Birth Giver

We just celebrated 5 years of having Esther in our family forever!  I giggle every time I check her phone and see that she has my contact name in her phone as:
Birth Giver. 
 OHHHHHHHHHH sweet daughter of mine you are so right.  We have labored together, her and I, for 5 solid years.  The labor has been 5 years which seems so long, but when you are having to push thru 10 years of  stuff that has happened before we were even laboring together, it's understandable.  Just like any labor, there are times of intense pain and times of rest and deep breathing, and more joy than I can describe.  I think the long and difficult labors are the ones that also bring about the most joyful celebration because we know what it took to get to this point. .  Whenever we feel like giving into the pain, we remember the purpose and the result of what is on the other side of it all, and we keep going.  God is so faithful to bring us through. He has also given us all the strength and the perseverance to keep going, keep pressing in, keep digging deep.

  I can't even imagine my life, my marriage, my parenting, my walk with Jesus, apart from what I have learned in this
 "labor of LOVE."

People, on occasion will comment that they can imagine how "thankful" Esther is for our family.  I know what they mean, but I never know how to answer that comment. I don't expect a
 "thank you" from my birth kids for having them, and I don't expect my adopted ones to thank me for adopting them.


I pray all my kids are thankful, thankful for everything!!!

But I pray they are thankful to
 God
 for the gift of life and the family 
HE
has put together, and thankful to
 us,
 for parenting and giving them everything they can suck out of us.  :)
*oops...did I blog that out-loud*

Colossians 3:16English Standard Version (ESV)

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

The best OREO ever!!!!!

 I do pray for ALL OF US,
PARENTS AND KIDS, ADOPTED AND BIRTH
 to rejoice in the Lord and thank HIM for LIFE and LOVE.