Happy Birthday Deken!

I tried for 20 grueling minutes yesterday to get Deken to tell me what he wanted for Breakfast on his birthday.....  At first I don't think he was understanding that I was asking for TOMORROW's breakfast, because when I first asked he went and sat at the table like he was waiting to eat, even though he had just had lunch 20 minutes before...

Then, after going through the whole "what's tomorrow mean" thing, he finally said "I want Sausage and Noodles please"   hrumph....  Well, sausage and noodles is a dinner thing, and none of which I had on hand, which is odd, because that's what Deken asks for everyday for each meal.. You'd think I'd have the supplies on hand at all times....

Then I tried to hoax him with a " But it's your birthday, and you get to have something special for breakfast"  After that, all I got out of him was "Um, I'd like some candles mom"   Ugh...

At this point I realized that I probably had to list some things for him.  "Deken, you can have pancakes with chocolate chips, or mommy can make you eggies, or we can go to a restaurant and have breakfast? Any of those?"  (Slow shaking head)... Really? Not even Chocolate Chip Pancakes! Dad's not even home!!!

At this point Deken got up and slowly walked through the kitchen looking around.  Until he found it.  He looked at me, and looked at the box, and then looked at me again and pointed.  Really?  That's what you want for your special birthday breakfast?  A poptart?

Mind you he has a poptart basically everyday for breakfast.... (and by poptart I mean the whole grain organic with the slightest bit of sugar kind from Costco)..  I said "A poptart?"  And I got something along the lines of:

"WOOWHOO (Rocky arms in the air)  Yeah Poptart and Yogurt! (I always give him a probiotic yogurt in the morning too) Woo Deken's Birthday!"

Followed by Deken so desperately trying to get three fingers in the air... He's got two, and he can do 5 and 1, but 3 looks pretty arthritic... So he gave up, winked and eye, shot a thumbs up and said "Oh yah poptart"  But nice try big boy.  We're getting there goofball..

So, against my will, this morning I woke Deken up singing Happy Birthday, holding a cherry pomegranate poptart with a candle on top.  As I was singing he even had the nerve to say "Mom hurry, I want to blow the candle out!"  Really kid?

I can't believe that 18 months ago Daddy and I had no children, and now we have a big 3 yr old and a sweet 2 yr old.  Unbelievable to me...  And the sweetest present of all today was that the US G*v told us that we can bring your sister home.  :) 


What's that?  Popcorn for lunch?  Ok... I guess I can manage that... 

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy! 

(UN)Requested Prayer

When I lay fast asleep in my bed each night, a young man in Uganda is awake. Working.Laboring.Preaching.  A priest with a soft voice but a strong message.

A man, that without me knowing it, prays for me and my family, when he doesn't even know we need it.  His words are powerful.  And they are FOR me...  His words are eloquent, encouraging, and full of praise to our King.  And they are FOR me...

This morning Marty and I needed something really big to happen.  It was super important.  We prayed hard that it would work out, and chose to rely on God's grace for it to be so.  We were incredibly blessed by a small miracle this morning, and can now take the next step to bringing our sweet baby girl home!

This afternoon, while checking through all my emails I found an email from my saving grace.  15 hours before our 'big thing' this morning.  He wished us a Merry Christmas, and told us that he was praying for us today.

He prays for me, when I need it most, and he doesn't even know it..  What an incredible friendship Marty and I have been blessed with, in this wonderful man that thinks of us and prays for us.  Just.Because.

Did I mention, it's because of this great man, that Marty and I went to Uganda last year in the first place?  A trip where we met our son?  Setting a path that, a year later, brought us a wonderful daughter?

Today I'm so thankful for the little miracles that God brings us.  After our big accomplishment this morning, I told a sweet friend how thankful I was, that God not only provides for our needs, but surpasses our needs, with everything He's got... Just.Because.

I'm so behind on my surpassing...  He shows me how each and every day.  He shows a sweet priest, 8,000 miles away the same.  I.Am.So.Blessed.  I don't deserve it.

In 8 wonderful days, my family of 3 will be getting on a plane finally.  And in a few short weeks will be coming home a family of 4.

So.Very.Blessed.

Skipping Christmas

I absolutely love this movie... Actually, it started as a book called Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.  I read the book first, but I knew a movie was coming out and who the actor's were going to be, so it was really hard to read the book and not picture the actors saying everything.  It was still a hilarious book, and I watch the movie every Christmas season.  Love it!

However, I never thought I would say "We're skipping Christmas this year"   Ok, well, we're not totally skipping Christmas.... We're just not decorating...  We've bought presents (frugally) and we're attending all the Christmas parties, and we've been talking up the birth of baby Jebus to Deken like crazy.  But there's no tree in our house, or lights out side.  No swags on the mantle or garland in the archways....  Just two little elf candle holders on the table that were a gift from the other day and Deken and I cut out some snowflakes and a snowman from some coffee filters, to hang in the windows....

The reason?  We think we will be in Uganda for Christmas (YEAH!)  We're not for sure yet, still planning, but Deken's passport arrived the other day (yes, he's coming with us!!!) and we are on the last leg of our 'approvals wait'.  We are soooo hoping to be together, as a family of FOUR for Christmas....

We're not sure it will all work out (flights to Uganda at Christmas? Yikes!) But either way, it will be very soon, and we thought that lugging out the millions of Christmas boxes, from the already frozen attic, would be too much this year... Plus, we don't know how long we will be gone, and we don't want to come back to a dead and decaying tree with droopy decorations all over.. (yuck for cleaning up!)

Please pray for a speedy ending to our wait!  It's so hard to hear "Your baby girl needs her Mommy"  and not be able to jump on a plane that day to go get her....  Soon though, very soon...  I can't believe it's December 12th already!  We could be holding and tickling our baby girl in 2 weeks!!! Ugh! I can't wait!!!!

So long Christmas decorations.... This year there is a little girl about yeah high (imagine the arm motion) that is so much more important than you! (insert squishy face with tongue sticking out and a little nah-nah nah nah nah-nah)

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

~K