Archives for January 2015

January 30, 2015 By 2 Comments

Hi!

Sickness is running rampart through our little brood of both big and small humans.  Sinus infections, ears full of fluid, strep, a weird body infection which then infected an eye, etc, etc, etc.  We get the weirdest stuff around these parts.  Feeling like death is for the birds.

Can I tell you when a sweet friend brought us all dinner last night and I opened a small extra bag which contained some yummy chocolate bars, I got all teary.  Yes, teary.  Over chocolate bars.  This is my current mental state.  Just give me all the chocolate of the world and kind friends and I’ll cry you a river.

And Wednesday when I was feeling most like death and Harper was as well, I sat in the parking lot of our pediatricians office and read an email from another friend who was letting me know with the  kindest words she was in on the Swaziland trip…like she wants to go with me…and you guys, I kid you not, I sobbed.  Like heaving, ugly cry sobbed.  Harper asked softly “Are you going to be alright?”  We’re going to pull this off and it’s crazy awesome and joyful and I am so flippin’ excited.  I’m going to share a few more re-posts next week to hopefully lure a few more of you in 🙂  You know you want in on this wonderfully wild trip to Swaziland, Africa.

In other random Friday news I feel like I should report to you…I made THESE BROWNIES last week and I am permanently madly in love with a  brownie now.  We even got all wild a few times and heated them up for a few seconds in the microwave and added a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.  Just slap me right in the face because I wanted to eat the entire pan.  So good.

You know one of the easiest and cheapest kind things you can do?!?!?  Buy a friend, stranger, co-worker, teacher, family member, any person will do, their favorite drink at Sonic during happy hour and make them feel a little extra loved on.  Less than a dollar and you can make someone smile a little bigger today.  Crazy easy.  Just do it.  It’s Friday.

I’m going to attempt to fanagile <——real word, some kind of brownie, ice cream cake up for Solomon for Sunday.  Dude loves brownies.  10 out of 10 times he will request a brownie.  This time he asked if I could make a brownie ice cream cake.  Absolutely.  I’m on it.  Anything for my about to be 2nd 6-year-old in the house.  And Monday he wants to take brownies with M&Ms to school.  I’m going to give THESE a shot.

I’m venturing into Acts now.  John oddly enough was my favorite gospel…I think.  I’m kind of pretty confident awarding this to John.  My most favorite last things I read in John were:

John 16:22 “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”  Can we just all Amen together in unison via the inter webs?!?!  I have so many friends walking hard roads right now and this is just such a promise from Jesus…our hearts will rejoice and no one will take our joy from us.

And John 21:4-7 “Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”  He said to them, “Cast the net on the other side of the boat, and you will find some.”  So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.  That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”  When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.”

Everyday I want to be so excited to see Jesus in my day…so eager to be apart of His works…to love Him that madly…that I throw myself right into the sea.

And my random Friday post is now complete.  There are two sleeping wee ones in their beds right now and approximately 1 hour and 31 minutes before I pack both their small bodies in the car and head for the car rider line for the big 3 Kelley kids.  Despite sickness looming, Sonic happy hour is in our future and this Friday is looking up.

Happy Weekend you favorite people of mine.

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January 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment

The Sweetest Feet

I can’t even tell you how excited I get each time I open up another email inquiry or response about this Swaziland trip.  Even if it’s someone responding with an “it’s not going to work out this time” I still get all excited that people are even interested.  With every email I send out there’s another possibility and all we need is a team of 8, but I’ll take 1000 of you if you want to go 🙂

So another re-post for today.  I want to give you a perspective on this trip.  It won’t be the exact same, but I want to try and let you feel what I felt.  See what I saw.  Experience what I experienced.  Feel the immense love I felt…and still do feel.  We always go on these trips thinking we’re going to do good…we’re going to bless people and tell them about Jesus, but I always come back feeling humbled and crazy blessed myself…like the good has been done to me…like they taught me about Jesus because they did.  God teaches me every time it’s not about what I’m going to do.  Instead it’s about Him.  It’s about Him inviting me to be apart of His word and love…loving my neighbor…my brothers and sisters in Christ…big and crazy and wild and fierce and letting them love on me in return and dang it all, it just blesses my socks right off.

RE-POST

The Sweetest Feet

Today will be one for my life book.  One of those moments where Jesus came right down and sat beside me and said, “Listen up Laura.  Soak up every moment because this day is for your heart.  These moments are to remind you of Me…Me and the deep love I have for you and all My children.”

