WayfaringStrangers

All week I've been thinking about this post. Today is the March for Life in Washington D.C. It's been 40 years since Roe v. Wade was signed and abortion made legal. Approximately 40-50 million children have been destroyed in that time. It's no secret that I'm pro-life. My whole family and Behn's whole family are pro-life. We believe that at conception, humans are made in God's image. We believe in the value of life at the earliest stage. This is my brother, Stephen (and my brother Tim, in the background): Stephen came to our family at 3 months old and was adopted at 5 months old. He is the youngest of my siblings- I'm 16 years older than him- so I've really gotten to watch him grow up. He's 12 now. So, 12 years ago there was a woman in an urban U.S. city who decided to choose LIFE for her baby. It might have been a really hard decision, especially in a culture where aborting unwanted children is common. The statistics speak for themselve...

Motherhood has been time-consuming lately, with the transitions and a very busy toddler and still-new baby. Most days I'm also quite tired, due to an infant up 2 times a night, with a side of Graham also waking up many nights. Behn started his new job last Monday and I'm happy to report he seems to be enjoying it. The first few days were very overwhelming for him, but he was really upbeat when he came home from work yesterday. We're getting settled into our new community. I've joined the church choir, we had new friends over for lunch on Sunday, and in 2 weeks we will join Grace and Peace Presbyterian and have Patrick baptized. I do very much miss my Lexington friends, but I am grateful that at least we are not lonely here because we do have family to fellowship with. Last Saturday my mom and I checked out an adoption fair at another local church. I picked up a stack of resources and papers from some local agencies. We are excited about the prospect of beginning our a...

Well, baby boy 2 is due in about two months. Behn and I have been spending lots of extra special time with our Graham Boy. Soon things will change and there will be 4 of us out and about! It's going to be an adjustment for this little guy...he is very used to getting all of mama and dada's attention. River Baby: We had a little campfire last night. It was lovely being able to be outside and not dying from the heat. Watching Daddy build the fire: Antagonizing Stray Kitty: This lucky boy was allowed to have some marshmallows... ...and some chocolate. Family is just so important. I can't believe how much more I realize this after becoming a mother. I love Graham so much, and when he hurts, I hurt. I cannot fathom him being hungry or in pain. And yet, so, so many children are without family. Without attachment. Without basic care. Without sweet summer memories of splashing in the river or enjoying s'mores. It is heartbreaking an...

It finally  snowed! All winter we've been waiting. We've been envious when the storms pass just north of us. And yesterday it was our turn. Perfect white flakes adorning the sky, fluttering to branches and grass, and landing gracefully. It snowed all afternoon and into the night. It was a perfect wet snow, so that it frosted the limbs of the trees and revealed their every detail. This morning when I woke up and looked at the bright sun on the white earth, the word that came to mind was 'enchanting.' Graham, however, did not get to enjoy this only snow. He came down with a high fever on Saturday night. Behn and I had duties at church on Sunday and Tylenol'd Graham, hoping it was a teething fever (he did indeed cut a tooth this weekend.) But it was not a teething fever and we knew it. He was miserable yesterday, insisting on being held and cuddled (no problem there. Love cuddling my boy). The fever raged on whenever the medicine wore out. Last night was awful. T...

...which is good because I am one, praise the Lord! Have been for over a year (actually almost 2 years if you count pregnancy, which I do). Today Graham and I got another day alone together. Poor Frankie caught G's cold and was home sick. It was good for us to be alone though, because G's still not 100% and I'm under the weather too, with his cold. Plus, he still hasn't slept soundly in several nights, so I'm tired. This afternoon as I was hanging out with G, I felt a nostalgic feeling from my childhood. Today felt like one of those cold winter days I'd come home from school and Mom would have hot chocolate waiting for us for a snack. The smell of dinner in the crockpot reminded me of smelling dinner as I walked through the door as a kid. Even the sound of the furnace reminded me of the one in our old house. It's so funny that now I'm the Mom. I'm the one making hot chocolate (for myself), I put dinner in the crockpot. When did I grow up? Of c...

