One Year Ago

I've said it before, but I just can't get over it. Last Thanksgiving I was discouraged telling family that it would be at least 4-5 more months before we heard anything. And 3 days later I was looking at this amazingly beautiful picture. It had been sitting in my inbox for almost 12 hours before I discovered it! Our agency must have told us a 100 times to "guard your hearts" during this emotional process. Perhaps I did that to much. I was in denial, afraid to believe that it could actually happen. Hence the reason 12 hours lapsed before I found it, while other families would check their email in the middle of the night! (And with good reason since it came at 1 AM!)

And this is our beautiful girl this Thanksgiving!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Portraits!

You would never know from these pics the circus that went on to get them. Poor Noah wasn't feeling well. We almost canceled the session and probably should have because the poor guy was literally throwing up between pictures! But he'd get right back up, sit in his place and smile! He had been promised the day before to get to look at Christmas trees in the mall if he cooperated. And he was determined to see those trees!

Aiden was afraid that he would get thrown up on and dove out of the picture at one point when he heard Noah hiccup! He was being strangled in the picture above.

Carington was wild as usual and spent half the time kicking her brothers with her heels, and the other half of the time running away or hitting them in the head! I am so pleased that we actually got good shots.

A Precious Lady

One of these days life will settle down (ha!) and I'll write more. For now I wanted to share a little about a very dear lady.

She was the matriarch of our church. She has been there my whole life. In fact she has been there most of all of our lives. She taught my grandfather in elementary school! She loved me and my children, and we loved her. As an adoptive mother herself she "got it". After we brought Carington home she gave me a card and this is what she wrote.

"Not of my flesh, nor of my bone.
Yet by a miracle, still my own.
Never forget, not for minute.
You didn't grow under my heart but in it."

She often gave my children gifts and recently gave me money to buy Carington a winter coat. Each of us received a card from her on our birthdays and annaversaries. Every week at church she ensured that every child visited her in her pew by giving them each a hersey kiss. One week ago in church she passed out kisses, sang praises, and had a hug and smile for me and my kids.

Little did we know that this week in church she'd be gone. She was 91 and in relatively good health, but on Tuesday she was killed in a car accident and her daughter-in-law was seriously injured and has a long recovery ahead of her. Tomorrow we will lay her to rest. But her seat in church wasn't empty this week. I watched her grandson who is maybe 11 years old, has lost his grandma, and his mother is in the hospital. He was sitting in her seat, singing at the top of his lungs, hand over his heart, tears in his eyes. What a testament to what she taught him about how to handle life, and most importantly, who to turn to when your world falls apart.

I loved Aunt Gert.... I didn't realize how much until she was gone. Why is it that we don't adaquately tell people this while we have the chance?

I am so thankful that one day I will get the chance. I am so thankful that this life isn't it. That we will see her again. But we will not see her kyphotic spine or her walker. We will see her radiant smile. And she will probably still be force feeding my kids chocolate.