All is a gift

All is a gift.

C.S. Lewis writes about everything we experience in life, the joy and the pain and the beauty, being a gift.

A gift from a loving Father.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the gifts in our life, like the gift of family.

This Thanksgiving in Illinois was also a time to receive and enjoy the gift of time together as a family.

Even the pain I feel due to living so far from my family is a gift because that ache in my heart is from a deep love for these people I miss and long to see more. It is a gift to love people like that. 

Here is a glimpse of the gifts of Thanksgiving 2012...

The gift of watching the cousins together. 7 this time!

Movies, dance parties, hot tub time...these kids love each other.

The gift of new babies. 

Babies bundled up in the cold. Babies with the big cousins.

Even celebrating a completed dossier that will lead to a baby in China.

The gift of watching my children play.

Papa and Mormor have the BEST yard ever!

The gift of generations together.

The gift of memories, and bringing my children to those memories to make their own.

The gift of an outing to a great THE BEST city.

 From Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park, to wandering around downtown Wheaton. 

From a train ride in the suburbs, to a mini car ride around the house.

From Thankgiving dinner with 20, to the quiet moments between 2 or 3.

Thanksgiving was a time of gratefulness.

All is a gift, truly.

Half birthdays in October

In keeping with my little blog tradition, here is a half-time report on my girls.

Samantha. 

Five and a half.

Wow has this girl grown up in the last 6 months. Becoming the oldest of three and starting kindergarten can do that to you. Sam continues to be unbelievably nurturing...to her sisters, her dolls, her stuffed animals, pieces of paper, water bottles...you name it, Sam will dress it, put it to bed, and love it. Sam is thoroughly enjoying and thriving in kindergarten. At her conference Sam's teacher said "she has so much personality and is so much fun in class". We were extremely proud when Sam got a character award last month for being respectful. I don't know that I would have necessarily given her that award for her after school behavior, but I'm glad she's bringing her A-game to the classroom. Sam is super excited about learning to read and continues to be the creative artistic little gal she has always been. She also continues to be obsessed with fairies and is in constant internal conflict regarding whether or not they are real.

If there was a picture to sum up Sammy right now it would be this one...our mini mommy.

Abby. 

Two and a half.

 Oh Abby. What are we gonna do with you? Abby is so spunky, so independent, so hilarious, so tough, so rough, so adorable, and so fun. It is a joy to discover this child more and more each month, and she continues to bring so much joy to others. She gives me a minor heart attack about once a week by running or wandering further than she should and she's been chased down by Chris and I more times than I care to recall. My goal with Abby lately is to keep her safe, and since Hannah joined us that means keeping Abby home...where she can't run away or get lost. Abby is very sweet with her baby sister (much to my relief), and this child continues to be TOTALLY obsessed with daddy. I've been in denial that my sweet Abby isn't a baby anymore, but it's officially time to acknowledge she's now a little girl. Coming soon for Abby...losing the pacifier at night, moving to a big girl bed, and potty training (oh my!).

If there was a picture to sum up Abby right now it would be this one...our little free spirit.

My sister is adopting!

Katie, Lars, Quinten, and Albin.

My middle sister Katie and her sweet family are on a journey and I want to tell you about it.

You could say this journey started on April 5th of this year, or you could say it started when she was 16 years old.

When Katie was in high school she babysat regularly for a little girl who was adopted from China and my sister's heart began to stir for the plight of orphan girls in China.

Then there was Thursday April 5, 2012. April 5th was one of the most complicated days (emotionally speaking) that I have ever had. I haven't even been able to think about it or process it fully until recently.

On April 5th my sweet Abby turned two and we had our "big" ultrasound which revealed a healthy baby girl. Yet, while I was celebrating 2 years of life with our daughter and got a glimpse of the daughter we will meet in August, my sister was going through a devastating loss...the loss of her own baby, 10 weeks into pregnancy. Her third loss in two years.

I don't remember a day in my life where I felt so much pain and so much joy at the same time. I would go from "it feels like Christmas" feelings of excitement and anticipation for what the day represented for us, to tears and heartache for my sister...in a moment. I didn't know a human could feel such extreme feelings at the same time.

There is a verse in the Bible that says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15). I mourned with Katie and her sweet family on April 5th. Mourned for the life they had lost. Mourned for the opportunity to be pregnant at the same time. Wept and mourned.

Yet now, 3 months later I am rejoicing with Katie. 1996 and April 5, 2012, and many many steps inbetween, have led Katie and her husband to the choice to adopt from China.  In Katie's own words, "Our grief turned to hope as our thoughts turned to the dream of a little girl in China." They are on a journey toward a little girl from China and I rejoice with them.

HERE is their adoption website where you can learn more of their story, and HERE is how you can support them financially if you are so led. 

I worked at Chinese Children Adoption International in Colorado for 3+ years, and this is the agency that my sister has chosen to use. I can tell you from my years assisting in the adoptions of hundreds of families that adoption is not for the faint of heart. It is a journey where the adoptive family needs A LOT of support...emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes financially.

We are so excited to be on this journey with our beloved family members and I know Katie and her family would greatly appreciate all types of support from anyone else who wants to be part of this journey with them too.

