A Random Eden Post

Just thought I would do a mostly-photo post to let you know what's going on in little Eden's world...enjoy!

When we moved to our new house, we ordered Eden her first "real" bed. She has PLENTY of room to grow!


For those of you with kids, you know that one funny face your little one can make that makes you crack up? And sometimes they'll do it when you're trying to discipline them and you lose it and laugh, which ruins everything....this is Eden's face...


Last week we took a quick-trip to Birmingham to visit Dr. Aponte at the UAB Dental School again to fit Eden for her prosthesis. She was so brave! I LOVE this doctor...any of you cleft moms who may need dental devices I highly recommend her. We haven't gotten Eden's to fit quite right yet so we'll go again in September. Dr. Aponte is from Venezuala, up in the Andes Mountains...



While we were in Birmingham, Eden got to visit with one of her best friends, Caleb Platt. Isn't it funny that even at age 3 the girl is trying to get the boy to be still and behave while he is trying to run?? Ha Ha!


Eden also got to visit with her Aunt KK and baby cousin Camp...he is growing so fast!



I was blown away today when Eden showed me the picture she drew on the dry-erase board at daddy's office. We color a lot, but I had no idea she could draw a "person" this well now. Little Picasso???

This is a person holding a dog, per Eden.

Person

Dog (with 5 legs I think, but still)

And finally, she started ballet today. We found a ballet school that teaches dance as a form of worship, just like the Psalms talk about. I HAD to let you see her in a real tu-tu...such a priss!

The Neighbors

Okay, back to South Africa. If you read my post about Esther, you remember I said she lived in a "duplex" with 3 doors...well, today you will meet her neighbors to the left. I don't know their names, but their faces are burned in my memory forever.

I'm not even sure how many people lived in that house. The first day we came it was like a ghost town. There were 3 little boys outside, playing in the dirt, with no adults to be found. Several times I had to run and grab the littlest one before he crawled off a concrete ledge. These children were terrified of us. They would just sit in the dirt and stare blindly ahead...no emotion...not even fear. It was terrifying how empty those eyes were. It literally disturbed me and sent cold chills up my spine. It was like their bodies were alive, but their spirits were slowly dying...much like what you see in orphanages when children are left in cribs all day with no human touch...except these weren't orphans.

As we were talking to Esther, she told us one of the boys, the middle one, had a sore on his lower abdomen. Esther went and found his mother and she brought the boy to us. Now there was fear...he was petrified of us, screaming and flailing. I fought tears, knelt in front of him, and tried to establish eye contact...he fought, I fought harder, finally he allowed his dark, beautiful eyes to lock with mine..."Okay," I thought to myself, "I see you in there, little buddy."

Slowly I inched towards him and put my arms around him while his mother jerked at his clothes to show us the sore. I wanted to scream at her, "Can't you see he's scared?! Slow down! Be gentle!" Of course I didn't. The sore was bad, oozing and infected. We put some medicine on it and told his mother he needed to go to the clinic ASAP. She wasn't really listening or concerned. I fought tears again. Then, I prayed over him, asking the Lord to heal his sore. Then we left. We prayed for the oppression of those children to be lifted as we walked away...and throughout the day. I grieved for their lost childhood...the thought of them sitting in the dirt day in and day out shook me to my core.

Fast forward to the next day. As we walk up the hill I'm bracing myself for what I will find. It's pretty bad at first. Two little boys sharing a chicken bone for breakfast...yes, a bone. Then I get some perspective through my western eyes and say, "Thank you, Lord for providing food for them today." After all, thousands of children die from hunger each day. The Lord is stretching me. Ouch, it hurts.

After a few minutes, I start to see smiles. Giggles, even. They want to play. So do I. We play with my sunglasses, stickers, and a book I've brought with me. The oldest boy starts to talk as I read to him...in English. He can count to 10! He knows his colors! He loves hugs! His smile would light up the darkest cave. My heart soars. Where is his mother? The middle boy still hasn't been taken to the clinic for the sore. Esther says it's better since we prayed for him. We keep praying. His mother, who hasn't hardly looked at me over the hour I've been playing with her children, leans over and whispers in my ear, "I like you." My soul sings. "I love you," I tell her.

