YET. My super-manly husband loves him, too. I guess we're all suckers for our cute little puppy.

The Newest Addition

2011-05-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

When we were in the midst of moving all over the country, Elijah began asking for a dog. Not Andrew, I might add. Then last year, July 4th to be exact, after Elijah was attacked by a small dog, I was sure that was going to change his request. I was wrong.

Micah and I decided to answer Elijah with "When we get settled down in one place and if God blesses us with a Chick-fil-a, we will talk about it." Elijah's translation, "When Daddy gets a Chick-fil-a, we are getting a dog!!!"

So you can imagine the conversations over the past couple of months. Elijah will say things like, "Mommy, when it's my buwfday, you don't have to get me a boy cake; just a dog bone cake for my dog" and "I just can't wait to feel my dog's fuzzy fuw!" and then close his eyes and smile as he imagined what that might be like.

Then Andrew, the terrified-of-dogs-big-brother, joined in, "I know I am afraid of dogs, but Elijah really wants one. And I would be good with that. Let's all surprise him!" He would then proceed to plan just how the surprise would go down.

Then the name suggestions started pouring in. These were some of the choices:

Ventress
General Grievious
Captain America
Sweet Potato

Now let me assure you, we see many things in life as growing experiences:) Micah and I have been talking about whether or not this was even an option and were prepared to break the news if it just wasn't going to work. Being very logically minded, we did come up with a list of pros and cons. We live in an apartment right now, and that was a huge concern. We learned through lots and lots of research that there are dogs who don't mind apartments and who love being closer to families. After back and forth, back and forth, we decided to take the plunge. Maybe we are crazy, but it seems as good a time as any to welcome a little pup into our home. We have all had to endure so much loss over the last few months, it will be nice to have a new life running around. I am also convinced that the experience of raising a puppy will be educational for us all; especially the boys. Then, we found "him". After looking for very specific breeds would fit best our family, we found a group of pups a couple of hours away. We were sent pictures of his parents and I quickly realized they resemble dogs my grandparents had and loved when I was young. Immediately, I was sold.

Anakin Skywalker Hooper Childs will join us next Wednesday. He is a Cairn Terrier (like Toto from the Wizard of Oz). We are very excited! I will post pictures of him as soon as I can!

How We Proceed/A Prayer for More Frozen Ones

2011-04-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Clearly, accomplishment in life cannot be measured in terms of years alone. It often happens that those that die young have accomplished more than others who live to old age. Even infants, who sometimes have been with their parents only a few days, or even hours, may leave profound influences that change the entire course of the life of the family. And undoubtedly, from the Divine viewpoint, the specific purpose for which they were sent into the world was accomplished. It is our right neither to take life prematurely, nor to insist on its extension beyond the mark that God has set for it.

Loraine Boettner

Back in October, Micah and I talked through this season of our lives adopting embryos. We talked about the possible outcomes and variables. We even listed our primary goal and expectations. We took our knowledge, research, and understanding and added much prayer and anticipation. From these, we formed a plan concluding that three embryo transfers seemed feasible and gave concrete reasons for that decision. The past two months we have added struggle, suffering, and much emotion to our conglomeration of information and in turn, questioned that decision. God has already grown our family and we, by His grace, have accomplished what we desired to do; show honor, dignity, and respect to the lives of frozen, bearers of the image of God. There are no more embryos with our "names on them" at our clinic. We have cared for all the little ones God has placed in our family arms thus far. The process has been a joyfully excruciating one. Our initial conversation aside, the end of this season seemed near.

But then I wondered, if the Lord allows me more years on this earth, would I one day have any regrets? There are certainly very good reasons to regroup and move on walking down a new path of adoption (which was in our original plan as well). I have been forced to ask myself, what then are our reasons for changing paths now? The one and only reason I have is simply because it has been so hard. Loving little ones and letting them go, as I have stated before, wasn't the path I would have chosen for myself. Working for/against me is the fact that all those God calls, He also equips. In His equipping of me for this task, He made me with more than a fair amount of stubbornness that doesn't permit my one reason much validity. Instead, Micah and I have both concluded that finishing well and not having any regrets later is the best choice. I have been so glad we both came to the same decision seperately, yet in unison. It seems that God has created us to do this work, and we desire to see it through to the end. Our family has uniquely learned to love embryos and sympathize with the plight of those dealing with infertility. Even though he wasn't describing embryos, Mr. Boettner's quote describes our little ones and their impact on our lives. This impact pushes us forward and makes us completely and totally up for one last embryo adoption. Long term, we aren't sure what our role will be in continuing to be a voice for the voiceless, but I am sure this flame will not burn out in us during our lifetime.

We recently sat down with the Nurse Practitioner to talk about a third transfer. The news she gave us was interesting, wonderful, and enlightening all at the same time. In the clinic where we have adopted all our little ones, there are as of now, no more "available" embryos for adoption. That entire manila folder-full has been cared for. What glorious news! It was also good to hear her re-affirm her desire that all embryos created within their office be given a chance at life. However, there are a number of families that have abandoned their embryos and not provided for their adoption. If you have been following my blog long, you may remember an article I posted describing the problem IVF patients face when they have "left-over" embryos. It can be an agonizing decision, especially if they go into IVF without considering all possible outcomes ahead of time. Some families make sure they give a chance at life to all their little ones. Others, like the parents of our children, do give up their rights and allow their remaining embryos to be adopted. There are some, who will donate them for research thus destroying them or simply choose for them to be discarded in some way. The NP has been urging these families to give up their rights and allow the staff to place them with other families. Our family has joined her in this urging, just in a different way. We are specifically praying for the families of our particular clinic to be burdened with their choice and either take responsibility for their own embryos and give them a chance at life, or allow another family to do so. We ask you to join us in our prayers. Micah and I will be calling the clinic in mid-June to see if there are embryos that have been released. We plan to give it just a few months. If God has more little ones for us, we are ready and joyfully willing to care for them to the best of our ability and to the glory of God our Father. If not, we feel at peace in this end as well.

Our clinic is no different than many others (if not all) across the US. Let me say aloud that we understand and sympathize with couples facing infertility and secondary infertility. We are just praying that we may honor our Creator God with our choices when it comes to human life.

Easter and Other Things

2011-04-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

One sign that our Andrew is growing up is that he seems to be losing teeth at an astounding rate! He now has two tooth-size holes in his sweet smile. I love to hear him read any words with the "s" and "sh" sounds aloud in school. So far, I have been the tooth-puller. My strategy- to make sure the tooth is good and ready to come out and tell Andrew, "I am going to have this thing out in 10 seconds. Okay- start counting!" Usually, it is out by 3. With four teeth down and several more to go, he is forming quite a relationship with the tooth fairy. About 10 minutes after he lays down for bed the night of her visit he yells to Micah and me, "I'm about asleep! You can go ahead and come in with the tooth money!" There is no fooling Andrew when it comes to things as serious as money for his piggy bank. There have been a number of thunderstorms lately... and days and days of rain. We live in a second-story apartment and we recently had a Tornado Warning that seemed pretty serious. Since we do not have a good place to wait out a storm, Micah suggested at 11:30 p.m. to head over the the apartment clubhouse and wait it out in the basement. There are a series of rooms there and we thought for sure we would find safety- or at least a more safe place than our bedroom closet. Micah and I quickly put together a "wait out the storm" bag and loaded the kids in the van since the clubhouse is several buildings over. Andrew woke up immediately and wanted to make sure he knew the plan. Elijah, however, more resembled Jesus in the boat with the disciples in his approach to facing the weather conditions. We got over to the clubhouse, unloaded everything and everyone still sleeping (Elijah) and hurried through the rain into the basement. The only thing I can say is- windows and glass everywhere. Not only are there floor to ceiling windows in every room (office, exercise room, Pilate's studio, etc.) but there are also floor to ceiling windows that separate each room from the interior hallway. One entry way side of the building was two-stories of glass and another side is a rec-room that used to be a glass-enclosed indoor pool. We might have well gone to a kitchen store and stood in the knife section. By this time, the storm was too close to load back up and head back to our better equipped, second-story tornado shelter. Thankfully, Andrew and I did scope out a furnace room without panes and panes and more panes of glass! After following the WHAS11 live news feed on the Internet for an hour including multiple viewings of the same commercial for "Craig and Landreth Cars" and having the electricity flicker a few times, all was well and we headed home. We were so thankful to be protected despite our circumstances. We will have a better plan next time!

Today, we celebrated Resurrection Day with our church family. The boys sported some new big-boy clothes. I have some handsome boys, if I do say so myself! Elijah was so kind to take this picture of Mommy and Daddy~ and just in case you're wondering, we didn't coordinate our Easter clothing; it just happened to work out that way:) Our church decorated the sanctuary with hydrangeas this year. We placed one in honor of our little ones and celebrated the hope we have through Christ who now stands victorious over sin and death~ Micah and I have some new news on the embryo adoption front to share as well as more specific ways for you all to be informed about how to pray for these particular orphans ~ so stay tuned!

Let the Business Begin!

2011-04-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 13th marked our last day of being apart from Micah. The boys and I drove back down to Atlanta for a weekend celebration with Micah and the group of Chick-fil-a Operators and Corporate Employees training with him. The trip down was long, but the boys looked content at our stop at a Cracker Barrel along the way. I think they were just so glad to be going to "pick-up Daddy"!

Thursday evening, the group visited Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves as well as the Tomahawk-Chopping Chick-fil-a Cow standing high above the crowd.

Friday, April 15, 2011. Micah graduated from the FRL (Fundamentals of Restaurant Leadership) class. The boys and I are so proud of him~ With the contracts signed, he is officially a business owner! Those who have followed us over the last couple of years know what a long road it has been. It was humbling to see Micah recognized for all his sacrifice. Knowing him as I do, I am aware that recognition is not his goal, but to simply follow the path God has given him with humility and servant-leadership. I have been so fortunate to have a front-row seat, watching God give him direction and then provide the perseverance. There have definitely been struggles, but the result has been so well worth it. The extent of the hardship was completely and satisfyingly proportionate to the sweetness of the accomplishment. We thank God for the daily portions of grace that moved us all through the last couple of years. Being a part of the Chick-fil-a family is a gift. We were thankful Micah's parents could join us for the "Con-grad-u-lation" (as Elijah called it;) combining Congratulations and Graduation).

Update

2011-04-08T11:18:00.001-07:00

During my friend Cara's visit two weeks ago, Danae (my snowflake sister) had her first ultrasound. It was sad to learn that one baby had not lived however the other was growing normally. We learned yesterday, though, that now God has also taken that child to be with Him. I know Danae, her husband Josh, and their two girls appreciate prayers right now. Micah and I feel so fortunate to be walking this embryo adoption road with brave souls like them. Our hearts break with theirs as they carry their babies to Jesus.

Moving Forward

2011-04-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

A few days after we found out about our little ones, Micah flew to Atlanta for Operator Training for Chick-fil-a. God's timing can be a little curious... However, with four weeks down and one left to go, I am so thankful the time has gone by quickly- Partially thanks to friends that continued to love on us and keep us busy. I had to post these pics of all the precious faces that have come through our home:Where are the adults, you may ask? Well, probably cooking, cleaning up from said cooking, admonishing, encouraging, scrubbing something, thinking about what to cook next, or investigating something (usually an alarming noise;)). What a blessing to have a full house. I have to mention that my friend Cara drove 12 hours with her four kiddos (AMAZING!!!). Everyone needs friends that let you come as you are, and my friends Cara and Jaime (the mommies of the adorable children above) allow me that priceless luxury.

This past weekend, the boys and I traveled for a long-weekend visit with Micah. We stayed in Peachtree City, GA and took advantage of the miles and miles of golf-cart paths within the community. Back at the hotel, Elijah found time to put on a show on the outdoor concert area (dancing like "Justin Beaver- that boy that has talent... even when he was a little boy!!!"). This picture is blurry, but that is because of Elijah's lightening moves: And Andrew, hung out in the audience cheering him on: We did get another visit to the Chick-fil-a Home Office. This is along the path that leads to the main building. It is such a beautiful area:Andrew wants a car like this one in Mr. Truett Cathy's collection when he grows up:Micah graduates next week and takes ownership of Chick-fil-a at Jefferson Mall on May 1. We are so thankful for the end of this part of our journey... it has truly been a long one!

The Beauty of Grief

2011-03-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

If God had disclosed our entire job description when He first called Micah and me to adopt embryos, highlighting the sacrifices required to show love, dignity, and respect to our six little ones in order to bring them directly to Him in the end, I know deep in my heart I may not have been so quick to obey. In fact, I think I may have tried to run away... far, far away in the opposite direction. That has never worked out for anyone I know throughout history so I must assume that it would have not worked out so well for me. Honestly, for the first time in days, I can say in retrospect that I would without a doubt do it all over again. Even though God has added to our family in a way we never expected, He has honored our request for more children. It gives the phrase "treasures in heaven" a far deeper meaning to all of us.

However, the past couple of weeks have been tremendously painful as we have plunged the depths of their loss. During times when my spirit is flooded with a thousand feelings all at once, it is good for me to be very, very quiet. Over the past week and a half, I have had quite a bit of quiet time. There are days when the groanings too deep for words reflecting Romans 8 are a constant companion. When I do speak, my heart echoes David in the Psalms as he questioned God and tried to make sense of his circumstances. There is no need to pretend the questions don't exist. They do~ and He knows them already. I might as well say them out loud to the only One big enough to have any answers. There is beauty in process of grieving, though. It shows honor to the six little persons that have come into our lives and changed us forever. Also for me, there is an exquisite rawness in suffering that draws out the best and worst in me all at the same time. There is no facade; no harness for my emotions. It is impossible to put on the "Christian Face". However, as good theology preceded David in his honest dialogue with the Father, so it must for me and therein lies the source of the beauty. Through it all, God remains faithful and trustworthy. He patiently waits on me while I blame Him until I again believe Him. Even when I have no sense of the ground beneath my feet, He is the Solid Rock. When sadness and questions feel consuming, I have not been consumed. Beyond that, He willingly enters into my suffering. My God and Savior knows my anguish better than anyone. It is only because of His suffering on my behalf that I grieve perfectly in Christ. There is no need to fix my heartache. I come as I am and Jesus does all the fixing and I am not left undone. That is true beauty.

