30 Days- Day 21

Only 9 days left in our 30 Days of Nothing!!!! (Not that I'm counting!) I gave Kaitlyn the last of the oatmeal for breakfast. I made Lucas Arroz Con Leche for breakfast using last night's leftover rice, making minor substitutions where I didn't have the correct ingredients in my cupboard. I did not use black olive juice! I had leftover rice with vegetables for breakfast. We're not doing a day of only rice or anything, it's just that all of the breakfast food is now gone with the exception of a box of cheerios (generic of course!) My resolve is weakening! I can feel it slipping away by the moment. Camping with my parents this weekend will be just what I need. My father loves candy. My mother makes all kinds of little snacks. Cinamon and sugar covered almonds. Ice cream!

We're at the end of the third week of 30 Days of Nothing. So, what have I come to a new understanding of so far? That I am more blessed than I ever realized. That while there is this huge taboo in the adoption community about accepting kudos for "rescuing" a child as though that kid is a project to your family, I can't ignore the fact that our little Ethiopian babies are indeed incredibly blessed to be coming to America to be a part of our family. No, they don't "owe" us for adopting them anymore than Kaitlyn and Lucas "owe" us for giving birth to them. Well, Kaitlyn's delivery included 20 hours of hard labor followed by 4 hours of pushing. Maybe she does owe me?! Hmmm...

Anyway, God is helping my heart to understand his heart of justice for the widows, orphans, poor, oppressed, and downtrodden in the world. These are the things that make God's heart break. These are the things that made his wrath burn against Israel. It wasn't breaking the Sabbath or worshipping idols. These things certainly break His heart too, but when He states his reason, the evidence of the nation of Israel having turned their backs on God, it's that the orphans, widows, and poor weren't treated with justice and mercy. Wow. My Ethiopian burakoch (blessings) are a tangible picture of what it looks like for God to bring justice into a broken life, to set right that which is wrong. My babies are so loved by their family in Ethiopia. They have all died with the exception of their great-grandmother, who is brokenhearted with grief for the loss of her entire world. Yet, she knows the hope she is giving them in allowing them to come to America with our family. God always intends to bring unfathomable redemption to the people He loves. This adoption is a most tangible picture of what that grace, redemption, and justice looks like. And to think, all of this because I'm tired of eating rice and ground beef! Suddenly, I can feel my resolve strengthening. If God has helped my heart to understand all of this in just three weeks, I wonder what next week will look like?!

I'm feeling nostolgic, so I'll leave you with a few rather cute pictures from Kaitlyn and Lucas's first few years. And maybe I think I'll find one of Avery and me too. Enjoy!


Kaitlyn used to think she was hillarious with this little Q-Tip trick. I was worried she'd rupture an ear drum! Age 2.


Kaitlyn, age 2 and Lucas, age 1. One of my favorite pictures!





Short-haired Avery!





I can't believe I went on a hike in the mountains of North Carolina just a couple of months before Lucas was born! Funny how just a couple of years of being a Mommy can zap your energy level! I think all of the energy I used to have has been magically transferred into Lucas!