Then we spend some time explaining to her why it's so important to play with her boys...to talk to them...read to them...count and sing...hug and love. God is using all the developmental/attachment reading I had to do for our adoption for these 3 little ones in South Africa. He is a big God. "They are smart," I tell her. Her soul sings. We leave the book for them and pray as we wave goodbye. That was the last day I saw those boys. Why?

Day 3...no one is home...they are at the clinic. Yes!

I wish I could describe the difference in those boys from the first to the second day, but there's no way to accurately do so. All I can say is their spirits came alive with a little love and attention. Children are so resilient. I don't even know their names, but I will never forget their faces. It gives me comfort to know that God knows the number of hairs on their heads. He made them for His glory, and He loves them beyond measure. That is the only way I could walk away from them...because I know the God who made them. There seems to be no end to the suffering in Africa, but God is bigger.

Meet my little friends...

The first day.

They wouldn't even look at us.

Reading on the next day.

I couldn't get him out of my lap...which was fine with me. I love how I look with an African child...hint, hint!

They shared a bowl of "pup" for lunch (it tastes like a mixture of mashed potatoes and grits). It's very cheap and fills the tummy and therefore a staple of their diets.

They gobbled it up and licked the bowl...no whining about food here.

Sticker fun!

This is all they had to sit on outside.

The oldest...very much a caregiver.

The middle brother.

And the baby.

Regular

I have a good Africa post coming tomorrow, but tonight I had to share something so sweet Eden said the other day. Before we flew to China to adopt her, I made her a photo album with family pictures in a Winnie the Pooh photo book. While we were in China, we were miraculously able to meet her foster mother (if you haven't read that story, go back to the Friday, July 27, 2007 post and read it...such a miracle). Once we arrived home, I put a photo we took of our family with her foster mom in the photo album so she could look at it whenever she needed/wanted to.

To this day, she pulls it out and tells us who everyone is. Well, the other day she and her daddy were reading and she brought the Winnie the Pooh album out to "read" to him. She started going through the family pictures saying who everyone is. Then, she came to the photo of us with her foster mom and she said, "This is daddy, this is my China mommy, and this is my regular mommy." I heard it and said, "Eden, why am I your regular mommy?" And she answered, "This is a regular family, so you are my regular mommy."

That's right sweet girl...I am your regular mommy...I love it. Here is the photo. I've never posted it before, but feel like after 2 years, it's time to introduce you to the angel who loved my baby like her own for 16 months of Eden's life. I will forever be thankful for her and pray for her. And Eden will forever love her I am sure.

Esther

Meet Esther...the first person we met in the Joe Slovo community. Joe Slovo is the name of the squatter camp my group was assigned to. We had to pass Esther's stone, one-room home on our way each day...she was our first stop. It was actually her neighbor, Christina, who was our patient...but it was Esther's smile and wave that greeted us each morning.

Esther lives in this concrete block structure with 3 doors, almost like a duplex. Esther's home is the one with the red door, in the middle. There is one "toilet" out back inside a make-shift outhouse made of sticks and plastic. There is no running water, so they have to go down to Refilwe to get water in their buckets and haul it up a path, around a sharp curve, back home. Esther lives alone. More on the neighbors later...let's talk Esther.

Esther seemed to be the care-taker of her little compound. She is a widow herself, but contacted Refilwe about her neighbor who needed help. Upon our first visit, she also informed us about her other neighbor's little boy, who had a sore on the lower part of his tummy. It was a bad, oozing sore...obviously full of infection even to my un-trained eyes. We told his mother to take him to the clinic...then we told Esther to make sure she did so :0)

Esther was funny and lively. I pulled out pictures to show her my family. When she saw Eden's photo she asked if my husband was Chinese. "No," I replied, "we adopted her from China." "You can't have babies?" she asked. "Well, that's not exactly the case...we chose to adopt." Okay, huge culture gap here. She clearly didn't understand because her next statement was, "Maybe it's your man...or maybe it's your eggs." I bursted out laughing. She was serious as a heart attack. "Maybe," I said.

