A special visit complete with jumping dolphins, double rainbows, and Fabio.

We had REALLY special visitors last weekend. My cousin Devin, and his awesome wife Brooke, came out to visit from South Dakota for their babymoon. Here they are.

We felt SO honored that they came to visit and it was a particularly meaningful trip since it was their last big hurrah before baby comes in April, so we were determined to show them a wonderful time. And we certainly did have a GREAT time... visiting the coast as many times as possible, taking a little hike, showing them around our area, a surf session/lesson with Chris, fun times around our house, great meals, and great conversation. I know they didn't mind trading single digits temps for high 60s either. There were also some extraordinary things that happened during their time here like seeing dolphins jump full body out of the water, a double rainbow in Oceanside, and of course the time they ran into Fabio at Whole Foods. We assured them that that stuff happens ALL THE TIME around here :)

Honestly though, for me, the most special part of having them visit was sharing a bit of our life with them and getting to know them better as a couple. I am the Midwest family member who left the Midwest and didn't marry a Midwesterner and sometimes I feel like the black sheep of the family…well, not black, but maybe grey :) I felt like Devin was the family Ambassador who could come see and experience our world and report back about my life out here in California (all good things, right Dev?). In an interesting way, having Devin and Brooke here helped make this feel a bit more like home, and helped make me feel a bit more known within my extended family. It was also super unique getting to spend time with them outside of the larger family context and getting to know each other as independent adults.

Here is a little taste of their visit…

 "Pier pickles" were the best $2 I have spent in a long time,
and kept the girls happily occupied for our sunset walk on the pier.

Torrey Pines is amazing every single time.

 We had an awesome double date on their last night in town. 

The food, the atmopshere (that's the ocean right behind us) and the company were marvelous!

 I wish we all lived closer, we would definitely be great friends and hang out a lot! 

We are SO excited for them to have their first baby in April (and I'm calling a GIRL…just for the record)!

Welcome to your forever family sweet Lydia!

Yes indeed, little Lydia's life changed forever on Monday, January 13th. And so did the lives of her parents, her brothers, her extended family, friends and even strangers who have followed her journey. Lydia opened our eyes and heart to the miracle of adoption and we have all experienced new love, God's grace, and pure joy simply through reading her story and seeing her pictures.

Lydia had her last night in an orphanage and now she sleeps next to her mom and dad, even grasping her mommy's hand while she faded away for her first nap the day they received her.

Read my sister's full account of Gotcha Day! here (which includes many amazing pictures).

I will cherish these two pictures forever…my first glimpses of my new niece.

Welcome sweet girl. You are so incredibly loved and cherished.

It's your last night Wu Dan Qing...

It is 6:30am in California. That means it is 10:30pm in China and little Wu Dan Qing has been put to bed and is sleeping in her orphanage. She doesn't know it, but this is her last night as an orphan. Her last night without the physical presence and forever love of parents.

My sister and wonderful brother-in-law have considered themselves Lydia DanQing's parents since October 11th when they saw her picture, but tomorrow, TOMORROW, they will finally hold her and be recognized as her parents and be allowed to physically welcome her into their lives. They have prepared a place for her to sleep in the hotel and they are ready for her. They are SO ready to be Mom and Dad to her.

Little Wu Dan Qing has no idea that when she awakes tomorrow morning in her orphanage in Xinyang it will be a day that will change her life forever. She has no idea what is waiting at the end of the 2 hour train ride she will take with her orphanage officials. She has no idea that train will take her to Mom and Dad. She has no idea what parents even are, and MY OH MY is she in for a treat with the parents God has found for her.

Wu Dan Qing will be handed into the arms of love tomorrow. And she might cry, or be afraid, but that's OK, because deep true unconditional love IS overwhelming, especially when you haven't experienced it before.

And Wu Dan Qing will not only meet her parents tomorrow, she will meet her brothers (over a phone/computer)...5 and 7 year old brothers who already adore her and are so excited for her to come home. Since she was 6 days old Wu Dan Qing hasn't had a home of her own. But home is waiting for her now...a lovely, warm, welcoming, joy-infused, God-filled home with 2 big brothers is waiting for her. And in the meantime, home will be the arms of her parents as they all get to know each other and finalize the adoption in China over the next two weeks.

