My Ebenezer

Tonight, our church provided a free dinner to all the area evacuees of hurricaine Katrina. I helped pass out flyers to area hotels and got to talk with a lot of hurting people. I got to be the hands and feet of Christ for them. I’m too tired to make it sound pretty or moving - the experience was too raw for that anyway. People are hurting and they need the Body of Christ to lift them up. People I won’t easily forget:

The first lady I got to speak with won’t leave my mind’s eye. She was an elderly woman of about 75 or so and although she had a sweet disposition, her heart was clearly broken. Through her tears she talked of her kids and grandkids who fled with her and were safe. With tears spilling down her face she said, “but our husbands. Our husbands stayed behind. We don’t know. We just don’t know.”

A couple we met in the parking lot of Wal-Mart with their small child. Packing up their vehicle with plans to head back to Slidell, La. “My mom and step dad are stuck there. They live in a three story house so we believe they are okay, but we have to get to them. No one else will. We have to. My step dad is a diabetic. We’re going to rescue them.” As the man loaded his car with supplies and rubber boots, he said their next stop was Academy and he was going to buy a boat.

A woman who sat alone, crying on a bench in front of her hotel. I sat down beside her and just put my arm around her. “i’m sorry,” i said. “so sorry.” “I’ve lost it all. Everything is gone. I don’t even have my checkbook. I can’t even get to my money in the bank - it was a local bank in New Orleans. I have nothing.” I asked what she would do until she could go back ….”I’m not going back. I have nothing to go back to. I think i’m going to Tennessee…i have some family there. My home is gone.”

Then there are the beautiful people who showed up tonight for a free meal and a praise and worship service. We fed them. We hugged them. We prayed with them. We loved them. They told us they would be okay. They told us that God is good.

Gaynelle was there with her 5 year old nephew. Through tears she said, “i’m not hungry. I just came for the worship. I need to worship.” She explained that Tobius was her nephew and that her mother and sister stayed behind. They couldn’t get out - I don’t think they had any means to get out. So she took Tobius and they fled and now they don’t know about Tobius’s mom or her mom. They can’t get through and they just don’t know.

There were some their who had their entire families with them. Some had left family behind. All left someone behind. The common answer was “we just don’t know.”

The worship service was amazing. More “Amens” and “hallelluhah’s” (i don’t know how to spell halleluyah) than i’ve ever heard in a single service. These people were praising God with tears streaming down their faces.

I have yet to tell you of another group of people who touched my heart in a very special way this evening. Our church family and other church families poured out their hearts, their wallets and their time to make this meal happen. We fed about 250-300 people and there were at least that many volunteers there helping. We had a ton of food left over. Everyone wanted to do something.

These are some of the faces of Katrina:

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I want to turn things around a little bit. Rather than have you ask me questions, I’ll ask you a few and you can respond in the comments section. I’d really like to know who you are so if whether you are a “regular” or someone who has just been lurking, answer these questions in the comments section!

1. What is YOUR favorite family tradition?
2. How did you find my blog?
3. Is there anything you wish I’d write more about?
4. What do you think about changing the name of a 6 month old baby? What about a 1 year old? A 2 year old?

Now it’s your turn. Let’s see what you have to say. And for those of you who enjoyed the bouncy ball game a little too much, try this time waster ! Enjoy!

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I figure if I start answering your questions right away, maybe you’ll be motivagted to ask more!

What traditions will you be passing on to your children, and what ideas do you have for new traditions? Great question! The traditions that first come to mind are about Christmas. Christmas Eve will always be spent with Daddy-O’s family - it’s something he’s done since he was born. We eat, sing Christmas Carols in German (mostly i just move my lips and pretend) and only then can we open presents. Another tradition for Christmas is Giant stockings. We do this with my family - everyone puts a little something (and a lot of gag gifts and junk) into everyone else’s stocking. It’s a lot of fun to go through them! Finally, Sunday lunch is a tradition we hope to start - not that we haven’t been eating lunch on Sundays forever. But we’d like to make an effort to go to Grammy’s every other Sunday for lunch. (Get ready, Grammy) Jana has some great tradition ideas - you should check out her site!

I love it that you love “Nanny’s” sweet pickles. I have had the recipe somewhere and always think I should make some. I do think that K has made them one time — they are even better if you grow the cucumbers! I don’t think anyone could make them as good as Nanny!

What is your favorite childhood memory and is it something that you will try to recreate with your kids? This is a tough one. I think my favorite memories are probably from the road trips me, mom and T took to Florida for vacation. It’s the only time in my childhood that I remember my sister and I actually getting along. We definitely want to create these fond memories for our kids - maybe not in Florida, but by taking at least one trip every year or two. This one will require more thought because I know there are many more! Oh, and the Wednesday evening thing was called “Prime Time”.

