My Birthday Boy

 Today is my son's birthday. We have celebrated 7 of his special days with him and the years have really started to pick up speed. He was the child who made me a mother. He was the boy we prayed for when we began our foster to adopt journey. He came home and lit up our world with laughter and joy. He was a handful from the age of 2-6. Rough years with our impulsive child who bounced off the walls and ran his mouth a mile a minute.

 

Loudly.

 Where ever we went.

 

He would say things without thinking them through that would make us cringe and send the blood boiling to our faces.

 

 

 But this past year, Isaac William has hit a stride. It has been our best year yet with him. 8 years old looked real good on this child, and I have high hopes his 9th year on this earth will be even better. He has become easier to parent as his character develops. He is polite and kind. He thinks of others.

 

He has a deep sense of morality with the remorse and regret that I prayed the Lord would give him to ward of the natural trouble boys can find themselves in.

 

This year he has played baseball, been in a summer musical, joined student council and was selected as a member of Circle of Friends to shadow a classmate with special learning needs.

 

He is known well amongst his classmates and church families.

He is trusted and respected and loved.

 

He said to me the other day on the way home from school, "Mom...when you told me that my behavior reflects the whole family and represents you...it really made me think and change my ways. So thank you, Mom."

 

I smiled and laughed at his mature statement. I told him I was happy that I have had an impact on his choices and that I love him very much. 

 

He has made my mama heart beat fast with pride welling up for the boy that I have always believed would make a mark in this world. 

 

I can hardly believe the time that has passed.

 

So a very Happy Birthday to my first son.

 

And thank you to the woman who made a choice to give him life, despite the odds against her and a society that scoffs at one more baby born on welfare.

 

Mostly....Thank you, God for choosing and entrusting us to raise this boy into adulthood and for bringing him safely home where he belongs.

Happy Fall Y'all

 

The exhaustion from the dog days of summer that seem to never end, has finally lifted here in Texas. The weather is cooler, (thank you jesus!) We are enjoying football season, pumpkin spice everything is starting to show up,  and we got our fall décor bins down from the attic last weekend. Keishun said "I thought you would have waited for October, Mom." Ha, I said.
It is only a week away, my son.

 

Ain't nobody got time to wait around for that.

 

And here it us, upon us. The décor is up. I am ready. There are pumpkins and fall leaves, and candles galore. But I also have "Boo" written on my wreaths and jack o' lanterns adorning my shelves. There are black and orange candy corn dishes and a little black metal haunted house lantern on the piano.

 

And this brings me to an interesting post. For the past several years, I have been faced with a battle of the evangelicals, if we want to call it that. It is kind of like this line in the sand where the "Oh, we don't DO Halloween. Don't you know the origin?" people stand on one side and the "Oh we do it ALL because it is harmless fun, fun, fun" people stand on the other. Then you have the ones straddling the line who say... "we dress up and go trick or treating, but we don't decorate for Halloween. Because we are Christians, and all. Or "We trunk and treat, fall festivals only....lock our doors and shut off the lights"...and so on. I get it all. I really do. I understand there is a dark side in this world. And we are not in it.

 

Look...I'm not here to judge one way or the other what anyone's personal convictions on the subject happen to be. I just thought my blog readers might be interested as to where we stand.

 

We decorate. We party it up. We buy candy and receive candy. We dress up. We drink cider. We have even been known to hang a cobweb or two.  We walk the neighborhood on the 31st. We are okay with it. And we go to bed that night dreaming of next Halloween. We don't do witches. We don't do vampires. We don't do devils.

But we DO love princesses, pirates, super heroes, and Disney characters.

We know very strong Christians who use all Hallows Eve to be a source of light to their neighborhoods...hosting traditions like serving up burgers and hotdogs on their front lawn while projecting The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on their garage doors. This is done with this logic: if all of your neighbors come knocking on your door one night out of the year...then as an ambassador of Christ's message of love and forgiveness, why wouldn't you use that time to honor him by loving your neighbors and finding common ground to connect on?

Great thing to ponder.

Can it be that we use something that man has made into his own to be a thing that we take back to glorify God? I believe so. Even if glorifying God is simply loving our husbands and children well through traditions and events.

 Some of my very best childhood memories involve Halloween. I always knew I wanted my children to have that too. 

Making the most of our family moments has been a big deal for me as a mom. I want my children to feel my love wrap around them as I dress them up and shoot dozens of photos. "When are we going to the pumpkin patch, Mom?" they start asking right around this date every year. They know that pumpkin patches are my favorite.

And for one of my kids who didn't grow up in a place where anyone much cared whether he was coming or going on the 31st of October, the fuss I make about holidays and birthdays and vacations...brings a sense of peace, love, and excitement.

A sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself.

 

So yes...I will continue to love Fall and all that this fresh, cool season brings with it.

To be in the world, but not of it.

Knowing that God is glorified in the small things of life, like  roasting pumpkin seeds with your children. Or making pumpkin bread and filling their tummies and love banks.

Yes, friends...God is honored and glorified even in an orange pumpkin in October.

 



Homecoming

Vivianna's Cheerleading team had their Homecoming on Saturday.

 It was ADORABLE.

 

Football is big in Texas...and the mums are too.

 

We start it up at a young age around here too.

 

The girls ride on their own float in the highschool parade:

 

They were announced over the stadium speaker and escorted onto the field by our football players.

 

 

You can see the crowds of people that swarm to see 2nd grade football....HA!

 

One day we will perform for a packed stadium,

Baby Girl...just you wait and see.

 

This face was born for Friday night lights.

 

 

I LOVE being a cheer mom.

It has been one of my biggest motherhood joys.

 

Even Jasmine got in on the action with an itty bitty sister mum made by the cheer director.

 

Look at these sassy, gorgeous girls.

Happy Homecoming 2013, Cougars!!

Give Hope To The Hadens

 

Tomorrow, Thursday Sept. 19th is "Get Up And Give" Day in North Texas. I wanted to showcase a close family of ours who are trying to raise money for a wheelchair accessible van for their 9 year old. 

I was in the delivery room when their daughter, Elise was born. We found out the next day the profound effects that the in-utero virus she contracted caused...blindness and deafness being the earliest known issues. Her family blog is: Life With Elise.

 

Over the past 9 years, her family has seen Elise's health needs increase as she has only gotten bigger. This is a BIG need for the Haden family. I hope we can end Ashley ever having to do this again:

 And I hope you will join with us in making a donation. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/givehopetothehadens

Cheerleading 2013

 My baby girl is back to cheering again this fall.

This time as a Cougar!

 I am cheer team mom and the social events coordinator. So far we have had a season kick off pool party. I am planning a popcorn and pajama party. I also did the spirit sticks. One cheerleader is awarded at each game with a spirit stick by the Coach because of a great practice.

I love my cheerleading babe.

Podcast!

In November, I will be a main session speaker at a Women's Retreat for Adoptive Moms in Maryland. I am very excited about this opportunity...recently I was asked to record a podcast about what I will be speaking on. I thought you all might want a chance to hear my voice. Sidenote: I sooo wish I had a cute southern drawl. But I don't. So just go with it. ;)

Joy for the Journey Podcast.