The kids here amaze me.  Just absolutely floor me.  They are gorgeous, smart children with infectious loud laughs and eyes that are ocean deep.

We spent the first part of the day just hanging with the kids…just playing and sitting and smiling and laughing. Then we filled bags with things like peanut butter and crackers, beef jerky, trail mix, Skittles, dum dum suckers, matchbox cars, bubbles wands, pencils and plastic gold medal necklaces.  I felt giddy and wild with excitement as I sat on the concrete floor apart of this assembly line of people who were filling these bags.  I was in charge of the gold medals and the matchbox cars.  I so wanted pictures, but there I sat filling bag after bag after bag.

We also colored wooden Christmas ornaments.  When planning for a trip like this you think you have all these “good” ideas, but then when you’re here…you’re actually with the kids…you realize your good ideas weren’t that grand after all.  The plan was for the kids to color these wooden Christmas ornaments and then return them to their sponsor church back in Tennessee, well that just wasn’t happening after we watched them pour into these ornaments.  Most of them were extremely precise with their coloring and after watching them, well, we just couldn’t take them away.  They were theirs.

We were able to do another home visit with one of the grandmothers, or go-gos, who cooks at the care point each day for the kids.  Her homestead was beautiful.  It was meticulous and she took great pride in it…as she absolutely should.  Gathered around her were all her grandchildren.  All I could think as I watched her engage with them and listened to part of her story was, “Her children arise and call her blessed.”  It was an honor to be able to visit with her at her home.  An honor.

And for the majority of the day we fitted and sized and gave away around 150 pairs of new shoes.  I wanted to cry and sob.  I wanted to wash every foot I held in my hands today.  I found myself thinking so hard about where all these feet had been…the miles they had traveled…the wear they had endured…the lives they’ve lived thus far.  How far beyond their years they should really be.  God sat there reminding me of how precious and amazing and special and uniquely designed and created each one of these children are.  How blessed and honored I was to be holding their feet in my hands.  How humbled I should be to even remotely be apart of giving them a new pair of shoes.  It was a moment I will never forget.  Engraved deep in my heart are these children’s feet.

An overwhelming day and my heart might explode.  Feeling just so crazy blessed to be here…to meet these children and people…the spend time with them…and begin the anticipation for what all God has in store.  It’s sure to be grand and I cannot wait…absolutely cannot wait to see what He’s going to do.

Happy Tuesday!

END RE-POST

If you’re interested in more information on this possible July trip to Swaziland, Africa feel free to send me an email at pitterpatterart at gmail dot com and I’ll get you some more information.

Have an awesome Wednesday.

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January 27, 2015 By 1 Comment

Kid Art Garland DIY

Here’s the dilemma in our house:  I love art.  I love for my kids to love art.  I love for my kids to make art.  I do not love piles and piles of art paper and projects and creations in piles everywhere.  Were pretty simple in our home.  We try to limit what comes into our house because A) Our house is small and B) We don’t want our life to be about stuff.  We try and keep only things we need or really love so piles and piles of paper don’t cut it around here.  Josh Kelley doesn’t like piles and neither do I…and we’re neither too sentimental…even about our kids’ stuff…so we toss/recycle a lot.

About once a week I make a sweep through the house to toss art papers, drawings, paintings, watercolors, etc.  If the kids love their creation they know they can keep it in their room or hang it up.  If it’s just something crazy incredible like a little drawing and note from Harper from 2 years ago that said, “I love you so, so much.  More then a thalsen stars.” well I keep that little thing.

Solomon has been on a paper snowflake kick and asked if they could all hang together.  I strung them all together and hung them on our chalkboard.  While doing my regular sweep I had about 5 million watercolor papers because Amon can tear through some watercolor paper.  The big kids had some brightly colored ones in the mix too.  I decided instead of recycling all of them I’d make a couple of paper garlands out of them.

So easy.  All I did was use my circle paper punch (any shape punch will do) and cut out a bunch of circles from their paintings.  I like to fold the paper into 1/4s so I make less punches and it takes less time.

I decided to make two strands…one more colorful one I’ll use for later and then Amon’s more drearyish/”I smear all my watercolors together” strand to go with Sol’s snowflakes.  I simply ran them through my sewing machine.  If you do not have a sewing machines you could string them together with a needle and twine or my favorite, just hot glue them together or to a piece of string.