Where are we going from here? Micah and I aren't sure. Since God does know where this story is going next, I feel content right now just sticking close to Him.

One bit of very good news is that our friends Josh and Danae are expecting. Please join us in praying for them and their little one(s) now growing. It will be a sweet gift to get to see the face of a child that will resemble two of ours. We are thankful for that glimpse through the door of heaven and thrilled for them!

Our Little Ones

2011-03-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

It is with deep deep sadness that I write these words. Our little ones are with Jesus. Micah and I are broken-hearted. The boys are sad. It is impossible and overwhelming for me to understand why the Lord would take these, now 6, little ones to be with Him and not allow us to meet them this side of eternity. After thinking about the news for a bit, Elijah reminded me of something I had told him weeks ago, "Both choices were good for them, right Mommy? To be with us or Jesus?" He's right and we are glad for them, but we still hurt. They are lacking nothing but we are left needing everything right now. We covet your prayers while we grieve.

Where We Are Today

2011-03-08T07:53:00.001-08:00

I have to start by putting in one more plug for our adoption fund raiser through Shirts of Hope. We have had several friends buy a shirt and in turn support our adoption as well as other adoptions through Show Hope. We are truly humbled by the gifts. The deadline is March 31 for anyone else who may be interested. Click here for the link to the info page.

This past week has been really busy in the Childs house. First of all, our "house" changed. Having been in corporate housing for the past year and a half, it was time to again find a place of our own. It was especially fun to see our PODS container and unload all our stuff that has been stored away. The boys thought it was like Christmastime as they pulled out toys from boxes and bins. They were especially glad to see their train table... AND all the toys that make noise:) I had conveniently stored most of the "fun" ones. I think Elijah has pushed every button on every battery requiring toy at least 100 times in the last three days! Having not needed much of the things I had stored, it has been great inspiration to clean out as I unpacked.

Emotionally, it has been good to have a distraction as the day approaches when we learn the state of our little ones. I wish I could report that I have been cool as a cucumber waiting on the news, but honestly, I have been a mess. I want to be vulnerable here... It is such a struggle to rest and not be anxious. Couple that with loads of hormones and... well, you can venture a guess at the results:) I was having a difficult day last week; just thinking about how much we want the best for these babies but at the same time, praying they would live and come to be with our family. I have often wondered what it would be like to give birth to our twins, one Hispanic baby and one Indian/Pacific Islander baby, and witness the delivery room staff's reactions:) I have so desired to see those little faces- faces that do not resemble anyone in our family. My thoughts always drift back to the fact that God loves them and they are safe in His hands. Our responsibility is to be obedient in showing them His love. And I would do anything to show them His love, including learn to give myself the "big shots" on both sides- which I somehow managed to accomplish this week. What I don't take in consideration always is that God loves us too~ He loves me too. Trusting Him with my heart seems next to impossible sometimes. I know how this can go and how it can feel. It makes me so grateful for Jesus who has indeed captured my heart, carries me in His arms, and grants me portions of grace each day. In fact, in Him on the battlefield in my mind, I am more than a conqueror. In terms of my acceptance before Him as a daughter, my adoption is complete. I have been given perfect, sustaining love and peace. Feeling that always is so difficult in this situation. Feeling it or not, by this time tomorrow, I will know where our little ones are, God will still be good, and His grace will continue to be sufficient for me- and for all of us.

So please pray. We have been so fortunate to have had so many others around us walking beside. The nearness of God is our good, friends. And the nearness of each other is a gift. We will relay the news as soon as we are able~

Second Transfer Complete

2011-02-25T09:18:00.000-08:00

This morning, we were once again a part of a sacred experience. Of the three embryos thawed, only one survived. The other two- one from the original donating family and one from the family Josh and Danae had donated to us) are now whole, adopted as God's children, and staring into the face of their Creator. The other, from our first group survived and we were told looked better than the previous two we had transferred. As I said in our previous post, neither embryo was in "great shape", so I attribute its condition today to our Almighty Healer! Because of some arrangements made by our friends Josh and Danae, a fourth embryo was thawed from their group and it did survive. They are hopefully finding their accommodations perfectly adequate for growing right now:) I am officially on bed rest for the next three days. I look forward to sitting, praying, and experiencing the results of all the prayers prayed on all our behalf during this quiet time. I need to post some pictures of the boys, too, during my sitting time if I can get them to be still enough for a picture... They are here being cared for by Micah's parents and having a great time!

This is my hope and prayer specifically today, again from The Valley of Vision: God Controller and Creator that speaks to the babies and to me:

MOST HIGH GOD,
The universe with all its myriad creatures
is Thine,
made by Thy word,
upheld by Thy power,
governed by Thy will.

But Thou art also the Father of mercies,
the God of all grace,
the bestower of all comfort,
the protector of the saved.

In One Week: To TX and Back and Babies!

2011-02-24T16:36:00.001-08:00

Micah and I spent a lovely first part of the week in San Antonio, TX. What a great place to visit. The Riverwalk was beautiful and such a retreat from the big city all around. It was our first longer trip by ourselves in a long time~ We went to be a part of our first event as an extension of the Chick-fil-a family of Operators that spreads across the USA. It felt surreal- to have such an incredible introduction to our new life and to experience the answer to our prayers for the past few years. I am so proud of Micah and so grateful to God for growing him into this position. It was more evident to me, while surrounded by his peers, the transformation in him. I am looking forward to see how God uses the changes, continues to grow Micah, and guides him over the next many years. He and I have been in the supplication stage in regards to career for so long, it was a practice to sit still and thank God for answering our prayers in this way. My heart is so fickle. It is so easy to pray and seek, but it takes more effort in many ways for me to accept the blessings and spend time in praise and thankfulness. I am indeed thankful and blessed far beyond what I deserve.

These are some of my favorite scenes from the trip:

The Alamo

In the top of the Tower of the Americas

On the adoption front, the time has come again for our second embryo transfer. It has come so quickly~ The past few days have been Marriage Enrichment time again with big shots in the "hips"! Tomorrow morning, we will "meet" our 3 little ones. The shots and all the other meds have been totally worth it to prepare for them and give them the best chance to live that we know. We ask that you all be in prayer for us (Andrew and Elijah included) and the babies. You can specifically pray that they all survive being thawed, find a happy home, implant, and grow! Specifically for the two that aren't in "great" shape, I have been looking to the examples of those parents in the New Testament that brought their children to Jesus. I ask you to do the same. Our babies, regardless of their form, are not out of the reach of the Healer. The more I pray, the closer I feel to them. Love is always risky and this kind of love is scary. I have had to be honest with my Father about that knowing He calls me to not have a spirit of fear. On days it has been hard to pray, God has always sent another mother my way to pray for them on my behalf. Just last week, God helped me to swallow my pride, confess my weakness, and ask for help from a dear friend of mine. She continues to remind me that she is praying. Other of our families and friends have been so kind to pray and communicate that to us as well. Micah and I were sharing our story during lunch this past week with a couple we had just met. At the end of lunch, the gal came over, knelt beside me, and prayed such a strong prayer for them. She is a mother of seven. Little did she know, I had really struggled that day feeling up to all of this. As I felt her hands holding mine, I knew God had sent her, in a room suited for thousands of people, to our table just for me. It is such a blessing for us not to carry this alone. It is a difficult road, but I am looking to the cross and into the face of Jesus for perfect help and strength. Please pray that we continue to walk this road in obedience, with peace and hopefulness, and hearts that trust the Lord in the way and the outcome.

BIG News

2011-02-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

In October 2009, we started traveling all over the US for Micah to serve Chick-fil-a as an Interim Manager. After six assignments, we had no idea where we would end up. There have been twists. There have been turns. There have been big potholes and lovely overlooks (the analogies could go on and on!). All along the way, we have prayed for wisdom knowing that God is bigger than us, than Chick-fil-a, and working for our good.

This past Monday, Micah got a call for a final interview in Atlanta. He and I headed down to the CFA Home Office and after a morning full of meetings and interviews, we got great news~ Micah is now the Owner/Operator Select of Chick-fil-a Jefferson Mall, Louisville, KY! There are really no words to describe the relief and excitement we both felt. Hearing the news is a moment I am so glad we got to share with each other. I have never been more proud of my husband; not just because of his accomplishment but because he persevered in a way that honored God and showed love for his family. It is a true testimony to God's work in his life.

Two Plus One

2011-02-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

This past week, we learned that our last two embryos from the group of four we originally adopted aren't in the best shape. There are systems by which Embryologists grade embryos. The systems are subjective and vary from clinic to clinic but serve the purpose of deciding which embryos are "competent". Sometimes, incompetent embryos are discarded. Since we firmly believe that all embryos, regardless of their grade, should be given a chance at life, we are glad to know our clinic has reserved that dignity for them. It does cause us to pray for them even more and seek the Lord for His supernatural help for them. There is more to this story, however.

It all started at my last doctor visit. Micah and I spoke with the nurse about adopting a third embryo to transfer. This was even before the news of the condition of our other two. It would be a lone embryo we assumed as there were several families with only one left and donated. We went back and forth for a while, listing the pros and cons. It is so strange, this whole process, weighing statistics, facts, and assumptions verses walking with the God who holds all things together by the word of His power. The God who we call Father who moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. The God who makes the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dead live again. We left the appointment with the intention to pray about it and let them know our decision sometime before the transfer. Since then, we have prayed a lot and sought wisdom from other friends and family. Really, the question I kept asking myself was, "Can I pray for all of these babies- each one- that they all will live and mean it?" The question is legitimate. It would not be easy for us to care for triplets or more importantly, good for them sharing a limited growing space. The chance of them all surviving is very slim from a historical/statistical standpoint. Again, human understanding ~ All-Powerful Lord. We did decide it would be a wise use of the transfer cycle for us to go ahead with three, praying for each of them to live. I decided to let the office know our intentions the day of our final appointment before the transfer.

Enter our friends Josh and Danae. Josh and Danae are the sister and brother-in-law of my friend, Cara. Shortly after we began our embryo adoption, they were led to pursue the same thing. Danae and I are both scheduled for our embryo transfers within a couple of days of each other; this being our second cycle and their first. They had adopted a group of seven embryos. They had chosen them because they were deemed the "least adoptable" of all the embryos donated at our clinic. Danae sent me a text message last week asking if I'd talked with our clinic about adding another embryo. At this point, I had not. Danae said she got a call from the Nurse Practioner asking to use one of their embryos for a transfer scheduled for another adopting couple who fit our profile. Danae was glad to have another family willing to help give all of hers a chance at life, since seven is a large number to take on given a more conservative approach. It was a concern to she and Josh that there would come a point in time where they might have to decide to relinquish one or more to be adopted. In talking to Danae, it was already like talking to a mom, trying to decide the best for her children even with all the unknowns in front of her. Danae even offered, if the other couple wasn't us, to allow us to transfer another of theirs. She and Josh certainly have those little ones in mind- wanting each one to be cared for. Even after our conversation, I was not convinced the couple the NP was speaking of was us. When Danae called in tears, I was proved completely wrong! The clinic had gotten the news of the condition of our embryos and was working on our behalf to add a third. Unknown to our mutual NP, the solution she provided made Josh and Danae AND Micah and me the parents of these siblings. She had no idea we knew each other. Antie Cara couldn't be happier:) Isn't God amazing!

If you headed to our site to buy a Shirt of Hope, click here. We are still taking orders through March 31. If you are praying for our babies, please add one more to your list!

Shirts of Hope

2011-01-31T05:27:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in our previous blog, we have an invitation for you to become part our adoption journey in a tangible way through buying a Shirt of Hope! A portion of the proceeds will help us offset the cost of our embryo adoption and the other part will go to Show Hope~ So it's adoption support all around! If you are interested in any of the shirts pictured below, please comment on this blog with your order information including the style number, quantity, size(s), email address, shipping address, and phone number. *No comment containing ordering information will be published* You may pay by check or by using the "Donate" through Paypal button at the top right. We are asking that all orders be placed by March 31. I will ship or deliver shirts as soon as possible after that date, just in time for spring weather!

#1 ~ "Tree Tee" Black ~ Unisex sizes S, M, L, XL, 2X ~ $25

#2 ~ "Tree Tee" White, Long Sleeve ~ Women's sizes S, M, L, XL, 2X ~ $30

#3 ~ "I Heart SH" Violet ~ Women's sizes S, M, L, XL and Child sizes 6mo., 12mo., 18mo., 2T, 3T, 4T ~ $30

#4 ~ "I Dig" Army Green ~ Women's sizes S, M, L, XL, 2X and Youth sizes YXS, YS, YM, YL, YXL ~ $30

#5 ~ "I Show Hope" Red ~ Unisex size S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X ~ $30

#6 ~ "I Show Hope" Chocolate ~ Unisex sizes S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X ~ $30

#7 ~ "I Show Hope" Heather Blue ~ Unisex sizes S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X ~ $30

#8 ~ "I Show Hope" Smoke ~ Unisex sizes S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X ~ $30

Note: persons not for sale:) However, Tiffany is proudly wearing shirt style #2, Micah #8, Elijah #4, and Andrew #5.

Education and An Invitation

2011-01-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

The new way we are affectionately referring to our adoption process is the "Free the Frozen Babies Program". When we trace our reasons for adopting embryos over the course of years, there is a definite change of perspective and broadening of desires. Even as Tiffany began the physical process months ago, we are not sure we were truly present and on board with the FFBP. As we have said before, we both always wanted to add to our family through adoption. That was the main goal and it still is. It just looks differently than we first imagined. We cannot help but believe that God, as He works in us, is asking us to share what we have learned. Some of this may be repetitive, but we feel it is worth restating. We also have an invitation for you to help in a more tangible way~ So here goes.