Keep those questions coming - I’d really love to hear from some more of you!

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How do you pass the time while you’re waiting for your children…waiting for your life to be completely turned upside down? What does one do while one waits for one’s future?

One blogs.

More specifically, one blogs about all the random things going through her mind that no one really cares about.

Like how I love sweet pickles. Not just any sweet pickles, but the sweet pickles that my dad’s mom makes. Now you’re wondering why I call her “my dad’s mom” instead of my grandmother. My “dad” is actually my step-dad. His mom makes the BEST sweet pickles EVER. I think she’s called Nanna or Nanny - I usually call her by her first name. Anyway, she makes the best sweet pickles - EVER. Did I mention that already? The sweet pickles are on my mind because I just finished off the last jar I “borrowed” (stole) from mom and dad. *hint…this is a shameless plug for more sweet pickles.

Some of my more dedicated readers (all 3 of you) may be even further confused now. I once told you that my dad did not support our decision to adopt. That person is my biological father. My “dad” (stepdad) is wonderful and supports us unconditionally. And by the way, he’s doing really well these days.

Here’s another random thought. I love those little bouncy balls you get out of the “gumball” machines at the grocery store. I recently found this game and now I can’t stop thinking about bouncy balls. I’m dying to run to the store and get one - seeing as how we have hardwood floors in our den, I could really have some fun with a good bouncy ball.

If you clicked on the link above, the red balls remind me of one of my favorite childhood candies. I can’t remember what they were called but they were some kind of sour cherry candy and even just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

I used to buy them at the Life Center - part of the church I went to growing up. THere was a small concession stand where you could buy stuff after youth group on Wednesday nights. What was that called? Lumpy, if you’re reading this, what did we call Wednesday night Bible Study?

Anyway, i’m digressing. Is THAT how you spell digresssing? I think those are enough random thoughts for one night.

I need your help again. Let’s play another round of question and answer. I’m running out of ideas and unless you want to hear more random thoughts, I need some questions! Just click on comments below and type in your question. If you don’t have a blogger account, remember to select anonymous and then click Publish your comment. You can do it. I know you can!

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I can’t wait to meet the kids we’ll get to adopt. I wonder what that first meeting will be like? We’ll be nervous and anxious, I”m sure. I wonder what they look like? How tall or how short? What color are their eyes? Will they like us? Will we like them?

This post touched my heart today. It’s about a couple who got to meet the two girls they are hoping to adopt through foster care - the girls are older. Go read Stacy’s Story and you’ll be touched, too!

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I saw the Adoption Lady at church this morning and I asked her about our case study being submitted. She said we won’t always know when our study is submitted on a child and that she knows we have already been submitted on a few of them. Our case worker won’t ask us before she submits us for a child, but she will ask us before it gets to the next step.

Once homestudies are submitted on a child or sibling group, a few case studies (families) are selected to move on to the next step. The next step is called a “four-way”. This is where our case study would go to a meeting with the CPS worker and, I’m guessing, also the case workers representing other families. A decision is made about which family is the best fit for this child or group of children. We will be told before our study is taken into a “four-way” - that will be our opportunity to ask lots of questions and say either “yes” or “no”. (though I can’t imagine us saying “no”)

Once we are chosen, the transition period will begin. This is where we would get to visit the child(ren) one day, then a few days later take the child(ren) for a few hours, then a few days after that bring the child(ren) to spend a night with us and then finally a few days after that bring the child home with us for good. Of course, all of this depends on the age of the child(ren) - it could take a longer or a shorter time than all of that.

Anyway, Adoption Lady said we might hear something this week. Holy Stinkin’ Cow.

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I’ve told you already how sweet my husband is. I’ve told already how precious he is, how kind, how loving and what a wonderful daddy I know he’s going to be.

Today, I was also reminded of how funny he is. Sometimes intentionally, most of the time not! So here’s a list of some funny things about Daddy-O that I’m sure he’ll pass on to our kids.

