- eli's time at Immersion and getting to hear all about it
- great is Thy faithfulness. i love that hymn.
- this:
- tasty peach cobbler
- the humor of looking out of my kitchen window to see horses - and my attempts to get them back inside the fence...
- how quickly mr. wright came over to fix the fence and get them back where they're supposed to be (I don't have the horse magic like he does...)
- time at goat rock lake with the Scarborough's
- on site date night with nick
- emma's love and care for Zoe during the car wash (Zoe is NOT a fan)(but we are taking advantage of our 9.99 for a month of unlimited carwashes!!!!)
- inviting myself over for leftovers with yaya and ending up with ling ling
- solo swimming in the rain
- gummi bears specially melted for me in Las Vegas.
- nick and Emma and the rest of the team made it to Washington
- easy dentist appointment for t-train (and somehow we didn't get caught in the storm coming or going)
- good quote/thought/reminder:
- really hard but really good conversations about choices with one of my kiddos
- super easy clean up at anja's
- emma's creative picture taking
- getting to say ridiculous things to nick during church and how he said "wow, dianna, you say outloud what i keep in my head."
- time to read Tuesday night
- finding fun pictures on my camera roll
- "the well kept secret of the ordinary is that it is made to be a receptacle of the divine, a place where the Life of God flows." - Dallas Willard
- fun finds on the side of the road
- zoe's cute dress with pockets!
- getting to spend a bit of time with the Sivaks! and Amy's wonderful hospitality!
- the care team meal this week was zaxby's. so good.
- incredible sunset on the way home
- floating/treading/talking with Melissa
- cinnamon rolls + bacon
- random things that make me laugh
- time with 2 super cool klause kids
- mercy ships couples welcoming babies into the world
- $1 coke from mcdonald's
- the beauty of Fields of Grace (the actual beauty and the spiritual beauty...the present beauty and the future beauty)
- t-train's face time call with the chalmers - her smile and giggles were beautiful
- celebrating riley and olivia
- serve week. it's so incredible in so many ways. very thankful for Eden Church's leadership, coordination, planning, preparing, executing. so much good stuff happening in/for our city and her people.
- zoe's nail painting expertise (and caroline's willingness to let her)
- grilled hotdogs, weather that cooperated and a nearly perfect time at callaway
- nick's willingness to bring the paddleboards over (and how close it is to his office!)
- a week that has been rich and full...quite packed...but packed with really great things
- my own personal kitchen fairy
- another beautiful breathe event
- staying on the prayer call just a few extra minutes
- "i trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. for what you have done i will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And i will hope in your name, for your name is good." psalm 52:8-9
- sidewalk chalk prayers for bio parents
- a new to me karen kingsbury book to enjoy
- anytime the fly swatter connects with a fly
- tiny ice ice tray (my husband loves me!)
- yaya and zoe enjoying brown bear, brown bear (and yaya's cute headband :))
- kid free time with ella
- no more speech therapy is needed at this time for t-train! (and getting to see familiar faces at her evaluation)
- emma's excitement about the school year and the books that go with it
- getting glimpses into eli's world at immersion through instagram
- time with the faircloths. love that it's easy and real and easy.
- pizza box postcards (now to see if they make it to their destinations)
- knowing eli is in an incredible environment at impact 360 for learning and discussions and fellowship and friendship
- "startle the world with glimpses of divine kindness." - dane ortlund
- all the giggles and grins that can only come from girls playing in a cabinet
- "God loves to just gush forth with His goodness." - dallas willard, life without lack
- a friend willing to let me know that something i did (or in this case, didn't do/say) stung. true friendship requires honesty...and i'm grateful for the true friendship.
- cup from benin, plate from bulgaria, coffee from costa rica, cake from a friend...just the right breakfast
- april's thoughtfulness with the book and flowers and trader joe's goodness
- nick's kindness and intentionality to make it possible for me to get away for a couple of days (and the fact that the house was cleaner when i came back than when i left. he's so wonderful and capable!!)
- TIME at Ancient Way Farm
- the gifts God gave me through the weather - including the power going out and the perfect overcast Tuesday
- long nap
- delicious food at a delightful table
- plenty of time to read and run and write
- the way things all tie together - sermons, books, readings, conversations
- Psalm 27
- so much Truth in God's word. it's living and active. always more.
- church on thursday night. breaking bread and sharing life and praying together is such a gift.
- coffee and biscotti and friendship on benson drive
- seeing/hearing emma and caroline enjoying one another
- "you are for us. you are for us. you are for us." - the blessing song
- community group gathering at the Kao's on saturday
- sisters and facemasks (the sister who provided the face masks isn't pictured)
- super fun and fabulous afternoon at the walls on sunday (and that all the kids are still friends after the ferocious water polo games...)
