718-799 Eucharisteo

718. Massive leaf blower that looks like something off a cheesy 90’s action movie
719. Shaven legs
720. Jesus Calling
721. The salvation message shared
722. Assuming a sinners position
723. Lillian caring for her baby dolls
724. Failed attempt to see Christmas lights
725. Getting lost, laughing
726. Peacock Lane closed, laughing again
727. Gladstone lights closed, laughing even harder
728. Two hours later, no lights, thankful to be home, still laughing
729. Hubby’s afternoon call to check on my day
730. You Tubes of Mark Gungor
731. Cracking up with my hubby
732. Beauty and the Beast
733. Pumpkin ice cream
734. Jesus birthday party
735. Enjoying my food processor
736. Trisha’s thankful list via text every night, adding millions to my own list
737. God’s faithfulness
738. Dreaming about adoption someday
739. Encouraged by the story of Rebekah
740. Good friends at #14 on waiting list for siblings
741. Real joy
742. Sitting down to add to my thankful list and wondering where to begin, I have so many things I am completely perplexed at what to list first
743. Hubby’s heart
744. Humility
745. God’s answered prayers
746. Lillian asking for a tail like Ariel, frowning at her legs
747. Lillian pretending to flip her legs like a tail while floating in the tub, precious smile
748. Get out of debt plan
749. Finanial advisors who pray
750. 2 hour men’s Bible studies
751. Wisdom from Kellie
752. Wisdom from counselors
753. Prayers in the dark on the bathroom floor
754. Husband perusing at the right time and giving space at the right time
755. Flexibility
756. Feeling rested
757. Christmas cookies, living with 2 cookie monsters
758. Lillian devouring her broccoli for a cookie
759. God’s steady hand guiding me
760. Be convicted to search out the forgotten and needy; spending less time focused on myself
761. Having a renewed courage to adopt
762. Dreams changed, but not forgotten
763. Making a second attempt to drive around and look at Christmas lights as a family: Success!
764. Cool crisp days
765. Oil change in my car!
766. Lillian’s sweet curls, soft and delicate
767. Laughter
768. Tears
769. Special memories with the counseling interns
770. Hearing our stories of meeting our mates
771. Trusting in God’s promises
772. Going to bed early
773. 8am aerobics
774. Lillian making monkey sounds, wearing bunny ears, and a kitty tail taped to her back
775. Petting my monkey-bunny-kitty and listening to her oohhh-ahhh-hop-hop-meow-purrr
776. Tate giving hugs, without arms
777. Being a mom
778. Sydney’s princess birthday party
779. Pink drinks, special lunch, birthday songs = so many smiles
780. Lillian making new friends quickly
781. The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner
782. Praying for my adoption dreams
783. Quiet afternoons
784. Fog the never lifts
785. Precious Christmas cards to enjoy and post on my window
786. Going back to bed
787. Night church
788. Finding a lost toy behind the couch. Lillian playing with it all day.
789. Jesus breaking every social boundary to reach us
790. Living water
791. Personalizing my faith
792. Stopping the settling
793. Being called out
794. Experiencing God’s love
795. Being forever changed
796. New slippers
797. Mom
798. Monday afternoon craft times
799. Faithful friends

622-717 Eucharisteo

622. Lillian’s warm cheek against mine
623. Being real in Bible study
624. Trusted friends
625. Learning about faithfulness
626. Valuing faithfulness
627. In awe of God’s faithfulness
628. Playing in beans with measuring spoons
629. Excitement for Wes
630. Poop in the potty!!!
631. Pee on the floor = super clean floors
632. Hubby taking Lilly to store to pick out a new potty
633. Princess PJ’s
634. 70’s style hanging lights
635. Date night on NW 23rd
636. Nestled in a scarf, wind at my back, crunchy leaves plastering the sidewalk, hubby at my side
637. Ganache
638. Writing a “bucket list” for hubby
639. Admiring his aspirations
640. Counseling
641. Finding my voice
642. Help
643. Holy Spirit
644. Answered prayers
645. New headlight, so bright
646. Part II of Clinical Portfolio DONE!
647. More licks from Lillian
648. Playing naptime, Lillian tucking me in with her blankey, princess pillow under my head, being instructed to close my eyes, Shhhhhh …..
649. 10 seconds of rest
650. “Morning Mama” with a glowing smile
651. One more time please ….
652. George Fox library
653. Learning so much about counseling, having so much more to learn
654. New jobs!!!
655. Giving a 2-wee notice. Steady faithfulness.
656. Celebratory biscotti
657. Unplanned dinner with friends
658. Chocolate rice crispy treats
659. Praying for wisdom in parenting
660. Lillian snoring at night
661. Guys bundled up, working on the tree fort all day
662. Watching their frosty breath from inside my cozy kitchen window
663. FOOD PROCESSOR!
664. Costco sale!
665. Excited for new recipes
666. Finger painting
667. Wearing matching boots with Mom
668. Christmas plane tickets to Boise
669. Our house lit up like a gingerbread house
670. Generous Opa and Opa
671. Sleeping soundly for the last 2 weeks
672. Hubby understanding me
673. Painting Lillian’s fingernails and toenails bright red
674. Watching her walk around for the next hour with fingers spread, careful not to smudge. Adorable.
675. Quiet Thanksgiving morning together
676. Raking leaves
677. Making a new carrot, ginger salad and listening to Lillian and Chris giggle on the couch
678. So much to be thankful for
679. Sitting around the table with my family
680. Lillian somersaulting off the couch for 45 minutes with auntie Nicole
681. Tuberware filled with leftovers
682. So, so, so much to be thankful for
683. Potty trained!!! No accidents this week
684. Walking around and around, looking for just the right one
685. Finding it … getting Lillian’s approval
686. Hubby who brings power tools to Christmas tree farms
687. Worker who offers Lillian a free ornament
688. Clear, blue sky
689. Twinkling lights
690. Pink flamingo ornament with special significance
691. Simultaneously feeling mournful and hopeful
692. Lillian gently studding each ornament, enamored
693. Nails that hang on branches below reminding us of the reason for the season
694. Zoo lights! You gotta go.
695. Smiles. Wide. Real. Contagious. Daddy’s girl all the way.
696. Excitement for elephants, tigers, monkeys, snakes, and fish
697. Spurring one another on
698. Irritating one another on
699. AJ and Lillian chasing in circles, squealing, giggles, faster, faster
700. Preparing dinner with background music of Lillian and her daddy’s laughter
701. Stairs
702. Spending a Monday without leaving the home, after a four day weekend, and loving being at home
703. Challenges in counseling
704. Connection
705. Sincerity
706. Power and wisdom, what a team!
707. Speaking “builder, merchant, innovator” language
708. Appreciating my hubby
709. Admiring my hubby
710. So, so proud of my hubby
711. Thanking God for my hubby
712. Walk with ladies through the park
713. Vulnerable men
714. Precious Wes in my arms
715. Visiting a new mama and finding myself crying
716. Healthy babies in families who cherish them
717. Faith

