To the Airport

We had a great time. Brad and I went to church while Clark, Leah, Hayley and Deacon got some more visiting in before leaving for the airport.

I feel like Deacon connected with Leah right away because his heart recognizes that bond to his birth mother. He does have an open heart and his mother's smile.

I loved how inclusive Leah was of Clark. It would have been so easy and even justifiable for her to exclusively focus on Deacon and Hayley with the limited amount of time she had with us. But she goes above and beyond yet again. I am so glad we have chosen this path of open adoption. I'm glad that Deacon will always know how much he is loved by Leah. I feel supported by Leah in the way that mothers are supported by other mothers who come along side them. And, I am in awe of her fierce love for Deacon.

Clark was a little sad after we dropped Leah and Hayley off. I think he really enjoyed spending time with Hayley and told us he was going to miss having her around.

I am struck by how God answers my prayers. I think he takes great delight in giving us his good gifts and surprising us by completely lavishing us with his love. And how his excitement will be even greater someday when he can reveal the big picture of his wisdom and plan for us.

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." -Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Cupcakes!

On the way home from the zoo we stopped at Crave and let everyone choose their favorite cupcake. Yum! It was hard to wait until we got home but we put the cupcakes in the very back and I think my car interior is thanking us.

We actually ate our hotdog and nacho birthday feast right around 4:30 pm, the same time of day that Deacon made his first appearance two years ago. Leah and I both can't believe it. Deacon is growing up incredibly fast.

Deacon really enjoyed opening presents this year. He knows that there's something cool underneath all that wrapping paper just for him. And yes, we did get him a real hand vac. He cries when I vacuum because he wants to push it and is still not happy when I explain that after Mommy is done it's Deacon's turn. I started looking at children's play vacuums and most of the reviews said that the suction was lame even for a kid. For the same price as the toy I could buy him a real one and he could actually help out with some light housekeeping. Better than a Roomba, right?

More birthday silliness...

Getting ready for bed. Leah reading You are Special by Max Lucado. One of my all time favorites. A children's story that speaks profoundly to adults. Perfect and peaceful ending to the day.

Trip to the Zoo

Zoo! Zoo! Zoo! What more could you ask for on your birthday. After a breakfast of cinnamon rolls and the Spudnuts Leah brought us from Arkansas, we all piled into the minivan and went to the zoo. Reptiles were probably the biggest hit of the day, favorites of Hayley and Clark. For whatever reason all of the snakes, lizards and alligators, even the turtles were moving around. Usually you have to hunt to find them hidden under the leaves in their cages. Not today! I saw a few other wide-eyed parents and we all observed the same thing. They must've known it was a very special day.

Everyone wanted to ride in the stroller.

I have made a personal vow to pack pb+j's for everyone next time. Zoo food prices stink (worse than the monkey house).

And you just can't leave without a ride on the train.

Leah and Hayley Visit

Leah and Hayley were able to fly in for the weekend to celebrate Deacon's birthday with us. It worked out perfectly and we packed it full of good things. Clark and Hayley hit it off right away. Hayley got a huge welcome and her stamp of approval communicated in the universal language of little boys everywhere...wrestling.

Jumping Off Point

This morning Brad and I were getting ready for work and we could hear little feet moving around in the boys bedroom just above us. Typically, Clark comes down in the morning on his own hoping to get in some cuddle time before Deacon wakes up. This morning I could tell he was up there, up to something. I snuck up the stairs and peeked in the room to see Clark standing beside the crib. He had put a pillow on the floor. Deacon was awake and standing up. I could hear Clark telling Deacon in a soft and encouraging voice, with arms outstretched for assistance, "Jump Deacon jump." 

I quickly put the side of the crib down and reminded Clark that we don't really want Deacon to jump out since he could still get hurt even with a pillow on the floor. Clark stretched out his arms and Deacon grabbed on as Clark pulled him out of the crib. Clark helped him go down the stairs safely as they both scooted on their bottoms. Such a great big brother to look out for Deacon. 

Yes, it was a proud moment to start off the day. 

Holiday Chaos

I read a great post by Dr. Brene Brown on creating a better holiday experience for her family this year. Excellent article and perfect timing for me to read it, before the chaos hits and I'm just running around full speed. 

I love the ideas of being purposeful about what our family will be participating in, what I say yes to. I do want to make a real effort to think about why I will be doing 'X' in the name of celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. Is it because: I think I'm supposed to, to make myself look better or portray the appearance of having it all, we've always done it this way, out of fear of trying something new or going without? I need to think about this way in advance because I'm not great at making plans or changes under stress. I need to have the structure in place in the very beginning.

Right now I know that I have a certain amount of resources; money, energy, time. I want to plan ahead as much as possible so that I can use my resources wisely, with my whole heart, and remind myself that those resources are limited. I don't want to get to the big day of the holiday and be painfully exhausted and tapped out. I don't want a meager share of enjoyment made out of the leftovers of what I can cobble together at the end of another long day right before I lay down at night and close my eyes in exhaustion. 

I want a peaceful and merry holiday with lots of deep breaths to soak it all in. I want to celebrate the birth of my Savior and carry a thankful heart for the incredibly life and family that I have. I don't want to be so busy getting everything right that I don't make eye contact with the people I love in the midst of the celebrating. I want to take time to make those phone calls and say those I love yous. I am finite and not only is that the reality, but that is just fine. Those are the makings of a sweet holiday. 

More Halloween Goodness

So much fun. We were so tired by the end of the night. Not even the candy feast at the end could revive us.