Over the past few weeks, we have contemplated the way we view human life in this country and in the world at large and see now more than ever that this issue is much larger than us simply adopting. We have been called to give these frozen ones- the least of these- a voice in the world. Their presence is easy to ignore. Many people we talk with still have never heard the phrase "embryo adoption" let alone thought about who they are and what their needs are. When babies can be stored in a freezer (or chryo-preservation unit) for years and years, they are easily forgotten. They are the "leftovers" of reproductive technology and have a totally uphill battle. They cannot speak, cry, or call out to us. Their needs don't make them a presence in the world that demands attention. We, on the other hand, have perfectly good voices and we desire to use them to the glory of God and for the good of these little ones.

In our country, embryos aren't legally recognized as life. If they were to be found on Mars in the form they exist now, the headlines would read, "Life Found On Another Planet!" yet there is still debate. Due to the fact that our leaders struggle with how to categorize them and still allow for abortion, as of now they are considered property. Most couples who have turned to In-Vitro Fertilization for aid in having children, however, feel differently many times and struggle with what they may call "potential life"; even ones who would support embryonic stem-cell research or abortion. We found an extremely informative article from Mother Jones, a non-profit news organization, called "Soul's on Ice" about this very topic from 2006. From what we know today, not much has changed in the last 5 years. Although the article made us sad, we were anxious to pass it along in hopes that it would provide more education about "the problem" and prompt more talk about our response. This particular article is very lengthy, so for a more concise version of the same ideas, we found "Parents Torn Over Fate of Frozen Embryos" from the NY Times, 2008 (funny how the content was much the same). Google "How many frozen embryos in the US" and you will get a plethora of other reading material. Even the most current statistics remain the same. The debate is complicated- to them.

Of course, our view of these persons is not property, but bearers of the image of God (Gen. 1:27) and known by Him even before He created them (Psalm 139:16, Jer. 1:5). We found this resource from the Together for Adoption blog that further details a biblical response to embryo adoption. Though we hear these words from the very heart of God, we have seen and have experienced obstacles even in the Christian community, and we feel it necessary to talk about these things openly. Some believers we have talked with wonder why we shouldn't first care for those orphans already living and breathing. Our question is, do we believe what we say we believe about life or not? We are called to love and care for orphans- all of them- and each in a way so they all have advocates. We feel in this season of our lives, we are to answer the call to love these particular orphans. We pray God gives us many ways to share in the privilege of loving those without families in the future. Another obstacle is the view that embryo adoption is an infertility treatment. While it may be for some, it is not for all. Even couples we know who have adopted embryos after being unable to bear biological children recognize that it is bigger than that. They are giving these frozen ones a chance at life. The need for embryo adoption did arise from IVF which is a "fertility treatment" but not all clinics (ours included) or adoption agencies require infertility to adopt embryos. The last hurdle we have encountered is the lack of financial help for those adopting embryos. It seems for many non-profit (Christian organizations included) to give directly toward couples for adoption , they have to exclude those adopting embryos because of the issues surrounding their legal status of "non-life". We aren't sure the other road blocks for offering assistance, we just know there are a lot of closed doors. We believe and trust that God has called us to walk this road and will provide what we need to persevere. But we are saddened that the resources aren't readily available for embryo adoptions.

It is with deep sincerity and a profound realization of reality that we ask you to join with us in giving these babies the voice they do not have and honor their lives. This is unlike other adoptions and we know that. We all may never meet these little ones until we reach eternity. One way you can tangibly contribute is considering buying a Shirt of Hope! We are so thankful there is a program through Shaohannah's Hope that offers fundraising through selling their super cute (or super manly for the guys:)) T-shirts. We so appreciate that they will give us part of the proceeds and the remainder will go to their fund that aids other adoptions around the world. Our next blog post will have all the necessary ordering information, so stay tuned! If you are unable to help us in this way, please continue to pray for us, our frozen little ones, and the 500,000+ others just like them.

Here we are sporting our Show Hope Shirts~

We want to thank our sister-in-law, Stacie for taking these fabulous pictures of our family on Micah's parents' farm in NC. She is the most fun, relaxed photographer we have ever worked with!

We are scheduled to transfer our other two little embryos at the end of February. Our hearts are with them even now and we pray God prepares them to come live with us. One bit of artwork we have added to our home is this remembrance piece symbolizing our three babies- our two adopted embryos and one from an earlier miscarriage- that are now with Him. It was therapeutic for Tiffany in the midst of grieving to paint each individual snowflake and add the tiny feet.
Thank you for praying for us, taking a moment to wrap your mind around this issue, and continuing the voice of hope for snowflake babies. May God bless you as you honor their lives!

It's A Birthday!

2011-01-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

A ~ always has a plan

N ~ never short on chivalry or bravery (especially if he can utilize his lightsaber)

D ~ determined to be awake as many hours a day as he possibly can

R ~ reliable big brother

E ~ excellent Lego-builder, game-player, 1st-grade mathematician, reader, & singer

W ~ wonderful gift from God

Happy 7th Birthday, Andrew!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,

neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore,

for the former things have passed away.

Revelation 21:4

This is the thought that allows a respite from the pain of these last few days. First, this is where our babies live. They have never known the pain our family has experienced and they never will. They were created only to know a life beyond the confines our of sinful, human history and know God in His perfection throughout eternity. It is a beautiful thought. It is also the hope that moves us- especially me- through grieving and not be driven to despair. Our grieving is only temporary. Broken hearts, even ones this side of eternity, are the specialty of our Savior. He came to heal them. Until our complete healing, He weeps with us, just as He did with Mary and Martha.

I read a long time ago- and it stuck- to press into pain. It is a part of our created life experience to mourn. All the physical and emotional responses are built into us. It is defensiveness that causes us to run from feeling pain... to distract ourselves... to cover over it with something else. But pain is a good thing. It is in pain that many times I have an intimate knowledge of my need for redemption. Don't get me wrong, I have spent sufficient time trying make sure that God knows that I thought I was signing up for that other line... you know... the one where people adopt and get to hold their children this side of eternity. I have even used the word "crap" a couple of times!!! But when Micah and I made this choice to be obedient to the calling of adopting these embryos, we became willing participants no matter what. Even if the path is pain. We would have preferred a different outcome. It is much more fun to hear "Congratulations!" instead of "so sorry". But God heals us and God moves us. I have said it before and I will say it again; He brought us to this road, He loves us, and He is good.

Micah reminded me of this passage in Lamentations that relates pain and hope. It is now hanging over my sink in the kitchen.

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

I certainly do not know what beauty He may create from these ashes but indeed, His salvation is sure.

It feels a little crazy to go ahead and talk about doing all of this again, but we still have two embryos that need a chance at life. Again, a humbling, terrifying thought. Since I am called to obey and not fear, all I can do is plead, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief." We only have a couple of weeks until we start the whole process again. Prayers from friends and family have been priceless. I have no doubt that my weary soul has leaned on the prayers of others this past week. We all still need them, maybe now more than ever.

The boys have been dealing with things in their own way. It is inspiring to see their childlike faith. They have been entrusting these babies to the Lord in their prayers. They made plans for them. They valued their lives. They are disappointed, but they easily trust their siblings are in Good Hands. I have wondered how God is going to use this experience in their lives in the future. That remains to be seen. Micah and I are so blessed to share our lives with Andrew and Elijah. I learn so much from them.

Christmas was weighty. The day itself was relaxing. It is fun for our kiddos to get new toys for Micah and I to play with:) One of my favorite moments was when Elijah opened his new Razor scooter and yelled "I can't ride a scooter!" and began crying! Only a few minutes later, he was scooting all over our apartment. Andrew has been teaching me about his new "DS System". You would think that he was born with a knowledge of all things electronic! They learned a new Christmas song this year called Joy complements of Seeds Family Worship. They led Micah and me in worshiping as they sang throughout the day.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year- to all those walking with us.

We Say Goodbye For Now

2010-12-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Our little ones are no longer with us, but are safe in the arms of the Father. I can only imagine their little faces- eyes opening for the first time to see the face of Jesus- being surrounded by everlasting, perfect love. We grieve, but not as those who have no hope. We look forward to knowing them throughout eternity. We sure are going to miss them until then. It has been such a privilege carrying them, even for such a short time.

Frozen No More

2010-12-14T16:00:00.001-08:00

The good thing about being on bed rest for three days as a page of life turns, is that one can truly experience said turning. Usually as something remarkable or momentous happens, life is so busy at the time, I struggle to remind myself afterward of what that time was like. It was indeed the pinnacle of an adoption journey that started long ago. It felt very maternal though, being still, protecting my little ones. Micah and I were more devoted in those days to constantly entrust these little souls to God as we cared for the vessel that now carries them. The boys had a blast at friends houses for a couple of days so they were sufficiently loved on. Strange time though. Still kind of science-experimentalish. But no less miraculous and incredible- the journey of our little embryos from a lab to five days old, to a freezer for one year, back to a lab, and finally into a happy home. Since then, I have been walking around with them all the time! There have been moments I have been out running errands and wanted to just tell the gal at the checkout or our waitress or the vendor at the mall that I have two of my adopted children with me... just to see what they'd say~ Of course the question of whether they are with us or are we carrying them straight to the Father has been on my mind. We find out next week the answer to that question. Pray for us- that we are ready for the answer. It is easier to take one day at a time and one truth at a time.

In the meantime, it is already Christmas at our house. After Thanksgiving, the boys found one of their Christmas gifts. They had been playing in the back of our apartment. After a quiet pause (which always means they are up to something:)), Andrew came racing down the hallway screaming, "Papa and Mimi left something at our house! I think it is a Nerf gun!". "It's a CX-35!!!" Elijah added. I, always vowing to be honest with my children, explained, "That must be for Matt and Chelsea for Christmas!". I even tried to employ my mom (evil loves company!) in convincing them that this was true, but needless to say after a couple of days, the lie had to be put to rest. They are pretty smart boys.

What a nice time of year to be thinking about babies. We love Christmas; when we remember the One Baby who came to rescue us. We were like our little embryos, and now we are a part of His family. There is no greater love than this or hope for frozen hearts~

Transfer Complete!

2010-12-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

First of all, we have had so many people praying for us... and it was so clear. This morning was peaceful and went as well as it could have. Both embryos survived the thawing process and were in great shape. The Embryologist showed us where the cells have organized to one side to form the fetus and the area for the placenta on the other. We were thrilled! The whole transfer process took 10 minutes. Again, the staff at our clinic exceeded our expectations of showing dignity and respect for life. Even the nurse said she'd be praying for us and the babies when we left. God has been so abundantly gracious. It was so humbling and miraculously amazing to walk out of the clinic knowing there are now two little ones in my belly.

The proud parents

Our precious, little ones.

These are some of the words I have held on to today and know I will continue to throughout the next two weeks while we wait to go back to the doctor. They are again from The Valley of Vision; "God the All".

I am well pleased with Thy will, whatever it is,

or should be in all respects,

And if Thou bidst me decide for myself in any affair

I would choose to refer all to Thee,

for Thou art infinitely wise and cannot do amiss

as I am in danger of doing.

I rejoice to think that all things are at Thy disposal,

and it delights me to leave them there.

Then prayer turns to wholly praise,

and all I can do is to adore and bless Thee.

I can of myself do nothing to glorify Thy blessed name,

but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul and body to Thee.

We Have a Date!

2010-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Today, Micah and I learned that all those hormones and medications I have been pumping into my body have made a happy home for our embryos. It was glorious news that all can proceed as planned. We are scheduled for their transfer on the morning of Friday, Dec. 10th!

The past couple of weeks, I have felt carried along. The best way I can describe it is like I have been in a vessel of grace on a turbulent sea. Dealing with all my emotions and fears has tried my perseverance and tested my faith. I am not under the delusion that I do anything apart from God, "for in Him we live and move and have our being" ~Acts 17:28. But there are some sacred experiences that clearly leave me on my knees at the throne, pleading nothing but the mercy of my Father. Thinking about what my family has been called to in this embryo adoption has been one of those things. Knowing that Christ has had perfect faith when I have been afraid and continues to do so now on my behalf has given me rest in my restlessness and in turn, all I have needed to continue on. Prayer is a gift and has been my only offense for preparedness. God listens to my pleas for His breath of life for our embryos, Christ intercedes on my behalf, and once again, my soul hears, Trust me; I have brought you here; I love you.

One other gift has been listening to an album I had downloaded from Christine Dente called Voyage. From that, I was directed toward this reading from The Valley of Vision; A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions called "God All-Sufficient":

O Lord of Grace,
The world is before me this day,
and I am weak and fearful,
but I look to Thee for strength;
If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
but on the Beloved's arms I am firm as the eternal hills.

It goes on toward the end to list how our deficits are met with all the lovely attributes found in Jesus. I have needed prayers like this one as well as the others found in the book. They have served as summary statements: theologically thick, yet simple phrases that I can easily hold on to as I move through the day that remind me of the scriptures they describe.

