redefining family...

this pic was the "features" page of the article

It's kinda fun to be little local celebrities for the day.  

This month's issue of our local magazine, Lynchburg Living, ran an article about adoption called "Redefining Family" and we were given the opportunity alongside two other families to be featured in the magazine!

Here's the link to see the article with the pictures.  (We're on page 11, and pages 48-55.)

I was NOT so pleased with what goofballs Marc and I look like in this picture!
Oh well, at least Jameson looks great!  You can't win 'em all...

 Even though the writer apologized to me for not having more space to write more of our story, Marc and I were pleased with how much she WAS able to capture in such a small space.

The writer herself has fostered and adopted many children, and it was an honor to connect with her! 

This awesome pic was the cover page to the article- LOVE!

Now, I don't know if anybody actually READS the magazine, but it's all over town, so it at least feels like our little 5 minutes of fame, ha!  

 I hope that some who do read the article or see our family's pictures might be inspired themselves to consider adoption for their family.

If my kids' smiles could somehow convince someone to take that move forward towards adoption, I'd be overjoyed.  

(As the article mentions, 1 in 3 families discusses adopting, but only 2% of families actually adopt.)

Caroline's diagnosis of alopecia is explained in the article as well, and I feel like it'd be a HUGE victory even if a hand-full of people walked away from that article with a new awareness of alopecia.

Oh, if only more people knew about alopecia, what an easier life we would lead...

I hope that somehow, in some small way, seeing the love within our family might help build bridges between races on both sides.  Families don't have to match to be family.  I love that the writer included me saying we're not a white family with a black son, but that we're collectively a black and white family now.

My greatest hope as people look at our family and read our story is that they'll see a God who is always at work in our lives, through our suffering and not just in spite of it.  He's governing His creatures and writing all of our stories.

I hope they'll see a Father who adopts ALL of his children, who Himself has a multi-racial family with children from every land and every tribe.

It's my hope that the story He has written in my little family, even as unplanned as it orginally seemed, will somehow lead others to trust in His tender goodness, grace, and timing.

To Him be all the glory.

they...

Dear God,

In my wildest dreams, I could've never dreamed up these two children You hand-picked for me.

They don't share my DNA,

but they couldn't be any more mine.

It's like You knew or something.

 They bring me so much frustration.

They bring me so much joy.

They are so thankful for the other,

best friends as well as brother/sister.

Does it get any sweeter than this?

 I just want to stop time and never forget.

These are precious days.

These are precious little ones.

Oh God, Your story was beyond
that which I could've imagined.

I love them, I love them.

you've been warned...

Warning.

This post may not be suitable for those with heart conditions due to the nature of this content.  

This post contains ridiculous amounts of cuteness, and your heart just might skip a beat or two.

So browse at your own risk,

lest the cuteness slay you, too.






(This pic should really impress all the future girlfriends, don't you think?)

Those eyes.

We're in for big trouble with the ladies, folks...

 He loved the slide.

Watch here...

a belated birthday...

And while we're on the theme of Frozen, Nanny made one of the greatest Frozen-themed birthday cakes!

 Our snow a few weeks ago kept us from going to celebrate with the whole family in South Carolina.

But at least we were able to meet up halfway with Nanny, Papa, and Uncle Johnny for some cake just before a memorial service for Marc's uncle.

"Happy birthday to you...."

 And after the cake, it was playground time...

and a chance to snuggle.  :)

We love you, Nanny & Papa!

corn pits and pumpkin bits...

This seems like a lifetime away now, and it's hard to keep my mind on anything right now other than what's happening with my dad (he's doing well and making progress each day!), but I have lots of pictures to share with you all from our relaxing afternoon at the farm this month.

AND --here's the best part-- Jameson will blow you a kiss at the end.




Chasing her in the pumpkin patch.


Look at these characters.


Beauty.


My boys.






He was fascinated.


Humongous corn pit.  (which made their clothes incredibly dusty and not to mention, kernels of corn were being found for days in... ahem... unexpected places.)  ha!


Okay, you ready for the finale as promised?


Bye bye, everybody!  See ya next time!


Mmmmm....


wuah!

keepers...

I snap so many pictures of my children, but a few weeks ago, I realized how very few pictures I've gotten of all four of us.


So 100 shots later, we finally got this keeper.

Oh, what it takes to get everyone smiling and still at the same time!

But some photos aren't worth throwing out just yet, even if the kiddos aren't looking at the camera.


Here the two of them started cracking each other up.


I love it.


Life with a baby.  The valiant attempts to get them to smile.


And they'd rather grab your face.


At this point, delirium began setting in.  :)

Nevertheless, we did get some more "keeper" photos that day...




My boys!






My beautiful children.

Thank you, God.

a thousand words...

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

5 years, 5 months...

Caroline Elizabeth.


5 years.


Jameson David.


5 months.


Big sister.  Little brother.


5 months.


5 years.


Love them.