mornings and afternoons

i had the SWEETEST morning...i could sob with thankfulness just thinking about it now...dancing with bailey and sawyer in the family room with the music blaring (that turned into just jumping up and down...and then a train around the house and then twirling around until we were dizzy)...painting my toe nails...eating a YUMMY snack of blackberries...and coming down from taking a shower to this:

i had said to them as i went upstairs, "ok. i'm going to take a quick shower, then pack our lunch, then we're going to some friend's house!" someone packed the lunch for me...SAWYER! hysterical! and...it was halfway decent! i just added blackberries (more!) to it! PLUS i LOVE that his pictures of his brothers are in the bottom. each kid has a set (my dad made them for them) and he carries his around all.the.time.

sweet time with a friend that KNOWS where i am. she's adopted 2 boys from africa. similar ages. she's 6 months in. SO appreciated her knowledge and honesty. the second we walked in their house, bailey whipped out her pictures - "here are my brothers!" oh, these moments are so so precious and i just don't want to let them fly by. the ACCEPTANCE and EXCITEMENT of my children of their new brothers is so amazing.

so...my mornings have been pretty great. i'm SOAKING them in...my time with bailey and sawyer. i recognize it will never be like this again. i DON'T do "tasks"...we just play.

the afternoons are a different story. and i need to work on it. pray for me?

i'm tired then. and there are more of them. and the HOMEWORK. and the arguing. and THEY are tired. and i DO need to do some tasks...well, i've been doing them for a couple hours while sawyer is napping and it's hard for me to set it all aside once i get going. but, this will also never be the same again. my afternoons with just these 4. i want to soak THAT in, too. but when am i supposed to get to the lists?

ok. venting over.

this short season of excitement and preparation is so so amazing. i am LOVING it. i am NOT complaining. it feels like a dream. a dream that has been building for 2 years and i'm in the middle of watching it unfold (i KNOW it's not ALL going to be a dream...it's not even all a dream at this point - the stress and sleeplessness, etc) BUT...HE is orchestrating something so beautiful and using OUR family to do it. wow.

i'm so thankful.
overwhelmed.
loving my mornings.
please pray for my afternoons. today won't be the day that it changes. we're headed to walmart and sam's after homework is done. RUSHING through to get rebekah to soccer practice on time. :-) (but getting a rotisserie chicken for dinner at sam's so i don't have to cook! whoo-hoo!)