A Boy's Fairy Tale

For Little Abear's fourth birthday party I wanted to do something to honor the imagination in him. So, I went scouting about and found +this+ fairy tale themed party from Pinterest. It was a great inspiration and launching point for his "Robin Hood, Peter Pan and the Three Abears" party.

Coming up with clever food & favor labels was a fun test of the imagination between friends and family, and even the birthday boy himself helped out with it.

*The cups, napkins, plastic ware, plates and lantern were from one of my favorite new party brands, 

Oh Joy for Target

*Ah-mazing cakes created by my mama

*Paint stir stick swords by my handsome husband/"Twinkle-Bell" wands by yours truly 

+ I wish I could give credit where it's due, but I'm pretty sure the Peter Pan Party hat was a Pinterest find!

  

A Bigger Heart

Four years ago when this screaming babe was placed on my chest I thought I was in love. And every year, God makes my heart bigger so it can fit the love that grows for this precious boy. We had a beautiful day celebrating Little Abear's birthday. I am just so in awe and blessed with the heart God is instilling in him; he asks of his own volition about our Savior, he gives of his love well, he encourages others with kindness. So much wrapped up in this little four years we've had together, a great deal to be thankful for.

Field Day

Finding India

I don't even know what to title this post, hopefully by the end of it I will.

This journey has been long, and will be still longer, but we have hope. This is a beautiful walk with the Lord. Our heart for adopting was placed in us differently, so much so, but nevertheless it was placed in us by the great Adopter. I never thought, but He knew.

We have been on the journey to find our littler Abear for nearly two years, but the fire was placed in us long before that. It was a long journey, with a hole at the end, unknown, sucking us in. We looked into adopting a number of ways and from many places, so many times it didn't seem right. And so we were searching, and lost. Until recently, when the latest prospect was coming to a close, this light appeared to us. 

India.

We are so full of joy to announce that we, Lord Willing, are adopting from India. Our second little love will be in India, with someone loving them and preparing them for us until they're in our arms. Little Abear longs for a little brother or sister from India, and their daddy cannot wait to bring them in as his forever own. India, the name cannot roll off my tongue enough. India, the home of my heart's longing. There is still a long road to them, with much to be done. Paperwork has been signed to make this real, real to me anyway. It's always been real to my Lord who designed it; and this business of "finding India" was never real anyway, it was always there, waiting to be re-introduced to us at exactly the right moment. 

All things are orchestrated for the good of those that serve Him, and for His glory.

Praise the Lord for India, for a home for my little one, for allowing us to wander into the desert only to show us the bountiful blessing ahead.

Sending away our paperwork last year, and the approval to adopt that followed!

Telling our little love with books

Before we ever knew it was India, our love for him/her was waiting.

Half a Year

I can't believe it's been a half year since this sweet little babe was born!

I loved doing this shoot of baby Gideon, here are some sneak peeks!

beautiful things

Awestruck wonder.

Miracles in the everywhere. In the quiet, in the chaos, trailing after sadness only to precede the joy.

My little boy full of lethargy and sadness for days, brief bouts of happy and smiles... healed before the medicine properly provided health restored. Miracles in a hospital room.

A guitar stolen, precious tool gone, retrieved after prayers. Strings strummed in praise to the Creator who returned it. Miracles in the absence and return.  

God works within the crevices of the struggles. Jesus cries with us, mourns and grieves near our side. We are not alone or abandoned, yet we willingly depart from joy abounding in search of happiness un-fulfilling. We are lost of our own volition, we are found because of sweet grace, nothing of our own design.

Be encouraged, dear one, there is a Deliverer ever present. Ever real. 

Waiting, loving, blessing, taking, giving. Praise Him for the trial, praise Him for the gifts. 

my sweet boy, health restored.