too much time in the outfield

Like most three year old boys, Sam likes any ball that can be thrown, kicked, hit, rolled.  Recently, he's been really into playing baseball with a nice foam bat.  {After being whacked with his fishing pole, I knew the only way to go was a foam bat.}

Jeremy had bought a tee for him to use, but Sam decided he wanted me to throw it to him.  I found myself reaching way back in time to those days in P.E. when we had to play softball....how did Coach Pesnell tell us to stand; what did she say about holding the bat; why didn't I pay more attention; why did I spend so much time in the outfield picking flowers?  With these thoughts rolling in my head, I began showing him how to stand and how to hold his bat, telling him to watch the ball.  Really, it was laughable because I know how little I actually know about the topic.  It must have known just enough because he hit it a couple of times ;).  <sigh of relief>

Who knew being a mama also meant knowing about sports for those days when uppa is working?!  I may have some studying to do....

monster trucks and fishing poles

Sam was so excited the day he found the monster truck that he just had to give it to me early; nothing Jeremy said could convince him to wait.  As you can see from the dirt on the tires, we've already put a few miles on it! And, this evening we spent plenty of time in the yard with Sam showing me how to use my newly acquired fishing pole.

Last week I heard Jeremy ask Sam what he wanted to get me for Mother's Day.  Sam turned to him and whispered, "fishing pole."

Several days later, Jeremy comes to me and says, "You're probably getting a fishing pole and a remote control monster truck for Mother's Day.  That's what Sam wants to get you."

So, I was thrilled to be given both in honor of Mother's Day!  My heart is overjoyed by the tenderhearted, generous little boy who wanted his mama to have two toys of her own.  And by an amazing husband/father who helped make it happen, making multiple trips to town for Sam to complete his shopping.

Oh, the memories to be made involving monster trucks and fishing poles!

what, honey?

There are days when I hear my mother's voice coming out of my mouth, and it always gives me pause until I realize it's not my mother that I 'm hearing but my own voice calling forth those all too familiar words like, "Because I said so" or "If I tell you one more time" (a classic).

The other day I was taken by complete surprise when I heard MY voice coming from a certain little boy.

"Sam?" I say as I stand at the sink doing dishes.

"What, honey?" he promptly replies from the spot where he's meddling in the cabinet.

Really??  Did he just answer me with a what honey???  I'm so in for it if he's already sounding like a grown up!

This little episode with Sam gave me a laugh, but it also reminded me of how much he is watching and listening to Jeremy and me.  May the words that come out of our mouths be words of encouragement and truth.  May they be spoken with kindness and gentleness.  Piece of cake, right? ;)

change is coming

Change.  It's coming soon to our corner of the world.  Thankfully, it's the good kind of change.

Come the end of May, I will go from being part-time teacher/full-time mom to just full-time mom!

 Saying that I am thrilled would be an understatement :0).  My time spent waiting for Sam ( and missing the first two years) cemented one thing for me:  the greatest desire of my heart was to stay at home with Sam, pouring into his little life and watching him grow and develop.

We still have a good two years before we have to think about Sam and school (thankful for late birthdays), so I intend to make the most of our time at home together.  Because one thing is certain, the time will fly by at warp speed.  Schools needing teachers will always be there; time at home with the child of my heart is a momentary blessing that I wouldn't miss for the life of me.

Here's to the next two years--may it be spent creating sidewalk chalk art and memories that will bury into our hearts for a lifetime.

And, to the best job in the world--may the Lord give me strength, wisdom, and grace to do it well!

a special friday night special

Picnic supper. Korean food. Chocolate milk. Fishing pole. Happy boy.

Peaceful scenery. Soothing sounds of water mingled with sounds of laughter. Time together. Happy mama.

peeking eyed monsters, bulgogi, & flying tortillas

I made it to the end of March with my head spinning from the rate at which the days flew off the calendar.  Now we're halfway through April, and I'm sitting here feeling the same way.  I guess a trip to the homeland and a visit from family combined with work and the usual, mixed in with researching trademarks, by laws, etc. will result in a bit of head spinning when it all happens in the timespan of a few weeks....

In order to restore my sanity and stop the spinning, Sam and I returned to our normal weekend routine.  We brought back the Friday Night special with a trusty favorite, cheater bulgogi, but this was only after we spent the afternoon making a "peeking eyed monster."  (Sam is obsessed with cutting, gluing, and painting, mess making, etc.). When we weren't making monsters or cooking Korean, we were creating sidewalk chalk Picassos.

With all the rushing about, chances are high that I am more likely to miss the good stuff of life.  As Sam and I were barreling through WalMart this morning, we were stopped by a lady asking me how old my son was.  Turns out she and her husband have just started the adoption process for China, and like us, this will be their first child.  I could feel the excitement radiating off of her.  Along with the excitement was fear and nervousness that she candidly admitted to feeling.  In between catching flying packs of tortillas (courtesy of Sam), I tried to speak words of encouragement and hope--two things that are needed in abundance when you're going through the adoption process.

 May a sweet 20 month old little boy in China find his way to his forever family sooner rather than later, and may the family who loves him already have strength for the journey.

I was in WalMart on a Saturday morning with a three year old much longer than I wanted to be, but I am thankful.  Thankful that my Heavenly Father has an unhurried schedule of divine appointments, just waiting for us to slow down and take part.

knowing the more (pt.1)

I think humans, by nature, are dreamers.  It's seen in little kids when they say they're going to become a firefighter-astronaut.  It's seen in those funny creatures called teenagers as they dream about colleges, majors, and careers for "when they grow up."  And, it's seen in young love as couples dream about marriage and white picket fences.

But, something happens between childhood and adulthood that makes the dreaming less frequent.  The dreams are replaced with to-do lists and a magnifying glass of practicality that allows adults to analyze and problem solve.  Dreaming is relegated to the bottom of the to-do list and written in very fine print with pencil.

Thankfully, we serve a God who still puts dreams into the hearts of His children, allowing them to step out of the ordinary everyday and to imagine a life from a different, more glorious perspective.

For years, we've known God's call on our hearts, part of which led us to bringing home our sweet Sam.  We also knew that there was more to this call than adoption; we just didn't know what the more was for the longest time.  Little by little, like wiping the steam from a mirror, God showed us what the more was and planted a dream deep into our hearts, which is where it stayed during the duration of our adoption process.  Oftentimes, we would discuss the possibilities and play the One Day game.  Our dream was safe and sound buried deep in our hearts and known only by us.

God doesn't give us dreams just to keep us company.  In giving us a dream, He's giving us an opportunity.  An opportunity to trust Him; an opportunity to be used by Him; an opportunity to get in on something that He's doing; an opportunity to move from the ordinary everyday to the glorious.

To take hold of the opportunity, one must risk.  Risk reputation.  Risk comfort.  Risk criticism.  Risk failure.  Risk letting someone in on a dream you hold so dear.  This is where we are right now.

We are daily seeking the Giver of this dream and asking Him to lead us as we take a huge leap of faith to see it brought to life.  We are in way over our heads, but since this is really His dream, we know that He'll give us all that we need to move it from living in our hearts to living among people. And, I absolutely cannot wait to see how He does it!

Stay tuned.  More to come.