answered prayers

The Lord decided to answer my most fervent prayer in Michael's Craft store.

The Lord often answers my prayers in Michael's, but they are more of the please Lord let them have brass lobster clasps so I don't have to schlep my kids to the bead store variety.

This one was a biggy.

I went to Michael's for crystals, glue sticks and glitter, you know, the essentials. I got all these things and the answer to a prayer that has been weighing deeply on my heart.


Lately, when Sugar Daddy and I crawl into bed at the end of the day, we are exhausted. We look at each other too tired for any hanky panky other than footsie and we say, "Seriously. I don't think we can handle another child." So we lay there playing footsie and talk about how hard the day was. How Birdie spit up a billion times and cried every time we put her down. We talk about how sassy Thom can be and what we are going to do about that. We say, "We just aren't cut out for more. We can't do it."

And we turn out the lights and I roll onto my side and think about Birdie and how she is the little girl I always wanted and how she makes me feel complete and whole, even if she does wear me out and stain all my clothes.

I'm good, I'd think, I'm perfectly happy with two.

But there remained a little nagging feeling at the very back of my consciousness.

I was crouched down looking at the meager selection of embossing powder when I over heard a mother in the other isle. "Don't touch that Ella. Come here Ella. No Ella. I said don't touch. Don't push your sister Ella. Ella!"

I had to get a look at this Ella character.

A beautiful, fit, pulled together woman came around the corner followed by two little girls in matching outfits. They looked to be about the same age. Ella was fair with curly hair and big round eyes full of mischief. Her sister was dark with black hair and eyes and a shy quiet demeanor.

I'm not sure what came over me. I am usually shy and a little reticent in public, but I felt an overwhelming need to know.

"Excuse me, but do you mind me asking? Did you adopt your one daughter from China?"

She didn't skip a beat."Yes! And Ella is only four months younger! We got pregnant with her using IVF."

"So tell me, how is it? I might be headed down the exact same road and quite frankly, I don't know if I can do it."

"It's wonderful." She said. And I knew she really meant it.

And then she ran after Ella who was pulling something apart.

We talked for some time right there in the yarn isle.

So this is how, on a Wednesday afternoon, in Micheal's Craft store, the Lord told me that, yes, indeed there is another child that needs to come to our family and yes, I will be able to handle it.

the answer is yes

There are a several certain things in life, those things so common to the human condition, that few, if any, will escape them. We will all feel hungry, be it for food or something else. We will all experience death in some form and most definitely our own. We will all laugh and love and wonder.


And we will all be poked and prodded and urged along in life by our family and friends. And those of us that are void of family and friends can always count on the old ladies at church to take up the mantle and do the poking.


When Ben and I were dating people asked when we were getting married. We got married. Before we had been married but a few months everyone wanted to know when we were going to have kids. That took a while. Many people asked the same question over and over. Thomas was born. People said, "Praise the Lordwhenareyougoingtohaveanotherbaby?"


People are asking about our Chinese adoption. The answer is yes. We are still waiting for Mei Mei.

Just thought you might be wondering.

photo credit JAnne Peters

i think you need some new jewelry

I've been doing a little homework over the past couple of days. My art class is coming up this weekend and we were asked to find images to use in our college pieces. I, of course, am doing a Chinese theme. Surprise, surprise. I will be sure to post the results of my labors next week. However, if my pieces end up looking like a child made them, as I suspect they might, I'll post someone else's work, and just tell you I made it.

So as I have been wandering around the internet looking for inspiration, as I so love to do, I found this bedding.

Folks, let me tell you that the only thing that is holding me back from ordering this right now is the jaw dropping price tag. Just to give you an idea, see the darling little pillow in the first photo? The one with the heart melting little pagoda on it. It's $79.

(Here's the part where I play on your sympathies.) I think a little girl who has spent the first year of her life in a drab, colorless crib deserves this bedding don't you? I think my little china doll needs this bedding. Think of buying Secondsister jewelry as a donation to my nursery fund.

Cherry Blossom Necklace

I'll be listing this little trinket today. It's only $12. I think you need it.

an empty room

Last night I was weak and foolish. I allowed myself to look at blogs that speculate about the wait for Chinese adoption. One site estimated that we should receive a referral for our daughter in June 2015.

I tiptoed through the dark up to my boy's room. I stood and listened to him breathing. I smelled his hair and held his hand. Then I walked down the hall to the empty room. The crib is still up from when Thom slept in it. The sheets are on the mattress. Pink clothes are hanging in the closet. We are waiting. It is hard.

moment of weakness

It's not that I have neglected my blog this week, it's just that I am having a "feel sorry for April" hiatus, which is unattractive and something I try not to air publicly. But some itches must be scratched, even if other people are watching. So if you just aren't in the mood for whining, click over to frecklednest.blogspot.com. She is in love and always very cheery.

***WARNING: WHINING AHEAD WARNING: WHINING AHEAD****

I'm thirty-four. 34!!!!! And I only have one kid. I know there are infertile people out there with no children who will read this and roll their eyes. That was me for 9 years of my life, so now it is my turn to have one and want more.

Thomas wants a sibling so bad he makes his friends (boys) play like they are his sister. It's pathetic.

This week I am so frustrated with the Chinese government adoption agency that I could just scream. The rate of child abandonment isn't down, yet they are working at a snail's pace. At this rate, we won't have Mei Mei until 2012! AHHHHHHHH.

Here they are. All lined up and ready for someone to snatch them up. I'll take the one with the chubby cheeks in the yellow Hello Kitty blanket please.

Missing Piece Necklace

Okay, now I'm done whining.