I loved visiting with Esther and looked forward to her smile each morning. In our first chat, she told me she was old when she started having children...she was 21. She was clearly an open book. I asked her if she knew that there was a queen named Esther in the Bible. She did not know this, so I opened my Bible and showed her the book of Esther. A smile spread across her face. "You have a good name," I told her. "Queen Esther saved her people." A look of satisfaction across her wrinkled, lovely face. I think she could relate. Later she asked for a Bible of her own. We promised to let Refilwe know so they could get her one.

Esther's toes stuck out of the ends of her worn-out shoes. She wore the same clothes everyday, had no family living with her, and had little in the way of worldly possessions...and she was such a blessing to us, and to those around her. Her widow neighbor that she told Refilwe to help was mean as a snake to her...but she looked out for her anyway. God looks out for Esther, I'm quite sure. I asked what size shoe she wore that first day and she told me...she never asked for shoes. I just couldn't stand the thought of her exposed feet in the winter (it was winter when we were there and the nights were very cold). She had no warm, heated home to retreat to. On our last day, we got permission to get Esther some shoes from Refilwe. We dug through the box, looking for a size 8 pair of warm shoes...fashion was not important. We needed comfortable warm shoes that would be easy for an elderly woman to walk in. Finally we found some and set off for our first stop.

When we got there, Esther was not there and her red door was locked. We didn't even get to tell her goodbye. Her neighbor said she was at the clinic...so was the little boy next door with the sore. Sweet Esther. I laid the shoes in front of her red door and prayed for her. "Lord," I prayed silently, "Please make her know You gave her these shoes. I don't want her to think the white Americans brought them. I want her know they are from You." Maybe for the first time in my life I understood what John meant in John 3:30 when he said, "God must become greater; I must become less."

I will always remember sweet Esther. Hope you enjoyed meeting her, too. More on Esther's neighbors tomorrow. Here's one more photo for you. Have a blessed day!

Monday in South Africa

Hello all. I decided I was going to walk myself, and all of you, through my week in South Africa. If I go in order, that will help me to remember details and process it all...plus my photos are in order so that helps too. There will likely be times when there is more than one post on a particular day...especially the days spent in the community visiting. We saw so many, and I want to share individual stories with you as I can.

This post is going to introduce you to the ministry we partnered with. It is called Refilwe (this word means "gift"). You can also go to their website, Refilwe.org, to get more details and ways to support their incredible ministry. One of the first things you will find on their website is a quote by Albert Einstein. It says, "The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm, but because of those who see it and do nothing." This is a ministry that is definitely doing something.

There is so much I could tell you, but I'm going to try and summarize. My favorite thing about this ministry is that it is dealing with the "onion layers" of the culture in South Africa. What do I mean by "onion layers?" I'll try and explain. Here's a list of issues on this continent: HIV/AIDS, poverty, rape, lack of education, abuse and neglect, orphans, and of course, a lack of knowledge of God and faith in Christ (just to name a few). It seems that once you dive into one of these issues, like HIV/AIDS, for instance, all it does is peel away to another layer of darkness and sin, like rape. You see, many HIV positive men have been deceived into thinking that having sex with a virgin will cure them...therefore, rape is an issue...but it is linked to the AIDS issue. With each layer you peel back, there is more. There is no amount of money you can throw at this continent that is going to clean all this up...only Christ can fix it.

The staff at Refilwe realizes this, and so they don't just attack one issue...their ministry is to people. I don't know how many times I heard staff there say, "There is an entitlement mentality among the poor here and we have to teach them how to help themselves...we can't do everything for them." While their hearts break over what they see, the Lord has given them His eyes to see the big picture. Sometimes that means not picking a sick person up and driving him to the clinic to get their TB or ARV drugs...it means urging him to use his money wisely so he has money for a taxi...or not giving out food to everyone, but helping single moms apply for a grant so they can buy food. One of my favorite projects they have is they give out free seeds to anyone who will dig and prepare their yard for a garden so that they can grow their own food. But, they won't prepare the soil if the person is physically able to do so.