So, we are moving through the week, waiting for the big day~ When we meet (in a petri-dish) our tiny ones and introduce them to their home. As if we don't have enough going on, Micah and I are also starting a marriage enrichment program called "Micah has to start giving me intramuscular injections every day"! I know Nurse Micah would appreciate your prayers (and Me too!) for steady hands.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-29T08:35:00.000-08:00

These are some things that made Thanksgiving Great-

~Handling a great big bird, putting him (or her... not sure) in the oven, and waiting on that highly-technologically-advanced pop-out timer to "pop"!~

~Sweet Potato Casserole and Pie Baking~

~People we love sleeping in every corner of the house~

~Watching Elijah sneak dog treats (and probably other things) to Toby every chance he'd get~

~The first viewing of Christmas movies of the year~

~The Andrew and Elijah Thanksgiving Show- where the boys dress up as Star Wars characters and reenact scenes from the movies (complete with commercial breaks)~

~A new Chick-fil-a team pulling together to serve the masses under the management of a great boss (way to go, Micah!)~

~Taking pictures in the non-functioning mall photo booth with my camera~

~Sending the boys on a scavenger hunt to find Elijah's new piggy bank... followed by watching the boys do subsequent scavenger hunts for various objects with clues like this one written by Andrew: "I saw something with my eyes. It was mysterious with my eyes; I looked at something in my room, so if you just look under something then you will find this treasure. It may be gold, but probably not. You'll find out!"~

~People climbing over each other at 4 a.m. at Target to get the best deal on flat screen TV's and Puffer Vests?!?!?!~

My family came to share Thanksgiving with us this year. There were many memorable moments, but the one I may remember the most is the Target experience. I usually stay away from shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving, however this year, there were some really good deals all at the same store that I just couldn't pass up. So my Dad and I got up before 3 a.m. and went to Target. I loved trying to find out who else was crazy enough to stand in line for an hour in the freezing temperatures. I also wanted to make clear to everyone within earshot that if they wanted something bad enough to run over me trying to race into the store, I would gladly let them pass. There was a lady and her daughter behind me that had been shopping all night. She let me know about all the good deals in the surrounding stores but would never tell me what she was after at Target! I guess I looked threatening enough that she wasn't going to take any chances that I may go for anything on her list! Another of our line neighbors was a guy who was shopping for his niece and nephew. He looked through the newspaper ad about six times in the course of 45 minutes, making his plan. He told me about them and what they liked and disliked. He also shared that he had left all his friends at home asleep to come out by himself for them.

Finally, right on time, the doors opened and the mass exodus from the sidewalk began. By the time my Dad and I got a cart and started on our list, there were already people racing to the checkout with their items! We had used the online store map to prioritize and headed toward the things we wanted. Thankfully, most of our list included items not in high demand and we had a fairly easy experience getting those things. There was one item I hoped to pick up that was a popular. My strategy: make friends with others asking about it and try and help them if I could. I am happy to report, that it worked! I finally got a Target employee to give me the correct location of the item (after three incorrect locations) and I relayed the information to someone I had met in line. My new savvy shopping friend crawled down to the bottom shelf of the display and handed two back to me (one for me and one for another gal behind me) of the last three left. Our camera has been on its last leg for a while and I was able to get a new one for a really good deal! It was quite an adventure.

On our way to the back of the checkout line that stretched the length of the store, I saw the guy shopping for his niece and nephew. He smiled at Dad and me and held up his finds: four board games, $3.99 marked down from $9.99. What an uncle! We were so glad to get out of there, head home, and get a bit more sleep.

Micah is always good about reminding the boys that it isn't enough just to be thankful- and we have so much to be thankful for. We have to direct our thankfulness to the One who gives us all good gifts. Our best gift is Jesus, and He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him gracious give us all things? -Romans 8:32. We are blessed beyond measure~

Moms Night Out

2010-11-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sunday night, my friend Jaime and I drove to Nashville, TN to see Brooke Fraser in concert. The concert was great, but having time to talk to our hearts content was the best! We spent time at a used bookstore, had dinner at a lovely cafe in south Nashville called Fido (named after a dog because it was originally a pet shop), and then stood for two hours in line to get into the venue. You would infer that we are both truly devoted fans to camp out at the front of the line, but in reality, forgot Nashville is in the central time zone:) Jaime wasn't even really a fan! I had asked her to go with me a while back and was so glad that she was a "stay up 'till 3am to see a singer I am not really familiar with" kind of friend. I have to say, though, it was lovely seeing the lovely and talented Brooke from the third row. My favorite live song of the night had to be the title track of her album Flags. I would encourage you all to go to her website and take a listen.

the Now and the Not Yet

2010-11-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

And so the medication begins. After a great doctor's appointment, a crash course in giving myself injections, and training for Micah to administer some as well, I am officially under the influence of the preparatory drugs. Thankfully I have that heading to categorize the physical and emotional struggles that come along with forcing my body into being ready for our little ones. Because of the clear goal, each headache, mood swing, food aversion, or whatever else comes along is clearly in the context of a larger goal. It's "for the babies!" we all say. It is a pretty humbling and precious goal. This is not so much different than other parts of life. Each one lesson, trial, success, pain, relate to far more than those things in and of themselves. Even beyond that, each momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory (1 Cor. 4:17). How tender our Lord to guide us, not ignoring the present or the difficulty, but giving, preparing, and securing future hope.

We are all learning that keeping our eyes focused ahead strengthens our hearts and gives us the ability to do whatever today asks of us. I realize that in this blog, I am changing my pronouns at will from singular to plural which is grammatically incorrect, but this indeed is a family effort. God has grown love for our babies in different ways, but we all experience that love together. The boys sing to me every day when injection time comes "for the babies and for Mommy who has to be brave!" Today, it was a hip hop song they had heard on the Disney Channel and I will say it is easier to do anything- including give myself a shot- to a beat! Elijah gives me practice shots with his doctor kit (Sometimes, he says I need up to 15!!! So glad he is not in charge!!!). Micah serves us all with sacrificial love and devotion. He has the privilege of giving me the much larger injections in a couple of weeks. Talk about a marriage builder!!! Andrew has grown more responsible with helping mommy out in the house and catering to my needs. He also knows that if I might want a snack from the kitchen, there is probably one in it for him, too. I just have no idea where he gets his love for all things sugar from;)

Looking ahead also has kept us aware of potential outcomes. I don't particularly like to- nor think it is helpful to- focus on what might be, but a dose of reality is necessary in readying our hearts and preparing Andrew and Elijah for what might be. Micah and I continue to remind them that all the embryos might die in this process. But we pray that they all live and are committed to do everything physically possible to help them but know that ultimately, we do not decide. It is with much fear and trembling that we give these children our hearts and many parts of our lives. For me particularly, I will be giving them my body. With every new medication and doctor's appointment and side effect, I am more and more physically invested. The cost is different for our precious sons and I do not claim to know what all it entails. God is preparing them for His purposes and knows what role this experience will play in His story in each of their lives. What we do know for the babies is that these sacrifices will result in either them being born into our home, or being born into God's. Really, either outcome is good for them. Isn't that what adoption is all about in the first place? Bringing orphans into the care of a family? God knows best whether that family it ours or if He will usher them directly into His. In the meantime, we all take one day at a time; one step at a time; one truth at a time.

This post has turned into something totally different than what I first intended! Thank you for taking this journey with us. We know there is an investment for each person that knows and loves us in this as well. God uses each of you to give us encouragement and for that, we are so thankful. Hopefully, as you read where we are, you will know how to pray for us- all of us.

Moving Forward Despite Moving Backward

2010-11-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, with one more step forward in our adopting journey, we took a couple of steps back. Amazingly, though, those two new steps were accomplished extraordinarily quickly. My caregivers found a couple of issues that needed to be dealt with surgically in order to give our little ones the best chance at life. Within five minutes, the staff, Micah, and I had a plan to proceed in the surgery the next day, Thursday. God's hand was so tenderly on us all. Micah's parents had already planned a trip to KY and all the details were taken care of within a few hours. Micah's job has been especially trying and I was wondering how he was going to be able to get away... But God sent Micah a helper who managed staffing for the whole day for him. It was incredible! So today, recovering is the goal and is happening slowly and surely.

The boys got in some fun grandparent time. I didn't take any pictures during the visit because, quite frankly, I was taking some much needed pain medicine:) While incapacitated, I had to get used to being served, which is a humbling thing for me. Andrew especially is determined to serve mommy in all the ways he can. He will ask, "Is the laundry ready for the dryer?" and every few minutes sometimes "Do you need anything now, Mom?" in his sweet, responsible, six-year-old voice. It has been an education watching he and Elijah deal with all that comes with this adoption. It is sobering and telling to hear our four-year-old announce to strangers that we have four embryos that we hope come to live with our family soon. The look on their faces is priceless! Our explanation of the adoption to the boys has been in very simple terms. They don't need much convincing that this is a good thing and a family calling. They are aware of the risks- but Micah and I pray the example we are setting is trust and obedience regardless of the outcome. I think he and I may be getting a great deal of encouragement from them as they move forward with a "whatever it takes for the babies" attitude!

So our plan remarkably has not changed. We have a schedule for the remainder of the year for our first two embryos. It is again terrifying and exciting- but we press on trusting the goodness of God who created us all for this time together.

It has been a while since I have posted pictures of the boys, so enjoy!

Handsome Boys!

Card games in the evening...

We love good deals on their favorite characters' costumes after Oct. 31!!!

When Andrew saw that I was putting new pictures on the blog, he and Elijah set this one up to add:)

Adopting Four Embryos

2010-10-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

Same room as before… Same peace… It was like I was watching Micah and myself in some Christian/Science-Fiction Movie. We talked with the staff, who treated us in a tender way. We caught up from our last visit. With all the traveling we have done and change in direction that led us here again, that took a few minutes:) We discussed the process of embryo adoption. They were clear about how much they love having couples for chryo-preserved embryos whose families had either met their family goals or were abandoned due to a divorce. We were glad those families had chosen a chance at life for them as well. We had entered into a scientifically/medically altered universe.

First, we will have some hormone treatments followed by medical exam followed by more hormone treatments all bringing us to the point where the embryos can be implanted, two at a time. I heard all the details. They seemed bizarre and simple all at the same time. It was only a week and a half before that I sat in my bedroom floor doing online research about embryo adoption and prayed, "Lord, if this is the direction You want us to go in, You have to make it more simple than this!" That same afternoon I was informed that all we needed was an appointment to start the process.

Then, I was handed a manila folder. It was open and I started flipping through the pages… this couple, that couple, this age, that race, this occupation, that blood type. I felt overwhelmed. How do I choose? Thankfully, Micah was right next to me. I handed him the folder. He picked a paper from the stack. “This is what I think”, he said, "Four is a good number." It took me a minute to wrap my head around the choice, but I was so glad the choice was made. "They want diversity!" the Nurse Practitioner reported to the doctor. A "Transfer of Property" in the eyes of the law. Medication- check. Visit to the financial office- check. Next appointment made- check. The whole appointment took less than an hour.

In this quick time, we grew to hold these babies, like we hold our own boys, in our hearts. They won't have our DNA, but will hopefully grow in my belly and be born into our family in the same way as Andrew and Elijah. What an amazing thought. Our days are spent praying for them. Andrew asks, "Do you think they are cold, Mommy?" Right now they don't feel the cold, but we can't wait until they feel the warmth of being given a chance to live. When people ask how many children we have now, Micah is the first to answer "6- in this world".

We Grow (by God's Grace) and Our Family Grows

2010-10-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we have felt called to adopt since the beginning of our marriage. Adoption is one of the most beautiful pictures given to us by God to illustrate our relationship with Him in Christ our Redeemer, once separated from God but now called sons of the Father (Galatians 4:1-6). Little did we know that God had a very specific, personal road to walk down in pursuit obeying this calling and desire.

We have struggled with how much of this road we will share with you, but we feel peacefully led to a place of more full disclosure. It is clear to us that God has put us on this path and we want to testify to His work in our lives, so bear with us as we share a little of our journey. We have been given two precious miracles in our boys, Andrew and Elijah. The road for us to have biological children was paved with much waiting, miscarriage, and some medical intervention. While we know that God can do anything and believe that we don’t always know what is around the corner, the door has seemed to close for us to have more biological children despite the same treatments since the birth of Elijah. Honestly, we have wrestled with this, but knew God was writing… He has the pen. He knows our hearts and has heard every prayer. He has provided more for us than we deserve, and does all things for His glory and for our good out of love for us. We always were clear in our personal convictions regarding fertility treatments. They are very expensive and we always agreed that if we felt that God might expand our family more, instead of putting money toward more treatments we would use the money for adoption.

In the past few months, adoption has moved up on our priority list. We have had peace in waiting patiently this past year as we moved all over the country with Chick-fil-a but are now in a position where we can focus our attention on praying for what our part would be in caring for orphans. There are many different ways to adopt and so many orphans, it can be overwhelming discerning which direction to go. We first felt led to adopt from Ebenezer’s Children’s Home in Wilkesboro, NC. This seemed to be feasible until we found out we would be back in Louisville, 8 hours away. When that option seemed to be out of the question, we prayed about where to turn next.

Several years ago, we had been introduced to embryo adoption by a pamphlet in a doctor’s office and then later through an adoption informational luncheon at our church. When we first heard about it, it seemed interesting but probably not for us. Honestly, my first thought was, “Why would couples adopt embryos when there are so many children that need families all over the world?” When I would bring up the question with friends, about half of the time, that was the same response. Why do this?

Slowly and gently, the Lord starting giving us clarity in how to think of these “snowflake” babies. As a result of the number of couples seeking to have biological children through In Vitro Fertilization, there are currently more than 400,000 (possibly more than 500,000) chryo-preserved embryos in the US. Many of the couples who had these babies “created” in a lab have met their “family goals” and have no further use for the embryos. If we believe what we say we believe, that all humans are bearers of the image of God from conception, then these little chryo-preserved babies are little frozen orphans. They have no breath yet; no voice for themselves. Many (and we daresay most) of these embryos will never get a chance at life. After varying amounts of storage time, couples are given choices as to how they are to be used- or disposed of. There are some couples who donate their embryos for stem cell extraction and research and others that allow their embryos -their babies- to be destroyed. However, there are couples who donate their embryos for other couples to “adopt”. Of course our government doesn’t see this as true adoption, because that would be calling an embryo a human life.

Because of all our struggles with infertility, we are perfect candidates for embryo adoption. Couples who are not diagnosed as infertile (or in our case, with secondary infertility) are many times not even considered as candidates from embryo adoption. That makes the opportunity for those able to adopt embryos more scarce. There are Christian adoption agencies that handle matching embryo donors with adopting families, but in our case with Tiffany’s medical history, we are adopting directly through the clinic and physician here in Louisville that helped her years ago. The doctor and office staff love facilitating embryo adoptions and the care we have been given so far has been tender and precious.

