Surviving and Thriving in Bethabara Farms

I'm told that Advent is a season of waiting, of preparation for the arrival of Jesus, the long awaited King.  I'm what could be considered "an early celebrator", I love traditions, special decorations, the smell of pine or fir trees and making memories.  We decorated the house in early November just because we needed a little festivity.  The last year has not been an easy one.  We really don't have much to complain about at all but things feel heavy and hard and disappointing these days in the world outside our front door.  So many people hurting, so many people sick, so many people who haven't turned out to be who we thought they were.  Honestly, I struggled with the idea of being celebratory this year because it felt callous when we think about the atrocities going on around the world and right here in the U.S. One of my favorite authors, Sarah Bessey wrote, "Here's the thing about Advent:  we celebrate because we are paying attention.  It'...

Wow!  I can't believe it's been a year since I have written a blogpost here.  When I saw "Famiversary" in my calendar I was actually kind of surprised...we've been so busy this year just going about the business of being a family that how our family came about has been put on the back burner a bit.  That's not to say that we don't talk about adoption, we do---all the time...my job and our adoption community require it...thankfully.  But this year, more than any other yet, we've been settled.  We've struggled a bit, laughed a lot, argued a bit, played a lot, forgave a bit and learned a ton.  Looking back, I think we've become more connected as a little family unit.  Our year was full of great memories and some sad ones.  We spent lots of time with people we love both near and far and said goodbye to our sweet dog, Shumba. We tried new things and practiced things we already knew.  It's been amazing to watch both boys really de...

Tomorrow is the legal anniversary of our family. In so many ways, I can't believe it's only been a year since the judge legally recognized our little family. The boys had been with me for a couple years before that day so we considered ourselves a family even before that but we are a "celebrating kinda family" (Mateo) and because of that we'll celebrate tomorrow in addition to celebrating February 26 (their move in date). Can you really have too many special days? This last year has seen a bunch of firsts, first lost tooth, first bike ride without training wheels, first day of Kindergarten and first day of First grade. I wouldn't trade any of them. We've learned some hard lessons this year and we've grown closer as a unit. We are blessed by the support we've recieved from some of our friends and our family. We've been lucky enough to see a few babies enter this beautiful, crazy world and look forward to at least one more in the very nea...

38 years ago today, I came into this crazy, wonderful world. I had a wonderful day with family and friends,enjoyed the sunshine and was treated to a fabulous ice cream cake! YUM. Today is also, effectively, the last day of summer for us. While the heat will linger for at least another month or two, my sweet boys will don their uniforms, put on their new Nikes and start the school year tomorrow. I can't believe Joaquin will be in Kindergarten. He's so excited and is really looking forward to making new friends and "playing with the 100 board". He's also feeling a bit nervous and asked me to cuddle with him as he fell asleep. I love to watch him sleep because his normally very active mouth is so adorable when he sleeps! It is hard to believe that it was almost three years ago that these precious children showed up on my doorstep. Honestly, it's gone so quickly that lately I have been really trying to embrace every amazing moment. On the eve of ...

When I was a child, I idolized my dad. Honestly, not much has changed. He has always been prone to "flights of fancy" that I completely took for granted when I was little. For example, my brother and I were routinely treated to a "candy tree" where we were convinced that fairies or leprechans hid candy for us once a week. He loves holidays and always made sure that he went above and beyond to make them memorable. I can't even put into words how much I appreciate the memories I have because of the efforts both my parents put into things. Just the silly "imaginary holidays" like Flounder Roundup and traditions like river rafting, Spaghetti Factory and crazy Halloween endeavors help me to feel grounded and part of something that stands the test of time. I want that for my kids and I adore seeing them spend time with both my parents. I can see those traditions being handed down and it fills me with more joy than I ever thought possible. We'll be...

Tomorrow will bring festivities to our little house. There is a little boy who has been counting down the days until this moment. I hope he remembers this day like I remember my childhood birthdays. I want him to feel cherished and celebrated tomorrow on the anniversary of his birth. Maybe someday reading this letter will make him smile, warm in the knowledge that he is loved and seen for all of who he is and all that he will be. Dear Mateo, It's been an amazing year. So many big events...your first day of Kindergarten in August, our Adoption finalization in September, visits from Nani and Owie, traveling to Seattle and California, learning to read and do math... so many more I'm sure. I've been so blessed to watch you try new things like African dancing, speaking and reading Spanish, basketball, soccer and hula hooping. You are such a kind friend and a thoughtful person. I love to watch you share with your brother and your friends and take care of your beloved dog...