...stomach bug! What a stinky (literally) weekend. Behn came home really, really sick from work on Friday morning. He was in bed (and bathroom) with a stomach virus all day. I kept the babies downstairs and prayed the rest of us wouldn't get it. Friday night, since Behn was sleeping, I put Graham to bed and then Hannah and I went out with some friends for dessert. This mama NEEDED a girl's night!! When we got back, Hannah and I watched a movie, talked and then called it a night around 12:30 (VERY late for me). I went to check in G before turning in, and he was peacefully sleeping...in a puddle of puke! Poor, stinky boy! Behn helped me change the sheets and wash him, and then he slept with us the rest of the night, so I could monitor his stomach. He seemed fine, but in the morning threw up again. Anyways, long story short, I thought he was doing better, but last night and this morning, he has experienced the "other" portion of the illness. Needless to say, I'm not ...

Sometimes when Graham wakes up and it's not quite morning, we let him sleep with us the last hour or so. It's proving to be a not-good habit because sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to be in mommy and daddy's bed, which I'm not wild about. I need my space, you know? But anyway, this morning he woke up a few minutes before 7 and it was starting to get light, so I was suprised when he fell back asleep in our bed. And as I was looking at him, thinking about how cozy it all is, and how much I LOVE him I found myself hurting so much for sweet babies and children around the world who don't have this. Don't have parents to cuddle with on Saturday mornings, don't have mamas and daddies who pray with them and read to them before bed. Don't have warm clothes and a safe place to sleep and their tummies are hungry. Oh, my heart aches for them! Praying that the Lord will put these children in families, and hopefully waiting for the day when ...

Today is Orphan Sunday. We haven't been to church yet this morning, but I don't think our church is doing anything for Orphan Sunday...bummer. I just found out about Orphan Sunday a week ago, and wish I had known earlier because I definitely would have tried to do something at church to bring awareness to the worldwide orphan crisis in our local body of Christ. Anway, last night Behn and I watched this film from Cry of the Orphan. It wass really great; well-written and I especially loved that: 1. They talked about kids in the U.S. Foster Care System, as well as orphans around the globe. 2. They said that God doesn't call everyone to adopt, but that He does call every Christian to care for orphans in some way. 3. They profiled 2 teenagers who made a huge difference by bringing awareness about orphans to their schools- how awesome is that? Good little film, and maybe next year I can show it to more people in my community. Behn and I are continuing to pray as to how to respon...

There are some days that I feel that longing to feel another little child kicking me inside. Or days that I wish we could begin filling out the mountain of paperwork involved in an adoption. And then God reminds me (very clearly) that I need to be faithful with what He has given me- a sweet little boy who needs love, attention, and for his heart to be pointed to Christ. I've also been given the responsibility to care for another little one for 45 hours a week. I need to not only care for his physical needs but also teach him to share and make him laugh and also point his little heart to Christ. These are huge responsibilities! They are enough for now. And sometimes I wonder why I never was able to get a job in foster care/adoption, like my heart desired. Seton Villa was the closest I got, and it was wonderful but short-lived. Graduating college in a recession was part of that, and moving was part of that and having Graham was part of that. So I ask myself, how can I advocate for th...

Dear MD, I'm not sure why I'm thinking of you and praying for you today, but I'm glad I am. You were the first kid I met when I started working at the group home, and for some reason I remembered your name right away. I remember your big brown eyes and smile, and I remember I was suprised to find out you were 8 years old, because you looked older. We weren't supposed to have favorites, but you were always my favorite. I felt attached to you right away. At home I referred to you as "my little MD." I remember how good at basketball you were and how you would get silly. But really, you were an old soul. You said the most profound, heartfelt things sometimes. MD, you made me realize that kids in foster care are great and deserve a wonderful home. Sure, you had your tough moments. Your room was chronically messy. We had to check your shoes everyday to make sure you hadn't 'borrowed' other kids' items and snuck them home for yourself. And when yo...