Please pray that those of us who value life will respond in a God-honoring way toward this group of precious babies, frozen in time, but known by their True Creator. He loves each and every one! Secondly, we really need your prayers. We want to be very clear about our expectations about this process. We are trusting that God has led us to this place, has gone before us, and is abounding in all the things we will need over the coming months. We will be experiencing some of the challenges that couples who choose IVF will face so there are definitely some physical and emotional needs. Also, pray for our four little embryos! Pray that God would prepare them as He is preparing us for this adoption.

If you would like more information about embryo adoption, you can check out these websites and article:

http://www.embryoadoption.org/
http://www.embryodonation.org/
www.togetherforadoption.org/?p=8705

Returning to Louisville

2010-10-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

Like recalling my parents' signature fragrances; my mom's sweet and warm like nectar and dad's spicy and fresh... Like the taste of the strawberry-cheesecake lollipops I used to get at Don's Seafood when I was a little girl... Like the sound of walking across my great-grandmother's living room, rattling the items in her china cabinet... It is odd to "think" sounds, smells, and tastes, but gratifying and comforting to feel the deep-rooted emotions each evokes. These are the closest analogies I can use to describe the feeling of driving into Louisville again last week. Even though I didn't grow up here, I really grew up here. The sound of the interstate, the signs and buildings along the way that encourage us to "remember when...", the kinds of trees changing along the rolls of the hills, the food in the local restaurants we had grown to love... It was a long road that led us here, but that made the ride in all the more sweet. Our favorite part of the return was all the familiar faces that welcomed us back: some perplexed at the sight of the Childs family after a year's absence and others intentional about sharing a smile and kind word and in some cases, a meal and good company. How gracious of God to love us in such a tangible, audible way. We really needed this move. Thanks for all the prayers and encouraging words over the past week.

The Big Circle

2010-09-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce our next destination. You may have thought, Louisville, that the Childs had left for good, but God had different plans. We will end up right back where we started. Micah begins another (and we are praying it is his last) Interim position at the first of October.

Just as "Squaring the Circle" is a human impossibility, knowing all the intricacies of our circular path and all the reasons for each twist and turn is impossible for us. Asking ourselves what we have learned, however, is not futile. I can imagine there will be productive hours of reflection in our future. I have already begun subsequent blogs highlighting the education we have received (both willingly and situationally) along the way and our "favorites". For now, there is comfort in knowing all of this has been just a small part of a bigger story. We are increasingly thankful for this new opportunity. Our immediate conclusions are encouraging and true; the things we hold dear remain and the promises of the Author of our journey prove once again reliable. Since God is glorified in the journey and the destination, in the case of our family in this season of our lives, He must be more glorified in our big circle rather than just a winding line.

While our families are sad that our circle couldn't have been a bit wider, physically placing us back where we started 13 years ago as opposed to 9, they are supportive and rejoicing with us that this leg of the journey is complete. We had hopes to be closer to them, but know the road from KY to NC will seem much shorter after living in central Arkansas and along the gulf. We are excited about reconnecting with our church and friends. For me particularly, having familiar surroundings will be a precious gift.

Just a couple of fun facts: Micah's big circle spans over 7800 miles (not including side trips) and Tiffany, Andrew, and Elijah's over 2900. Our actual geographical circle looks more like an arrowhead on the map- Micah's like a kite on a string:)

A New Pet?

2010-09-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

Prompted by reading Charlotte's Web at the beginning of this school year, the boys just couldn't resist adopting this Orb Spider outside our apartment here in Little Rock. They call her Charlotte, although she doesn't resemble the original Charlotte for which the book is named. They check on her anytime we come and go as well from their bedroom window. They can still see her clearly from inside the house, but for my sake, she is safe on the other side of the glass. I have to admit, she has lovely markings, but the thing I like about her most is that she enjoys her outdoor dwelling and doesn't try and come inside~

Pinnacle Mountain State Park

2010-09-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

Heading out on the Arkansas Trail (the scenic, easy path), hoping to catch butterflies.

Found a butterfly...

...and caught it! Andrew released it afterward, of course.

Pinnacle Mountain from the road.

Enough of the easy stuff! The boys aren't sure about this...

But Andrew quickly realizes just how fun climbing a mountain can be.

Elijah "taking a rest".

Stage 8 of 10 that lead to the top.

The Childs guys celebrating their accomplishment.

Up with the hawks.

The spot we took our first Pinnacle Mountain picture as seen from the summitt.

Rested and ready to descend.

Looking back at the climb and glad we are headed down.

Bumps in the Road

2010-08-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

There is one word that keeps coming to my mind as I attempt to update our blog. That word is- tired. It is true that new and exciting evokes energy and stamina in many cases. For me and I daresay my family, new and exciting have become normal and predictable and always means we work until we are weary. I know that this position for Micah has offered challenges that have required a great deal of his energy. Regardless of how I feel, though, there is still a task at hand. This is not quite the end of this road. Thankfulness always combats tiredness. Sometimes it takes a good nap, though, for thankfulness to go from being a concept to a driving, exhilarating force~

The above paragraph is one I composed YESTERDAY... not knowing what today would bring. We have now sunk into a new level of TIRED! I have to be careful how I describe our current situation. One thing I can do as a writer for my readers is position a circumstance so that we are right and someone else is wrong. I in no way want to personify myself as infallible- my goodness, I am far from it. This present situation, however, in order for me to write about it clearly is going to paint another human being in a not-so-good light. It is what it is... and we need your prayers!

One thing we have learned about living in apartments is that being respectful to your neighbors is key to living peacefully. We have come to expect some noise in such close quarters and try to give grace to others as they live their lives with different schedules than ours. There is a lot written about children and apartments, so I have discovered. There are parents on two sides of the fence: 1)Those who value their children's growth and development and freedoms above those of their neighbors and 2)Those who have so many rules that children have no freedom to be children at all. We have tried with every move to intentionally make choices that would bless our neighbors and also give our children appropriate freedoms during daytime hours. Love our children AND our neighbors. Love conquers all, right? That is where I was completely wrong. What I have learned is that there truly are people living in apartments that do no like children living alongside them. They do not wish to get along. They do not like moms at home with children during the day (I am not just a stay-at-home mom/home school mom in title, I truly try to keep the raising of our boys centered around our home). Our approach to these people (and we have only met two in the last seven apartments we have lived in) is to do good to them (Luke 6:27) and not return evil for evil (Romans 12:17) among other things- not perfectly but desiring to show them love as we have first been loved. The boys and I, since we are the ones at home most of the time, have spent time praying for those around us as well.

However, what we have encountered at our last apartment has taken this to a different level. Suffice it to say that our downstairs neighbor has been dishonest with us, has demonstrated his quick-temper on several occasions, offered verbal/physical harassment, and not respected any warnings or directives given to him by the management office to take all his complaints to them and to stop the inappropriate behaviors. We have been in multiple conversations with our apartment managers to try and help the situation, but they assure us that we are doing nothing wrong and we should go on living our lives as normal. Unfortunately, there is nothing normal about being afraid of provoking another already hostile human being. It has created quite a bit of stress for me and in turn, Andrew and Elijah. We have decided to move... again... tomorrow. I know this person has no idea the kind of year we have had... moving so often. I don't know that it would make any difference. It really doesn't matter. He doesn't know us- But God ~two of the most beautiful words in scripture~ does.

I ask you to pray for us, specifically for peace, for strength, for rest, for perseverance, for love for others, for a safe environment for our children... But I also ask you to pray for this other individual. He has a much bigger problem than his neighbors. He needs the peace that can rule in his heart and change him from the inside out that comes from knowing and loving Jesus Christ.

There is more going on here than this. Since we settled, we have been trying to enjoy our surroundings the best we can. We found this lovely place not far from Micah's job. The photographs look like postcards due to the picturesque location and clear weather. This is believed to be the only remaining structure featured in the film Gone With The Wind. You can read more about it here.

We have also braved the heat and attended a couple of Arkansas Travelers Ballgames. The evening-sky backdrop for the stadium and the city across the river was spectacular. Our seats were right behind the visiting team's dugout. Thankfully, no one was hit in the head by a foul ball, though Elijah was really hoping to catch one. Andrew, on the other hand, made it his job to follow the cotton-candy guy through the stands so the moment Micah and I declared, "Snack Time!", he would know just where to go to get his ballpark food choice.

Even as we feel exhaustion, God is still God and His strength is perfect. We feel His protection in hotel walls tonight. Our desire is to echo the Psalmist:

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with song I give thanks to Him. ~Psalm 28:7

School Begins

2010-08-07T09:46:00.001-07:00

One thing I am most thankful for is good, organized home school curriculum. This will be our third year homeschooling Andrew. He will begin first grade next week and Elijah will begin Preschool. It is hard for me to believe they are both such big boys! One of my priorities in unpacking was to get everything together so we could begin next week. Starting Monday, this house will transform into Synesis Academy. Yes, it took a long time to find a suitable name for our school; one that gave some glimpse into our desire for what will happen here every day. There are some good choices, but we liked this one using the Greek word for understanding. The boys are excited... and I am strongly aware of the amount of self-discipline required to be an effective teacher. Once again, I find myself growing through raising children.

To kick-off the school year and to have a time to recognize Andrew's accomplishments last year, we took the boys to Chuck E Cheese's at Andrew's request. He called it the "School Celebration!"

Our book list this year includes (just to name a few):

Henry Higgins, Beverly Cleary

Mr. Popper's Penguins, Richard & Florence Atwater

Charlotte's Web, E.B. White

George Muller, Janet & Geoff Benge

Detectives in Togas, Henry Winterfeld

Homer Price, Robert McCloskey

The Year of Miss Agnes, Kirkpatrick Hill

These are read aloud books in Sonlight's Grade 1 curriculum. We are also using Sonlight's science, language arts, and reading as well as Math U See, The Story of the World for history, and The Church History ABC's.

We are so thankful to be settling in for our short stint here in AR. God provided so much strength in the midst of sheer physical exhaustion the day we unpacked our trailer. At the end of the day, it was probably our easiest move-in, with the help of two dollies that were provided at just the right time. Even with over 100 degree temperatures, we made it through unscathed. Andrew particularly has grown to be quite the helper. He has the energy and drive to get things accomplished and is always motivated. We love the place we live and are excited to see what new things we can see in this part of the country. Micah is working diligently. And so the adventure continues...

Goodbye Tupelo

2010-07-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Before we move, I thought 'd share some pictures of the end of our time here in MS.

If you walk down the Main Street of Tupelo, you would never know that Elvis is no longer with us! He is perpetually getting a haircut at The Hair Co., playing his guitar, and bustin' a move.

And if you ever wanted to know where Elvis was born, well... here it is! Actually, the local gossip implies that this is not REALLY the actual house, but a replica. We'll let you all lose sleep over that one:)

Upon the eve's eve of our 5th move in the last year, we resonate with the profound wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien; "Not all those who wander are lost." Thanks for continuing this journey with us.

News, Fun, and Lesson Learned

2010-07-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot going on in the Childs household. First of all, thank you for the prayers, comments, and calls concerning Elijah. It is amazing how quickly his face has healed. I have no doubt that by this time next month, we will be looking for the scars. He really handled the whole ordeal quite well. Aside from the hallucinogenic, short-acting side effects from the medication the doc used to render him consciously-sedated (poor guy!!!), he has been level-headed about his response to what happened to him. He has mentioned several times his desire to never encounter the particular dog who attacked him but still speaks fondly of the friendly dogs in his life. This is a blessing. He has always loved animals- particularly dogs- and Micah and I are thankful this has not produced a broader fear in him.

There is one piece of information I thought I would pass along to anyone else interested for future reference/knowledge. We had a few people who told us after the fact that this trauma did not surprise them. It has been made known to us now that some smaller/smaller-medium sized dogs can feel very threatened by little kiddos at their level; even those who do not have a history of aggression toward children. The best way for parents to allow younger children to pet these dogs is from a standing position. Elijah bent down beside the dog that bit him and was at his level. This may not always be true for family dogs or those who are more used to being around children. I also am not saying this advice will always keep children safe, but hopefully it will serve as a wise word- One I wish we would have been told in the past. It is so difficult to learn lessons the hard way, but we trust in some way, it has been for our good.

Before this happened last Sunday, we visited the Tupelo Buffalo Park. It was ironic because Elijah had just spent the better part of an afternoon feeding some of the animals there. He is fascinated by them and was nurturing toward them. Andrew liked looking at the animals but didn't care a thing about feeding them. This Park houses the tallest giraffe in captivity as well as a very rare white buffalo. What was distinctive about this small zoo was the proximity of the guests to the animals and the ride out into the field with a camel, cattle, zebras, donkeys, and of course the buffalo. I had never been so close to these animals before. Hand feeding the giraffes was very cool, too.

Elijah- assessing how much feed he has left...

Oh No!!! The animals have escaped!!! Oh... Whew.... it is only the boys:)

We recently found out that we will be headed to Little Rock, AR from here in about two and a half weeks. This next assignment will hopefully be our last temporary one. We are praying that in the next two months, we have a more clear vision of where the Lord has for us to live. In the meantime, we continue on.

Eat Mor Chikin!

Our Sweet Elijah

2010-07-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Elijah was bitten in the upper lip by a neighbor's dog. Even though the whole event was scary and difficult, it is with grateful hearts that we can report that he is doing well. We spent the night in the ER where his face was repaired. He has two gashes and a puncture on the inside of his lip and some bruising on his face. Today, besides a little discomfort, swelling, and questions about the details of what happened, he is on the mend. He has been so brave and compliant. Even when he had trouble understanding all that was going on around him, he seemed peaceful and trusting. Today, every time I ask him how he feels, he answers (with his life-long "how are you?" answer), "Great~".

After the dust has settled, the ages-old battle of thinking on things that are true has been at the forefront of this day for me. We are all in the recovery/healing phase in some way or another. It is during times like these when there is no clear explanation as to why God allows things like this to happen, I have to constantly remind myself that all I know of God- His goodness, mercy, justice, care, graciousness, sustenance- never changes despite difficult circumstances. Things like this would happen more often or be much worse if He withdrew His protective hand for just a second in our tragically messed-up world. It is a good reminder to both Micah and me that Elijah is always in God's hands and that He loves him far more than we do, even when He allows suffering. Jesus is the One who offers the remedy for all the messed-upness. Again, we carry Elijah to Him for healing.

