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One year ago right now, I was exhausted, and the nurses were beginning to ask me if I wanted my epidural yet. I hung on until somewhere around 2am, and then I fell in love with a man that I can’t even remember his name… Ha! He said he gets that “I love you!” comment a lot. God bless that anesthesiologist!

Then, by noon, I was ready to start the delivery process! I began pushing a little after that, and by 1:41pm June 15, our beautiful little Rebecca Joy was born!

Our little 7 pound 10 ounce 20″ long baby girl has grown up so fast. This last year of my life has been a fabulous whirlwind that at times felt it would never end, and at other times has flown by so fast it’s left my head spinning.

Tonight I rocked her and read her two bedtime stories as she held her George monkey and sucked her finger. I sang Great is Thy Faithfulness, Amazing Grace, and by verse two of Silent Night, she was asleep in my arms. When I transferred her to the bed, she woke up a bit and grinned at me. She is such a sweet baby. But she’s turning into a toddler now. My baby girl is growing up.

I wonder what this next year will bring, and I pray she doesn’t blossom into the strong-willed but easily brokenhearted baby we dealt with tonight at dinner who cried when she was told not to throw her food in the floor but continued and continued until she had to get her hand “swatted” (more of a pat really, but to get her attention). Her tears broke my heart. I so hope we don’t have too many of these episodes coming up. And I pray that if we do, God equips us to deal with them.

I wonder too if this next year will bring more verbal skills and what will come out of our budding linguist’s mouth next. This week she started saying “uhoh” when something falls on the floor. A.dor.a.ble!!! I wonder what other words, phrases, and expressions she’ll start using.

This last year has gone fast, but I’ve really tried to enjoy every moment, and I plan to continue. Because I know I’ll blink and I’ll be writing a “one year ago” post that includes kindergarten, high school, and college graduations.

Happy Flag Day!

After celebrating our anniversary on Monday (a day early) by going out to dinner and then shopping for an entirely new set of bedding for our bed (and getting a new shower head!), yesterday was a much more relaxed version of our anniversary, which was very nice.  We took a picnic lunch and ate with Cody at work, Cody brought me home a dozen red roses, and after Becca went to bed, we watched The Bachelorette from Monday night off the dvr.  Super relaxed.  And very nice.

But the part of the evening that meant the most to me actually occurred while I was in our bedroom by myself putting away laundry.  Cody and Becca had the dogs out on the back porch.  I could see them through our French doors.  She was sitting on the chair between his legs with her little feet dangling down, kicking the rungs between the rocking chair legs.  Her blonde hair was blowing in the breeze, and Cody’s protective hand was hanging onto her little belly.  Cody was throwing the Frisbee for the dogs, and they were both laughing.  So loud I could hear them clearly inside.

Becca has this cute little giggle she gets when everyone else laughs at something someone has said – she knows something was funny, so she giggles – about two seconds too late.  It’s super cute.  Then she has this chuckle when she’s thought of something funny in her own little world, and none of us can understand.  It’s super cute too.  But she has a laugh that is reserved only for her puppies.  A laugh that comes from her heart, from her soul, from the very depths of her being.  A belly laugh that she can’t control, can’t stop, it’s just a sign of the true depth of her joy.  She could sit and watch Daisy and Boko catch the Frisbee longer than they could actually have the energy to catch it.  And the sound of that laugh fills my heart with a warmth I can’t explain, and honestly don’t really understand.

I can hold her and play with the dogs and get her to laugh, and I love it.  But it goes to a whole other level when Cody laughs with her.  The love that fills my heart is something I can’t even begin to describe.  It’s sort of the way your mouth feels when you take that first sip of your favorite hot latte.  There’s a ZING! as the heat touches your tongue and your taste buds explode.  There’s the soothing AHHH! of the flavor.  There’s the MMMM! as the warmth runs down your throat and settles in your belly.  And there’s the feeling of happiness and immediate rush of endorphins to your brain.  It’s sort of like that.  But on a much deeper, soul-warming level.

