a heart of thanksgiving

Song after song in church this morning was centered on thanksgiving and God's faithfulness.  Perfect as we set our hearts on Thanksgiving.  The fact was not lost on me that, while singing words of thanksgiving and faithfulness,  I was holding a living, breathing example of God's faithfulness to Jeremy and me.  For the child we had loved for so long from a distance is finally home.

During the very long period of waiting for Sam, we had no earthly idea how it was all going to work out, but we knew the One who saw the end from the beginning.  The One who is always faithful, even when we question and doubt.  The One who never fails to provide, even when we tire of waiting for Him to answer.

So, this year we'll celebrate Sam's first Thanksgiving home and give thanks to our Heavenly Father who has blessed us with the gift of raising one of his precious children.  My heart is humbled and overwhelmed.

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

the first of many to come

After missing the first two birthdays for our sweet boy, this birthday with Sam was so incredibly precious to us, making us all the more thankful to celebrate with him at home!

In keeping with our Birthday Week tradition, we have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Sam and his birthday.  It was a week of seeking out the best places to eat macaroni-and-cheese, hot dog suppers, trips to a few of Sam's favorite places, and of course, presents.  It was a week of making up for lost time; a week of thanksgiving to the One who brought Sam home; a week of celebration, laughter, and joy.

Sam, I can't believe you're three years old!  It seems like yesterday that we were seeing your sweet, baby face for the first time!  May year Number Three bring you plenty of little boy adventures, uninterrupted hours of playtime,  additional choo-choos to add to your ever-growing collection, and joy unending!  Always remember, you are the child of our heart, and we'll love you forever and ever and ever!

friday night special: out of the freezer

What do you cook for the Friday night supper when you're up to your ears in birthday party preparations??  The answer is simple:  you reach way back into your freezer and pull out the Korean Beef Stew that you thought to freeze for a day like this.  And, then you say to yourself, "yep, that is mom of the year worthy." ;)

The biggest birthday prep we had going on Friday was the cake, which is kind of a big deal at a birthday party.  Like so many people, I bought what Pinterest was selling:  the idea that "you can make this fill in the blank and it will look like this!  Just follow this simple tutorial."

I was up to my eyebrows in cake frosting before I realized that I have ZERO cake decorating abilities.  Baking them?  Sure.  Decorating them?  Absolutely not.  (Oh, how easy it was to forget this truth after too much time spent browsing Pinterest cake ideas.)

But, when it's the night before the party, quitting is not an option and neither is ordering one from the local Publix.  So, I kept slathering the frosting on until I had something that faintly resembled a cake that I had seen on Pinterest.

Thankfully, Sam did not care that his cake looked nothing like a professional had made it.  Nor, did he care that it barely resembled that Pinterest cake.  He won't remember these things, but I do hope he remember the fun we had making it!

(Party pics coming soon :)

friday night special: halloween, hot dogs, and candy

Thanks to my lack of technical ability, the pictures
I took while trick or treating did not turn out.
It helps to turn on the flash when you're trying to take
pictures at night...who would have thought?!

Our Friday night special this week was not of the Korean variety.  It was more of the American, grilled variety, and it was enjoyed around the table with friends.  The hot dog special was followed up by a trip around the block to trick or treat--in the freezing cold temperatures.  Thankfully, Scarecrow Sam was bundled up as seen by his very furry yet stylish hat.

Sam wasn't quite sure why we were walking up to people's houses and saying, "trick or treat," but he went along with it and enjoyed the treats that were dropped into his pumpkin... :).

In spite of the cold, we had a great Friday night with some very dear friends.  How wonderful it is for us to journey through life with them!