One of the ministries they have started is a home care team. It is made up of people living in the communities they serve. They provide training for them and then give them a job. They are provided English classes, and are discipled each Thursday by the founder of Refilwe. We were able to sit in Bible study and it was incredible. These home care workers are not being spoon-fed. They are being taught to study God's Word for themselves. This is the specific team we partnered with while there. Our task was to help these home care workers go beyond just checking off their paperwork. We came in with fresh eyes and fresh compassion. At each home visit we shared the Gospel, visited and prayed with people. We cleaned houses, gave baths, bandaged wounds, and played with little ones. Hopefully, our example "raised the bar" a little bit for the home care workers by encouraging them that they could make a difference in their communities.

Here are some photos of the Refilwe property with captions that explain each photo.

You may not be able to read this sign in the photo, but it says, "Refilwe, breaking the cycle of poverty." This sign sits by the highway.

Another Refilwe banner.

This sign hangs by the office. The staff calls Refilwe the "promised land" because when they bought the property, it was polluted and useless.

Look at it now. This stream runs through the middle and it used to be toxic. Christ truly does "make all things new," doesn't He?

This is an example of the project to help people make money for themselves. They make these, paint them, and sell them at market.

Here is part of the Refilwe garden.

This is the Refilwe project closest to my heart. In the background are foster homes. There are 45 rescued orphans who legally live in these homes with "real parents." Even after the turn 18 and move away, this is where they come back "home."

There is a Cresh (daycare) at Refilwe also. Here are some of the little ones who go there...precious!

And another

Who else could eat her up?

So that's a brief look at Refilwe. Before I go, I have to share one last thing that made me laugh out loud with joy and wonder. Refilwe is quite industrious in their ways of self-supporting. On the property, they have a huge earthworm farm/compost center. They are buying earthworms to mix with manure and compost to make organic soil...it seems South Africa is also going green, so the organic compost soil sells for a high price, even wholesale. Did you know that earthworms double in number every 48 days? As I was standing there listening to this information, I started laughing. God will even use worms and cow poop to glorify Himself, spread His love, and care for the poor, sick, orphaned and oppressed. What an incredibly resourceful God we serve!

I'm so thankful for what I learned partnering with this ministry. Our team SO wanted to give handouts to everyone we saw in need. We wanted to "fix" the problems with our western ways. Why? I think in large part because it makes us feel better about ourselves if we "do" something, doesn't it? I wanted to be able to come home and report all that I did, or gave. God turned those plans upside down, for His glory. We literally had nothing to give. All of the supplies we brought were given to Refilwe for them to give out as they saw fit. That meant we walked into these neighborhoods with a Bible...and ourselves. Yes, I gave out a few stickers at the end of the week, but most days I didn't have a bag of treats...just myself. I learned how far a smile goes, a hug, a conversation. I learned that there is POWER in just opening God's Word and letting Him speak and bridge the gaps of cultural differences. I learned that saying "Jesus Jesus Jesus" in front of a witch doctor's house will make the darkness flea. Each day the people were more open, the children's eyes brighter and more alert...even after one prayer. This is the God we serve...He is mighty to save!

Home From South Africa...A Sneak Peak

I've missed you, my bloggy friends! What an incredible 2 weeks! I arrived home early Monday morning...sorry I'm just now posting. Between jet-lag and soaking in time with my beloved little, blogging took the back burner....but I'm so excited to share with you what I saw and learned in Africa.

To be honest, I don't think I've yet processed it all. I really had to "turn off" my emotions throughout the week working there so that I could function...what we saw was so hard. Just to give you an idea, the first night we were there, one of the missionaries was preparing us for the communities we would be working in. She said, mid-sentence, 90% of the girls you will see age 3 and up have been raped...90%...

That was night 1, so you can imagine. The way our trip turned out, we were working alongside South Africans who lived in the squatter camps where we were working. Therefore, we couldn't really react to the poverty, neglect, sickness, oppression, etc. that we saw because we didn't want to offend those who lived in the midst of it. That was their normal, their home. So, I kind of just stuffed down my emotions all week. Now, I must let it all surface so I don't forget, or become numb. I need to weep, as I'm sure Christ does, for His people.

