Breathe

Two years ago our lives were altered in a pretty dramatic fashion. It was all God's will and I learned to walk in the victory of that moment. The key phrase was learned. It wasn't something that was easy. It took a lot of tears, fears, and faith to get there. And in true honesty, there are days that I still have to fight hard to find the victory. I replay God's promises all day to myself, and to Him.

I went through the last 2 years though holding my breath. Every month that our mortgage was due I held my breath that our account held enough money to cover it. When school supplies and school clothes were needed again, I found myself holding my breath. Doctor visits, again with a sucked in breath. Every phone call and visit with our precious friends the Massey's was accomplished with a breath caught between inhale and exhale.

I didn't intentionally start doing this. It was more of a self perseverance. I am not sure if I was waiting for "the other shoe to fall". I don't believe that line of bull and am thankful that our God is not a god of superstition. But somehow this was a defense for me.

On Leap Day, I felt the Spirit of God ask me to breathe. It WAS LIKE he whispered to my heart, "Exhale." As I did I felt a peace wash over me and fill my lungs with a fresh breath.

We took the kids to dinner that night, which is a BIG treat for us and just celebrated Gods Faithfulness. A Faithfulness that carried a family of 5 all the way to China to make it a family of 6. Brought us a children's Hospital with a broken heart but allowed us to leave with a renewed Spirit. A faithfulness that led a devoted husband and dad to step out in faith into a new career. A faithfulness that allowed this same man to find a new definition for success. A faithfulness that sings over this family with shouts of great joy. And the same One who quieted our fears, taught us to breath again because of His great Love.

Easter Blessings

Easter is such a special time for me. I stand humbled at the cross and truly rejoice at the empty tomb. 2006 was an empty tomb year for my family. We not only got to glimpse the resurrected Christ high and lifted up but He invited us to take His hand and walk with Him. He revealed Himself to us in ways that forever changed us. And we will never be the same again.

It's a cross between a Chinese Grandmother and A Southern Belle

Tatumn's little voice is so cute. She has a little drawl in her voice but can also annunciate words sounding like an 80 year old Chinese grandmother.
Here are a few of the things that she says.....

Yeah, Sure
I'm Hunry (Hungry)
I'm Tiword(Tired)
MAC aroni
I like New Shoes
That is Beautiful
I want a grilled cheese (this is really funny on Monday mornings when I drive through McDs for my non-fat Vanilla Latte) (McD's doesn't have grilled cheese)
God loves you very much
Say "yes Ma'am" (this is spoken very sternly to her stuffed dog)
Not today.Maybe tomorrow. (this is her answer when her daddy asks her to sleep in her bed!)
I will do it.
It's mine, not yours.
Oameal(Oatmeal. Which used to be her favorite breakfast meal until she tried the nutritious breakfast staple, cold cereal! Now that is her favorite!)
I'm Awake! (First things she says as soon as my eyes start to flutter!)
Hunan, China. (Her answer when we ask her where she was born)
I have shree boys (her brothers)

Okay, I am sorry for not updating before now. I promise I have lots of goodies to share. Our computer is dying. It's in the ICU, slowly dying. SO I cannot upload pictures. I promise to work harder on it.
Taylor, our oldest, qualified for State Wrestling. We are really proud of him.
Tanner has started baseball. Tucker is doing a good job of being Tucker. her is s good kid and goes with the crazy flow that we call life. Tatumn is still not sleeping in her pink room! We have promised her everything under the sun if she would.
Kip and I have our passports ready to use! Guess where we are going?!?!?!?!
Check back for the answer and pictures!

In the night.........

Why is it that I can go about my day and walk in the Victory that Christ has given me only to be held captive by fear and anxiety in the middle of the night?

And why is that in the middle of the night, when all is peaceful and finally quiet that I start to believe the lies from the enemy? Is it because my defenses are down? During my waking and sleeping periods I go to the Father and petition Him again or praise Him for His faithfulness, recounting all of His goodness.

How is it that the enemy can sneak in and whisper things that go directly against what I am BELIEVING God for?

During our wait for Tatumn I lapsed into a season of insomnia. Our faith-walk was tested like it never had been before. It was an exhausting physical and spiritual battle and it was during this time that I leaned on the promises that God does not sleep or slumber. Psalm 121.

