Happy Summer!

It's officially the first day of summer! I'll admit, I'm usually a grump about the summer heat here in AZ, BUT - - this year I've been given an extra measure of grace and joy and have found myself embracing the season :)

In celebration, here are some fun summer-y things to do with links below 

Summer Fun List // DIY Rasberry & Shiso Jam // School's out, take the kids to help at Feed My Starving Children // Floral Crown // Shadow Puppets

Grace

On one hand I feel like I'm profusely sweating out the toxins of my own humanity, showing my sin to every person I'm in longer-than-thirty-second contact with, and on the other - I feel like am completely aware that I'm swimming in grace. I feel alone yet full, completely full of this God-love circulating all around me, this mercy that fills my cup in the obvious, while my heart tries to catch up to the knowledge that He's there, pouring into the glass. 

Today was a duality of days where the light that preceded the dusk held the moments of loss-awareness, and then the smiling face of a beloved friend walked through my door and it all dissipated. And then more feet carrying the souls of more loved ones passed through my door, all bearing thoughtfulness and helping hands. And those helping hands make a heavy heart light; sitting at a table all together under summer last-light, I found myself snug in the midst of family all around.

A Little Wisdom

Last weekend I was blessed to be able to capture an anniversary party for two couples celebrating their 40th & 50th anniversaries, respectively. The two wives shared some sweet & simple advice that I thought I might pass along... 

The first: love your spouse more than you love your job and more than you love your children. Because one day, you won't have a job and your children will be gone - and then it will just be you and your spouse again. (this is so true, and yet so hard to acknowledge sometimes!)

The second wife said, "When we were first married J. used to hold my hand in bed every night and say, 

"'Lord, please make us a team'"

and I look back and realize, He did!"

Simple words proven through thick and thin. 

Lord willing Mr. Abear and I will continue looking at one another with such affection in 47 years, our children gathered close with us, and our friends still as dedicated & animated as ever.

Father's Day

New friends, and the sharing of a special day.

One Less Thing

At the beginning of the week this card arrived all full of encouragement and love,
and at the end of the week our home study paperwork left full of the same.

One less "thing" before we hold the little one tight.

The Start of Things to Come, Part II

India, so blatantly an option. I communicated this interested to R. (previously mentioned adoption liaison), and she directed me to the liaison who would be able to help with India. "K." was/is more than anything I would've asked for in an agency representative. She is the messenger we were waiting for, the one who will be introducing us to our child. We prayed as a family, and signed the initial application. We were sent the first part of the formal application, something we worked through, sent back, and suddenly this burning in our hearts was turning into a formal act.

Little Abear was a little confused and still totally enthusiastic that a new brother or sister was coming from India. He will be the best big brother.

While we had fallen in love with our placing agency more than halfway across the country, we decided to look into a new local home study agency, since ours was needing to be updated for India. I asked K. for some insight, and she sent me three agencies she was familiar with. I called the first on her list, just half an hour past their closing hours. The automated message answered "Press 1 if you would like... press 2 if you would like..." I had no idea - no numbers for home studies. I pressed the most closely related option, and almost fell off my chair. The voice on the answering machine was a lifelong family friend; how had this knowledge of her position there escaped me?!
Because this halfway-across-America connection was supposed to be a miracle. Because God so graciously gave us someone we can confidently trust to advocate for us.

Our family has embraced this, our friends are laying themselves down in support. The sacrifices people have made have been so selfless, so thoughtful. The Lord is bringing people out of the woodwork to serve. India was supposed to fall away for awhile, so that this could all happen as it should, so that we could be paired with the little one God has set out for us. So that we could see the miracles in all of these gifts.

The Start of Things to Come, Part I

It was so clever how He brought us to adoption. For me, the scales had to fall off of my eyes, so the Lord showed me that adoption is beautiful and not different, not different at all to Him. For David, it's simple. You ask why, and he'll say: God adopted me. So lovely.

It took one conversation while we were dating to see that we were on the same page, and past that it all made sense. We agreed one day, Lord willing, we would look at India - and that was that. Little Abear came to us at exactly the right moment, filling our home with this love unimaginable. We knew we wanted more of this, more love/baby laughter/lifelong hearts full. Two years ago we decided to see whether God would give us another birth or an adoption - or both. 

In July of 2012 we attended an informational meeting on adoption. We learned, we talked, we signed paperwork that September. Oh that home study, how it loomed over us - the first "legal" step to our littlest Abear. We slowly signed lines and gave life stories, trying to navigate through to where this child would hail from. While looking at country qualifications, India was allowed to slip from my mind, because we weren't meant to go there, yet. From all of the countries and domestic entities we researched, nothing seemed right - for countless reasons. I felt hopeless, and a little alone.

In the summer of 2013 we participated in a 10 week course on becoming foster/adopt parents, another door that ended up closing for now. This last winter I was led to more international agencies, more placing entities I didn't know if I could entrust our journey to. Another country on my mind, and it all seemed so insecure. There was nothing I could be sold out to, nothing I could passionately pursue. And that passion, that's what my little one deserves.

R. answered the phone, and more importantly so graciously answered all of my concerns and questions. This adoption liason, comfortable and confident, she put me so much more at ease than most others before her. I kept her information tucked away, just in case this new country happened to fall into place. A friend put me in contact with a gal who had adopted from our potential pursuit, and this conversation only confirmed my growing concerns. Options were increasingly exhausted, and so were we. I was looking at the website of said liason's agency, and there was India. This light, this forgotten land. I looked at the stipulations for adoption, and we met every single criteria. Our family fit, and that passion that was once there for India, reignited a little.

Mr. Meow

Captain Naymo Letten Abear, our furry little newcomer <3

Tot Art!

I have totally fallen in love with teaching my little 3-5 year old Tot Art class, what a joy they've been to me!
Here are my sweet little students...

*Not pictured, my darling little student Evangeline :)

Lifesong for Orphans

We received a call from Lifesong for Orphans recently letting us know that anyone who would like to walk with us on this adoptive journey financially has the opportunity to do so through a tax deductible account set up for our family, we are so humbled and thankful for the gift.

For friends interested in donating online, you can head over to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate. 
Select “Give to an Adoptive Family" and enter in our account number {#4510} and family name fields {Hebert}. PayPal charges of 2.9% & 0.30 per transaction will be deducted from each donation. Checks on our behalf can be mailed to 

Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744. 

Please include our family name and account number in the memo. 100% of each donation received will be placed towards our adoption. Donations under $250 will be mailed a tax receipt upon request.

If you feel led to be a part of our journey in this way, we are abundantly grateful. If you feel led to be a part through prayer, we know our Lord has been working perpetual miracles, therefore we heartily welcome the prayers of the saints. 

To head over to Lifesong's website, and learn more about one of the many exciting ways you can get involved {including sponsoring a child!} please click this link  :^)