538 - 621 Eucharisteo

538. My little girl in Ariel PJ’s, Dollar store necklaces, sparkly shoes, and knit hat, and a smile a mile wide, so so precious
539. Daddy who walks her around the neighborhood
540. Julie
541. Stuffing Lillian into the car seat, costume and all
542. Driving home with the windows down so she does not faint
543. Lillian bringing joy to other cars at a red light
544. Trying to find a creative way to get Lillian out of the Pooh costume for nap time
545. The cutest tantrum, holding back my laughter
546. Loving that my girl expresses her will and desires
547. Mom who brings dinner, candy and costume for Halloween. All I did was provide the granddaughter
548. Pooh bear
549. Good chats and laughs
550. Hubby who wears a women’s wig
551. CVI
552. Taking time to understand my hubby
553. Hubby taking time to understand me
554. Valuing wisdom
555. Embracing power
556. Tears
557. Clear blue sky
558. Crisp fall leaves
559. Crunchy carrots
560. Miracles at Open House Ministries
561. Reunited families
562. Prayers
563. Proverbs
564. Proverbs, again
565. Looking out my window and seeing chicken peck the ground
566. Fred Meyer Playland
567. 3 pans of warm quiche
568. Quite house, soft sound of dishwasher
569. Sick hubby who went to bed at 830. That’s 10 hours of sleep for me too!
570. Clean sheet
571. Smooth legs
572. Lillian screaming “big girl panties”
573. Looking out at all the leaves on the trees, so thankful they are still there, rather than on the ground, knowing soon I will be raking, and raking, and raking ….
574. Lillian who devours snuggle time with her sick Daddy
575. Tears filling my eyes during worship
576. Knowing I need God more then I need my next breathe
577. Crying out, hands raised
578. Feelings loved between my parents
579. Mother who leads by taking responsibility and asking for forgiveness
580. Praying I can be as brave as her
581. Real confessions
582. Hoping I can confess to Lillian and ask for forgiveness when needed
583. Growing deeper
584. Worshipping with Sis
585. Tender touch on my arm
586. Strengthened
587. Coming alone, embraced with company, connected
588. Knowing she knows
589. Learning about courage
590. Remembering the most common command: Do not have fear
591. Praying for courage
592. Praying harder for courage
593. Numbers
594. Being encouraged by Trisha
595. Marveling at God’s provision
596. Pumpkin muffins
597. Making paper plate turkeys
598. Lillian’s hands covered in paint … creativity!
599. Five little girls running around the house
600. High pitched girl giggles
601. Hubby’s prayers
602. Vanilla soy candles
603. Hubby’s thoughtful voicemail
604. Learning so much in school
605. Monday night with my girls from highschool
606. Admiring beautiful children
607. Challenges from cherished friends
608. Planning a date night
609. Being stretched further then I ever thought possible
610. Lillian’s stubborn spirit
611. Going all day without going potty
612. Then … poo on the potty!!!!
613. Doing a crazy mama poo-poo dance
614. Laughing as I type this because I am so thankful for poo. Again, being stretched further then I ever thought
615. So thankful to be a Mom
616. Porsche club
617. Encouraging blogs
618. November’s Adoption Awareness month
619. Cousins reaching out for a hug
620. James wearing pink cowgirl boots and Lillian's jacket
621. Thinking about Derek, laughing, his boy in girl boots. Opps!Sorry, but not really.

435 - 537 Eucharisteo

435. Coming home and having clean kitchen floors and a vacuumed home
436. Lillian holding perfectly still while getting her face painted
437. Pony rides. Oh no, loose pony. Someone help! We got more than a pony ride!
438. Totting Lillian in a red wagon. Absolutely adorable.
439. Kitchen sink full of veggies from the garden
440. The support of our church family
441. Dale
442. Generosity and patience
443. Reminders of idolatry: Seeing yourself through other people’s eyes