1. We came up to a stop sign next to a golf course, just as an older gentleman was setting up his shot. He moved around and got his stance just right, he eased back with the club and then just as he was swinging, Daddy-O layed on the horn. THe man followed through with a swing, while jumping a little, and then turned to give us the evil eye. This happened just today.
2. Once, we were in a grocery store and we split up to find things faster. I was way behind Daddy-O (and so were about 3 other people) in the aisle when I noticed that as he was walking, with each step he would sort of lift one leg and kinda shake it a little bit. I knew what was happening so I immediately turned and walked the other way. As I giggled, I felt a little sorry for the people behind him who would soon smell the reason for his wiggle. Evidently, Daddy-O feels the need to “shake the stink out” after he farts. (sorry, I tried to say “poots” or “passes gas” but those words are just not as effective - Daddy-O doesn’t “poot” or “pass gas” - the man farts.)
3. My sister was visiting and she and I were sitting at my desk having a pretty serious discussion. Daddy-O was heading to bed and was saying goodnight and I don’t remember exactly what happend or what was said…..but something was said about mooning. (definition: Mooning - to show one’s bare butt to another). My sweet and loving husband walked to the far side of the room and yanked his pants down while bending over to show us hit bottom. What he didn’t realize is that there are two very important rules a MAN should follow if he is going to “moon” someone. Rule #1 - don’t pull your pants down very far. Rule #2 - just in case you forget about Rule #1, you better keep your legs together. Daddy-O did not know these rules. If you can’t imagine why they are important, well, let’s just say my sister got a look a lot more than just a bare behind. And we laughed so hard we almost peed in our pants.

That’s all I have time for now. These were all printed with his permission - one of the things I love most about Daddy-O is that it never occurs to him to be embarrassed!

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It’s hot. No, I mean it is HOT. It feels like it’s a thousand degrees out there and it’s not even 11am yet. Yesterday, I couldn’t get my house cooler than 80 degrees - and that was with the ac running all day. Yikes. The electric bill is going to be astronomical.

Daddy-O is outside working on the cabinet - and wonders why I’m not out there “helping”. It’s dang hot, that’s why. If it were up to me, the cabinets wouldn’t get finished until the end of September, when we catch a break from this nasty heat. THankfully, it isn’t up to me. So the cabinet will be primed today, painted tomorrow and hopefully moved into the playroom by tomorrow night!

I can’t wait to get it all set up and start putting toys and stuff in it. In fact, I think I’ll go to the store this afternoon and look for some wicker baskets - I’ve decided to use the baskets in the cubby holes. But that means I have to leave my house and get in the minivan. I really wish I had a remote control to start the minivan and turn on the AC before I get to it.

THe one thing I really don’t like about the minivan is the giant window in front - it really allows the heat to come right in while you’re driving. It doesn’t matter how good the AC works, when the sun is beating down on your arm or legs through the window, it gets hot.

Can you tell I don’t like the heat? In my perfect little world, everything would stay at about 75 degrees. Unless I’m sleeping. When I’m sleeping, I like it to be about 70 degrees.

So what do you do when you’re waiting for the rest of your life to start? Other than complaining about how hot it is. I’ll save that topic for my next post….the laptop is heating up and I just can’t take it anymore.

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I know, I know. I got you all excited a few weeks ago about the possibility of us adopting an 8 month old little girl. Then we found out that we were never even submitted on her. Sorry about that, but welcome to my life.

I talked with our case worker today, S. She asked about a child. I called my husband and our trusted friend, The Adoption Lady. I called S back and said “We’d love to.”

That is the short version of the story. We are being submitted on a 4 month old baby. That’s all I want to share right now. I’ve got to keep you in suspense on something! We are for sure being submitted - doesn’t mean we’ll be chosen, but we’re being submitted!

I don’t know how long this process usually takes or when we may know something. I’ll let you know if/when I find out. Just keep praying! We want the child (ren) God has for us.

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First of all, I had to wake up at 6:30AM this morning. Did you know it is light out at 6:30am? I didn’t know this and am sorry that I know it now. Anyway, after my doctor’s appointment, my minivan just took over like it had a mind of its own. It headed straight for Chic-fil-a and there was nothing I could do about it.

Okay, so we both know that’s a lie, but I’m telling the story my way. So while I’m sitting in the drive through line, (because my fat butt is too lazy to park and go in) I’m debating on whether or not to buy my weekly gallon of Sweet Tea. Since I am officially “off” of Sweet Tea I decide I shouldn’t buy the whole gallon as this would make it more difficult for me to not drink it. Duh!

So instead, I buy TWO large Sweet Teas. Yes, I said TWO! Count them with me…ONE…..TWO! One for now and another for well, now. I’m hopeless. Absolutely hopeless. That’s what happens when the doctor tells me I’ve lost TWO pounds - I reward myself with a large Sweet Tea - one for each pound. Because THAT makes sense.

Anyway, so the kids are coming. It’s getting so close. They will be here any day now. Maybe one, maybe two, perhaps even three. I absolutely draw the line at three. Progress is being made at the agency and we’re told that it is going to happen fast. Get ready.

I wonder how I will feel when I see those precious children for the first time? I wonder if we’ll instantly feel a connection or if we’ll fall madly in love at first site. Realistically, I guess we’ll feel pretty awkward at first and maybe even afraid we won’t ever “fall in love” with them. I know it will only be a matter of time.

It’s just a matter of time now.

Aunt T is already spoiling her niece. But don’t worry, if she gets a nephew we’ll trade it in!

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