That’s it.  So now I technically kept their art, but just re-purposed it instead of recycling all of it.

Solomon’s birthday is soon and asked for a birthday countdown the other day.  I watched as Josh Kelley started erasing our niece Campbell’s big birthday chalkboard I drew…then he decided to repurpose too.  He did a little re-filling in and then made some additions.  Cracked me up.  And I like him.  And his dad ways.

Happy Tuesday.

PS: I’m still sending out emails about the Swaziland Africa trip.  So feel free to email me at pitterpatterart at gmail dot com and I send more information your way!

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January 26, 2015 By 1 Comment

Swaziland Trip

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  We spent major time at home in the sweetest craziness and preparing for the week.  I’ve already been praying over this week and gosh, I just hope it’s a good and encouraging one for you all.

Thank you so much for all the interest emails I’ve received about the Swaziland, Africa trip this July.  The world is so special.  The people God has placed all over are incredibly special.  And to go into different places and meet different people and see their homes and a glimpse into their lives is a gift…an honor and privilege.  Every time I get a chance to travel like this it’s just humbling and the gratefulness overwhelms me.

I thought it would be fun to do some re-posts this week and give you a little look into my last trip to Swaziland.  We will be going with the same group and hanging with the majority of the same amazing people and kids.  I cannot say how excited I am.  One of my goals for this trip is to not only just love on these amazing brothers and sisters in Christ, but to also be able to come home and find sponsors for all the kiddos who are unsponsored at the Ngugnwane Carepoint…to help push and ignite a further flame.  I think God can totally do this.

If you are interested in going on this trip please email me at pitterpatterart at gmail dot com for more information.

RE-POST

NOVEMBER 4, 2013

Ngungwane {Swaziland, Africa}

I’m laying in bed in Swaziland, Africa.  It was a wonderfully long day and it’s pitch black outside now…closing in on midnight.  The sun rises at like 4:30am here…It wakes me up, I take a look, sit in wonder of Jesus and then go back to sleep for a few more hours.  To say that South Africa and Swaziland are beautiful would be a complete understatement.  Maybe the most beautiful place I’ve been and the people are crazy amazing.

I lost two bags.  I kind of thought I would because when I arrived at the Nashville airport on Friday they rerouted me, so I kind of expected some lost baggage.  Two bags full to the brim of supplies, but today they showed up.  Just in time for tomorrow.

People have asked me about this trip…what’s it for?  Who are you with?  What are you doing?  So here’s the quick down low.  Jesus put a passion for Swaziland in Josh Kelley’s heart in 2009.  It was quite wonderous to see because I had never even heard of Swaziland at that point.  Josh headed off to Swaziland with Children’s HopeChest and AIM in 2009 not knowing a soul, but he knew God wanted him on that trip.  A bit of time passed and we introduced our then church we were attending to Children’s HopeChest and the “community to community” partnership they help facilitate.  A care point is essentially a plot of land where local kids meet everyday to receive food, discipleship, love, and medical care.  You can read all about the details HERE.

We launched the carepoint Ngungwane in 2011 and began trying to get sponsorship for each of the profiled kiddos at the carepoint. Since then we’ve funded the fencing of the carepoint’s land, a bathroom, provided school shoes and built a solar powered well.  The one thing we could never get off the ground was a trip.  I’ve been trying to make my way to Swaziland to visit all the kids and the care point for over two years and every time I thought it might happen God shut a door, but not this year.  And I’m so very thankful.

So what am I doing?  It’s kind of crazy in the most best way ever.  I’m hanging out with kids all day.  I’m meeting families and the ladies in their community.  I’m getting to know them and I have the honor and sheer pleasure to love on them and let them love on me back.  I’m learning ways I can help come along side them.

Today I met a sweet go-go who is making her own necklaces to sell.  They are gorgeous.  I bought a ton and all my lady friends will be receiving one.  I might even be mailing one on over to Jessica, Noonday‘s founder, as well.  (insert a wink and a nod)

Today we did a cabbage distribution.  They have gardens they work and maintain and these gardens produce some serious crops…like the biggest cabbages I’ve ever seen.  Today each of the kids at Ngungwane received two cabbages to take home. It was incredible.

We blew lots of bubbles and painted fingernails…boys too if they wanted :)  I got my serious fingernail painting skillz on.