444. Hubby helped convert and burn a CD for school. I never would have figured it out on my own.
445. Budgeting
446. Canceling Comcast, no wasted money for cable or internet.
447. Finding more than enough free TV stations, including Discovery Channel. Can you believe it?
448. Paying the last Comcast bill and freeing up some money that can go to other things. Feels so good.
449. Surrendering the budget to The One who knows all
450. Simplifying
451. New surge of energy to potty train Lillian (aka: save on diapers)
452. Finding Lillian trying to change her own poppy diaper. Poop plopped on floor. Pants stuck around ankles. Wipes in hand. Joyfully saying, “Help Mama, please.”
453. Wiping pee off the floor 2x. Surge (#451) zapped. Back to patience. Knowing she will do it in the right time.
454. Hubby who picks up Lillian when she has a fever.
455. Extra snuggles and hugs when she feels sick
456. Secretly loving it when Lillian feels sick because she snuggles longer
457. Learning so much at internship. Loving school. Finding time for homework.
458. Sweetest voicemail from Chris Yarco
459. Praying for my families at internship
460. Shhh ‘ ing Lillian in the GFU library … Thinking, how unrealistic. She is 2!
461. Fastest library trip ever! Get in, get out. That’s what you do with a sweet girl who chatters everywhere she goes.
462. Everyone stopping their studies and admiring Lillian. I think a sweet voice was a pleasant interruption.
463. James 1: 2-4
464. Lillian brushing my hair with a spatula
465. Smell of fresh rain
466. Praying hard for my hubby
467. Trusting God
468. Brother who comes over Sat, Sun, and Mon and works on the tree house
469. Men who eat burnt chicken sandwiches and smile
470. Going back to bed at 10:00am
471. The whole day with Sis
472. Walks uphill and downhill, and back uphill
473. Perfect latte with a dark chocolate biscotti
474. Slowing life down to savor the conversation
475. Warm sunshine on my face, even in mid October
476. Spinach salad … from those who know I need some good vitamins
477. Steak … from those who know I needs some good protein
478. Praying hard
479. Lost without God’s provision
480. Attempting fried green tomatoes
481. Accepting my failure
482. Hubby’s hand on my back when I wept
483. Swollen eyes in the morning = worrying less about the way I look
484. Monday morning workout. What a wonderful surprise!
485. Bribing Lillian to pee in the potty with new sparkly shoes
486. Lillian loving the shoes, but still peeing on the floor
487. A two-year old that can hold her bladder for 2 hours after drinking a whole cup of juice!!!
488. Determination
489. Prayer, I can’t potty train without God’s wisdom
490. Cooking inside and hearing the boys work outside
491. More pee = clean floors
492. It’s 6pm and my SD card died. I need it for tomorrow. I find one online on sale for $56, reg $100. Store manager says he will honor discount AND we can use our $10 off coupon! Yeah, $46!
493. Hubby races out the door at 6:10 to pick it up for me!
494. Getting my headset fixed
495. Lillian screaming my name at 3:30am. Racing in her room. She lost her blanket. Tuck in and back to sleep within seconds.
496. Can’t remember that last time she woke me up in the middle of the night
497. Travis, “What did you hear her say?”
498. Hearing one another
499. Being a 1: The only way it up
500. Cloudy day and thinking of Kellie
501. Time to do homework!
502. Friends who proof read papers
503. 5 little girls playing so well together, sharing, singing
504. Making new friends
505. Honest chat about family plans
506. Hubby who chops up pineapple for me
507. Best curry ever (with red potatoes, red pepper, Chinese celery, chilies, and homegrown squash)
508. Weird movie with my hubby
509. Treasured friends reminding me to cling to God
510. Extra long hug
511. Red heart, fish, angel, worn with prayer
512. Wondering about the brave women before me
513. Praying I can be brave too
514. Celebrating Wes
515. Sunshine
516. Crispy leaves all over the ground
517. Helpful supervisors
518. Yearning for something more
519. So thankful to one day know I will be in paradise
520. Being so dissatisfied with what this world has to offer. Feeling like a stranger, alien.
521. Totally challenged by the integrity sermon
522. Whispering confessions in the middle of service
523. Repentance
524. Forgiveness
525. Peace
526. Hubby who spends hours trying to fix my computer
527. Brother who lends tech support from Michigan
528. Hubby who takes it upon himself to meet someone in Kelso to fix my computer
529. Random people off craigslist
530. Feeling so thankful to spend $50 to fix the problem. Geek squad wanted $250.
531. Quiet time in the corner of Starbucks sipping a sweet treat
532. Observing people
533. Walk through the park
534. Going in for a kiss … getting a big ol’ lick …. LILLIAN!!!!
535. Praying for her at night
536. Listen to hubby snore, so thankful he is by my side
537. A pyramid of squash

319 - 434 Eucharisteo

319. Tremendous sunrise filling the sky magenta and orange
320. Lillian repeating every word
321. Such great childcare. Lillian loves going over to Sandi’s.
322. Open House team meeting and prayer for a family we all care about
323. Curry over brown rice with roasted veggies
324. A glass of pineapple wine to wash it down
325. Accountability
326. Caring sis
327. Couples counseling
328. Silence
329. Joining a warm body on the floor, no words
330. Hot tears streaming down my face
331. Prayer
332. Kind email from Mom
333. Excitement from younger eyes
334. Sunlight dancing on the trees
335. Why?
336. Changes
337. Green empty space
338. Excitement for dad newly painted car
339. Rotating the phone around the table as we talk to my brother in Michigan. Almost like he was at dinner with us
340. The treager
341. Sidewalk chalk everywhere, mostly on Lillian
342. Two year old driving a jeep around the yard, clutching her baby, no need to steer
343. Sitting around the picnic table, enjoying one of the last warm nights, telling stories by candle light
344. Uncle Larry and Roz
345. Happy Birthday songs. Trick candles. Lillian asking to celebrate birthdays everyday
346. Learning about humility
347. Working on letting go of control and putting others before myself
348. Worship
349. Typing this and knowing my hubby and daughter are nestled in a warm bed napping
350. The first rain of the season
351. The smell of fall
352. 3 new mole holes this weekend… time to get creative
353. Omsi on a raining afternoon. Spaceships. Millions of balls. Curiosity.
354. Intro to my thesis … done!
355. Dude’s calling out other dudes, with love
356. I love you texts all day long
357. Clean garage. Are you kidding? Yipee!
358. Morning walk in the fog
359. Morning with my hubby in the middle of the week
360. Hearing Lillian’s laughter ring through the house, so contagious
361. Driving by the church and seeing the parking lot full on Tuesday morning
362. Sweet, sweet friend. Who would have imagined we would be sitting together crying one year later?
363. 7 year of endurance
364. Tears
365. HOPE
366. Lemon tarts melting on the top of my mouth
367. Hubby who eats leftovers
368. Transformations, new jobs, new adventures, excitement
369. Group supervision at Dairy Queen
370. Air pump thingies … you know those thingies?
371. Amazing devotionals
372. 82 degrees
373. Walk to the park
374. Admiring children learning to walk
375. Drive home is dark now, autumn is upon us
376. Thinking about warm blankets, cups of tea, rustling wind, and fall leaves
377. Lillian’s first boat ride. Didn’t want to get in. Didn’t want to get out. Enjoying 2-year old logic.
378. Remembering several times today when I applied 2-year old logic to my situation
379. Laughing
380. Praising God for His abundant patience
381. Sharing devotions with good friends
382. Lillian’s night-nights, goodmornings, kisses, squirmy body, giggles, and hugs
383. Fearfully and wonderfully made
384. Learning more (and more) about humility and pride
385. Quiet night to myself
386. Lillian positive energy that gets me out of bed in the morning
387. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed and changing my attitude by the afternoon
388. Learning to share
389. A burden lifted from my shoulders
390. Giving a name to something important
391. Relief
392. Play-doh snakes and buggies
393. Sweet Tate
394. Honest friends
395. Generosity
396. Lillian smile every morning. That babe is a morning girl, full of smiles.
397. AGCI’s generosity
398. A pooping adventure that kept the meeting light hearted
399. Tissue
400. Asking God questions
401. Unexpected hug from a stranger … who hugs like a friend
402. Knowing that dreams can be terminated, but God’s love is not bound by a contract
403. Clear closure
404. Learning patience
405. Spontaneous tears falling down my face all day long, reminding me I am still human and feel pain
406. Prayer
407. Kissing Lillian good bye while she peacefully slept
408. Knowing I would miss her before I even left the house
409. Finding a love letter from my hubby nestled in some clothes
410. Rest
411. Sunset from airplane window, breathtaking
412. Missing a flight, laughing, learning flexibility, find a purpose in everything
413. Kind stranger sharing her joy of serving God through funeral meal ministry preparation. Amazed by the clarity of her calling.
414. Connecting chats with my loving mother
415. Honesty
416. Fresh food
417. Strawberry smoothy and a creamy mocha treat in the same day
418. Hearing of people serving God
419. A mother's excitement to spend time with her kids
420. Tiny birds dusting them self in the sunshine
421. Picking up the book The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven on a whim in the airport
422. Devouring every word and finishing it in less than 24 hours
423. Such excitement and yearning for heaven
424. Curiosity and wonder about our Creator
425. Goosebumps
426. Brilliant leaves bursting every shade of yellow, orange, and red
427. Little brother, I mean, younger brother
428. God's presence
429. People watching
430. Having no agenda
431. Thankful that Lillian is being taken good care of by her daddy
432. Loving my family
433. Hope for the future
434. So many thing to write I simply don’t have enough time to track everything

