One Week

So the original plan was to stay at the beach until tomorrow and yet here we are at home.  Turns out our group is currently a bunch of homebodies and everyone was missing home and ready to go.  We even talked to the kids about at least hitting up the beach and pool until lunch, eating lunch in our place and then heading home, but they all unainimously agreed they just wanted to go home.  There you have it.

We had the best time for sure.  We all smell like the ocean still and we tore through two big bottles of sunscreen.  On my grocery list is more sunscreen.  I’ve started 3 loads of laundry already…one being entirely made up of 8 wet beach towels.  We swam our hearts out, looked for sea shells like it was our job,  cooked each night, had dessert after every meal and enjoyed movies and popcorn every evening.  This was just what we needed, but home was calling our names.

And lest you be fooled into thinking our beach time was flawless and without any angst or drama, kids had to take time outs at the pool and beach.  Kids lost their dessert privileges and some even went to bed early before our nightly movie & popcorn vacation ritual.  Josh Kelley and I issued a “safe word” for when the other went into a blind rage and needed to be brought back…that entire sentence made me laugh out loud…we’re a mess you guys.  To summarize…kids still lost their minds and Josh & I did too despite being in sunny Florida and on vacation.  I mean, we have 6 perfect angel children and Josh & myself never snap or yell at them.  Ever.  The end.

Truth be totally told, emotions are crazy high right now in our house in the best and worst kind of way.  Everything feels pressing.  Everything feels extra important.  And yet, regular life still needs to happen and there’s still work & parenting to be done.  Life is still marching on while our family’s emotions run wild.  We’ve noticed the big kids pouring extra attention into Everett…they each wanted to sleep with him while we were away…and Josh & I are really trying to say yes to the small things and breath more easier.  It’s a tricky balance for sure.

Today as we drove away from our condo Josh looked over and said, “You okay?”  and I started to cry.  We we’re driving home and the next big thing on our calendar was officially 6 days away.  One week from today we will board a flight headed to Michigan with one way tickets and it just still feels very sad and heavy.  Time feels like it’s ticking away and I still feel like I want to vomit every time my mind walks through what is actually going to happen.

Three fun things about our driving time: 1.  Percy Jackson audio books keeping our minds busy and making us laugh.  Josh Kelley snagged these from our local library before we left and they are so good.  We all laughed out loud regularly and found ourselves completely enthralled with the stories.  2.  Eating out twice together.  As you can imagine, even fast-food for 8 is not cheap, so Everett experienced Chickfila & Burger King for the first time.  Several friends and family we’re appalled this was his first time to eat Chickfila.  I mean, we love Jesus and Everett’s been home over 3 months and still had not experienced the Christian chicken.  They all we’re questioning our salvation.  3.  When we stopped for gas one time I got a phone call from one of the dental hygienists at our kid’s dental office.  She said she told her church about Everett and they had collected some money for his medical bills.  I sobbed.  That’s not something I’ve talked about yet because well, we just asked people to help us raise money for his actual adoption through so many different ways, so this was the sweetest little wink from God.  Another friend reached out to us while on the trip and said she wanted to help us through another way…I’ll share more tomorrow.  The world is still so kind you guys…it really is.

We got home and set to work unpacking and starting laundry.  We talked about how coming home feels similar to leaving just the same excitement spun in different directions.  We we’re all so glad to be home.  I cried a little more as I unpacked my suitcase because instead of putting it away, I just added some different things I’d picked up for Everett to have in the hospital and left it sitting in our bedroom floor.  Josh said he’s going to at least put it in the closet 🙂

 Tonight we sat down at our own kitchen table with a dinner Josh whipped together and it all felt right.  After dinner we looked at calendars and made plans for our remaining 6 days.  Things like dinner with some of our favorite people, the wave pool, a movie night outside, snow cones, family photos and seeing peeps we love.

So we’re officially almost there.  I simply cannot even believe in just one week another part of this amazing little boy’s story will start to unfold.  I feel all the emotions all the time and that’s okay.  Josh Kelley changed our letter board to, “Dawn is coming.  Open your eyes.”  And that’s what we shall do.  We’re keeping our eyes open…watching expectantly for what He has in store.  Whatever it may be we will praise Him.  Thank you again for praying with us for Everett and for us.  It means everything.