Birthday Weekend

2010-07-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

My 31st birthday this year was a memorable one. I felt truly loved, appreciated, and blessed with another year to grow. The calls and gifts from family and friends as well as the many Facebook messages were so kind. Andrew and Elijah made sure I was sufficiently loved on during the day and Micah took me to dinner in the evening where had flowers waiting at the restaurant.

The next day, July 2nd, we were still partying. Elijah turned 4 years old! What a big boy he is~ He spent the day playing and sharing new toys with Andrew. He got to ride the carousel a the mall, then at his request, go to Chuck-E-Cheese for some playtime and ice cream cake.

The Meyers and Incisors

2010-06-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

It was a privilege to share this past week with our good friends, the Meyers. They recently returned from Ethiopia with their two adopted sons/brothers. We prayed that we would remain in this part of the country until their return so we could see them and the Lord gave us our request! Our family has also been praying for them through this adoption for the past two years. It was a blessing to see how the Lord has made a way for these boys to be called by a new name and welcomed into a loving family. The Meyer gals and our boys go way back as well and it was fun to see how much they have grown up since the last time we were all together. It was a sweet reunion. We spent the first evening in Natchez, MS, right on the Mississippi River and then traveled to their LA home. Our kiddos had a blast. The parents just about kept up with them~ Six kids and four adults consume quite a few PB&J's! Here they are playing at McDonald's (It was Sunday, so CFA was closed... just in case you were wondering;))
This is where we stayed in Vidalia, LA, right on the water:These are some of my favorites moments during the trip:Jason was so kind to keep the kids (all 6!) twice and give Cara and me two nights out on the town. As you can see, there was no painting-the-town-red involved; shopping, coffee, and a book store is a great thing but great company is even better:)

The wonderful thing about traveling is that we often see the vast, open beauty of creation as we drive along. Each canvas given the lay of the land is unique in some way and makes us appreciate the Creator/Artist more and more. Even the massive man-made accomplishments are a testimony to His glory!

Our big family news before this trip was that Andrew lost his first tooth! He was very brave and tried and tried to pull it himself. He decided in the end that Mommy should do it... As lovely as dislodging tooth from gum sounds, I was a little hesitant. I realized how important to him it was that it just be a thing of the past so with one (or two really quick and close together:)) pulls, it was out! He was very brave~

Traveling and Moving

2010-06-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we visited NC for my sister's high school graduation. We had a blast! It is rare these days for my family to all be together at the same time.
Here are the boys at one of the graduation events: We also got to visit Elizabethton, TN. The drive around Lake Watauga is beautiful. Micah and I always love driving though the mountains. Yesterday, we moved from southern Mississippi to northern Mississippi. During this last move, I was confronted with feeling completely exhausted yet having a pile of stuff to do. While I have gotten more and more efficient in moving, it still never ceases to wear me out! There is that exhaustion you feel only when moving- being so tired- but no place to lie down, filthy- but clean clothes illusive, thirsty- but no food or drink in the refrigerator... you get the picture. Sometimes I wonder if there will ever be a day that we stop going from place to place. We also all miss community and the "knit in"ness that comes with being in one place long term. There are other things we have had to put on hold while waiting. The boys miss friends they have met along the way. We are frustratingly unable to make definite plans. From where I sit today, this is all pretty discouraging. The question came to my mind after reading Lamentations 3 and the author's honesty about his feelings then his hope, would I know rest if I have never known strenuous activity? What about comfort if I have never known pain? Happiness... Saddness? Plenty... Poverty? I think in my own soul, I would vastly underappreciate these good gifts if I had not experienced their opposite effect. I guess in that regard, even the difficulties are good gifts. In thinking about landing after this CFA ride, I pray I appreciate more fully the benefits of settling down having felt what it is like to be a constant traveler.

There is something to being honest with the hard stuff as the author of Lamentations exemplifies. Statements like "He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say 'my endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord'" (3:16-18) are not void of dramatism and show no hint of disguise. I know there are days I run from feeling pain or heartache. I have gotten exceptionally good at the kind of defensiveness that disallows such emotions. But the deeper the dispair, the greater the realization of the reality beyond the feelings: "But this I call to mind, therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies are new everymorning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him'" (21-24). My perserverance is far from perfect, but is being perfected. This has been a long last 8 months.

There are new things to see and do all around. The boys have alreay begun making plans to visit the places we pass by. Micah has two months of getting a store ready for a new owner/operator ahead of him.

There was immense satisfaction in lying down to rest last night. God help me not to disregard all the joys along this way.

Frogs and Other Things

2010-05-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

One of the new things we have had to get used to in south Mississippi is the swamp land. As I mentioned in a previous post, we were introduced to the idea that we shared this space with alligators. There are many other creatures that inhabit our surrounding area, though; only a few we are aware of I am sure. We were given an up-close-and-personal look at some of them. There is a pond nearby, but these guys prefer hanging out (literally) at our front door. Our lamp post is a buffet open to amphibians and reptiles from dark to first light. It has been fun to see who is going to show up each night. Some of them even offer us a serenade! It isn't quite like Romeo at your window, but very interesting and enjoyable.

Wait a second... This guy is green and showing his musculature, but it isn't a frog! It is Elijah playing Wii bowling! My mistake~ I just had to get this pic in somewhere;)

In other news, we are moving AGAIN! To another position... to another place... to another chapter of learning, growing, and hopefully ending up somewhere permanently. May God give us the grace and strength to continue our journey "to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).

Micah's 32nd Birthday

2010-05-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last night, Micah and I fell asleep on the couch watching TV. Around 2:30 in the morning, I woke up in the -fallen asleep on the couch and now completely stiff- position. I immediately sensed a kiddo sitting at my feet and realized that Elijah was wide awake with his gaze fixed on the glowing box at the other end of the room. After inquiring about his being awake, I realized that he had been watching Divorce Court. "What are you watching?" I asked, as if he had made this choice for himself. "I am watching this show. The show where they win $10,000 was on first and then I watched this!" he explained. I gathered he had been watching at least 40 minutes of television (maybe more?!?)- 35 devoted to Divorce Court. Needless to say, I felt like Mother of the Year! This morning as I was thinking about last nights events, I kept wondering what he could have heard from multiple post nuptial couples bent on publicly humiliating each other on national television. Thankfully, I was reminded of a quote I appreciate so much in Gary Thomas' Sacred Parenting. He speaks to the fact that "none of us can mess up so badly that our children somehow extend beyond the reach of God's mercy." That certainly doesn't mean that I do stupid things on purpose, but I feel encouraged that my inadvertent sharing of entirely inappropriate television falls in that category.

That was the first moment of Micah's 32nd birthday that he will remember. Birthdays are lots of fun at our house. I try to carry on my Mom's tradition of making the cake of the birthday person's choice. Andrew and Elijah really wanted to get Daddy a Star Wars or Iron Man cake, but sensing that these choices served them more than Micah, made him his choice; yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. He also really likes these Peanut Butter things... not sure what they're called...

Last night we celebrated with Sushi since tonight, Micah will be spending his birthday evening at Chick-fil-a. He is such a blessing to the boys and I. His diligence at work and presence at home is something I am especially thankful for. There are few men who can do both well and by the grace of God, I happen to be married to one of them.

Before the Oil Arrives

2010-05-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and write, the sky outside is a dark grey and the air has the undertone of oil. The smell is a constant reminder of the current situation, even if the coast is out of sight. The atmosphere is calm, but everywhere you look, life is bracing for the inevitable. It is sobering. Knowing the gulf now harbors countless dead animals and fish. Knowing there are so many who starting as early as tomorrow, will not have jobs. The sky says it all. Our view is rather grey. We groan with creation feeling once again the agony of a world not yet redeemed (Rom. 8:18-25).

Just this past week, we traveled to Pensacola, FL and spent a couple of days on the beach. The sand and surf was as beautiful as my best memory of the coast. I have always loved the ocean. There is nothing like seeing the moon rest low against the backdrop of a calm sea and glisten atop the waves. As a little girl, the sound of the waves calmed my soul and lulled me to rest. With two boys to keep up with, I am not sure the waves had the same effect this trip. We had a blast, though.

We weren't completely conscious of the privilege we had been given at the time. It was only in the last day or so that the reality of the disaster has taken affect. But for two days, we collected shells, played in the turquoise waves, and built castles on the white sand. In a week, we probably won't even be able to recognize the same area.

A recent post by Russell Moore speaks clearly about our response to this disaster as believers in the One True and Living God. You can read that here.

Visiting New Orleans

2010-04-08T22:16:00.000-07:00

Micah had a free afternoon this past Tuesday and we decided to drive west to New Orleans. He hadn't seen the city since his youth. I had never seen it at all. The drive over was a testimony to man's ingenuity and gifting from a Creator who made him in His image. The bridge over Lake Pontchartrain is about 5 miles long. One of the most obvious things visitors experience is the damage still left by Katrina. The bridges on which we drove were new but the old ones were still visible but obviously demolished. There were many areas that looked abandoned due to the vast devastation the hurricane brought to the coast.

We didn't have a lot of time, but we did see the French Quarter, the New Orleans bank of the Mississippi River, the famous (or infamous) Bourbon Street, and a small part of the Garden District.

We ended up at PF Changs for dinner where the boys closed the trip with a chopstick-drum concert.

Deep South Adventures

2010-03-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

There is one route we take regularly that goes right by the gulf. It is far more scenic than the stretch of interstate a few miles north. I don't mind taking more time in a commute to enjoy the views of the water and white sand beaches and the smell of the salty, sea air.

We also found a new park; Gulf Islands National Seashore. I took the boys there recently to play some soccer.

We were informed at the visitor's Center that there are alligators in the park and where exactly to find them. Andrew and Elijah were more than excited about seeing alligators in their natural habitat. As for me, I wouldn't call my reaction "excitement". It felt more like... well... freaking out! They were so disappointed when we didn't "meet an alligator" as Andrew said. I was relieved:)

A fellow CFA Interim shared tickets to a Mississippi Surge Hockey Game with our family. I have learned one thing after attending one hockey game. I am not a fan of hockey games! I am sure there is skill involved, but in my simple mind, I only see disorganization and fighting! Call me crazy, but I guess it is just my ignorant opinion~ I kept thinking, what does Mary Kassian think about this? She is my female theologian hero from Canada who has boys that play hockey. Maybe someday I will understand. For the boys, any place with cotton candy and popcorn is fun!

The most amusing part of the whole thing was the visiting team's box.

There nothing like an old friend to help me feel connectedness to our past. My friend Karen's parents were gracious enough to allow us to visit with her and her children at their home near Mobile. It was fun to get our kiddos together. When Karen and I first met nine years ago, neither of us had any children. We used to plan big dinners and Pendegraph functions for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary together. Now, we play duck-duck-goose and fly kites with our little balls of energy:)

Easter was day of worshiping our Risen Savior. I know I am a girl and like shopping, but for me, dressing us Easter Sunday morning in new clothes with bright, spring colors exemplifies how Christ has given me new clothes- His clothes. What He accomplished for me in His death and resurrection allow me to be presented to the Father clothed in His righteousness and with a new heart.

Micah is working diligently to make the most of his time here. We continue to wait and pray for contentment in every circumstance.

Trip to Mobile, AL

2010-03-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, we visited the U.S.S. Alabama. It was a battleship used in WWII. It was voted by the boys as one of the coolest things they have ever toured.

Andrew and Elijah "operating" the on-deck machine guns.

They allowed us to see all the loading areas for these enormous guns. It was fascinating to see how the artillery made it up several flights and into the barrels.

The boys met this guy on the tour.

The Brig... Just where these two monkeys belong!

They thought the sleeping quarters were fabulous! As for me, I was not sure I could handle such close quarters. I am pretty sure these were the upscale officers' bunks.

This was a program for a worship service in the Chapel. They sometimes held services on deck in good weather. The Hymn was beautiful:

From all that dwell below the skies,

Let the Creator's praise arise;

Let the Redeemer's Name be sung,

Thro' every land, by every tongue.

Eternal are Thy mercies, Lord;

Eternal truth attends Thy word;

Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore

Till suns shall rise and set no more.

Micah's favorite: A Tomcat

We also went inside the U.S.S. Drum; a submarine that completed 14 war patrols from 1942-1946. Claustrophobia, here I come!

They let Andrew and Elijah take her for a spin around the Gulf;)

Some buy the T-Shirt, we buy the hats. Captain Childs and Sailor Childs reporting for duty- running around and playing on all the "military stuff".

At the end of the day, we had some fabulous seafood at "The Original Oyster House". Micah and I loved the fresh seafood and the boys loved the little alligators that sat perched on their kids shrimp and fish.

For more info on the U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, visit http://www.ussalabama.com/.

Mississippi

2010-03-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Micah and I both have already begun to reflect on the past two months. The one thing that is the most obvious is that God truly grew us into being able to cope with all the trials in our situation. It has taken a great deal of trust in His sovereignty over CA and NC (and all the places in between) to make it as well. I am absolutely sure that had we had to have been in this situation years ago, we would have handled it much differently. That doesn't speak well of us, but of God who allowed us to mature toward this task. This quote by Wendell Berry is so true: "It is not from ourselves that we learn to be better than we are."

From the Northeast to the far West, now to South Mississippi, we have seen a good portion of the United States. We moved into our new life for the next few months last week and the best part is that we all feel like a family again! The trip down south was full of "Are we there yet's?" and "Can we watch another movie?" What is funny about this picture is that I had to take several to get one of both boys looking like they were enjoying themselves! In the others, one or both boys were making terrible, scowling faces:) I think maybe I bribed them with candy for this one shot...