201 - 317 Eucharisteo

201. Patient dogs who wear pretty necklaces.
202. Watching Chris read princess books to Lillian
203. Getting home early from internship
204. Dinner in camping chairs in front yard
205. Getting a call from the neighbor who was driving by and saw Lillian and the dog playing. She pulled over and admired how sweet they are together saying, “They made my day.”
206. Walk through the neighborhood and running from the sprinklers
207. Walk through the neighborhood and purposefully stalling so the sprinkler hit us in order to hear Lillian squeal
208. Frozen banana, nonfat yogurt, and peanut butter shakes
209. Wind rustling the trees
210. Excitement for the weekend
211. Air conditioning unit in window just in time for the heat wave
212. Spontaneous “Luv you Mama”
213. Parents who support our Bible study by watching Lillian
214. Hubby up before 6am all week for Bible study and accountability breakfasts
215. Good friends
216. Family that comes over at 730am on Saturday morning to work on a treehouse
217. Costco
218. Grace
219. Peace
220. Trust
221. More trust
222. Not being able to worship without lifting my hands towards the sky. I tried, as not to bother the two people I was wedged between. Not possible. God demanded this posture of worship.
223. Asking for help
224. Knowing I need to trust more
225. Surrendering
226. Again, thinking of the book Heaven is for Real. Such a good read.
227. Bumping into a friend I have not seen in a while and remembering everyone’s name
228. Pastor Joel
229. 1 Corinthians 9
230. Reminding me why I am alive
231. Praying for witness opportunities
232. Hearing hubby reflect
233. Crying out to God
234. Quiet time
235. Lillian twirling my hair
236. Romping in bed with the whole family
237. Lillian insisting that we have a pillow under our head
238. Trying to get Lillian to “ride the daddy horse” but she decided to ride me instead
239. Kissing hubby in kitchen and looking over to see Lillian staring. It was a long kiss.
240. Prayer
241. Fondue with a good friend
242. Eating and talking for three hours. No hurry.
243. Honesty
244. Encouragement
245. Brutal car accident reminding me not to take life for granted
246. Falling tired bones into bed
247. Hand-me-down phone. Can you believe I have a Driod???
248. Internet anytime I want it
249. First download: ESV Bible
250. Unlimited, customized worship music from Pandora
251. So many possibilities
252. Mini tutorials from hubby throughout day
253. So many faces at Open House Ministries
254. Dunk tank = delight of children
255. A perfect morning devotional
256. Kind officers
257. Understanding and identifying PTSD
258. Lawyers
259. Trusting God’s plan
260. Being asked more than you ever thought could be possible
261. Absolutely trusting God’s plan, knowing I would wither on my own
262. Books on CD for long drives
263. I feel …..
264. Surprise weekend get-aways. I thought Seattle, but we are in Levenworth
265. Admiring the winding river
266. Fierce, unforgiving rapids that blast rocks
267. Placid water reflecting like a sheet of glass or a mirror
268. Swallow ripples that would barely cover my feet
269. Deep, dark pools that swallow the ground
270. Likening the water to God’s strong, calm, gentle, and deep love for us
271. Picking out colorful gems earrings for $6.50. What a find!
272. Mint chocolate chip ice-cream on a park bench with my hubby
273. Continental breakfasts
274. Veggie brats
275. Hot tub adventures
276. Stocked, clean, white towels
277. Reflection in a fireplace
278. Closeness
279. Reset
280. Flower pots bursting with color
281. Writing this and feeling my eyes get heavy. Wanting to capture all the things I am thankful for. Knowing it is not possible. So content and saturated with thanksgiving. My eyes get heavier … so so much I am thankful for.
282. Amazing parents and grandparents
283. A special weekend for Lillian
284. Listening to God is For Real, again, on the car on the way home from Levenworth
285. Meeting a sweet adopted boy and his mom at play group today
286. Hearing her story and heart for adoption. Her recognizing my adoption shirt and connected with her about a passion for adoption.
287. Loving the little boys dark black curls and rich chocolate skin
288. Wondering about our next child and saying a prayer for him/her
289. Within hours … God answering my prayer, not how I expected. But, still answering it.
290. Brave Emily for being the bearer of bad news
291. Hubby who comes home from work early
292. Soft tissue
293. I Give You My Heart by Reuben Morgan
294. Hosanna by Selah
295. Pillow to cry into
296. Moms who picks up the phone while at work
297. Moms who don’t need words, but can understand silence
298. Pain that demands full trust and complete obedience
299. Crying out to God
300. Knowing God is big enough that I can question Him
301. Knowing God wants me to come to Him always … sad, angry, frustrated, broken … always
302. Dog kisses
303. Lillian wiping my tears
304. Silence
305. Loss
306. Wanting to believe there must be something better
307. Taking treasures off the wall … trusting in closed doors
308. Boxing up my hopes and dreams … knowing God can never be boxed or contained
309. Worshiping in the back yard
310. Experiencing His sweet presence despite the storms of life
311. A flashback to my baptism day
312. Prayerful friends
313. Hubby’s sincere prayer
314. Worship, alone, candlelight
315. Choosing to post this blog today ... on what feels like the saddest day of my life
316. Loosing myself in order to bring Him praise, thanksgiving
317. Hope