So, because it's so much, I'm going to be posting a picture and a story each day on the blog so I can share with you, and process for myself. Today, you will just get a sneak-peak. Here are a couple of photos. I am going to end this post with a devotion from a Charles Spurgeon book I have. It perfectly describes what I think God sent me to South Africa to learn...or remember. Hope you enjoy...and check back for more!

This photo had to be first. These are my African sisters, Elizabeth (left) and Elyse. They were part of the home care team we partnered with and I spent the week walking the dirt roads with these amazing women. More details on them to come.

Stickers on the forehead is universal, by the way. These beauties kept yelling "shoot!" at me...that meant "take our photo!"

The South African sunset. This picture doesn't even begin to show the majesty of the African sky. You have to go and see for yourself!

From Charles H. Spurgeon's Morning and Evening
"Fix our eyes on Jesus." - Hebrews 12:2

It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you don't repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you don't have the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all, and is in all" Remember, therefore, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you - it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you - it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, although that is the instrument - it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, don't be fixing your eyes so much on your hand with which you are grasping Christ, as on Christ; don't be looking at your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope; don't be looking to your faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "fixing our eyes on Jesus." Simply keep your eye on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon your mind; when you wake in the morning look to Him; when you lie down at night look to Him. Oh! don't let your hopes or fears come between you and Jesus; follow closely after Him, and He will never fail you.

"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name."

2 Years With Our Angel

Today we celebrate our 2-year adoption anniversary with Eden Hope. I can't believe it's been 2 years! I remember every detail like it was yesterday.

I leave for South Africa tomorrow so I don't have lots of time to write, but I couldn't let this day go by without at least posting something. Where do I begin? How do I articulate such a miracle?

I remember walking into that sweltering hot Civil Affairs Office in Wuhan, China with butterflies in my stomach. Would she come to me? How would I know what to do? How do I communicate to this little stranger how much I already love her? So many questions...and yet such certainty. God had moved so many mountains to put us in that room at that moment for that baby girl. It wasn't the labor or delivery room I had imagined in my girlhood dreams of becoming a mommy. And yet there I was...and then, I saw her for the first time.

She looked so lonely...so confused. Nothing prepared me for the deep sadness in that little girl's heart those first days...the grief...the running to the door of the hotel and looking at me pleading for her "mama"...not knowing I was right there...the way she would gather all of her little treasures she brought with her, not knowing I had sent her those toys and blanket, and would rock back and forth with that horrible moaning cry, refusing to be comforted until she was "finished."

And nothing prepared me for the miracle of the day her foster mom came to the hotel and we met her (secretly and by "accident"). I've never been more sure of anything as when I handed my baby back to the only mama she had ever known so they could say goodbye. In that moment there was no room for jealousy or fear...I knew Eden loved her and it just couldn't be about me. And as that precious Chinese woman pointed to me and told Eden, "Mama" those walls began to slowly crumble. Healing began on that day.

I've made a lot of mistakes over the past 2 years...but motherhood is the most incredible journey. Watching this little person grow up knocks the wind out of me sometimes. She is the funniest little creature I have ever met...and the most loving. She is so brave. So brave. To love again so deeply...what lessons I learn from her. Gene and I sit in awe of the greatness of God. Parenthood is like having a front-row seat to His most incredible work. Most times in our busy-ness and routine we miss it...but every once in a while I will stop, and look, and see it...my prayer is that in the coming year, I will see Him more and more...and not take one moment for granted.

Love you all...here's a few photos of our sweet one...

The first photo we received of Eden in December 2006.

Another photo from the orphanage in January 2007.

Another picture from China in July 2007, right before we traveled.

Gotcha Day...July 23, 2007. This photo says it all...

Eden today...this one says it all, too!

Our Week in Birmingham

Hello all! We spent last week in Birmingham visiting friends, going to Eden's dr. appointment, and packing for my South Africa trip. It was a fun week.