New culture, new surroundings, new people. What is interesting, though, is that people, even though they are different, are the same. We have heard a lot of stereotypes about people from the north or from the south or from the city or country, but all things considered, at the core, people are exactly the same. Though it comes out of them with different accents, they all have struggles, preferences, concerns, a history that always lends them to some type of behavior, etc. It is more and more obvious that the fundamental problem is that we need Jesus! All of us in the exact same way. We all need a big God who is in control of life when all seems out of control. We all need Him to be working on our behalf, giving us life and breath and everything else. We need Him to take us off the twisted, steep, thorny path and put us on the straight, well-lit path where He is the ultimate goal. We are either sluggishly navigating our own way or following Him and that- only through graciously sanctified eyes- is clear.

We have never lived so close to the coast! The boys are excited about warmer weather and playing on the beach some while we are here.

These pics are from Biloxi, known for its casinos. Andrew preferred the mini-lighthouse to the ominous buildings.

Our goal no matter where we are is learning to love people where they are in the way we have been loved. I would like to say that this is easy, but it is truly difficult. It is just as difficult as it is for others to love me even on my good days! But our Example is perfect and empowers us to know love and then in turn love others. Of course we are hoping this is just one step closer to God providing Micah with a permanent position with Chick-fil-a. For us, these two goals go hand in hand.

On The Road Again

2010-02-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

It is difficult to believe that Micah has accomplished his tasks in CA and we are once again moving! Next opportunity, Mississippi. The best part, we will all be together again. I go to pick him up at the airport on Sunday evening,. If you happen to be at Charlotte-Douglas and hear joyful, celebratory noise coming from baggage claim, it is just our family, thankful to be reunited again.

Please pray for us over the next week as we tie up loose ends and follow the road prepared for us. God has been so good to see us through the past two months and to continue to guide us into a new phase of this journey.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and faithfulness!

Psalm 115:1

For The Love of Family and Discipline

2010-01-31T18:37:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, Micah was able (thanks to Chick-fil-a!!!) to fly in for a long weekend. We still work, wait, and pray for wisdom and guidance. Our time together was sweet and not a moment taken for granted.We even got to attend the crowning of Miss Wilkes Central together. The winner was... my sister Chelsea!!! I was thankful that a girl with such a beautiful heart through the grace of God in her life won. Congratulations!

There are moments in parenting the boys -and in our present situation, I have more of them:)-that I learn something overwhelming and wonderful about God and the way He is a loving Father to me. Because of His grace, He gives me object lessons as I struggle through being a parent that seeks the best for my children. The boys and I have been sick this week. We have also had snow and have locked ourselves inside for the duration of the storm. Last night, I had big plans for us in spite of our circumstances. We have been working on a puzzle and I had selected some fun reading for us. There are always fun things to do on the Wii and Lego houses and Star Wars ships to build as well. But it was clear very early in the evening that I was going to have to discipline the boys. I knew the best way to train their hearts was to send them to bed without doing all the fun stuff. I gave them chance after chance to redeem themselves, but clearly, they were just going to keep taking advantage of the situation, not heed my warnings, and do what they wanted to do instead of what I had asked. My hesitation was selfish; I wanted us to enjoy the time together. I eventually sent them to bed and the minute the words came out of my mouth, they began bargaining with me promising they would do what I had asked. In our house, we follow the rule that obedience takes place the first time an instruction is given, when you have obeyed all the way, and done so with a happy heart. This was an opportunity for me to be consistent in this rule. They cried… actually wailed… and I cried. I had much better things planned for them this evening but because of their choices, all of us were missing out. If they had only trusted me and obeyed they would have been playing and not crying! As I sat on the sofa, listening to them vocalize their sadness, I immediately wondered about all the times I have been disciplined because of my choices and responded in the same way. Proverbs 12:1 admonishes: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. It is difficult to declare “I love to be disciplined and I do not want to be stupid!”

Obedience is tricky. God first loved me, so I love, obey, and trust that God desires the best for me. I am understanding more and more the dynamics of true obedience in this way as compared to obedience out of guilt, a false sense of righteousness, because I think that in obeying I can get my own way, or trying to pay God back for what He has done for me. When I either don’t obey or my obedience is not out of a heart that loves God and God disciplines me out of love, I many times just feel badly that I didn’t get what I wanted or that something didn’t go as I planned. Even if the consequence is a clear result of my choices, I look for ways to blame God. I have felt that God was sovereignly unresponsive to my cries and glad I was getting what I deserved. As I wept with my boys, I realized very deeply how very wrong I have been. I never thought that He might be enduring with me, hearing my cries, and desiring that the discipline I was receiving would change my heart in the future. He at the same time supplies all I need to continue to have fellowship with Him through Christ and comfort in the midst of anguish through His steadfast love. There is deep love in discipline; far deeper than allowing behavior that will lead ultimately to destruction. I believe I have known these things as truths, but in this particular moment, God allowed me to feel them as I felt for my boys. The writer of Hebrews says it far better than I:

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:5-11

The Wood Between the Worlds

2010-01-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

"It was the quietest wood you could possibly imagine. There were no birds, no insects, no animals, and no wind. You could almost feel the trees growing. The pool he had just got out of was not the only pool. There were dozens of others- a pool every few yards as far as his eyes could reach. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots. This wood was very much alive. When he tried to describe it afterward Digory always said, 'It was a rich place: as rich as plumcake.' The strangest thing was that, almost before he had looked about him, Digory had half forgotten how he had come there."

~C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew

Both in location and in situation, there seem to be several parallels between the place Digory and Polly traveled to which they called "The Wood Between the Worlds" and where the boys and I are right now. Both of us Lewis fans, my mother-in-law and I sat in the kitchen of the home we are staying in and admired the forest out the back doors. I look out the back windows every morning of our "in-between place" and wonder which "pool" our family is going to jump in to and be on our way to our new world.

Can I be honest with you? In the complexities of human experience and eternal truths, there are many times seemingly conflicting ideas. I have never benefited from denying (or trying to) the feelings associated with recognizing the truths. So I ask that as I attempt to speak as truthfully as I can, I ask you to trust that to me the truths are the most important and where I land in light of my feelings. The feelings however are real and a part of the journey as well.

I miss my husband so much! ~ It is refreshing after 12 years in marriage to the same man to ache for his companionship in day to day life. While our present situation is not ideal, it is a gift to be re-acquainted with old feelings of wanting to be with him. ~ I will be so glad when we can have that again and we can be as close to home as we will be this side of eternity. ~ I am so thankful Micah has this opportunity with Chick-fil-a and pray it leads to a permanent position. He has a wonderful opportunity in CA and I am so proud of him and thankful for the way God has bless him in his work. ~ I am thankful for the opportunity for us to really get on the same page when it comes to goals and direction for our family. Not being in the same place has forced us to communicate more about where we are and where we are going. ~ I do not like being by myself at night and the one to have to check the doors, kill all the spiders, etc., etc., etc. ~ I am learning to trust the Lord more with my safety and having to model more earnestly the verses I quote to the boys at night when we all lay down to rest. All the things I know to be true of who God is, His Omnipresence, Omnipotence, His Wisdom, His Goodness- are so comforting and are all that brings me peace.

I am so thankful we have this home to live in right between my parents and his. It is beautiful and comfortable and gives us a place to store our stuff as well. It is a joy to see them so often. The boys have so many people to love on them. It is truly a blessing to have time here, after so many years living in another state, to just travel a few minutes to visit extended family. ~ It is a blessing to be taught daily that we are to hold loosely to the things of this world; even the concept of earthly home. ~ I am having to be a much better time manager here than any other place we have lived due to all the opportunities we have to visit family and friends. I have to be more diligent in putting the convictions of our family into practice more here as well.

I wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from the last three weeks.

The last time we were in "Daddy's Mall" together.

This was the caravan that brought us from PA to NC. We were blessed to have my Dad, Uncle, and Brother to help haul us down the east side of the country.

Travel Day

The NC crew the day before Micah flew out

The 5 Childs Cousins

All the testosterone in my house snuggled together just before bedtime.

I love this one. I snapped it as Micah waved goodbye to the boys and me just before he went through security at the airport. If you were at Charlotte Douglas Airport that day and heard sobs coming from baggage claim, that was probably me:)

I got both boys a haircut soon after we got to NC. Andrew had a much different face during the whole thing. I couldn't resist adding this one of Elijah.

We just celebrated Andrew's 6th birthday this past Tuesday. What a precious gift he is. He asked for Monkey Bread for his birthday breakfast and wanted to wear a tie "like Daddy does" for the special occasion.

Riding a carousel with Mary and Nana

The best parallel between the wood between the worlds and here is that we are certain there is "a very strong sun overhead". We all feel God's protection and provision for us and it feels as warm as it has always been.

2009-12-31T16:06:00.000-08:00

When I titled our family blog, Joy In Our Journey, I had no idea at the time just how much "journeying" we would be doing as a family. I thought that the title had spiritual significance for sure but am really taken aback at its literal meaning in our lives. Saturday is moving day. We have been a long way this year and I am feeling the strenuousness of the distance as it draws to a close. This morning, this verse was in the inbox of my email:

This is what the Lord says, ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:16,18,19

I wonder if this verse is prophetic for us this year! I know the God made a way for His people as He brought them into the promised land. I feel in a far less dramatic yet parallel way, He is leading us on. He is changing natural life for us as a family. Who knows where we will be next year? Well, we do know Who knows, but we surely don't! We do know that His provision is perfect and care is secure. Blessings to you all as we ring in 2010!

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shined.

Isaiah 9:6;2

From our home to yours~

May this Christmas bring you to the door of the manger, then the foot of the cross, and finally to the realization of the hope of the resurrection.

A Pictorial Tour of the Childs in Philly

2009-12-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

Micah and Andrew attended a Philadelphia Flyers Game in November. I think Andrew's face says Over-stimulation in this picture... Fun outing with Daddy, though.

Micah's parents came up for a visit. We were even able to celebrate Micah's Dad's birthday while they were here- Living so far away doesn't allow us to celebrate birthdays with family very often so we were thankful!

We visited Westminster Theological Seminary (Office Building/Dorms shown above) during their visit and took a very long ride through north Philly into downtown. We drove for hours! I guess 5:00 during a weekday wasn't the best choice for a tour... We even made it down to a famous place where they sell cheese steaks... OUTSIDE! No one was willing to get out of the car and brave the cold for the legendary sandwich.

My parents and siblings visited during Thanksgiving. It was nice to have a full table and a full house for the holiday.

We visited Independence Hall and the surrounding historical district. Another cold Philly day...

This is right out in front of Independence Hall. The boys are pointing like naval commander, Commodore John Barry. If you want to know more about him, there is info here.

The famous signing room. They boys (especially Andrew) were sure there was some mystery we needed to solve there like in National Treasure! I am sure he would have climbed into the bell tower and looked for the secret brick-n-the-wall had we allowed him.

This is the pen stand and ink well used for the signing of the Declaration of Independence, beautifully preserved.

At a neighboring museum, Elijah was excited to see this big painting of George Washington on his horse.

Leave it to Micah to have sons that get excited about a painting of John Adams! They loved seeing pictures of the Presidents they have learned about.

Another Washington statue and two happy boys:)

This was the top of the bell tower at dusk.

There are so many old buildings around Philly. This is one we think is beautiful. It is the William Penn Inn, originally opened in 1714. It has been remodeled since it began, but still is the same hospitable establishment. It truly has lovely Christmas lights.

For you history buffs, you can find more info here.

We ran across the Ambler Theater in a town on the way to the church we have been attending. The building is beautiful. Read more about it here.

These plants are everywhere! I guess it is a cold weather kind of plant and therefore the beautification organism of choice. They look like cabbage to me, especially the white ones and I just want to dig them up and make coleslaw out of them! I have no idea what kind of plant they are, but would love to be informed... so if you are savvy, please share!

I had to throw this one in for fun. What is the north without the snowy winters?

Moving from Philly

2009-12-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful our computer is up and running again! I know you all have been waiting expectantly for a new blog:) I had big plans to post a Philly spread. I still do, but our new news seems to trump that one for now.

We found out this past week that Micah is headed to California at the first of next month. This is both exciting and _______ (you fill in the blank and I am sure we are feeling it:)) for us. We knew we would only be in Philadelphia for a short time, but this is shorter than we anticipated. We had been praying that God would give us direction in where He was laying smooth stones for us in the future but we had no idea an answer would come so quickly. What makes the situation kind of sticky is the fact that the assignment is very short term. Even from the beginning of our discussions about what was best for everyone, it was clear to us that the boys and I needed stay for a while in NC, join Micah for part of his time there, but not move officially until he has a long-term position either there or somewhere else. Moving a family of four across the entire country is no small matter. I now feel why God creates families- especially husbands and wives- to cleave together. I am sure over the next two months, I will experience God's wisdom in creating oneness in marriage and hope when we are together again, more deeply appreciate walking through this life day to day with Micah. There are some very good things about the boys and I spending time in NC. They are excited about playing with their cousins (they have 3 plus more extended in the world as of this week!) and spending time with family. We haven't been so close to everyone for such a long period of time- never since the boys have been in the world- so I know this will bring precious opportunities.

Micah is going into a great situation. He will be staying in a beautiful part of California and hopes to be successful in his tasks running a free-standing CFA. It will be a change from his assignment here in PA at a mall store (at CHRISTMASTIME!) but he loves the dynamics of both opportunities.

Please pray for us. We will be moving in two weeks. We all need strength, perseverance, and peace. God is moving us along and we pray He doesn't stop. We would rather be trying to catch our breath and moving in the direction of a long-term position than waiting and wondering what He has for us next. We do know that unless God goes before us, we have no hope in the future. So we trust and pray and move again.