124 - 200 Eucharisteo

124. Frozen blueberries
125. Sharing a gelato ice-cream
126. Not being in a hurry
127. Lillian zipping over on her trike to give me hugs and kisses
128. Warm air, wild hair, low and loud … Porsche ride
129. Meandering
130. Real confessions
131. Accountability partners
132. Prayer emails
133. Furious by Jeremy Riddle
134. Pandora
135. Reading Joy and Kari’s blog
136. Another giant zucchini
137. Bowl full of tomatoes … hundreds more on the vine
138. Dreaming of homemade spaghetti sauce
139. Health care at my fingertips
140. $5 dinners
141. Hubby’s honest words about me, even though they hurt
142. Hubby making peach cobbler
143. Jason, Scott, Cliff, and Mike
144. Brother who does “long distance” tech help because I am an absolute dummy when it comes to computers
145. Thinking about the words I use …
146. Lillian pretending to sleep under a pile of foam blocks
147. Freedom
148. Your love is extravagant by Casting Crowns
149. Chris, “I am gonna run upstairs and put my pee-jammies on and then we can play jail-bird cards.”
150. Thinking: I am glad 32 year old men still wear “pee-jammies”
151. Playing Crazy-8’s for the first time. WINNING!
152. Red tank-top
153. Lillian brushing her teeth and pretend spitting into the sink
154. 2-year old anticipation for watching the trash man drive by
155. Princesses and more princesses
156. Having a mellow morning to clean sheets and pack
157. Airplanes
158. The smell of fresh cut grass
159. 40 days of searching
160. Ali’s perspective … and I have never even met her
161. Good friends asking tough questions
162. What? Frequent flyer mile hotel (aka: free) and I didn’t plan a thing?!? I love surprises.
163. Shoe box. Pink bow. Little note. Lunch money. So much love. Kellie.
164. Tomatoes and more tomatoes. Amazed how they all ripen at once.
165. Princess Ariel
166. Hugs from family
167. Easy airplanes. Served peanuts. Luggage delivered. Shuttle. No hassle.
168. Margin, learning to create some
169. Swinging on the outdoor hammock, alone, quiet, water, reading The Word
170. Swinging on the outdoor hammock, giggling with Lillian, snuggled with Chris … not enough room for everyone.
171. Honest chats after everyone has gone to bed
172. Afternoon naps
173. Hard level sudoku with my hubby at a coffee shop sipping a nonfat, decaf, dark chocolate freeze
174. Walks at dusk
175. Feeding ducks our PPJ dinner
176. Big blue eyes
177. Temper tantrums that teach my patience. I have so much to learn.
178. Headaches that require me to slow down
179. Ruth’s quiet voice that requires me to listen carefully, otherwise she is never heard
180. Auntie!
181. Sales at Fred Meyer
182. Coconut
183. 9pm salmon dinner. No carbs or veggies. Just salmon. Perfect.
184. Car seat strapped into the porshe
185. Innocent curiosity about what could be in tupperware on my kitchen counter
186. SNAKE!!!
187. Freaking out, I mean, FREAKING OUT … so thankful my heart is strong and could handle all my palpitations and loss of oxygen
188. Watching my hubby be gripped with guilt about forgetting to warn me about the snake and yet how thankful he was to forgot so that he could witness me freaking out. He was truly torn with emotion.
189. Dads who find snakes outside and save them till morning so they can share the special surprise with their curious two year old daughter. Something that would never cross my mind.
190. So much relief when the snake was put back outside
191. Laughing at myself. I could easily come up with ten more things to list about the snake incident. Wondering if I am thankful or traumatized.
192. Dreaming of Hawaii
193. Bible study with all black men and one white guy
194. Compelling testimony of faith and trust
195. Trisha
196. Walking out of the library with an arm full of books. So excited about which one to start first.
197. Heaven is for Real. Amazing!
198. Perfect healthy tuna, almond sandwich. Thoughtful hands of preparation.
199. Lillian cracking up
200. Thinking: She is so beautiful. Where is your Mommy?

More Eucharisteo

75. Out of control cell phone bill. Wanting to freak-out! Speaking to a kind customer service rep whose bill was $900. Perspective
76. Hubby comes home from work and begins unloading tools … dirty finger nails, filthy shirt, sunburned shoulder, muscles, more muscles …. Smoke’en hot! There is nothing like a hard working man that can build things.
77. Same man showered and smelling good 20 minutes later
78. I love you yellow sticky note
79. Quiet home, birds chirping
80. Laughing with my hubby about how you pronounce “estate”
81. Warm crepe with dark chocolate drizzle, cherries, and almonds
82. Homemade cinnamon ice-cream
83. Broken, sore, bloody feet … evidence of a hard days work
84. Free date night … not spending anytime concerned with Lillian because I know she is in good hands
85. Friend who write encouraging notes and leave it my morning devotional. What a double encouraging message today!
86. Willamette Christian Church
87. Tiny fingers pealing a banana. Not sure if she will eat it. But, she is an excellent peeler.
88. Forgiveness. Do I really believe that I have been forgiven for far more then I will ever have to forgive someone else? Really believe?
89. 6 million dollars worth
90. Going back for the same sermon a second time. I obviously did not get it the first time.
91. 6 million dollars worth … message was still the same
92. Knowing exactly what I need to do
93. Subway after church with my parents
94. Lillian’s squirmy body doing a jig on the table, smothering people, hands touching everything. Needing to take a shower after spending 20 minutes with her.
95. Nana’s response, “I am washable.”
96. Lift up a leaf and discover a monster zucchini. Seriously! How could I miss this thing???
97. Thinking: Sometimes I just need to open my eyes, His miracles are everywhere
98. Dairy Queen indulgence
99. Debra. Debra. Debra. Best $70 investment ever!
100. Hearing about the WCC carnival. Wow!
101. Bob
102. Breathtaking sunset driving home from internship. So hard to keep my eyes on the road because the sky is brilliantly painted orange, pink, yellow, and red.
103. Cell phone, I can simply pick up and phone and dial anyone I want, anytime
104. Learning about trust
105. Finding myself broken-hearted again, so I can learn to trust God more
106. Pain. Perspective.
107. Learning how to deal with a 2 year old tantrum. Recognizing I need my own “time-out” sometimes more than Lillian does
108. My hubby’s heart
109. Real man-friends. Tippner.
110. Caring family
111. Making love
112. The way Chris can come home in the middle of the day and completely work up the dog, Lillian, and myself in less than 60 seconds. We are all running around, laughing, screaming, out of control. Then, poof he is gone. All is quiet, no chaos.
113. How I have grown to love chaos in my home
114. Bikram Yoga
115. Cousins doing the bear crawl without a stitch of clothing. Happy faces.
116. Real friends who keep me accountable
117. Community group
118. Genevieve
119. Borrowing bikes, kid trailer, and helmet and enjoying a family bike ride
120. Sharing an elephant ear at Saturday Market
121. Lillian practicing somersaults in the in the water
122. Quiet night all to myself
123. Sun kissed shoulders