Really, THAT was the perfect anniversary present.  I loved the years when it was just us.  Our first anniversary, we traveled to Colorado and enjoyed a cabin in the mountains.  Our second anniversary, we went out to a fabulous dinner and put together the Lego carrousel.  Our third anniversary, we went to DFW and to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center and bought an amazing British ship to put together.  Our fourth anniversary, we traveled a couple weekends early to Corpus and spent the weekend at the aquarium and on the beach and just enjoying our last vacation just us.  But we have always wanted kids.  Always wanted to have a family.  And while it was a wonderful and beautiful thing to go to dinner and shopping Monday night and enjoy our time just us, THAT moment was the best gift ever.  Seeing the love Cody has for our baby girl is the most amazing gift I could have ever asked for.  Seeing her love of her puppies is just incredible.  Seeing the two of them so genuinely happy together and hearing the product of that happiness is a gift that no one can buy and wrap.  Noone can write that love into the sweetest, most thoughtful card.  And nope, not even a dozen of HEB’s most beautiful red roses ever will begin to be as great of a gift as seeing their love.

My heart is so full.  Someday we’ll have more family members.  But for now, it’s just the six of us: Becca, “Mahmah,” “Dada,” “Days,” “Bobo,” and “Toods.”  And I am content.  God has blessed us beyond measure.

Check out our anniversary video here: https://vimeo.com/68129949

My loves on a walk earlier this week.

Several weeks ago, I posted “Inquisitive Children” as a response to the tornado destruction in my home state of Oklahoma.  In that post, I referenced the question “why” and said that I hadn’t found the answer in the Bible.  Today’s reading lead me to hope.  Because, you see, I found where the disciples asked the specific question of “Why”… and Jesus answered.  Here’s the passage.

John  9:1-3

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'”

I knew it was there somewhere.  I knew the answer lay within the pages of the Word.  And I found it.  And somehow, it’s reassuring to me.  Even if I don’t want it to happen, I know that God has a plan, but I also know that He will use whatever it is “so that the work of God might be displayed in [my] life.”

And THAT, my friends, it powerful.

When I recently experienced my 2nd miscarriage, I was shattered.  And then, later that day, I turned on KLOVE.  (If you aren’t listening to this radio station, I would encourage you to just try it.  It’s amazing the strength and encouragement that is gained just by listening to positive music.)  When I turned on the radio that day, I heard this song by Laura Story, and my heart began to sing along.  I’ll never understand in my head why His blessings come through raindrops, but my heart knows that He has a purpose, and that through those raindrops “the work of God [WILL] be displayed in [MY] life.”

Check out the song/video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ

And take heart, for HE has conquered the world.

The day began like any other day- a little down and depressed because I was still single. Seriously! Would I EVER find the right guy? At 24 surely my expiration was rapidly approaching!

And then the whole Match.com thing happened. Long story short, there was

A Man.

We talked on the computer January 1.  We talked on the phone, we met in person 5 days later, and 15 days after that, he asked, and I said “yes.” We decided on a summer wedding. Let the whirlwind begin.

Walt Disney World was running an ad in a bridal magazine with a picture of Cinderella’s glass slipper on the steps of the castle at sunset and said something about all my dreams coming true. We talked, and determined that we’d do a destination wedding at Disney World on June 11.  Enter

A Mouse.

The weeks partly dragged and partly flew, and then it was time! We flew to Orlando, got our marriage license, and began our wonderful, magical time at Disney World. We spent the day before (6-10-08) with our families at Magic Kingdom, and then the glorious day arrived.

We dressed and were shuttled in a long white limo to the Boardwalk. A wonderful minister we had only met online and over the phone met with each of us and went over everything with us. Our fabulous coordinator had everything perfect. I walked down the Boardwalk on my Daddy’s arm, and he handed me over to my Prince Charming. We spoke our vows, the minister spoke- “You may now kiss your Princess,” and then life began.

A Marriage.

