Every once in a while something happens that causes us to take an inventory of our life. In this case, it was Kevin. Kevin is the bird in the movie Up. He stands by my door and nods a happy greeting to all who enter. For the Christmas season he donned a sombrero and waved Feliz Navidad. So of course I had to take a picture. I loaded it onto my laptop along with the other 7,564,447 shots of significant others. But I forgot what I named the folder. So in searching for Kevin, I enjoyed reviewing our year.
Last December, our Kentucky girl and granddaughters visited. Oh the fun we had! You know it involved the kitchen!
In January, we hoped and prayed for a baby for Hannah and Brandon to adopt. They had two promising interviews with birth moms. Hearts broke as each girl chose other families. That same month we prayed for Amanda and Shane as they expected their baby who was due in May. Complications came and we feared the worst, especially since they lost their first son to similar complications.
In February, their sweet baby Able was born at only 29 weeks, two pounds 15 ounces! A fragile, amazing miracle of God, he would remain in the NICU for three long months.
In March we learned that we owed $1599.00 in taxes. Three days later God completely took care of our debt. On that same day, March 7th, Able smiled, and so did we!
On April 1st, we were allowed to hold Able for the first time. In May we prayed again that this would be Hannah’s last Mother’s Day without a child. Later that month we made a melon baby in honor of Able and rejoiced that he was finally allowed to go home. Ours did not turn out like the picture.
The summer brought Brandon safely through a mission trip to Haiti, plus the prospect of a baby for him and Hannah. They would have news hopefully by Labor Day. But they didn’t.
Mid-September brought a surprise from their adoption agency. A boy had been chosen for them and would be placed in their arms on the 21st. As we hoped and prayed, we also feared.
Lord, please don’t let anything happen to keep him from becoming ours.
And we met Jesse Wayne for the very first time.
Then the God of all mercy and generous love blessed them with a baby girl as well. In October, they brought home sweet Marie Katherine.
Somewhere in there we got a surprise visit from our Kentucky kids who came to meet our new babies. The rest of the year is a blur!
As you look back on your year, may the Lord give you eyes to see His great loving kindness and tender care! He has a beautiful plan for our lives even though it’s not always evident to us.
Great is His faithfulness. His mercies are new every morning!
Oh, and Kevin says “Feliz Navidad and Happy New Year!”
What an inspirational story and photos! I have always said, our loving God and His benefits are inside a building that may not look very appealing to those on the outside. But once one makes the decision to enter, His mercy and love is abundantly revealed. My prayer is that every person finds That Door. Obviously, you and your family are a testimony to that mercy and love. God is sooooo good!
You have truly had a miraculous year!
God is good!
Wow! We HAVE had quite a year! What a great review!