Eucharisteo

“Giving thanks for one thousand things is ultimately an invitation to slow time down with weight of full attention. Thanksgiving is what precedes the miracle of salvation being fully worked out in our lives.”

Ann Voskamp – One Thousand Gifts

There is no better time than now to live fully, right where I am. I am completely humbled and broken … the best place in life to offer genuine thanksgiving. I’m ready! Plus, I cannot think of anything better that I could do as we prepare for the adoption. So, I have taken the Ann Voskamp eucharisteo challenge (inspired by Kari Pattterson, check her out at www.karipatterson.com) and am hungry to taste life. God.


1. Honesty … raw, exposed truth
2. God’s Truth … never changing
3. Asking at 6pm to my little brother, “Want to drive to Canada tonight?” Response, “Ok, l’ll be over in an hour.”
4. Kind words from people who don’t know me
5. Learning patience and more patience … sitting for 10 hours on hard wooden chair. Yes, thank-you for teaching me patience. I have so much to learn.
6. Jesus Calling devotional … it has changed my life
7. Walmart at 1am for snacks
8. 4 hours in a real bed
9. Techy things that let us search the internet while driving, not to mention extra adaptors, double plug-ins, ability to charge phone, GPS, and computer simultaneously … still boggles my mind
10. A glimpse of my sweetheart. O, how I love him.
11. Clean red clothes
12. Visitation
13. Kind officers, so kind they bring tears to my eyes
14. Real stories about life
15. My hubby being strong and wise
16. Getting to know family more, deeper. The way I always wanted to know them.
17. God’s fingerprints everywhere. There is nothing He has not touched today.
18. Driving more than 5 miles down a busy road. Park. Get out. Find cell phone on top of car. Seriously?!?
19. Mercy
20. Unfailing love
21. The Gospel Matthew
22. The song “Blessings”
23. Lillian chipper “I love you Mama. Morning Mama. Kitties, doggies, elmo … bla, da, be, go, princess, fa, ra, ggg, llooo, froggie,yes … bye, bye Mama.” My heart melts.
24. Staying melted, pray that I am not hardened quickly
25. Surprise meeting arranged on Saturday
26. Real opinions of trusted ones; so thankful to not be alone
27. Generosity
28. Prayerful friends
29. Prayerful family
30. Prayerful people I don’t even know
31. Knowing that God hears all prayers …. Then I fall asleep
32. Meals delivered from friends … yes, I am so hungry. Thank-you for reminding me.
33. Understanding supervisor
34. Tender hearts
35. Genuine words at 6am in hotel lobby
36. Warm coffee in parking lot
37. Tears
38. Compassion
39. Connection
40. Sitting in the grass, cool breeze, stillness, love
41. Solid, safe car
42. Be brave lovely letter. Special message.
43. Psalm 56:3-4
44. Stocked refrigerator and pantry
45. Lillian dancing in her new “pretty shoes”
46. Fresh, clean, cool water … anytime I want it
47. Beautiful handpicked flowers bursting with splendor, bouquets everywhere
48. Bothers who mow our lawn and trim edges … simply because they know it needs to be done
49. Brothers who fix my tires, change my oil, and get car aligned … smiling the entire time
50. Dad who washes my car
51. Mom who does my laundry and changes sheets
52. Home with the man I love
53. So many things to be thankful for I can’t imagine how I can contain it in only 1000. Words can’t capture the gratitude that penetrates my soul.
54. Wondering if I can write 1 million things I am thankful for and not limit myself to 1000???
55. Kisses from heaven
56. Wisdom from friends
57. Sweet marioberry pie and flaky crust melting in my mouth
58. Left over marionberry pie that my hubby devours
59. Loved, pink handkerchief with tiny white embroidered edged and purple bursts of flowers. Delicate. Treasure. God’s way of showing me that he holds every tear in his hand.
60. Listening to my hubby talk about work (aka: serving others … those who this world overlooks)
61. Knowing my hubby is the first to grab a hammer to help get’er-done
62. Carson peeing off my back porch. Proud. Arched back. So funny!
63. Lillian instantly pulling down her pants and trying to pee in the same spot! So so funny!
64. Two minutes later Lillian peeing in her pants, down her legs, and pooling over her feet. A little less funny! No, really … so so so funny!
65. Lillian buns frolicking through the grass. Joy.
66. Good chats with new friends
67. Feeding ducks slugs from under the recycling bin. Kids love it! Friend squirms.
68. All God’s Children International Adoption Agency
69. Trust
70. Surrendering control to The One who knows best
71. Nap
72. Lillian’s birthday cards. There is nothing sweeter than her masterpieces.
73. Watching Lillian and the dog play for hours. Giggles. Licks. Ear inspections. Tail wagging the entire time.

74. Going outside and picking a dinner from our garden. Washing. Preparing. Enjoying. Yum!

August Number

The new girl number is .....




The new boy number is ....



So exciting!