- God takes lumps of clay/piles of dirt and forms it (us) unto His likeness/His glory
- time in yaya's little piece of paradise (how amazing is it that at 2 pm on a wednesday afternoon in july in Georgia it was nice enough to sit outside?!)
- TWO nap Thursday
- the gift of BIG Jenga (and knowing that these pieces were leftovers from a SHP bed build...these pieces of wood used to be attached to pieces of wood that are currently BEDS for kids in our community!)
- july 8th fireworks at the cash casa (and the ones on the 4th, too)
- zoe's paddle board skillz (and her amazing dad!)
- nick's fun date night plans
- good stuff from thegirlnamedblake
- "yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore, He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" - Isaiah 30:18
- picture perfect messaged postcards from molly
- things that make me smile:
- the simplicity of registering for #oneweek
- hair dying party at the hebert's
- nice meeting with t-train's CASA
- bray farm blueberries and fabulous friends to pick them with
- lavender lip balm
- the kindness of God - he created blueberries!!
- movie night at yaya's
- most everybody swimming lots and lots most every day
- CAPS certificate made it to AGB
- "bravery badges" with llamas
- t-train's bio parents making good decisions and moving on to new stages/phases
- friends eating ramen and laughing on a friday night
- hearing back that things are taken care of and in order
- peach milkshake (and how fun it is to know so many of the CFA employees)
- Mama Florence - "I must take care of my pastor." A tray full of food that reminded me of Tuesday nights on the Africa Mercy (plantains included!!) and a gallon of super special ginger drink
- 7-8am Tuesday and Thursday morning this week
- icecream money from yaya
- another fun day at callaway with friends
- finally had that coffee date with anja
- girls watercoloring and bike riding and puddle jumping and generally having a good time
- when those three year olds are in bed for the night (especially grateful when they quickly and peacefully fall asleep!!)
- friends and little ones in the pool thursday morning (and the gift of an unexpected milkshake! 2 in one week...amazing!)
- amanda's wisdom to our friend (and her fantabulous questions)
- "...already loved, already chosen....that is enough..." -Jireh, maverick city/elevation worship
- prayers for our city - every day at 7am and 7pm on 107.7
- that melissa just stops by
- lots and lots of fruit from aldi
- yaya's succesful shoulder surgery!
- easy rainy saturday morning...getting unexpected closets and pockets of space cleaned out. always more to take to valley rescue.
- papa has a surgery date. bring on the new knee!
- eli's continued responsibility and trustworthiness and ability to get himself where he needs to go
- coming home to this scene
- susu's sugar cookies!
- fresh cut flowers
- a room full of moms sharing hearts and lives and stories
- lauren's facilitating abilities (and faithfulness to always bring random things for me! :))
- "i had never heard of a hard adoption story until after i started sharing mine." - ella
- how vulnerability and authenticity breed more vulnerability and authenticity
- nick's excellence in planning/executing events
- sweet three year olds riding in the back of the truck (captured one of them in the rear view mirror)
- the pain eventually stops, the colds go away, sick isn't my normal.
- sweet webmunity gathering
- jessica's testimony of tim saving a little girl's life (and how the holy spirit had prepared him for it)
- seeing the kids the gavins love so much thriving
- can my friends come over?" - eli (YES. 10000 times YES. can't think of any reason why the answer would ever be no....thankful for his friends...thankful that they want to be here...thankful that i can go to sleep even if they are still awake)
- breakfast picnic at the park with a delightful breakfast partner
- the every so often breakfast with janet
- amazing temperatures in june
- pleasant walk on rails to trails in jeans (in june)
- good news from t-train's parents. yay for parents working their case plans!!!
- it was just branches at 5:57am on biggers road tuesday morning
- Rock of Ages - what a beautiful hymn
- and one more incredible song: talking to jesus
- "it's not an interruption. you couldn't have picked a better time." - lyric from talking to jesus
- fresh baked chocolate chip cookies on the beach
- the husband who made and brought previously mentioned cookies to us
- pizza on the beach
- "help me to stop counting the minutes, to relinquish control. Inspire me to live and breathe with greater ease, as an eternal being loved by You." - lectio 365 prayer
- pink and purple sunset swimming
- caroline's skim boarding abilities (in true caroline fashion, she really can do most anything she sets her mind to)
- "invite the holy spirit to take up more space in your life." - ashley anderson, church of the city
- caroline's excitment at getting "go dawgs" level brushing status with dr. serff
- the favor of the Lord in the form of post-it notes and pens (and the refreshing friend who was His delivery vessel)
- fun day at callaway. yay for season passes and friends who have them, too!
- everyday isn't like today. today wasn't all that terrible...just A DAY.
- sweet texas postcard from shea
- kind animal-loving cottage guests
- having plans that make the week after the beach not so hard
- ollie ollie
- peaceful sleepers
- easy transition for t-train
- community and conversations at CCC
- getting to hug jeanie's neck..and the way emma and jeremiah picked their game of tag right back up
