Vacation Smation

We're all prepping up for Thanksgiving and a great vacation - AB has the entire week off! Except a minor (cough) detail (sputter) that never fails to rear its ugly head: we're all three sick.

Outside of the latest and greatest achievement in Q - which is drinking through a straw and making his parents go all googly over it. (At the same time I'm shrieking inside saying things like "stop growing up! Too fast! Slow down! Mommy can't part with your baby self yet!") we don't have lots to tell. We're just trying to be together and enjoy a holiday.

So, meanwhile, I've got a little sum'thn for ya about boys and their daddy's. Ok, just about this boy and this Daddy. All I can say is - Q is a Daddy's boy but more importantly, Daddy is a Q's Boy!

Pictures tell it best:

Hooray - I'm 1!

Just sharing a little Birthday Fun with you!

And just like that...our little baby boy is a toddler...

Sweet Talented Friend

A sweet friend of mine passed away Thursday, after a hard fought battle with hip bone cancer. She was only 45 and the mother of two adopted boys. She supported me tremendously in my effort to become a mother - prayed for me, rejoiced with me, and recently held Quint and told me what I feel so deep in my own soul - "this is what it's all about, isn't it?".

She was a warm, strong, graceful and immensely talented woman with a heart for the Lord and a rock solid faith. She blogged about her journey here.

I had the great fortune to serve in ministry with her for the last five years and her elegance on the piano was just stunning. To say she will be missed is not enough...

For those of you who pray - she will be buried tomorrow and her young sons (only 9 and 11) will have lost two mothers in one lifetime. Please pray for them - and for their dad who is grieving so deeply the love of his life.

Sweet friend...I know your pain is gone and your whole again, walking with the Lord.

We do not grieve as those without hope ~

See you again...

With Hope

-Steven Curtis Chapman

This is not at all how
How we thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you've gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
There's a place by God's grace
There's a place where we'll see your face again

And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father's smile and say well done
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now you're home
And now you're free, and ...

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
There's a place by God's grace
There's a place where we'll see your face again

We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so ...

So we can cry with hope
And say goodbye with hope

We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope

Someone is a BIG Boy!

Charming and Sweet

Five Teeth

Dashing and Debonair

Crawling lightening fast

Cute and Funny

Taking his first steps

Says "dada" and "uh-huh"

Gives kisses and hugs if you ask!

And is...

TURNING ONE YEAR OLD!

Quint - you're the light of our lives and the joy of our days. You make us smile, laugh, and sometimes even cry...(because that's how much we love and adore you). There isn't a day that goes by that we don't say "I love my boy!" and it's because we can't think of our lives without you and we wouldn't even want to try. Even though you've been in our arms for six whole (blazingly fast) months, it seems like a blink of an eye.

You are a blessing, son! We can't wait to see what your life becomes and what amazing things you will do. You are the son we never thought we'd have, never knew we'd meet, and can't imagine living without. We love you to the moon and back again and back to the moon, and back again. We thank God for you every day!

Happy Birthday to our wonderful Big Boy!

What a difference a day makes

24 little hours

Brought the sun and the flowers, where there used to be rain

My yesterday was blue, dear

Today I'm part of you, dear

My lonely days are through, dear - since you said you were mine

What a difference a day makes...and the difference is you...

Referral Update Picture April '08
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ~ Africa