A Milestone

Today my husband is running around and around and around Lake Nokomis. It's his first 24 hour run that started at 8 this morning and ends, yes, at 8 tomorrow morning. The kids and I went to see him once. We cheered him on, the boys ran with him, I made sure his eyes were tracking and he recognized me. 

We came home, short on gas, food and patience. I sat down to plan out a lovely afternoon when the phone rang. "Mom, it's Dad."

It was 49 degrees and raining today. I knew why he was calling. Within 45 minutes I was back in the car with dry clothes, headed back to Lake Nokomis. 

I had a good 3 minutes with Joel before I had to go. It was time to see Addis graduate from high school. In order to get to her graduation, I had to drive past Children's Hospital. Only a year ago, if I had wanted to see Addis, that's where I would have gone. Tonight I got to see her walk across the stage. 

I'm including a picture from tonight--me a little wild eyed and in clothes that were very appropriate for the library, the bank, Bruegger's Caribou, Lake Nokomis and Lake Nokomis again. Graduation...not so much. Oh well. Addis makes up for it.

Levi's Question

During our garage sale, a lot of people asked about our adoption plans. They also asked if we had adopted before. I told them yes, we had one adopted daughter. Levi was standing there and turned to me with huge eyes. 

"Gracie?" he said. "She's adopted?" 

There's a lot I like about that question.

Weird Things I've Said Today

I think, that when I imagined parenting, I would be sort of Ivy-Leagueish in my conversations with and behavior toward my children. I don't even know exactly what that would look like except that the words dignified, sophisticated and upscale come to mind. 

But here were the two questions I asked today:

1. "Does anyone know where the yodeling pickle is?"

2. "Gracie, find out whose toothbrush Zeke is using. I know it's not his."

I'm pretty sure those questions alone cancelled the Ivy League Imaginings I had. Good thing those imaginings were, oh, 16 years old. 

Dirty Jobs

We don't have cable so I "net-flix" some of our favorite shows. "Dirty Jobs" is one of them. 

Tonight we watched Mike Rowe at an alpaca farm. He helped shave alpacas whose hair, by the way, can sell for $5.00/oz totaling about $700/alpaca. 

To top off the episode, the alpaca farmer showed how they increase their alpaca population. Let's just say, they don't buy more. I saw, for the first time in my life, alpacas mating. So did my 15 year old, my 13 year old, my 11 year old, my 7 year old, my 2 year and ("honey, is that the first time you've seen alpacas mate?" "Oh yea.") my husband. 

The only comment given during the entire graphic, scarring event was from Levi, age 7. 

"Are they married?"

Accomplishment

I imagine there are a lot of us who feel as if we are busy every single day and, really, have very little to show for it. I have the solution. 

A leaf blower.

Our neighbor offered his to us. Joel set up the extension cords. I turned it on. No plan in mind, just harnessing the power of an F2 tornado with my bare hands. 

I blew things--rocks, sticks, ants, their homes all over the yard. Autumn of the Last 4 Years came bursting out from everywhere. When that was done, I discovered I could edge the lawn and clean the deck. Who knew? 

I finished up with a brush with death when I unknowingly dragged the extension cord into the pool. That's where really great husbands come to the rescue, not with hysterical screaming but with calm, holding up of electrical-cord-in-the-pool.

I don't think there is one, single place around our house that looks better. It just felt like the best yard work I had ever done and I wondered if it would work in the house.

A Worthy Quote

A friend and I are what we call "last on the list." We turned our dossier material in the last days of April. There was a huge sense of relief and of accomplishment. Now, however, that we are on "a list" of waiting parents, we are experiencing something new. We are watching other families receive the joyful news that their babies have been found. We know very well that it is not "our turn," that we do not "deserve" to have our babies yet. We are thrilled for the families that have waited all this time. And yet.... we still want it to be our turn. Our minds chasten us. Our hearts ignore our minds.

I think she managed to put it all into one sentence:

"I'm going to eat a piece of pecan pie and wallow in self pity. And pray that my baby's mama has had enough to eat today."

Well said, my friend. Thank you.

A Date

I wondered why I felt so crazy about this whole thing until I talked to a friend. We were discussing why having a date, any date, for referral or court or travel or anything feels so important. It finally became clear that having a date makes this whole process seem real. I thought of it in terms of being pregnant. One of the things I loved to hear the doctor say was my due date: March 19th, April 25, January 29, October 26th. The due dates of my children. I can still remember them even though only one is the same as the birthday.

In an effort to sort through my craziness, I imagined going to the doctor only to have him say, "Well, we have absolutely no idea when this baby might come." 

I also likened myself to that little thing on the computer that goes around and around when it searches for mail. I felt just like it. 

So, in service to my dear family, I made up my own due date. While it is random, sort of, it had some thoughts behind it:

1.It had to be this year or it felt too discouraging. 

2.It had to be a multiple of 7 because God has done really amazing things on our behalf on the 7ths, the 14ths and the 21sts of the months. (wedding, the start of our dating, becoming a Christian just to name a few...)

3. The 28th was open.

4. Psalm 28 is really great.

5. My due date is December 28.

Blessed be the Lord! for he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. -Ps. 28: 6-7