Retrospective......

With Mothers' Day quickly approaching I am reminded of not only the many many amazing Moms I know & admire( I love you Mom....you are the very best!!) but also of the road to Motherhood. There was a time when I feared I would never hear a sweet tiny voice call out that most cherished of word.......Mama. And certainly when I think back on my path to Mama hood I understand how great the journey was & continues to be........ how immense both the challenges and rewards are...........

There was a time when I wondered if small arms would ever reach up to me for comfort or in joy. If a diminutive toothless grin would ever greet me in the morning from a cozy crib. If the pitter-patter of footsteps would alight our floors for more than a brief visit. If the Lord would grant my fervent wish. He did. He still does daily.

I believe with all of my heart that we were sent to Kazakhstan to bring home our beautiful daughter all those years ago. I believe just as strongly that we were sent to Taiwan to bring our beautiful baby boy home this past Spring. I could never have fully imagined the joys these two would bring us......the frustrations........ and the incredible laughs and lessons learned/earned along the way.

I am so fortunate to know so many phenomenal Moms both personally and through this media. Weekly I read posts of deep love, humor, devotion and tremendous hope from the blogs I follow along with. I respect and admire all of the Mothers in my life. I pray with all the Mamas still waiting to glimpse their babies faces for the first time(it will happen!!)........or who wait to hold their babes in their arms(agony!). I celebrate with all the new Mamas, whether they be Mamas of one, two, three or more! Just this week 2 Mamas on our board glimpsed their baby's faces for the first time and have been blessed beyond measure( Suzy!). Still another incredible Mama walks the halls at night, comforting her beautiful grieving baby just home from Taiwan.......... still other Mamas are finding their way with adorable toddler boys, home at last! Another Mama's dossier winds its way to Ethiopia...... It really is a dance.....a strange, wonderful and intricate dance, this groove of Motherhood. And how lucky we all are to be in it!

To all of you.......I appreciate each and every one of you. May all of your wishes be heard and granted........thank you for sharing this crazy ride with me!!

Oh, btw, our pesky computer is still not allowing us to download our newer pictures. Ack! So I dug around in the archives and fished out a few of my favorites. The photos of Lauren are from Mother's Day weekend last year. I had to catch my breath a moment when I looked....I mean really looked at 'em. I see in them so much change.....some of it subtle.... but still a reminder of how fleeting time is.

Happy Mama's Day to all the ladies in my life!

P.S. Carrie S.......hey lady, shoot me an email as time allows!! I miss you too!


My sweet girl..............brightening every day. Adding lots of giggles too!

My rare and precious flower.....................my Lauren

AND then he came along.......my goodness, was there ever a time he wasn't in our lives in some way?......in our dreams?...in our hearts and then home forever.

This photo was taken right after we picked up our precious boy in Taiwan. I see so much in those beautiful expressive eyes......and truly I see our circle completed.