Life lately...

Ever since I can remember, I've been a major procrastinator.  I have vivid, terrible memories of pulling all-nighters in college to study or write papers, and the current laundry situation in our house proves that I don't tend to do things until I have to.

Right now, I have a lot going on.  You already know that we're starting the adoption process, but you may not know that our family is going to Washington D.C. next week or that I'm traveling to India in February or that Ethan has his semiannual cardiology appointment on Friday.

For real.

There are currently 25 e-mails in my inbox and all but seven of them are related to one of those things above.  At least three of those seven are e-mails that I should have responded to months ago, but still haven't.  (Sorry, Jen!)

So, like any good procrastinator, instead of sitting down to write testimony for the upcoming D.C. trip (or respond to long overdue e-mails), I'm taking a breather.  This blog is like my therapist, and writing here refreshes and calms me.  It's also important to me that I document these times in our lives and, boy, are we in the midst of some things right now. So, here I sit.

Let's break it down, shall we?

Adoption
We're still no further along in the process than we were last week, but we're just as confident that this is God's plan for growing our family and sharing His gospel.  We continue to appreciate your prayers for clarity and wisdom as we move forward in making decisions.

India
Yep.  Between this trip and adoption, God is placing a sense of urgency on my heart for telling others about Him - from the people who live across the street to the people who live across the world.  I'll be traveling to India in February of 2014 with my church and would love your prayers! You can start by praying that the travel funds will be provided, but more importantly that our hearts would be prepared for what God is going to do in and through us during those 10ish days.

D.C.
About a month ago, I had the opportunity to share Ethan's story with members of March of Dimes and Senator Kay Hagan's staff.  From there, Senator Hagan invited our family - and me, specifically - to testify at a congressional hearing for a federal newborn screening bill which she is sponsoring.  This is kind of a big deal, and I'm kind of freaking out about it.  It wasn't too long ago that the mere thought of public speaking made me want to vomit.  That reaction has subsided a bit, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about this one.  But, as I was reminded today, they're just people like the rest of us and I'm the expert in Ethan's story.  Plus, I've never been to D.C. and I'm SO looking forward to exploring the city with my boys!

Ethan's Heart
I truly have no idea what to expect on Friday.  Some days I worry that he's winded, and some days I wonder where all of his energy comes from.  Intuition is telling me that we may be looking at surgery before this time next year, but who knows.  God is a big God and Ethan is a healthy kid - and they both surprise me on a daily basis.  Prayers for wisdom on Dr. I's part, and peace on our parts, are greatly appreciated!

Whew.  Just typing all that out makes it seem a little less daunting.  Here's to hoping there's enough room left in the bucket for things like grocery shopping and folding clothes after these "big rocks" are taken care of...

Y'all have a great week!