Today (Wednesday) is Isaac’s big re-adoption day!!! We’ll rise at 6am–get everyone…YES! Everyone has to go…all dressed and ready for the courthouse. We’ll raise our right hands–and Isaac Temesgen Young’s adoption will be full and finalized…and he’ll become a U.S. Citizen! Please pray everything goes well!!! And I hope I remember my camera to remember it! (Things have been crazy here lately and this is probably one of THE busiest and craziest weeks of our lives that is for sure!) To celebrate becoming a U.S.Citizen…and JUST in time for the 4th–here’s a fun dessert for you!
It doesn’t get EASIER than this!!! Simply cut up pound cake in squares for 1st layer (i baked mine–but you can buy one already made). Then add whipped topping. And last–layer blueberries and strawberries for stars and stripes! The kids LOVED this and so did our dinner company! Thought you all might like this recipe reminder for the 4th this weekend!
AND just to make you guys LAUGH. SO…Rico Suave and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary by heading to Asheville, NC on Sunday. Richard’s mom stayed with the kids Sunday during the day and Sunday night (SO THANKFUL!) but she had to leave early on Monday morning. Rico Suave had put together this fun surprise and the only glitche was the childcare planning–a Monday morning juggling act so we had to line up not 1…not 2 but 3 different sitters back to back just so we wouldn’t have to leave at 5am (Thank you Mrs.Linda, Maury and Mrs.Yani)! Now you know why we ALWAYS travel WITH our kids–and why Rico Suave and I never go to Africa together! We spent 3 hours of our get away on Sunday calling babysitters to try and stretch out our trip so we could have breakfast together before rushing back to Atlanta to relieve the last sitter who had to leave at 1pm. SOOOO…we have no pictures from our get away because momma was making phone calls on our get away trying to work out sitters so we could at least have breakfast together before driving home (NEXT time I’m encouraging Rico Suave to make the reservation for Saturday night instead of Sunday night but the place he wanted to take me only has openings on Sunday nights…they are booked for weekend nights until AUGUST!) I DID, however, pick up my camera on the way home so we had at least ONE to document our time together:)
We really did have a good time–and the absolute BEST part of our short get away was the bell captain dropping off our luggage in our room. Did you read that right??? YES–you did! It was a God thing…
So I’m sitting there stressed to pieces on the couch wondering why we even try to get away…making phone calls…wondering if we should just head back or wishing we had just booked a room in Atlanta. THEN–God reminded me through this…that some times He takes us places not for what we expect–but to show us something else. I will NEVER, EVER, EVER be able to do this story justice…
He came in and put our bags down and told us what we needed to do on a 24 hour stay. He put down our bags…showed us this and that in our room–and then he asked us if we were there on a special occasion. When we told him we were there for our 8th anniversary, and it was just a quick little get away from our 4 sweet children–almost 5;)…he laughed and asked if we were expecting:). I told him about our adoptions–and our children…and then he shared his story.
THIS week–he also finalizes the adoption for his son. He has 2 foster children living with he and his wife (and 3 biological children) and one of the foster children they were adopting. We had a sweet time of encouragement to one another–and then we shared with him our heart for a special needs child. And that–THAT is when he got choked up. You see, his first born son is a special needs child. He told us his story–about his miraculous surgeries–of God’s healing–and how God had working through every detail. THEN…he looked at us and said, “Not everyone is so fortunate to get to really see kids like these grow–to see their amazing milestones–to see God’s healing. And then–to be LOVED…to be LOVED by them. They are so, so special. They teach us HOW to love…their love is deep and wide–it’s full and real. It’s unconditional. My son taught me how to love…”
And then–the tears started. I couldn’t hold them back. My heart felt the Lord calling Richard and I into a deeper trust of what special needs we could handle–but the Lord seems to continue to STRIP those things away because it will not be US handling anything…but HIM through us. I feel Him asking us more and more to TRUST HIM–to not worry about what our friends, family or anyone else thinks–and to simply TRUST HIM. He will provide. There I was sitting on a couch feeling like we can’t even get away easily for 24 hours and how in the world would this work with another…Richard and I sat there ministered to by the bell captain. And then–before you know it we were all crying. Yes–me, Richard AND the bell captain. He continued to encourage us to trust the Lord and to follow Him where ever He leads us. And THAT is why we were there. Really–I don’t think we were intended to stay any longer…any extra minutes after that WERE a gift…just BONUS. We didn’t NEED 24 hours away…when I know THAT moment is why we were supposed to go there. I was reminded that HE is enough. HE will care for us. AND HE will meet all of our needs according to His riches and glory.
The rest of the night was sweet. We did work out sitters to allow us to sleep in until 7:30am;). And to even have breakfast! It was really perfect. AND I have a really hilarious story–that I have GOT to share. Let’s just say Richard dared me to entertain the guests in the indoor pool with water ballet. One other couple and Richard thought it was funny. The rest…I think they thought we were teenagers who needed to use their inside voices. I guess we don’t get out enough–but we were determined to have a really good time with the little time we had! Funny stories to come:)
Hope y’all have a great Wednesday!!
Andrea
As the mother of a little girl with special needs I completely and wholeheartedly agree. Kate has taught me to love in a deeper more meaningful way. Each smile from her is precious…when she says “Mama”, oh how my heart melts…for that is the one and only word she says. She turns 4 this July and only began walking a few months ago. My husband and I feel blessed for we will forever get to experience Kate as innocent as one can be…a child. Her spirit and life has touched more people than I can tell you. Yes, our days are long and sometimes very difficult…but if she can smile after having her 8th seizure of the day, or she can smile in the midst of being in the hospital for yet another EEG or test…oh, what joy can we find in living!!!
Praying for you, friend. I know that God has a destiny for you far above what you can imagine. I wouldn’t want to go back to life before my Kate…God has made me into a new person through her. 🙂
I know I have mentioned my baby brother Stephen to you before. Stephen in now 14, and his list of special needs is so long it is hard to remember them all! I was 15 when Stephen was born, and so many people told my mom he would “ruin” the rest of us kids….we would be bitter and resentful that he had been born and how dramatically our lives would change. Well, he did “ruin” us, but not in the way they thought. My other siblings and I are not afraid of having children with special needs, we see every life as sacred and every day as a gift. Stephen cannot talk, he only makes LOUD, constant “hollaring” noises. He will have to be fed and diapered every day of his life. Though doctors said he would never even sit up, at 9 years old he took his first step. Oh, and he is getting to the “nightmare” stage. He can open doors, but has no concept to not go walking off into the road. (On more than on occasion my parents have made desperate calls to the police when they have “lost” him….when he has opened the door and left!) My parents house is totally rigged for him. They will never be empty nest, it is almost impossible to find someone to babysit Stephen so they can go on a date….and should he outlive my parents, I will become his caregiver. My mom once told me that if she could ever “choose” just one of her kids to have, she would choose Stephen. (And not because she doesn’t love the rest of us:) She says Stephen’s life has taught her the love of Christ like nothing else could have. We are like Stephen….helpless, needy, “unloveable”….and yet Christ died for us. Stephen has never said a word, yet many have come to know Christ through him…..or more accurately through my parents love and care for him. My mom describes it as “Hard, yet wonderful.” None of us would trade the hard for anything, because then we would miss out on the wonderful. I am so excited to see the child the Lord brings to your family, and to see the way he uses this little one to impact the World for Christ! (Sorry for the novel……I could go on forever about our love for Stephen and the “blessings” of special needs:)