Seattle

I'm not even sure I could express in words how wonderful my trip to Seattle last week was...just wanted to smuggle Katie & Luca in my suitcase coming home! Luca is just the coolest ever - the most laid back, HAPPY person you could meet! You can't be sad when you are around him, his smile and laugh are contagious. Katie posted on her blog too, but at the indian restaurant we went to, the waiter asked if we were twins...we'd like to think we are twins just three years apart. :)

The view on a walk around their neighborhood...literally RIGHT outside their doorstep...not so bad on the eyes, eh? The beauty of mountains always blows me away.

Felt like spring break coming from all the snow in Greensboro to THIS! Gorgeous blossoms!

Love these two so much

Luca LOVES bathtime...he is so fun to watch kick and swim...definitely not afraid of the water! :)

These smiles make ME smile. :)

Valentine's Murder Mystery Party

On Valentine's Day this year, Eric and I spent it with some of our close friends...dressing up for a murder mystery party - it was such a blast! We had such a fun time jumping into our characters...some of them were pretty out there! ;) Eric was Mr. Chock O-Lat who owned a chocolate shop and threw Hershey kisses at everyone all night...I was Ms. Rosie Valentine, who recently published a novel that was about to be made into a motion picture. Katie and Josh did a great job selecting everyone's characters...the whole night was a hoot! ;)

What a Month

Life is so unexpected. Just when you think you know what to expect next, everything changes. This past month has afforded us some of our greatest joy and deepest pain. Our faith has yet again been stretched and God's faithfulness is what has sustained us.

Natalie Grant's song, "Held" was very meaningful for me through this past fall...it has recently been taken to a whole new level for me. The lyrics sum up all that I am struggling with, aching for, rejoicing over, spilling tears over, and clinging onto (His promise) with all I've got. I encourage you to listen to it here or you can find it on youtube; she does such a great job reminding us of the divine Hope.

So glad Eric and I have each other through the ups and downs in life...but we would be nowhere without Christ.

Held

By Natalie Grant

Two months is too little
They let him go
They had no sudden healing
To think that providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling
Who told us we'd be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
We're asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it's unfair

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

If hope is born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our savior

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held
We'd be held

This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

This is what it means to be held.....

Starting the New Year off

2010 - here's to the best year ever! I know I have dropped off the face of the planet since I went to India, but I am back to the blogging world! :)

I just wanted to reassure my one faithful reader out there (hello? *tap *tap, this thing on?) that more posts are in my (and subsequently YOUR) future. :)

Happy New Year!

Decided to start 2010 out with a new layout...a nice and simple one. :) That is a good representation of my style...simple, classic, neutral. I won't tell you the real reason of the switch (that my lack of blogging for 90 days splashed "inactive" everywhere across of the lovely green background I used to have and changing the layout was the only way I found to get rid of it! ooops! did I mention I am not technologically inclined? Why am I blogging again?? Oh yeah, because it's fun!) :) Here's to us!

Changed Forever

I am back from India and don't even know where to start describing my experience. I loved it. My heart completely broke for the children and people of India - what beautiful people. If I could go back tomorrow, I would. If I could have stayed, I would. Varanasi was not an easy place to be, but the joy in sharing a smile or giving a child the first hug he has probably ever received is indescribable and worth everything to me.

There are so many stories that I would love to share. Sweet Eric has been the best listener in the world the last 3 days...I think he is beginning to wonder whether anything will ever be on my mind again. You know what? I hope not. I know I have to fit back into routine to get work done and I certainly don't want to forsake precious relationships I have here in Greensboro, but my prayer is that India remains fresh in my mind as long as it takes for me to go back.

This is a typical "house" that some of the kids we worked with come from. The boys I am with in the picture above are orphans, don't have a home; they live at the railroad stations.

Traffic was WILD - a riot!! So glad I didn't have to do any of the driving! It was hilarious.... :)

INDIA Trip!

I leave tomorrow morning - ahh! Exciting. Thank you ALL for your prayers, support, and encouragement as I embark on this adventure for the next two weeks! I am just so humbled by the opportunity and am pinching myself that I will be there in 36 hours (24 of those hours will be travel...one of our flight legs is 15 hrs long - sheesh!)

We have a team blog that one of our team members will be updating as often as internet, time, electricity, etc allows. :) You can follow me making sure I am surviving the heat, the bugs, the food, the bathrooms, oh the butterflies I get thinking about what lies ahead! :) What I am most looking forward to is loving on those sweet children with lives that have been so tough I can't even imagine. http://railkids09.blogspot.com/

Also, there should be a prayer calendar on our blog which is based on our itinerary...thank you so much for your prayers!!!

Owen Joshua Has Arrived!!

I have a brand new NEPHEW!!!! :) He came into the world 7 weeks early - all ready to catch up to his big sisters! Meagan went into labor Sat. night, but being the tough cookie that she is, waited until Sun. morning to call the hospital...they told her to come in immediately!! So, Uncle Eric, Aunt Bets and Uncle Chris hung out with Molly & Annie all day while the Dr's tried to stop labor. They thought they had it under control, but "Daddy Jr." (what Josh/Meg and girls have nicknamed him) wasn't going to be stopped! By Mon. morning, it was clear that a C-section was needed, so out he came! 4 lbs 12 oz - he is TINY and beautiful. He will be in the NICU for a few weeks until he gains a little weight, can hold his own temp., and is eating and gaining on his own (currently on IV). Already he has strong enough lungs to be taken off his ventilator, so that is wonderful!
I am so humbled by the MIRACLE that a new baby is; it is so neat to be here to witness that! I will try to get some pics and post them soon!!

**UPDATE: His name is Owen Joshua Adams - sweet, huh? Owen's meaning is "young warrior" - I just love its significance with him being a preemie!