Eden went to see a maxio facial prostheticist to see about getting a device to plug the 2 holes she still has behind her 2 front teeth from her cleft. These holes won't be repaired until she has permanent teeth. We had a great visit to the Dental School at UAB and the doctor was great. Eden had to do a mold of her top teeth and she did fantastic...no gagging or fit-pitching. They actually said she did better than most adults. The doctor said she does think she can make a device that will help with speech and with her being able to suck better and not having food escaping through her nose. We will go back in mid-August to try it on and see how it works.

I leave this Friday for a mission trip to South Africa. I will return on August 3rd. Gene has some fun Atlanta activities planned with Eden to help pass the time. She will also be going for a long visit with her Ja-Ja (my mom) from which I'm sure she'll return purely rotten!

I can't wait to share with you what I see and experience in Africa. Until then, here are some pictures of our week in Birmingham. Love you all!

Eden on her new big-girl bike...of course it's princesses.

Eden with her cousins...some of her favorite people on earth. From left: Hayden, Savannah and baby Camp.

My beautiful sister, Kelly, and her little man (who is finally sleeping through the night!!)

My blessing, my daughter. She is such a doll!

Eden with Hannah, my best friend Alisa's little angel.

Here is a sample of one kit that we will be giving out in South Africa. It contains 5 types of medicine, lip ointment, antibiotic ointment, soap, wash cloths, towels, bandages and cotton swabs. These will be given in a wash basin with a Bible in their language.

The Beach, A Flower Girl, and a New Home

Sorry it's been a while. I've spent the last week and a half unloading boxes. I have let go of the delusion that I'm not a pack-rat. Don't ask me why I want to keep my high school cheerleading jacket...but I just can't throw it away.

Anyway, I promised pictures, so this post includes some. We have moved to a suburb of Atlanta, as I mentioned in my last post. After a small delay in closing on our house in B'ham, we moved a little over a week ago in 2 U-haul trucks and a mini-van. Eden and Maggie (our chocolate lab) rode with me, along with the flat-screen TV, and Gene and his dad followed with the trucks. This was a hard move, as it was quick, out of state, and we were at the beach at a wedding the week before...but we finally made it.

We love the house we're renting, and even got some goodies delivered from our next-door neighbors today. We're settling in now, and even discovered that one of the families we traveled to China with when we adopted Eden lives here...and I have several sorority sisters from college in the area, too. It's nice to know people.

Eden is doing great. We are painting her room pink (per her request), and we ordered her a "big-girl bed" last week (twin bed). Eden's thought process and awareness of things continually amazes me. When we told her we were moving, she said, "Mommy, I think we need to write notes to all of our friends in Birmingham so they won't worry about us." Wow! The last time she moved, there were no goodbyes or ways to keep in touch. This move, needless to say, has been far less traumatic.

She did great as the flower girl in my brother's wedding. I must admit we did bribe her. It was on the beach, and on the way back down the aisle at the end of the ceremony she stopped and started picking up all of the flower petals to put back in her basket. That got a collective "Awwwww" from the crowd. When we practiced at home she always had to pick them up!

Here are some pictures from the wedding. I will post again soon. Love yall!

All dressed and ready for pictures.

The halo was so precious on her jet-black hair. And she kept it on!!!

See my baby shells?

The beautiful bride...my new sister-in-law Amy. My mom did the flowers on this arch...aren't they gorgeous!

Eden with her 2 great-grandmothers. Can you believe they are in their 80's???

Eden and cousin Camp. He's getting so big...4 1/2 months old.

Trying to be still for pictures.

Oh, one last little story. The day we were moving in, Eden's eye swelled shut...it looked bad and kept getting worse, even with benadryl. So I found a doc-in-the-box place and it was nothing, just an insect bite. Well, a couple of days ago she said, "Mommy, my finger hurts." I look down, and seriously it looked like it might die and fall off. It was so swollen and red. Well, apparently my child has an ant allergy we didn't know about. So yesterday she comes downstairs and says, "Mommy, I dressed myself. I'm going to hunt for ants." When I turned around, this is what I saw....

A Lot Going On...We're moving!

