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.