In this season of gift giving, it seems fitting to recognize the many gifts the Lord has showered upon our lives in recent days. These are such tangible evidences of His intimate knowledge of the details of our lives...these are gifts He has chosen to bless us with through the kindness and love of others.
Gift #1 : Saturday morning as I was flipping pancakes, the kids yelled, "Happy anniversary!" That's when my hubby and I sheepishly looked at each other...oops! It wasn't that we had forgotten our anniversary altogether~ it was just that when a thought came to plan something feasible and special (even as simple as buying a card!), it quickly flitted away as a more immediate need required our attention such as breaking up a squabble, wiping a nose or bottom, or probably preparing more food!! Typically, we celebrate our anniversary with an overnite' away (thanks to Mimi and PopPop), or at least a nice dinner out (thanks to our faithful friends), but I guess we are just a bit preoccupied right now :)
It is hard to believe 17 years have sped by! I am so grateful I listened to my Mom's wise counsel( although unappreciated at the time). Years ago she advised me not to "settle for crumbs on the way to the banquet". She was referring to settling for less than God's best in a husband. Truly, in His perfect time, He brought His good gift to me in my dear hubby~ I'm so thankful that the Lord has me walking this path with the man of His choosing!
Anyhow, back to Saturday...God used special friends from church to bless our family. These friends are well acquainted with the disorienting and intense transition after bringing home new little ones through the miracle of adoption and suspecting that we probably had not planned anything, this couple tracked our anniversary on the calendar and contacted M during the day with a plan to make our celebration quite memorable :) At dinner time, an unexpected van pulled into our driveway and a family of 5 quietly walked into our house laden with a mysterious box and several bags...expertly they redressed the kitchen table with Christmas tablecloth and coordinating napkins and plates...then they filled it with a delectable feast of take out Chinese food and scrumptious cheesecake for dessert...they thought of everything...even movies for after dinner entertainment. They declined our invitation to join us, took a picture at my request, and after hugs, exited as quietly as they came. I stood there overwhelmed by the love of our friends and this very real expression of God's care for us through them during this season of our lives. What a wonderful family memory!!! For you astute viewers who are counting heads, one little B(Odesco), was sound asleep during the preparations but woke up just in time to eat!
Gift #2: Hope has come...quite literally!! A lovely homeschool mom named Hope came to the rescue and plaited Mercy's hair for me on Saturday. Let me back up so you can fully appreciate the significance of God's provision in this. After my escapade to get the book last week, I quickly realized pictures on a page were not going to be enough to teach this clueless mom. I called my other contacts and nothing materialized so feeling rather desparate, I resorted to the phone book and began looking for local salons that specialized in ethnic hair and accepted children as clients. To my surprise, I was able to find only 1 establishment. I scheduled an appointment for Mercy on Saturday morning but it quickly became apparent that she was not quite ready for this experience which might last a couple of hours. In the meantime, I received a call from a very excited friend who was so happy to tell me she had found a resource for me with regards to Mercy's hair. This friend had been at a homeschool event and shared with Hope my hair woes. Hope willingly offered to help...not only was she willing to help, she was eager and filled with joy to be able to serve in this way. So, I cancelled the $50 braiding session and Saturday afternoon Hope arrived with her 2 delightful children to spend several hours with us. Hope came bearing a huge bag of clips, rubberbands,combs, brushes,conditioner, "grease" , headbands etc...ALL which she graciously gifted to us!! She patiently explained what to use when and then proceeded to braid Mercy's hair into a beautiful new style.We had fun as she brushed it and showed us a 'natural look' for the days we can't braid it...and I watched in awe as her nimble fingers worked magic. Hope assures me that with practice, I will one day be able to do Mercy's hair...quite a hope-filled declaration :) In the meantime, my new friend has offered to bail me out as needed. I think our families will become good friends in the days ahead. Hope, if you are reading this, your visit and joyful desire to help is another evidence that God is about the work of equipping me to do what He has called me to do!! Thank you, Thank you!!! Below are a few pictures of our time together :)
Getting Started!!!! Even B3 is getting some special attention from Hope's daughter :)
Our "Goofy Girl" in her natural style!!
Ta-dah....the finished product!!!
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