Okay, I am in stressed-out scramble mode. We got a contract on our house 2 weeks ago, just 16 days after putting it on the market. What I haven't shared up until this point is that we are moving to Duluth, GA (about 40 miles north of Atlanta). Gene has accepted the Communications Director position at Cross Pointe Church. We are very excited, but so sad to be leaving Birmingham, our friends, family and Church at Brook Hills family. It's a lot to process.

My brother is getting married this Saturday at the beach, and we leave tomorrow. Eden will be the flower girl (if she cooperates). We had planned to stay a week, but Gene is coming home early to be here for last-minute details because guess when we close...next Friday, the DAY after we return from the beach. Then we start moving Saturday.

So, in the last 2 weeks we've had to find a place to live in a whole new city. Crazy! We did find a great house to rent until we get a lay of the land. There is no way I'm going to be able to call or see everyone I want to sit down and hug before we move, but we will be back several times in July for doctor's appt., and mission trip training...I leave for Africa July 24th.

Even though it's been hectic, it is so obvious God is calling us to this new place and chapter in our ministry as a family. He has opened every door. It is bittersweet for sure. I told Gene what is going to happen is come about August I am going to be sitting in Georgia and finally realize that we moved and I'll probably just cry and cry...but I don't have time to process it now.

So, for now, we are up to our ears in bubble wrap and boxes while packing for vacation. Eden is confused and unnerved by the change. I know she'll be fine when she realizes this time when she moves mommy and daddy go with her. Please pray for her during this time. Any big change tends to trigger her insecurities. This is a good thing for her to learn that a house isn't home...family makes home.

Love you all...and I promise I'll be in touch!

Summer is Here!

Mother's Day Out has ended, school is out so my after-school childcare job has ended, and it's officially summer! I am looking forward to full lazy days at home, at the pool, at the library, and maybe even a few at the beach :0) Life gets so busy and I am really trying to discipline myself to set a more peaceful, laid-back pace for our home. Less seems like much more these days, as I watch our baby grow into a child right before my eyes. Sad and wonderful all at the same time. She is such a joy.

Why is it so hard to enjoy the unfathomable blessings God has given that are right in front of us...husband, daughter, roof overhead, clean water, food, tons of family and friends a phone call away, Bible, journal and a cup of coffee...why aren't these enough? Why, really? Do you wonder, too? Why the endless striving for more? Why the busy-ness? This question will be the focus of my time with God in the coming months...my head knows the answer, but I long to truly believe it with all my being and thus see it in practice daily, both in large and small ways.

On a lighter note, Eden is a hoot people! A hoot! We had "craft time" (I use that term loosely as I was in charge, not daddy) last week and below is the result...a princess crown.


We also had our 6-month cleft clinic appointment for Eden last week and got a great report. Let me just say I LOVE Dr. John Grant at Children's Hospital...he is amazing...and he hasn't even operated on her yet. Such a sensitive spirit and wonderful nature with children. The average age for the next surgery Eden needs (lip/scar revision) is 4 years old. She turns 4 in December. However, after looking at her and the amount of skin he has to work with around her nose he decided it's best to wait in her case until maybe 1st grade. And, one of her ear tubes is out but the eardrum is still moving so this indicates maybe we won't have to replace the tubes...yay! No surgeries for a while right now. The speech pathologist did recommend a dental device that can plug the holes in her gum line to help with speech development, so we're looking into that. It would fit into her mouth like a retainer and keep air from escaping through her nose when she says certain letters. The question is whether or not there is enough to anchor it since she's missing teeth and bone due to her cleft. We're working on getting an appointment with a dental/craniofacial prostheticist right now. Other than that, she is doing amazing.

Eden and I are heading to the beach for a few days this week with my mom, grandmother, and sister and her little one. Can't wait to get away with the girls. I'm sure I'll have tons of photos to share after our trip.

In other news, our house is still on the market. We'll see what happens with that. And, I am gearing up for my mission trip to South Africa in July. Lots of preparation I need to do (on my knees) for that trip. I'm hoping my world gets rocked as I minister to those with AIDS and their caregivers. Also, my brother is getting married at the beach on June 20th, so we're having a mini family reunion down there for a week. Looking forward to sunshine, sand, and time with family I don't get to see that much.

Hope you are all doing great! Love you all...