Go to http://strombergadoption.com/ to learn more and see how you can support this adoption. Thanks!

And just like that, she's FIVE!

Five. 

How on earth did that happen?

It honestly feels like yesterday that we drove at lightening speed to the hospital downtown Denver and a couple crazy hours later I gave birth to my beautiful daughter and became a mom. It feels like yesterday that she took her first steps in our townhouse in Littleton. It feels like yesterday that we packed her little 2 year old self in a car and drove to California to start a new chapter in all our lives...or that she started preschool...or that she moved from a toddler bed to the top bunk (oh wait, that practically was yesterday). It all feels like yesterday, but it wasn't.

What do they say about the first five years of a child's life? That they are the most important and formative years in a child's life. Oh my word, how did we do?

Samantha Joy. Samantha means 'God heard'. Yes, He most certainly heard our prayers for a child. And He saw fit to give us this remarkable child. And Joy. Yes, she is...even when she isn't.

Samantha has always seemed older than she is. Perhaps because she was totally conversational by age 2. Perhaps because she is really stinking smart (if I do say so myself). At her preschool conference the teachers feedback was summarized like this....
1. She is totally ready for Kindergarten, more than ready
2. She is moody
3. She talks about God a lot
I love this feedback because it is totally her.
Our smart, moody, spiritually sensitive little munchkin.

Sam is also...a daredevil (see missing front tooth), a water/beach girl, nurturing, sassy, the best-big-sister-ever, creative, stubborn, dramatic, artistic, energetic, messy, tough, a picky eater, sensitive, quick-thinking, spunky, intense, and affectionate.

Oh how we love her! What an honor to be her parents.

Happy birthday Samantha Joy.

5 years of Samantha...

Credit and thanks to Stacy Bostrom for the two really good photos on this post (sand and laying in grass!).

And just like that, she's TWO!

First things first. Special thanks to a special friend and special photographer Stacy Bostrom who seems to haphazardly snap photos at playdates...yet they come out like THIS one. Thanks Stacy!

My baby girl is 2 today. 2 years old. I can't even believe it.

Abigail Charis means 'source of joy' and 'grace' and no two words fit this child more. I knew Abby was going to be a source of joy for us, but I didn't anticipate what joy she would bring to so many other people. And grace. Yes. I will always see my second daughter as a gift of grace from her loving Father. A gift after heartache that seemed late in coming, but was actually perfect timing.

Abby continues to be a great source of entertainment for us. She is a clown and has all three of us laughing at her daily. I will admit, her hilariousness and ridiculous cuteness make her hard to discipline sometimes. Her expressive face is her biggest entertaining asset. It will be interesting to see if 'funny' continues to be a defining quality for Abby throughout her life.

Abby continues to be SMITTEN with her older sister. "Where's Sammy?" are usually the first words out of her mouth when she wakes up. I often catch Abby hugging Sam out of the corner of my eye throughout the day. She wants to do everything her sister does, and although Abby is also fiercely independent, being separated from Sam is one of the most devastating experiences for Abs.

When she was a baby we used to call her 'Happy Abby' and after surviving a few months of 'Crabby Abby' due to teething and language frustration I am glad to report that she is happy once again. I can wake this child up from a nap to go pick up her sister at school and she will be all smiles (a habit her sister and I DO NOT share with her). Abby is full of hugs and affection, which is a nice compliment to her sometimes rough and aggressive habits. And just because she is happy does not mean that she is not also extremely strong-willed (apparently that trait is a dominant trait in this family).

Abs, Abby-cadabby, sweet Abigail,

...our source of joy and gift of grace, our little sister with the big personality, our feisty, happy, naughty, loving little girl who likes to eat and can't sit still,

...HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY little one.

We are SO IN LOVE with you! 
You have blessed us all abundantly.

Oh Africa

Oh Africa, Kenya to be more specific, you will always have a piece of my heart. 

I lived in Kenya with my family for a few months when I was 5 years old, and again for one year when I was 12. Then as an "adult" I lived and worked there for another year after college (Chris was there for most of that year). I will always have a longing in my heart to go back. I have had 4 invitations/opportunities to return to Africa (Kenya and South Africa) fall through for various reasons in the last 4 years. One of those opportunities was going to be in a few weeks (and with my dad) but this pregnancy side-tracked that trip for me. Someday I will get back, someday...

I am drawn into nostalgia by just about anything that reminds me of Kenya...eucalyptus trees, red soil, woven baskets, passion fruit juice, the smell of burning trash or tires (seriously), dangerous driving situations, and barefoot children with dusty dirty feet.

This weekend a person and a service opportunity helped connect me to a sweet time and place in my life.

On Saturday night a lovely Kenyan woman (Anne) who spoke to our MOPS group came over for dinner, along with another MOPS mom and her daughter. We talk and read about Africa a lot with our kids so it was really special to have a Kenyan woman in our home. Samantha promptly, and without prompting, got out all our African instruments and books about Kenya to show Anne. Anne enjoyed looking through the books and telling the kids about her beautiful country. In addition to the treat of getting to know Anne a little bit, the highlight of the night was the SAMOSAS that she made and brought to share. I probably had 7 that night, and shamelessly asked if she would leave the leftovers with us. She did. I won't even go into the hosting/cooking/tantrum disasters that made this NOT one of our best dinners, and instead try to remember the joy of talking about Kenya with Anne...and the samosas.