Updated July Number

We received our new July number! According to our case manager and friends these are really good numbers! At this rate we will receive a referral for a little boy next August, in 13 months. Although, we have very little (actually no) control over this process ... we are excited to think that it is likely we could spend Christmas 2012 with a new baby.

Thanks for reading along and supporting this process. We appreciate our family and friends.

The official number for a girl is ...........
















The official number for a boy is .........

Expressions

In true fashion I have to make some sort of cheesy paper countdown for the waitlist. Cheesy as it might be ... it is my expression of excitement. Simple paper with numbers that are virtually meaningless to the world, but carry such significance for me. Each number is one step closer to meeting our forever child that God chose for our family. The countdown is on! The time for preparation of my heart and our family is today. Indeed, I have so much to learn.

IT'S OFFICIAL !!!!!

We made it to the waitlist!!! Praise God!
Our official number for a girl is ...............





Our official number for a boy is ...............

So much love

Words cannot describe Lillian. The English language simply cannot capture her curiosity, innocence, and love. Especially when she is sleeping.

Each evening I quietly sneak into her room to take a peak. On most evenings, her beauty causes tightness in my chest. A love that cannot be contained in my soul. In moments when I want to burst out of my skin I can only think of God. So I get facedown and pray. I literally lie on the floor in her dark room and thank God for His rich blessings. The “facedown” challenge is a new way (really the only appropriate way) for me to assume of posture of reverence and surrender to our Most Holy God. Thank-you Beth Moore for your Stepping Up Bible Study!

One of the many reasons why I am often so overcome with this intoxicating feeling is because of the way Lillian loves her black baby dolls. Did I say loves … I mean really loves them. She is obsessed. Lillian will not nap or “night-night” without her babies. Each baby needs to be hugged (squeezed so tightly that Lillian’s face turns flush), kissed (bottom lip only, the upper lip is always tucked under) and rocked (violently flipped back and forth). Then she holds them to her as tight as possible and falls asleep. She knows they are safe in her arms.

Most of the time she sleeps on top of them. I can imagine a plastic arm or leg jabbing my tummy all night. But, Lillian demands they are close. Every morning I enter her room and she has an armful of babies. I give a morning kiss and snuggle to all her babies BEFORE I can pick Lillian up. Then the babies do all our daily activities with us, including eating and butt paste.

Why am I sharing this? This is such a critical reminder for me because I am still wondering how I can be a Mommy of two, when I struggle to be a Mommy of one on a regular basis. Ahh, the patience, love, more patience, discipline, joy, frustration, and more patience required is something I could never comprehend before Lillian. She is an amazing creation.

But, how great is our God? He gave me a daughter with enough love to share with our entire neighborhood, perhaps we could include West Linn and Gladstone too. She just loves everyone. Lillian is known for kissing other toddlers at church. If kisses are not welcomed by others, she sometimes causes an “owie” (aka: pulls hair or hits) the other kids. Owies need kisses right? One way or another … she just wants to kiss and hug other kids, especially babies. Two-year old logic?!?

She was made to be a big sister. What a special big sister she will be someday.

Anonymous

I wish I knew who you were, but I don’t. So, to the anonymous donor at Willamette Christian Church, this is what I want you to know.

If I knew who you were, I would drive to your home and let myself in. I would sit you down, look into your eyes, and hold your hand in mine. I would thank-you for your generosity towards our adoption. I would tell you how humbled I am for your support. I would give you my promise that I will seek God and His plans for this adoption. I would thank-you (again) for helping to make this possible. I would make sure you knew how much we appreciate your boldness and confidence, defined you’re your generosity, in us to welcome an orphan into our home. I would throw my arms around your neck and whisper softly in your ear “Thank-you, thank-you. Bless you, precious friend.. fellow sojourner.”

Now I look at everyone and wonder … Are you the one with a generous heart? Perhaps someday I will know? This life or the next.

Thank-you.

New Updates

A few fun updates:

First, we had our first Ethiopian meal at Queen of Sheba! Can anyone say yummy? Yes, yummy indeed! We devoured Atakilt Alicha (sauteed vegetables in aromatic alicha spice), Misr Wet (lentil stew with warm spices), and Kintishara Derho Tibs (sizzling mushroom and chicken sautéed in a hot Berbere sauce).

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is… even as I type this. And, yes, we ate everything with our hands. Even better!



Second, we have completed our final US CIS fingerprinting! This is the appointment that we requested two months ago, had to wait three weeks to get our notice of our schedule appointment, then wait four more weeks till the actual appointment day, and now we are waiting for our results. This is the FINAL documentation we need in order to turn in our entire dossier. Then we get on the waitlist and the countdown begins!


Third, we have an Adoption Connection Family Potluck. Sunday May 22nd 4-6 at Rolling Hills Community Church. It is for families that are thinking about adoption, in the process of adoption, or have already adopted. That’s us!!! What a blessing to get connected with our community! If you are interested in attending please let me know.

More to come soon ...
Thanks for reading about our journey.

Why?

There are lots of rumors in circulation. It is hard to tell what changes will take place in the coming weeks regarding our adoptions. Everything is speculation at this point. However, the latest information was positive. People are suspecting that up to 20 adoptions will be approved each day, this is up from the previous estimation of only 5 per day. In the past, around 50 adoptions have been approved each day.

As you can imagine ... the Ethiopian adoption process got extremely complicated overnight.

For such a time as this, I wanted to pass along some of the reason why we support adoption. These are the words from the Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS). I find it comforting to dwell on these words when we consider why we have chosen to adopt. Indeed, this is a cause we can support whole-heartedly. Unless, God closes this door for our family we intend to pursue it for as long as it takes. This is why:

Children need families – Who we are as human beings is largely influenced by our genes and our environment. The attention, affection, responsiveness, consistency, communication and interaction of a family have profound effects on all aspects of human development especially in the earliest stages of life. No institution, regardless of how well organized and funded it may be, can replace the nurturing, safety and guidance of a family.

Birth families need accessible, efficient and well-funded alternatives – Relinquishing a child is a painful decision for any birth parent or extended family member. This is especially true in remote and rural areas where few alternatives exist. If intercountry adoption is to decrease over time, birth families need accessible and reliable social service programs to support them. To date, many adoption service providers and other NGOs, are filling this gap in Ethiopia. Joint Council partner-members are contributing over 16 million per year to family preservation and community development programs that strive to keep vulnerable children and families together. They are assisting 1.2 million vulnerable individuals per year that otherwise would not receive these services.

