Extra 5%

I. Am. Not. a morning person!  I naturally want to stay up until 2:00am and until 10:00am.  And by the grace of God I have a baby who sleeps from 9:30pm until 10:00am almost every day. I am so grateful I am able to stay home with her and she is naturally on my preferred schedule.

For the past four weeks I have been purposefully waking up at 7:27 on week  most days. For most I know that doesn't sound early but subtract two and a half hours from when you usually get up and 4:00am something puts it into prospective. It was really hard to do at first and I still dread my alarm, but I have to say it's been a great four weeks. 

Stephen and I went to a Couples Retreat on Valentines Weekend.  In general we do not fight and I would classify us as avoiders when it does come to things that are "issues".  What we walked away with was there is always that extra 5% of happiness we can and should be working to tap into with our marriage.  I had already planned to give Stephen a 30 day challenge of my getting up with him for Valentines Day and after the weekend I know God put that on my heart specifically for this.

I still don't particularly like getting up, but after about an hour of being up, when we sit together in the formal living room doing a devotional together it is so worth it.  The time sitting and talking and praying together is amazing.  These past two days I have been super sleepy and so we didn't get up early and Stephen got up just in time to head to work.  I actually missed it these last two days and once my day got going it wasn't worth the extra sleep.

Now that I know that extra 5% is out there, I want it!!!!  How do you and yours tap into your extra 5%?

She Perfectly Penned the Feelings of My Heart

Adoption.  Everyone has their own thoughts about this word:  Yes I want to do that; No I would never do that;  It's something I might like to do;  I would do it if it wasn't so expensive; God would have to just drop a baby in my lap...and so on.

Stephen and I had discussed adoption when we first got married that it was something we might like to do.  So yes we had planned to eventually, possibly, adopt but after we had biological children.  Lately I have struggled with this. I love Lillian so much and NEVER EVER want her to feel she was a backup plan because she WAS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I came across this blog today and the author perfectly penned the feelings of my heart.  She's put into words exactly how I feel...

This is what I can tell you now.  We didn’t adopt because we couldn’t get pregnant.  We couldn’t get pregnant because our first born [daughter] was to come to our family through adoption. 

Now that [she] is home, we know without a doubt that even before the world began, [Lillian] was ours.  And that, God graciously allowed enough time to pass so we would open our hearts and walk into the plan that had always been.

It was always the plan. The first choice.... Isn’t it ironic? Infertility made me a mother. Not because  I ran out of options, but because all along it was the only option.

No Time to Post

I have a one year old and no time to write!  So many things I've thought about but no time. 

We had the opportunity to share our story at the CASA banquet. I had been wanting to share in a public setting and was grateful they gave us the opportunity. 

Tonight night we had Stephanie and Trish over a day early to celebrate Lillian's Gotcha Day. This day last year Stephen and I went to bed a family of two having no clue the next night we would be going to bed a family of three. 

It's been a beautiful ride this past year and words cannot express the gratitude I have to ALL involved in bring home our little girl to us. God's blessings are abundant. 

In other news Lillian took her first steps this week, experienced snow last week and is just loving life as a one year old. 

Bearing Others Burdens

This time last year was a very difficult and sad time in our lives. We knew God had a plan but we were having to trust him while living with the excruciating pain of an open wound in which it felt as though salt was continually being rubbed. A thought or a moment or another persons similar circumstances can take me back there instantly.  Tonight the pain of the wound is being felt for several in particular, some dear friends and one whom I've never met.  I don't have an answer and I know no earthly words can heal. Dear friends, all I can do is hurt for and with you and pray you can find some rest and comfort in the arms of Christ as the salt rubs it's way in. 

We Have A One Year Old!

We can't believe how fast the last ten months have flow. Lillian now has 8 teeth, weighs 20lbs, and is 30" tall. She loves her puppies, dancing to Fox Say, smiling, laughing and blowing kisses, going on runs, READING, the church nursery, clapping yeah, pulling the fan string, her ten cousins, loving her stuffed animals, Ms. Brenda, Kate, Avery, Wyatt, Bowen and her daddy! She likes all foods; her first word was momma; her favorite activity is playing Pee*Pie and she is and answer to MANY prayers!

Christmas Is Over

One month and one day later I have come to realize Christmas is actually over.  It was a wonderful time which we drug out until January 1 when we had Wyatt family Christmas; then I drug it out even longer by leaving up my decorations.  I still have one tree up, yikes!  So many thoughts and emotions happened over Christmas: gratitude, joy, happiness, "survivors" guilt and lots of smiles.  I am so grateful for this season of rest and joy.