I pick Levi and Noah up from kindergarten at 2:30 each and every day. Then we make the drive over to Ella's school to pick her up at 3:15. We often get to Ella's school a little early, hop in the car pick up line (or the drive through as the boys call it) and then sit and wait. Many a deep conversation about the day, life, or the universe takes place as we wait for Ella to appear and join us in the van. Today was no different, but the conversation is worth sharing.
It went something like this:
Noah: "Mom, how do you know if a person is married?"
Me: "Well, you can ask them, or you could look to see if they are wearing a wedding ring."
Levi: "But people don't know who you are married to if they see a ring. What if they think you are married to someone else?"
Me: "Well, then you just tell them that is my husband over there."
Noah: "Oh, and they know because you love them. I am going to marry Chloe because I love her."
Levi: "I will marry you mom."
Noah: "You can't Leev, she is already part of our family, you have to find someone else."
Levi: "Yeah. Mom, I think you will be a goner by the time I am a grown up anyway."
In other news...
Today I am overwhelmed by the idea of Sophie. My friend Sabrina just got her referral this past week and I was emailing her today telling her how I long for Sophie. I explained it like this. Its kinda like sending your kids overnight to Grandma's house. You wonder the whole time what they are doing, how they are doing, is grandma getting them to bed on time, feeding them anything but sugar, and will they miss you in the night. Only its worse! Way worse, because she doesn't have Grandma there. Its a very helpless feeling, knowing you are in control of nothing that is happening to your child.
That being said, when Jason got home from work today he had the mail from the past week. (Checking the mailbox is no longer a daily occurrence around here). There in the pile of mail was so much love for our Sophie and our family that I am moved to tears. There in our mail box were letters of encouragement and prayers from several friends and family members along with formula checks, formula, coupons, and money for our Sophie. It is love for someone they have never met (and neither have we) and I am deeply moved. Gifts from high school friends that I have not seen or spoken to since high school. Gifts from relatives I just met for the very first time. Amazing, humble, generous gift of love. Thank you.
Tomorrow I am headed to the post office to send our daughter a care package. I know it sounds a little cheesy sending a package to a 5 month old, but I just so badly want her to know she is loved. I want her nannies to know she is loved and wanted very badly by a crazy family in Gilbert, Arizona. I want her to see our faces and learn to recognize us so that some day we won't be strangers to one another. I want to shower her with love.
So this is what a 5 month old gets (because I know you are all very curious). First of all she gets a blankie. Everyone in this family has a blankie. EVERYONE. :) So Sophie gets one too. Next is a pair of apple jammies (her Ethiopian name means apple) that her Aunt Erin and Uncle Julio bought for her. It was my first baby gift for Sophie and I want her to wear it before she out grows it. Then, she has two toys that have our pictures on them. One is a photo album with pictures, mirrors, and crinkly pages. The other is a rattle tree with our pictures on the leaves. Hopefully we don't scare the poor kid with faces on all her toys. And last of all in the package is a disposable camera, that we hope her nannies will use to take some pictures as she grows and changes without us.
Thank you again to all who have prayed, and donated to the formula cause. I think we have met our goal for formula. I will have to write another post on that another day, and share more details. We are so blessed.
Please continue to pray. Pray that Sophie is safe, healthy, and loved until she can come home. Please pray that our court date comes soon so the process can move forward.
And thank you for the love that came on a day when I needed it. Levi claims I will be a goner soon, so your love came just in time.
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2 comments:
So, if you've met your goal, does that mean you can't take anymore or will you still take donations? We wanted to donate and were going to do so when Katie and Jon were in AZ, but if it's too late let me know.
Jon and Katie are coming to AZ?!? When! :)
Yes, you can still give us donations. We have to travel more than once, so I am sure we will end up taking more donations.
Thanks for thinking of us! And why didn't I know J, K, and Thomas Gordon were coming to town?
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