Institutionalization can hurt children – Quotas and other drastic measures mean that children currently living in orphanages will reside in an institution longer. Sixty years of multinational human development research on institutionalized children, such as the Bucharest Early Intervention Study, indicates that the longer a child is in an orphanage the progressively worse their social, language, fine motor and gross motor skills become. Any change to the intercountry adoption process needs to carefully consider its effects on all children currently in orphanage care and the length of time newly institutionalized children will reside in the orphanage to complete their adoption process.

There are nearly 5 million orphaned children – This is nearly 13 percent of the child population in Ethiopia. These children need a family for love and support so they grow into productive adult members of our global community and retain their inherent human rights. There need to be support services for vulnerable children including adoption. At present, intercountry adoption only serves .001 percent of all orphaned children in Ethiopia. This fraction of a percentage, while rising, is not disproportionate to the number of children in need.

Various manners to combat corruption – Corruption is deplorable in all its forms especially when children’s lives are at stake. There are numerous manners to prevent, discourage, and punish corruption without punishing children, families of birth and adoptive families. A gardener who wants to beautify a landscape does not cut the weeds in his garden by a certain percent. Rather, he mindfully detects the weeds and eliminates them from the root up. A quota, no matter how small, will not eliminate corruption. It simply reduces the quantity of ethical violations that can occur in an environment. In fact corruption, like a weed, can actually grow in a restricted environment if it is allowed to exist.

Children with special needs deserve special consideration – Children with special needs require care and resources that are not easily given in an orphanage setting. According to research conducted by Joint Council, 40% of children adopted from Ethiopia are considered special needs. When contemplating new policies or procedures, children with special needs deserve expedited processes or exemptions whenever possible.

Will you pray for God's hand in providing protect and love to the orphans in Ethiopia? We are confident in His provision.

Emergency Campaign For Ethiopia

We had discouraging news today. Maybe you have heard on international news? I copied the below information from our adoption organization.

"The Ethiopian Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) has announced a proposal to decrease the number of adoptions they will process and approve—even by as much as 90%. They are planning to accomplish this decrease by limiting the number of approved cases to only 5 per working day. This change is currently set to begin on March 10, 2011."

In other words, this could limit thousands of orphans from being connected to their forever family. Currently, there are about 4,000 adoptions from Ethiopia each year. Under the new proposal there could be as few as 500 adoptions each year.

It is estimated that $2,000-$3,000 per adoption is paid to the Ethiopian government. Anytime money is exchanged there is the option of corruption. This is apparently why MOWA is proposing to drastically limit the international adoptions.

The best question to ask ... What can we do?

1) Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and pass it on! Chris and I have done it and you can remain anonymous if you want.

Cut and paste this link:
http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/emergency-campaign-for-ethiopia/

2) Have you adopted from Ethiopia? Please send us up to 3 photos and 50 words or less with what you would like the Ministry to know about your child – we’ll compile the information and send a book to the Ministry of Woman’s Affairs. Send your photos and stories to advocate@jointcouncil.org by Sunday, March 12, 2011 to be included. Please note that sending photos and stories gives Joint Council unrestricted right to use the information you provide.

3) Share…Please send this Call to Action to family members, other adoptive parents, and everyone you know! Post, forward and share your adoption stories via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Make sure you include us in your posts so we can all hear your stories! Here’s links to our pages: Facebook, Twitter and our our blog.

4) Stay informed: Get up-to-date information regarding the situation in Ethiopia by signing up to receive information from us: click here to do so, make sure you choose “country and issues specific information” and “Ethiopia.” And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and our our blog.

5) Help ensure our advocacy can continue: Joint Council is a non-profit and receives no government funding. Please join us in ensuring more children live in safe, permanent and loving families. Donate today!

Although this new is discouraging. I cling to a verse that was emphasized in our Bible study this morning. The truth in this verse rings louder and stronger than any petition.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7.

Prayerfully,
Erin

Brief Update

We just received our rough draft of our home study!!! This is sooooo exciting!!!

Humor Required

The adoption process can feel long. Any fellow adopting parents may find humor and tenderness in reading the message below from our adoption agency. Indeed, a sense of humor is needed during this process. I certainly laughed out loud and also identified with the love of a child I have never met. Enjoy!!!

You Know You're Adopting When...

* You keep an extra copy of your dossier in your car just in case
the house burns down.
* You stalk the mail person on a regular basis.
* You feel more connected to other adoption bloggers than you do to
some members of your extended family.
* You’ve had more yard sales this year than you have had in your entire life.
* You are now on a first name basis with the employees at USCIS.
* You worry about, dream about, and are completely in love with a
child you have never met.
* Your heart skips a beat when the phone rings.
* You have given your Case Manager a special ringtone on your cell phone

Treasuring Marriage

I would never imagine taking a vacation during this busy season of our life. But, God has blessed me so much. My wonderful husband asked me, “If I can use our frequent flier miles to pay for a plane ticket, hotel (with a continental breakfast), and rental car, plus arrange for my parents watch Lillian, will you take a vacation with me?” YES!!!!

So, I am thrilled to share a few pictures from our week in San Francisco. In the middle of an adoption process, as a co-owner of a construction company, as a student and full-time mommy … we still managed to take a vacation together – no toddler! It was a delight to spend time walking the hills hand-in-hand, admire ice-skaters in Union Square, tour Alcatraz, squeeze onto a old-school trolley, stroll through the park, ride bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge, and linger during meals. Not to mention having time to read two books - not related to school!

It was a huge reminder that my marriage comes before my role of Mom. I desperately missed Lillian at times, but appreciated the adult time with Christopher even more. This was a valuable lesson to experience before we become parents of two precious kidos. After all, the best gift I have to offer our next child is a loving home with parents who model the importance and sacredness of marriage. Including, leaving our kids with trusted family to get a little alone time together ;)
A special thank-you to Opa, Oma, and Auntie Tam for taking such good care of Lillian. Our vacation would not be possible without your support.

Another special thank-you to Grandpa and Nanny for watching Lillian so we can have date nights and stay in Bible study!

We really are blessed by the support of our family!

Thank-you!