Little Wu Dan Qing also has no idea that beyond the forever family who will live with her and raise her, she has an enormous and awesome (if I do say so myself) extended family. She has 4 grandparents, 6 aunts/uncles, and 8 cousins in 4 states who would do anything for her, who have loved her and longed to meet her for months. Wu Dan Qing has no idea what is coming. She will literally be overwhelmed with love.

Love sometimes looks like prayer. Wu Dan Qing also has no idea how many have been praying for her, praying for years, praying for her safety, her health, her day, her birth mother, her caregivers, her spirit, her heart. Wu Dan Qing has so many people praying for her who are waiting to see that first picture of her in the arms of her parents. Hundreds of people following her journey to her forever family, involved in her journey through prayer.

As I have been thinking about this adoption, the parallels between my/our adoption as children of God are so clear, so striking, to me. Among many Biblical references to adoption is John 1:12, "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God." I have been adopted too. A good and great God has welcomed me into His family and allowed me to call him Abba Father. I receive undeserved unconditional love that is overwhelming and hard to understand every single day. I have received countless brothers and sisters in faith to call family. The Bible says we will get a new name in heaven, a new name that is our true identity. A new name, a huge family, unconditional love, a new identity, a new life, security, comfort, unparalleled joy and peace…these are realities of adoption…mine and Wu Dan Qing's.

Wu Dan Qing gets a new name tomorrow too. She will be Lydia DanQing Stromberg. Her name honors her birth country, and ties her to her new family (named after a great-great-grandmother). Her name was chosen by her loving parents, who have filled out many papers, waited many months, cried many tears, and traveled many miles to get her. And tomorrow morning they finally get her, they get to hold her and love her and adopt her and bring her home (on January 26th).

Wu Dan Qing sleeps in her orphanage for the last time tonight, alongside so many others, and she has no idea that when she awakes on January 13th a new life awaits her.

There is an ancient Chinese belief that has been reclaimed by the adoptive community and it goes something like this: "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."

Thank you God for adoption, for the red thread that connects Wu Dan Qing with Katie and Lars.

Thank you God that you do more than we could ask or imagine
…like bringing these three together tomorrow morning in China.

Here is my sister's adoption blog if you want to follow their journey: http://strombergadoption.com

Illinois Christmas Top Ten

Oh what a Christmas.

Here is a brief (sometimes blurry) iPhone glimpse of my Top 10...

1. SNOW! Plus my parents' wonderful warm home…
where we spend a lot of time (all 15 of us)…because of the SNOW.

2. Living Nativity Christmas Eve service at Katie and Lars' church (where Lars is a pastor).

Our family supplied Mary (riding on a donkey), Joseph, 2 shepherds, and an angel at the 3pm service.

3. Christmas morning. Over the top, as always.

4. Surprise! Samantha got Samantha. Her sweet cousins were super excited for her.

5. Sledding!

6. Memorial Service on Dec 27th celebrating the life of my Grandpa Bob (with close to 200 people).
More on this later.

Here are the lovebirds when they were married 68 years ago.

7. Cooking, eating, and consuming a ridiculous amount of sweets together.

8. December 28th: Katie's birthday

The celebration included Donuts, a massage for the girls, sushi lunch, and a triple-date for dinner.

9. Craft time with MorMor.

10. Tea at the American Girl Doll store downtown Chicago.

It takes a CRAZY amount of effort, energy, and planning to travel with three small kids (most of whom were sick during this visit).

But I have a CRAZY amount of love for these people…and that's what gets me on the plane.

It was a jolly holiday.

12 pictures for the 12 months of 2013

This is one of my favorite posts of the year.

I should have posted yesterday, but we are on day 19 of sickness around here and I am WIPED OUT.

I like doing this post because I love finding the little moments that make up life and make up the year.

Here is a little glimpse of 2013. It's a wonderful life.

January
Stories for the baby.

February

Our little helper at our church's Community Serve Day.

March

We never fail to fully appreciate how amazing it is that THIS is a common Friday evening outing.

April

Bed-head, homework, and breakfast.

May

Their happy place.

June

Dance party.

July

His t-shirt says, "BOB the man, the myth, the legend"…and never without his fiddle. He is missed.

August

Happy birthday sweet baby.

September

These two have an understanding.

October

That would be my mother…fulfilling a dream.

November

Sisters being sisters.

 December
12/2/13 was one of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen.

Happy New Year!

12 pictures for 2012

12 pictures for 2011