Catch-up.

You know what makes me smile? Google tells me that there are about thirty of you who faithfully come to this little ol' blog every single day to check-in on our family. Every single day! But for almost two months now, you've been coming over here, looking for an update, and finding none. Yet, you still keep checking and, while it probably seems silly to most, I'm so encouraged by that!

Truth is, I've missed writing here, too. Just about every single day I think to myself, "I really want to finish writing about Ethan's surgery." But then the dryer buzzes or the carpool line beckons or I fall asleep at 9:15, and contributing anything to this space gets pushed further and further down the mental list of things I'd like to do.

Today I'm determined to change that, even if it's just a few photos to show all the ways God is at work in our family right now.

Since my last post (and Ethan starting kindergarten)...

...we had our first post-op pool trip...

...we spent a weekend at the lake...

...Jeramie moved into a new position with his company...

...we started the training for our county's foster care program...

...we celebrated my daddy's 72nd birthday...

...Ethan had a check-up with Dr. I...

...we participated in our 5th Heart Walk...

...my daddy was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital for four days...

...and Ethan lost his third tooth!

How's that for an update?

That silly boy of ours is doing very well these days. He's loving kindergarten, making lots of new friends, and learning a lot about responsibility and self-control. All looked great at his check-up with Dr. I in September and he doesn't have to go back until March! We are very relieved to have the craziness of the summer behind us, and that experience only magnifies the significance of the milestones Ethan is reaching.  From swimming, to loosing teeth, to reading and writing, open-heart surgery makes us keenly aware that he's not granted a single second of those things.  The grace and mercy that has been poured out on our boy from his good and perfect Father is so humbling and encourages a constant attitude of thanksgiving!

While my daddy gave us quite a scare, just days after celebrating his birthday, he is doing much better now! Those details are for a whole other post (which I'll likely never write), but just know that you're never too old to change.  God is always in the business of redeeming and restoring, and the fact that my daddy is alive right now is just one sliver of evidence of that truth.

Jeramie and I are about halfway through our MAPP (Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting) training and we've really enjoyed the process so far! When we first said "yes" to adoption last August, I never thought God would lead us to foster care -- and, to be honest, I really didn't want him to! -- but he did, so here we are. While our deepest desire is to adopt from the foster care system, we are agreeing to open our home to those children who need a temporary, stable, loving environment, too. Will it be difficult? Absolutely.  Will it be more difficult for us, than for the children who are being shuffled from home to home? Probably not. Perspective makes all the difference.

The past couple of months have been a bit of a whirlwind, to say the least, but the Lord is sustaining us and providing for us and encouraging us all along the way! We are so thankful.

Have a happy week!