The past five years have been full of fabulous adventures- camping, canoeing, skiing, laying on beaches, scuba diving (and NOT scuba diving!), hiking, and lots of photography. We have experienced life and loss, and are learning how to be parents. It truly has been a fabulous ride, and I’m so glad it’s not over yet!! Because, you see, this story isn’t just about A Man and A Mouse.

It’s about A Marriage. It’s about a friendship and a love that grows stronger every day. It’s about knowing that no matter what happens, the other person will ALWAYS be there. There is no escape clause in this “roommate agreement.” We are here for the times of roaring laughter, and we are here for the times so sad that even singing “Soft Kitty” won’t create laughter. Thick and thin. No matter what.

“I, Christy, take you, Cody, as my friend and my love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in good times and bad, asking that you be no other than yourself.  Loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know, and in all the ways that life may lead us.”

Life is never perfect, but fairy tales DO come true.  Happily ever after DOES exist.  We are proof.

Summer 2008

Fall 2009

Winter 2010

Fall 2011

Summer 2012

Spring 2013

 Tomorrow mornin’, if you wake up
And the sun does not appear
I, I will be here

If in the dark we lose sight of love
Hold my  hand and have no fear
‘Cause I, I will be here

I will be  here
When you feel like bein’ quiet
When you need to speak your  mind
I will listen

And I will be here
When the laughter turns to  cryin’
Through the winnin’, losin’ and tryin’
We’ll be together, ’cause I  will be here

Tomorrow mornin’, if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I, I will be here

As sure as seasons are made for  change
Our lifetimes are made for years
So I, I will be here

I will be here
And you can cry on my  shoulder
When the mirror tells us we’re older
I will hold  you

And I will be here
To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all  the things
You are to me, I will be here

I will be true
To the  promise I have made
To you and to the One
Who gave you to me
I, I will be here

And just as sure as seasons
Are made for change
Our  lifetimes are made for years
So I, I will be here
We’ll be together, I  will be here

-“I will Be Here” by Michael W Smith-

 

HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY, BABY. 
I LOVE YOU MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY,
AND MY LOVE WILL NEVER STOP MULTIPLYING.

I have a relatively new friend who just experienced something amazing yesterday. Amazing enough to merit an entire blog post.

I met this woman for the first time several months ago at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). But she wasn’t in my small group, so it’s only been recently because of mutually being on the steering committee for next year that I have come to know her, and be friends with her on Facebook.

I knew that she and her husband were fostering a baby, and trying desperately to adopt him. I didn’t realize what a process that is!! I believe that adoption is a calling that God places on the hearts of those who can handle it. The Bible says He won’t give us more than we can handle. And honestly, I just don’t think I’m that strong. To love and care for a child for months while waiting on paperwork? I think my patience level is about ten notches too low for that.

But their patience has paid off! Their precious little Miles is now officially part of the family. PRAISE THE LORD!! I can only imagine the relief and sheer joy that they felt at that moment when the judge declared him officially theirs. God is so good. And yet, here is another example of His plan. His timing is perfect. We will never understand why they had to wait so long for their beautiful baby to be theirs. But God has a plan. He orchestrated everything perfectly.

Perhaps He knew that they would need to grow in patience. Perhaps it was that they would need to grow in faith. Perhaps He knew that through their amazing journey they would meet people along the way that would need to see the level of grace with which they handled the situation and would question the source of that grace. Perhaps He knew that I needed to see their witness and learn from their example to relate it to situations in my own life with waiting for our next precious child. But for whatever reason, Miles is finally officially their son. His two big sisters are elated. His mother and father have hearts so happy that the only term for it is sheer joy. Because this morning, their son wakes up for the first time- theirs. Officially. He has been a child of God. Now he’s a child of theirs.

Sheer joy. Praise God.

http://vimeo.com/m/67907902

http://m.ksat.com/news/adoption-ceremony-just-in-time-for-fathers-day/-/15126192/20476944/-/1rxxf6/-/index.html