Sustaining Joy

2009-11-18T17:27:00.000-08:00

It is easy to write about events in our life and substantially easier to write about exciting news, triumphs, and successes. Much more of real life happens for us in the in-between time; when the days seem a little longer and the road a little less scenic. It is important to me to include blogs like this because this is where we are the majority of the time! It is easy in these times to wonder if anything of any significance is happening anywhere. The past week has felt this way~ We have just kept putting one foot in front of the other. We have felt more significantly that our time here is already fleeting. I think it has been difficult to take full advantage of Philly. It is much larger than any city we've ever lived in and the suburbs more segmented. All the while, much is happening. Micah just completed more tasks on his to-do list for CFA. The boys just grew a centimeter and came to understand a little more about life. Elijah can almost do a cartwheel and Andrew has decided he prefers showers to baths:) By God's grace, I just moved a little closer to more fully internalizing how good He is through some "happenstance (to me)" experience. There is a lot of joy to be found with a right perspective and thankful hearts. We are still so grateful for this opportunity and look for ways to make our time here more than a blip on our family timeline.

One thing about finding joy both in the significant and mundane things in life for me is the temptation to use those to try and maintain sustaining joy. It is weeks like last that proves to me that I must have another plan- or trust God’s plan. Temporal good things while momentarily satisfying are fleeting. I am learning by God’s grace that lasting, persevering joy has to come from somewhere else. If you haven't heard the song C.S. Lewis Song by Brooke Fraser, it is excellent in communicating, as Lewis did, that…

If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here.

But as the song eloquently states to balance the truth about our hopeful future- and now I am paraphrasing the lyrics - but while we are here, we are made to live, love, and to know God. Life is but a breath that we must breathe before it vanishes. But we with all creation groan for the hope that is to come.

In thinking on this theme I was recently struck by the lines from Psalm 16:

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Joys can be found in life but much of it is difficult, uncertain, and many times seemingly mundane. Although I cannot always see them, the lines are falling for me in pleasant places, are providentially ordered, and provide me with a beautiful inheritance. The culmination of all the promises of God offers among so many other things justice, peace, and rest and in His presence, I will find fullness of joy. It won’t be the kind of joy that ends as soon as I forget to remember a milestone or good gift, but promises to carry me through ordinary days.

Andrew's Big Accomplishment

2009-11-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

It's official! Andrew is a reader! The days of spelling words we don't want him to understand are gone~! We are so proud of him and his diligence in learning to read and write.

This is his first book. Look at that happy, literate boy!

Working on his handwriting.

I would have never imagined enjoying homeschooling as much as I have so far. Andrew is learning so many things I don't ever remember learning (due largely to my own laziness). Even in Kindergarten, the emphasis on reading, geography, history, and creative writing I believe will serve Andrew well for the rest of his life. Even his least favorite book, Living Long Ago, recently became one of his favorites when we started learning about Medieval Times and castles. He is still most driven when it comes to math. It is especially good for Eliljah as he watches his big brother persevere in school.

Way to go, Andrew!

More Philly Adventures

2009-11-01T15:18:00.001-08:00

It has been since I was a little girl that I lived in a house with a wood-burning fireplace. It is mesmerizing for the boys and such a cozy way to spend the cold evenings. So far, it has even replaced the TV in its entertainment value! We love making smores over the open fire. The boys prefer to do so in their superman jammies, as you can see.

I especially appreciate the fact that burning a fire prevents stink bugs from living in our fireplace, emerging into our house, and chasing Andrew and I around the living room! As a person who is terrified of bugs, I am privileged to be learning so many new extermination techniques. This one is really friendly to the icky bugs. They just see it as an invitation to find a new home. FYI... Their name is a big hint as to the consequence of squashing them. As I have learned, if you do squash a stink bug, it not only creates a foul stench, but the pheromones attract more stink bugs. I am always glad to pass along such potentially helpful information in our blog as the situation permits:)

I think I mentioned before that Micah works in a mall that has a train for the kids to ride. For the bargain price of $3 a kiddo ($5 for two), they can circle the mall in this really cool train that has no need of tracks. There are a couple of times I have been concerned it was going to cause a kiosk casualty, but most people do not seem to mind moving out of the way for the fun-mobile. Micah and I cased the train as best we could, trying not to look like over-protective parents but truly wanting to make sure the boys didn't try to recreate an action scene they had stored away for such a time as this. We never know what they are thinking:)

Today, we visited Tenth Presbyterian Church in downtown Philly. This was so memorable for Micah and me. When we were first married, we used to listen to this church's radio broadcast. Then, the pastor was James Montgomery Boice. After serving this church diligently for many years, he went to be with the Lord in 2000. We were encouraged to hear preaching from the current Senior Pastor, Philip Ryken. He preached from 1 Corinthians 13:5. It was a practical, gospel driven sermon that was true to God's word. He called the congregation to think towards loving unselfishly, putting others before ourselves, as we have been so loved by Christ. The children in the service were equally admonished to do the same in their respective relationships with parents, friends, and siblings. I would have never imagined years ago being on the other side of the radio, sitting in this church with Micah and two boys at my side all being encouraged together. What a blessing to be with God's people in the heart of this city hearing such true, clear truths.

One thing that is different about going to a large church in the middle of a really large city is the parking situation. We had to park several blocks away, but this provided us the opportunity to see firsthand the function of city life.

Andrew was intrigued about living in the middle of such a compact place. Micah and I decided that living on a street like this could be a possibility. I am not so sure we could handle one of those basement, off the street apartments with one-foot windows...

I have no idea why this water is green. I just thought it was cool! It's my favorite color, you know:)

The murals are beautiful adorning the old, brick buildings.

Thanks for sharing our Philly adventure with us! I am sure there is more to come...

Farm Park

2009-10-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

One place we recently ran across is Norristown Farm Park. It is a colonial era farm right in the middle of the suburbs. All these pictures are from our time walking along the park trails:

Micah gives the boys a tutorial on how corn grows.

Andrew on the tracks.

A Pine Tree with another tree growing up its side... beautiful!

We see a lot of landmarks dating back pretty far around here. The year 1919 is carved into a small train bridge.

Along the trail... something must have been really interesting to my right.

New Church Experience

2009-10-12T18:53:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, we visited a church whose senior pastor is a Southern Grad. I was introduced to his wife through a mutual friend of mine from my working days on campus. It is such a blessing to know so many people who know so many people all over the country; especially when you just don't know where you are going to end up next! Anyway, the church happens to meet in a movie theater. I really didn't think that much about the location. I have long been accustomed to churches meeting in all different kinds of buildings; homes (basements in other countries where Christianity is not allowed), abandoned factories and industrial buildings, etc. So why not a movie theater? What Micah and I forgot to do was prepare the boys for where we would meet with God's people to worship. The minute we pulled in to the parking lot and they realized where we were, shouts of excitement exploded from both boys, "We're going to see Chance of Meatballs!!!" If you are unaware, they were referring to the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This is a flick they have wanted to see for a while now. Immediately, Micah and I extinguished their hopes and instead, focused on how fun and different it would be to have church in a movie theater. They were confused for a while, but handled it well. As we walked in the door and the smell of buttered popcorn and visions of cartoons to come consumed our senses, we again tried to refocus their attention on the task at hand. The really good news came when we realized they served coffee and doughnuts to those in attendance. Doughnuts can pacify little boys in a pinch when the prospect of candy is all around.

We got the boys into their respective "theaters" with children their ages and Micah and I joined the service. It is always an encouragement to see where God has sent and how He is is using those trained in ministry. I met face to face gals I had only talked to through mutual friends and made those connections as well. Always a plus when you are alone in a new place.

After the service, the race to transform the space back into a place to see movies began. As we exited, we noticed the first glimpses of electronic signs above the doors to each theater lighting up with the names of the movies playing that afternoon. One mom walking beside me told her husband, "I'll go get Johnny. He's in Zombieland~". You can imagine my surprise. I had heard of churches giving names to kids classes to differentiate them, but this was a new take on what may be appropriate! Sure enough, above the door to Theater 2 where Elijah was learning about Jesus with other 3-year-olds, Zombieland was playing just 40 minutes later. Andrew was on his way to viewing Hangover had we stayed around longer.

We were thankful for the experience and thankful the boys were given an example of how the church is the church regardless of where it meets. Andrew was able to clearly articulate the lesson he had learned in his class (no references to drinking at all:)). We look forward to visiting a couple other churches over the next weeks and then settle in to one for our stint here in PA. There are of course churches around here with significant historic significance Micah is interested in checking out.

Last Days in Louisville, First Days in Philly

2009-10-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

We have been so fortunate to have some dear friends in Louisville. I wanted to share this particular picture of us with the Copeland family. We had many dinners with them in their home and in ours during the course of the last 8+ years. Another family we have enjoyed getting to know is the Wolter family. They have a blog as well and put a great picture on it of all our kids together as well as a sweet goodbye message. You can see that here.

Now for pictures of the move:

Elijah evaluating my work after cleaning our old apartment.

You have to look closely, but you can definitely see our big boy Andrew riding in the co-pilot seat, helping Daddy navigate the big truck.

The boys in the van with all our clothes piled in the back.

The boys in the the lobby of our hotel/home for a week.

Supper at TGI Fridays.

Our first ride through downtown Philly. This is the Ben Franklin bridge... I am pretty sure. It is beautiful at night!

Last Thursday, we moved in to our new place here in PA. Two days later, I had all the boxes unpacked and out of the house. After eating out for almost a week, I was eager to get back to cooking meals. Needless to say, we are settled in.

One of the boys' favorite features of their new rooms is that they have really large alarm clocks beside their beds. They have a lot of buttons and the large numbers make them really cool, according to Andrew.

Sometimes they like to set them just for fun. Reminiscent of our first night in PA, we have had more middle-of-the-night drills. Now instead of fire drills, we have drills to see how fast we can identify which room the noise is coming from and how fast we can find the "off" button in the dark. Micah has, on occasion, failed the drill and hit the "snooze" button instead and had to face the 5 minute, re-drill consequences~

They also love the fact that we receive our mail through a slot in the door. When it is mail time, I now am alerted by both boys screaming and laughing at the envelopes, advertisements, postcards, etc. falling into the foyer. It teaches me to find joy in our journey to have kiddos that enjoy the simple things in life!

What's Going On?

2009-09-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

After dividing all our stuff into "Store" and "Move", loading a POD and a moving truck (with the help of great friends), cleaning for the last time our Louisville home for the past year and a half, and driving for many hours through Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and the length of Pennsylvania, we are finally in Philadelphia! We are not quite in our "home" yet, but we are all safe and well taken care of. Moving is difficult. The physical work is exhausting and decision making can be daunting. Our first night in Philly was definitely proof that this is all true. When we realized that moving in to our apartment was not going to happen, we found a nearby hotel. Micah and I both were overwhelmed by all the obstacles in front of us and we wanted nothing more than a good night's rest. Our eyes were tired from driving in the rain for the better part of a whole day and I was keenly aware that I needed time to regroup. For all of us, sleep came very quickly and easily after melting into clean, crisp bed linens.

I don't remember falling asleep. What I do remember is having the thought, "Great day in the morning! What is that sound! It is really loud! Maybe it will stop soon... Oh... It's the fire alarm!!!" Boy was it effective! It was the equivalent of a blow horn in every one of the five floors of guest rooms. The next thing I know, Micah is jumping up, grabbing stuff- including the children, and trying to get to the door of our room to see what is going on. I started looking for shoes, then my purse, etc. but realized I was having great difficulty seeing anything. Was it because of smoke inhalation? Was I losing consciousness? No! I didn't have on my glasses!!! Another important thing to grab. Micah had stuck his head out into the hall to see what was going on. He did see and smell smoke so we were assured this was not some sort of crazy, middle of the night drill. Usually, you don't get to know your neighbors in a hotel, but in this situation, we got to know our neighbors extremely well. There is instant bonding when you see how people look in the wee hours of the morning! As you can imagine, we were all trying to avoid looking surprised at the chosen attire of some less-dressed guests as we all scurried toward the outside exits. There were police men and firemen arriving complete with sirens and flashing lights. Then, we heard someone announce the reason for all the commotion. Someone had set fire to a hot pocket in the lobby microwave. Needless to say, we were all relieved to go back to bed unharmed. Micah and I looked at each other and for the first time since we left Louisville, laughed out loud at our circumstances:)

We still have a few details to work out in the moving in department. The boys keep asking, "Where is our home?" I keep reminding them that our home is where we are all together. At this minute, we are all together at a hotel. Hopefully soon they will have access to all their toys and things and that might help their feelings about the situation:) It has been a while since I was in a totally new place. One of my first objectives was finding a nearbyTarget and I am happy to say that one is right around the corner! Micah started working this morning. The Chick-fil-a he will be managing is in a mall with a train for kids to ride so the boys think Daddy's new work is pretty cool already. I will try to keep you all up to date on our adventures here in Philly. Thanks for your prayers!

Moving to Philadelphia

2009-09-18T09:48:00.001-07:00

We found out Wednesday that Micah will have an interim position with Chick-fil-a in northern Philadelphia, PA. We anticipate being there for around 6 months. This time in our lives- waiting and wondering where we were going to end up- has been trying and exciting. We are thrilled at the opportunity and eager to see what the other end of the road the Lord has paved for us holds. We will be traveling next weekend. Please pray for us all. Andrew is sad to be leaving his friends and familiar places and things. We all are for that matter. Any new place to him sounds strange if it's not "Louisville" or "Carolina". Elijah is just excited about a new adventure but a little uncertain all his toys being put into boxes will actually make it to the right destination. I need prayer as I sort through what to store and what to pack in the coming week. Micah is the cool, calm one in the family through all of the chaos. He is so thankful for this opportunity. I know that God has used all his experience to bring him to this point of managing a store on his own. Please pray for him; for perseverance, wisdom, and strength.

On Wednesday nights at LaGrange Baptist Church, we just started a new ministry to families called Seeds. The past couple of weeks, we have talked about wisdom. I was particularly drawn to the book of Proverbs where wisdom and foolishness is contrasted so clearly. The night Micah received the phone call about our move, I came upon this familiar passage:

The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the Lord weighs the spirit.

Commit your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:1-3

Our family testifies that these words are true as we have been tested and led down unfamiliar paths the past few years. The story of our journey is mysterious to us, but the Author is good, trustworthy, and our only hope.