We took polaroid pictures of every child at the carepoint for them to keep…plus all the go-go’s pictures too.  Everyone loved them.  It was hilarious to look around and see a 100+ Swazis…men, woman and children…shaking their polaroid pictures while they developed.  It was definitely a highlight from the day.

We got to see first hand how the care point runs.  It was nice to finally be here…to see in person all the hard work which goes into this “community to community” partnership.  And to meet all the people who work so hard to make sure all these incredible kids have some of their needs met daily.

And we also did a home visit today.  AIM & CHC let their swazi staff decide whose homes we will be visiting based on need.  With each home visit we take a gift to thank the family for allowing us to come to their home…a huge bag of beans, a huge bag of corn and several other food and necessity items.  Today as we visited with the family I thought the oldest granddaughter looked a tad familiar, but thought there was no way out of all the kids that we would be visiting our 3 sponsor kids who are siblings and our pictures of them at home are almost 3 years old so I couldn’t be sure.  We met with the kids and their grandmother and prayed over them.  As we loaded into the van, I asked one of the Swazi staff about the children’s names and sure enough, it was indeed our sibling set of 3.  We were able to meet one of their cousins as well.  I felt like it was one of those moments ordained by God.

I’m learning more and more everyday I’m here.  What He has planned I do not know, but I know He’s moving.  Jesus is teaching me new things.  These children and people are to be revered.  They are absolutely fierce and beautiful and hard working and joyful and yet, I have so many questions for Jesus.  So many.

I will never understand child headed households and children with no parents and diseases, but what I do understand is one day heaven will be on Earth and God will make all things new and He will set things right.  Until then, He has commanded us to love.  He has commanded us to love Him and to love others.  So I’m going to do my best and let God guide my heart in the direction He’s leading.

Happy Monday from Swaziland.

END RE-POST

Man oh man do I ever hope this trip happens.  I need to get back to see these sweet faces and families again.  Makes my heart race just thinking about it.

Happy Monday…from Tennessee 🙂

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January 23, 2015 By 6 Comments

Sugar Edition

It’s no secret I’m a lover of food…particularly the sweet variety.  It’s in my blood.  I was born into it.  I own it and claim it.  You know it, I know it, everybody knows it.  I am a firm believer in baked goods…and pretty much any other sugary treats.  I just can’t help it.  I even take my Dessert Pinterest board very seriously.  I’ve actually tried most of the recipes.  If it sucks, it gets the boot.  If it’s good, I keep it.  No room for crappy baked goods people.  Just.No.Room.

I’m back on my “no sweets during the week” kick.  I’m a big time emotional eater and have to keep my sugar in check because I will straight up run to it instead of Jesus.  All week I’ve been thinking about baking.  I love to bake.  And I always share.  I know better than to keep too many sweet items in our house.  So I bake and share.  Every week.  I love having a little list of new things I can’t wait to try.  Here’s where my head is today:

Mini Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

Honey Bun Coffee Cake 

No-Fail Blondies

Twix Thumbprint Cookies

My Favorite Brownies

Half-Way To Heaven Peanut Butter Cookies

Iced Sugar Cookies (melted icing)

And I’m always a sucker for a chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

(None of these are my pictures.  All straight from the source the recipe is linked to, so photo props to the owners.)

 I made Josh Kelley choose what I should tackle first and he went with the My Favorite Brownies recipe.  I kind of can’t wait.

So do you have any dessert recipes I absolutely MUST try????  I would love, love, love to hear them if you do.  Please share.  From one sugar lover to the next.

Happy Friday.  Happy Weekend.  Enjoy it.

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January 22, 2015 By 6 Comments

8 Things {AKA Randomness}

I really like these number posts because it makes me feel like I’m writing a little something different than yesterday when we all really know I’m rambling total randomness yet again.  Sigh.

1.  So a few weeks ago I started a full on man hunt to put together a team of at least 8 to go to Swaziland this July.  Now I’m taking to the inter webs for any of you locals who would like to join me.  We will be working with Children’s HopeChest and AIM and will be visiting kiddos at the Ngungwane carepoint and pretty much having a grand time with these crazy sweet kids.  If you would like more information shoot me an email at pitterpatterart at gmail dot com.  Come on…you know you want to go!!!

2.  What the what?  I finished another order.  Shocker I know.  Sweet little primary love name pillow.  I’m still taking orders and working as quickly as possible so use the “Contact Laura” button at the top or shoot me an email if you would like to place an order.

