Archives for: Blended family

The Art of Celebration

Newton stood tall, taller than me, leaning up against his new Trek as the other boys stacked wads of bills into his open palm. After handing over the cash, each one grabbed the tiny orange notebook to record their requests. Early on in his delivery service, he realized that written, signed orders were the best way to avoid problems. When the flurry ceased, he read the itemized list out loud and then stuffed it along with the bills into his … Read more »

Our Unexpected Gift

I buried my dream of giving birth to a girl many times. After having boy after boy after boy; after the divorce; even after the beautiful new baby boy with Papa last year. I had to realize that this dream was just not in the cards for me.

And yet again, my story goes:

But God…

When I least expected it, without any orchestrating on my part, I was given this amazing gift.

The caboose of our giant family; a … Read more »

Yours, Mine, and Ours

When we first married, people asked all the time if we might have more children. We laughed. Hard. The kind of laughing where you turn red and can’t catch your breath. We were overextended just figuring out a new marriage and parenting the six we suddenly had together.

But anything can change with time. And our hearts certainly did. We both began to acknowledge a desire deep within to have a child together, and to have a child that would … Read more »

The Brady Bunch…& Beyond!

Many good things came our way in 2012, though by far this news took the cake:

A whole new person will be joining our family.

Amazing that this one tiny baby will share DNA with each member of our eight person blended bunch. We are all thrilled, grateful, and occasionally overwhelmed. It’s been seven years since I gave birth to a child – although I always longed for another. Just one more dream I buried, now resurrected.

No surprise then, … Read more »

Aerial View

Breakthrough.

We use this word a lot in our prayers. For ourselves and people we love – for finances, for marriages, for ministries, for healing, and for direction. These prayers often ring out as drops in a cup; seemingly repetitive, with no tangible result – until that final drop fills the cup to overflowing. But sometimes the day to day drop, drop, drop can get tiring. The waiting. The persevering faith.

In the waiting, both time and perspective are absolutely … Read more »

Making All Things New

After the eve of turning has been properly celebrated with sparkly drinks and amazing friends, before fixing my mind forward with resolution and strategies for the newborn year , I choose something both simple and profound.

I carve out space for grace.

It is the very best groundwork to lay in a year that I intend to be rich and full and productive. It is the best footing to choose when I intend to be stronger, wiser, and more loving … Read more »

A year in Plan A+

They watched as Plan A fell away,

and God replaced it with…Plan A.

Our pastor spoke these words over us a year ago today as he joined our lives and families together.
Our friends love to call it Plan A+.

God’s supernatural aptitude to work everything for good still blows my mind. And it is supernatural for sure – heads above any piecemeal makeover plan we could scrap together ourselves. I had asked Him many times in those dark years … Read more »

Dancing to a Different Drummer

I stood beaming near the tree, now freshly peppered with shiny gifts. The boys rushed in the door and made a mad dash to the gift pile – looking, shaking and squeezing with their child-like wonder. I see Sullivan mouthing something as he handles his presents one by one, then finally he turns to me and says,

There are only 4 presents for me.

At Dad’s house, I have 8.

Ouch.

This was last Christmas. But the scene still tries … Read more »

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

My Christmas highlight thus far was yesterday when my fav version of Go Tell It On the Mountain blasted through our speakers, and we just couldn’t help ourselves! Suddenly Eliot and Curie were leading a dance train, Sullivan and Magellan partnered up twirling about the room together, while Newton and Wesley rocked some uniquely ‘inspired’ creative dance moves! I happily jumped from one dance group to another, as they all bubbled over with smiles and laughter.

There is nothing that … Read more »