Then on Sunday I signed Samantha and I up for a food packing event hosted by Dream Dinners and promoted at my MOPS group.  Friends & Family Community Connection organized an event where 32,000 meals were packed in a matter of a few hours. These meals will be going to San Diego, Haiti and Tanzania. I thought this event would be a great opportunity to do something tangible with Sam for a country in Africa. Well...her attention lasted for about 10 minutes of our 60 minute shift. Lucky for her she found two of her favorite celebrity-status-middle-school-girls from church and ditched me for them while I continued to scoop protein flakes into the small plastic bags. In my daughter's eyes I am totally not cooler than a middle school girl...and I am totally OK with that...as long as those middle school girls babysit.

On the drive home I definitely questioned the worth of what I had done bringing Sam to this event with me. Did this make any sort of impact on her? Would she ever remember this? Did she have a clue what was going on, really? I don't know the answer to any of these questions, but I did conclude that it was definitely worth it.

My daughter has an awareness of the world, and an interest in Africa because little by little, throughout her whole life, we have talked about the continent, we pray for this part of the world, and we have pictures, books, and "artifacts" from Kenya around our home. Africa is a normal part of our conversation in our family. I believe THAT is how I instill interest, value, and excitement for something in my children. I live it out naturally in front of, and with, them.

For me it comes down to this... If there is an opportunity to invite a Kenyan woman into our home, I will take it. If there is a chance to spend an hour packing food to go to Tanzania with my preschooler, I will sign up. If there is a news story about a country in Africa, I will draw their attention to it. If our church hands out Love Loaves from World Vision, we will participate. If Uncle Jeff or Papa have recently traveled somewhere in Africa for work, we will listen to their stories. And when an opportunity comes to take our family back to Kenya someday (please God, please!), we will go. All of this, after all, is exactly what my parents did with me.

Oh Africa, you have made an indelible mark on my heart. 
And now my heart is to pass that mark on to my children.

Mormor (that's Swedish for Grandma) and Papa's visit

Well, a more accurate way to put it would be Papa and Papa's visit since Abby has decided it is easier to call all her grandparents Papa right now. It took my mom awhile to realize she needed to answer to Papa. I'm sure Abby's language will catch up and she will sort out the right names, but for now here she is with Papa, Papa, Papa, and Papa. The girls had a really special few hours with ALL FOUR of their amazing grandparents at the start of my parents' visit.

I'm going to give my dad the benefit of the doubt and assume he was saying "cheese" in this picture.

This is the second year that my parents have come out for a week in March thanks to a medical conference hosted in the San Diego area. In keeping with other posts where there is too much to write about I will share my...

TOP 10 from my parents' visit:

#1 Enjoying Del Mar and my parents' lovely hotel. Thanks to my Dad's work footing the bill my parents stayed in a really nice place for the first 4 nights of their trip...not that they don't love our futon. Papa and Mormor are a little obsessed with Del Mar...the restaurants, the shops, the parks, the views. Who can blame them? It is a great little town. Here are Abby and "Papa" at Smashburger...

#2 The swimming pool at the hotel. The girls loved the swimming pool even though it was only 60 degrees outside and mostly cloudy. The adults were COLD and enjoyed the hot tub more.

#3 San Diego Zoo. Highlight for adults = enjoying the amazing landscaping at the zoo. Even if there were no animals the San Diego Zoo would be worth the ticket price (well, almost) as a botanical garden. Highlight for the girls = the souvenir pennies.

#4 Restaurants and Dr. appointments are so much (EASIER!) more fun with Mormor and Papa there.

#5 Ferry boat ride from San Diego Harbor to Coronado Island for the morning. What a fun family outing! Chris missed this day due to an inconvenience called "work" but we will definitely be doing it again with him. It is a short and scenic 20 minute ride through the harbor and the boat drops you off in a fun little section of the island with shops, restaurants, a boardwalk, beachfront, and bike rentals nearby (but you can also bring your own on the ferry). Who wants to join us next time?

#6 Fun times around our house including playing with Papa's very popular iPad, a St Patrick's Day green breakfast, and romping in the rain (see Mom and Dad, it DOES rain in San Diego).

#7 A little hike with a BIG view at Torrey Pines State Park. Look at Abby go.

#8 Double date at Kitchen 1540 in Del Mar (where else?). Although we definitely weren't cool enough for this restaurant they let us eat here anyway. The menu and ambiance at this restaurant are top notch.

#9 Mormor (aka Papa) was able to stay for 4 extra days which meant cooking, crafts, and new costumes.

#10 Grandparent/Grand-daughter time. The highlight of time with my parents is always simply watching my girls with them. How I wish we lived closer...but considering the geography, we do really well with how often we see each other.

We look forward to seeing Mormor and Papa again very soon in "the happiest place on earth"!