3.  The other day I found this hole in my running shoes, so now I’m on the lookout for some new ones.  I’m really sad about Brooks discontinuing the original Pure Flows…like the original originals…numero unos.  They have been my favorite favorites.  Like I even bought multiple pairs and tucked them away and I ran the tread off each pair.  These are my last ones.  Oh the despair.  Anyone have any good recommendations?

Sidenote:  Yes those are in fact two Strawberry Shortcake bandaged fingers.  I cut both tips this morning while slicing an apple.  I feel like I handle pain pretty well…minus dental pain because, well, I just flat out hate the dentist now, but when I slice a finger with a knife or on a can I almost hyperventilate.  It’s just something about the slicingnessness. <— real word.  Josh Kelley always comes to the rescue and saves my life.

4.  Does anyone else want to loom while their kids are at school???  Asking for a friend.

5.  I’m in the middle of John right now, but this week I keep coming back to here.

The beginning of the parable of the persistent widow in Luke begins with one amazing sentence: “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”  Crazy good stuff.

6.  Find these on sale and buy 1000 of them.  Just do it.

7.  Sometimes when we pull in the driveway I just sit in the car a little longer.  I give one of the big kids the keys, everyone piles out and I just remain until someone comes tapping on my window asking for a snack or when Harper comes out and says, “Mom, are you okay?”

8.  And I’m working on saying “yes” more to our kids in our current chaos.  So many parts of me want to say “no” to added things in which will make me put a little more effort into life when I’m already tired.  Harper has asked all week to go by the library on the way home and honestly, I just didn’t want to do it, but I knew she needed a “yes”.  I sat with the littlest in my arms and just watched.  It was quiet and Amon wasn’t even bullying any kids into giving him a turn on the computer…it was all his.  The big kids read and all found books they were excited about.  It was just what we all needed.

Happy Thursday!

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January 21, 2015 By 4 Comments

Wednesday…Almost Friday

Lately I feel like I have zero complete thoughts to write about.  My mind feels all over the place and sporadic.  Complete thoughts are fleeting.  Over and over again all I can do is type my randomness.  It’s all I have…like my little lunch of bread and fish.  Ha.

Humor is keeping us all afloat these days.  Jesus and laughter are our medicines.  We all need some joy.  Josh Kelley and I sometimes look at each other in the midst of the mad chaos and all we can do is smile large, wide smiles or laugh.  These wild little humans, their antics and just life.

And then sometimes your husband starts laughing at his phone and you insist on knowing what has ignited such laughter…you want some too…you need it.  And then he shows you this picture and you both die from laughter.  Flat out die.  And it’s ridiculously stupid.  I’m embarrassed to say my first out-loud-thought was, “That cannot be real.”  No, no he’s not really holding a baby polar bear in the outfield during a game.

I feel as if I have 10,000 orders started and 0 completed.  I feel crazy behind.  The new little lady in our house made me remember how INTO EVERYTHING these 1/2 baby 1/2 toddler people are.  She is all over the place and into everything.  I attempted to finish up an order with her sitting in my office with me.  Oh the anguish.  Disaster after disaster after giant mess. Nothing was out of her tornadic reach.  Alas the feeling of accomplishment when I finished this order of key fobs, well, you would have thought I’d won a gold medal in the olympics.  Pride people, so much pride.

Everyone is super into checkers right now.  When I play, I hold nothing back.  Sometimes the big kids rise to the occasion and give me a run for my money even resulting in a Mom defeat.  Other times they buckle under the reign of terror I ensue on the checker board and in a last stitch effort they design a hand force field and insist their sad, lonely checker piece cannot be jumped…due to said “force field.”  Oh Solomon.

Sometimes Josh Kelley and I just want to eat alone.  The other night I put all 5 children to bed and he headed out to pick up Buffalo Wild Wings.  Just go ahead and give me all the chicken wings of the world.  I will eat them.  Only issue that arose was my dang root canaled tooth which has no crown on it right now.

Sidenote:  I totally forgot to tell you guys about the world’s worse day at the dentist office EVER…to date.  I’ll re-cap fast.  3:45 appointment time and I arrived home after 8:30 that night.  I kind of wanted a cat to claw my face off.  I had a super emotional day with lots of foster parenting firsts which resulted in me and the nurse becoming pretty tight.  I did not breach confidentiality, but there were tears.  A box of Kleenex was brought in.  And we embraced.  It was pretty amazing and yet still I wanted an additional cat to claw my face off.  The sheer stress and anxiety of the whole shebang plus a new broken crown should have killed me.  But I digress.