That the Lord defends me and my family and has a great Army fighting on our behalf.

That the Lord is our Provider.

That Gods promises are true and good.

How is it that I know that before I close my eyes and become a captive to fear during the night?

The theif comes only to to steal and kill and destroy. But Christ has come to give us life and a very full life.

So this morning that is the voice I am going to listen too. The One who speaks Truth and whose Promises are Sure in my life.

Psalm 145
A psalm of praise. Of David.
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.
They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They will celebrate your abundant goodnes and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Trusting Jehovah Sabaoth this morning,
Stephanie

B-G-P

I know if Tatumn was old enough she would be utterly embarassed about this post! But since she is only 2 and cannot read yet, I will go ahead and post this blog entry.
Tatumn got Big Girl Panties for Valentines Day!

We have been getting more comfortable going on the Big Girl Potty. When I saw we ,I really mean Tatumn. I do not sit on her little potty, although she has asked me a couple of times if I would. Hear me clearly, I have boundaries. And I can say no to her cute litte self. So I stand corrected. She, as in Tatumn, has gained confidence in sitting on her potty.

And one thing is for certain, it HAS to be HER idea.

Not mine.

Not Tucker's.

And Not even her Daddy can get her to go if she doesn't want to go.

It has to be her idea alone,

Thank You very much.
Because I am a girly mommy, I also got her matching cami tops! I know a litte excessive, but I have waited a LONG time for little girly panties to become a item in this testostorone filled house. And because Tatumn has a mommy who likes for certain undergarments to match, it goes with out saying that her daughter should have the same coordinating articles to start with.

I really hope that was not TMI.

Tatumn's little tiney-hiney looks so cute running around sans the padding of her diaper. Although she is having a hard time keeping her pants pulled up!

* Okay, the pics where her hiney is showing is a little much I know. But they are pics showing our strong-willed independent girl putting on her own panties! She still needs a little help!!!

Hunan Beauty

We are getting ready for our 2nd Annual Chinese New Year Celebration! We are a little late this year.....Don't Ask! We are so excited that Tatumn's Chinese Sisters will be here to help us celebrate Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Myer and Tatumn

3 Amazing years ago, we found ourselves on the same page as we had so many times before, with our dearest friends the Massey's. This time it was finding our families on the starting line in a race (more like a Marathon) called Adoption. We did not intentionally begin this journey of life together. Kip and I had been praying for a while and Greg and Ally had just received a word from the Lord earlier in the month.Throughout our friendship, though, our lives intertwined in some pretty amazing ways. Ways that only the Author could have wrote out. And as we started this journey together, it was comforting and exciting to have them by our sides. We walked our adoption agreement in to our adoption agency on a bright and sunny Thursday afternoon. And what filled our time from that first day until we boarded the plane were dreams shared, clothes bought, prayers continually were lifted to One who hears, dinner party's, baby showers, and hours of phone calls. The joyful expectation over our girls growing up together flowed through every other plan we had. Our other children are great friends. we have stair-step ages and it works out fantasticly. So, adding a girl from each family just fit perfectly into our family dynamics.
Our journey to China was amazing. And hard. So sweet, too. It seemes almost like a dream now thinking back. So much of life has happened since then and yet sometimes it feels just like yesterday. We had not been home for three months when Myer got sick. Her illness caught us all off guard. We were just getting back into a schedule and figuring out life when this tragedy struck. (you can check out the whole story at http://www.journeytome.com/ *adoption stories *Journey to Tatumn Hope--or at http://www.carepages.com/ Myer)
But God has promised that He would bring beauty from the ashes. And He has. It hasn't always looked like the pictures we had in our minds, because it far sweeter than we ever thought it would be. There were some very dark days that we did not think we would get to see the girls playing like this. Hanging out at the kitchen making soup. Pouring tea(sweet, of coarse) for each other at a tea party. Fussing over dishes. Watching them put a cup behind their back so the other friend cannot get it. And Myer giving Tatumn a ride as she crawled across our kitchen floor had to be one of the funniest!
I have learned not to take things for granted. To savor today. And play days with Myer, Tatumn's Very Best Friend, are one of God's Greatest.