So it took me approximately 1.5 extra hours to eat those delightful little 10 chicken wings along with some carrots and celery sticks.

While checking out in Kroger the other day with all the kids Hudson began this conversation.

Hudson: Do you think there’s something wrong with me?

Me: No.  Why would I think there is something wrong with you?

Hudson:  Because I think about legos all the time.  I can’t quick thinking about them.  It’s all I think about.  Is there something wrong with me?

Me: (trying to pay, wrangle the other 4 kids, give Hudson my attention and not die from laughter) There is not one thing wrong with you.  I think that’s amazing.  I love this about you.  What are you going to build when you get home?

Hudson: Well, I’ve been thinking about this new jail cell…

And Amon is becoming quite the creature of habit.  Every morning he requests oatmeal, Elmo and painting.  Painting is new to his routine, but he loves it.  And I just let him wildly go to town.  Water..check.  Paper…check.  Paintbrush…check.  Giant toddler paints which inevitably every time he mixes together to create a new palette of brown, brown, brown and brown…check.

Hope your week is going great.  Thank you for reading this typed out mess here on my tiny piece of the inter webs.  Big, big thank yous.  I crazy appreciate you guys.

Happy Wednesday!

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January 20, 2015 By 9 Comments

Not Mine

Life and emotions just seem to be a big ebb and flow right now.  We are absolutely exhausted in one manner, but our hearts feel at ease where God has us.  We think we can’t make it to the next day, but God is sufficient.  I told a friend this morning I just don’t feel like myself right now and God later reminded me I’m not my own, I’m His.  He will change me and mold me and make me into exactly what He wants…my life isn’t mine…maybe it’s good I don’t feel like my old self.

Our family has been pushed and changed again and God has proven Himself faithful as always.  We may be a little down trodden and tired, but our hearts delight in Him…He is our joy and peace.  It’s the strangest mix of feelings to feel completely emotionally and physically spent, but for our hearts and spirits to be joyous and privileged and honored and humbled to be His.

Life is not the easiest right now, but we’re committed.  We’re all in.  Foster care pushes your flexibility to the max…your love to the max…and your patience.  For a scheduled, I-want-to-be-in-control-all-the-time person like myself, it’s hard.  God has had many meetings with my heart already.

“This isn’t your day Laura.  This isn’t your home.  This isn’t your bank account.  This isn’t your family.  This isn’t even your life.  It is all Mine and all for My glory.”

I get a call and asked to be at a visitation in 20 minutes.  Another call for a court date in 1 hour.  Nap times have been changed.  Lunch packed for on the go.  Rushing here and there.  Getting everyone dressed and myself somewhat presentable in a flash.  Sitting quietly in a court room or a little room trying to keep Amon from banging on the double sided mirror.  Paperwork and phone calls and note taking.  Jotting down dates and phone numbers and people’s names.  Plus your everyday everydayness.  It’s a lot sometimes.

Then I look at this lovely little child and think how much I love her to pieces already.  We pray for her heart and for her family.  I think about what if I had made mistakes big enough to lose our children and they were plucked from everything they knew and placed somewhere else temporarily…how would I long for them to be treated and cared for?  How my heart would want to break into two.  And God raises our game.  He puts her family on our hearts all day long.  I ask Him to be everything I need and He is.  I ask Him to be my strength and He does just that.  He gives us laughter and joy and more and more love.  He provides hope in every shape, form and fashion.  He reminds me to love on people because by doing so, I’m loving Him.  You love until it’s painful and then you keep at it.  There is beauty there to be seen and gathered up and spread about.  There is Jesus at every turn.

We might not be doing this in the most perfect way.  It might not look pretty.  We might be just making it by right now.  It will appear were off our rockers a bit from the outside looking in.  Showers are long over do.  Dark circles have taken up permanent residency under my eyes.  Emotions are high, but it’s all okay.  Jesus is here.  And He always make a way even when He’s given 6 so very imperfect people.  The impossible is His possible.  He is love and goodness and hope.  He is our strength and our song.  He will gather up all the glory for Himself and He will be made known.  We are His.

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