Adopted

From the Bible:

"I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."(Galatians 4:1-7 ESV)

I don't know where this idea started but for as many Christmases as I can remember we as a family have always adopted some other family or child in need.   We provide food and gifts and in the past it's taken on different looks depending on whether we did it with friends, a small group or just ourselves.  This year our small group adopted a single grandmother raising three young children, two of which are only 9 months and 28 days apart!  We took them to dinner and provided gifts for the kiddos and are going to drop off a Christmas meal today for the grandmother as well as some pantry items.   I don't share this to brag at all, we love doing this and it's a joy to do it.  Maybe adopting a family isn't the right word though, really, for this Christmas tradition.   Here's what I mean:  

The questions in my devotions this morning was this.  After reading the passage below, what is the difference between adopting a family at Christmas and literally adopting a child into your family?  What does this language communicate about God's commitment to loving us?

The questions really stunned me.  I hadn't ever stopped to consider the significance of what it means to be adopted into God's family.  When I accepted Jesus to be my leader and savior and Lord of my life, I was adopted.  God made a commitment to love me and protect me and walk with me and provide for me as if I was His very own child.    What's significant about that is that He knew what a screw up I am.   Not only that but He knew when I'd be disobedient and prideful; He knew when I'd ignore Him for years at a time,and, yet, He still adopted me.  

I'm pretty much convinced Addison is perfect so the decision to love and adopt a child has been simple...and yes, I know that my perception of perfect might adjust somewhat when she hits 12, but until then let me be irrational...  I have a conceptual idea that Addison is going to be difficult at times, just like any kid, and that we will face the same struggles and battles any parent does with their child.   But rare is the child who puts their parent through the kinds of pain and grief I have put my God through.   The point here is love.   God's love is so vast and so great that it supersedes my ability to comprehend it.   I believe that the greatest gift of parenting is developing a true sense of agape love, that is, love that is unconditional and completely and totally given to an individual regardless of their actions past, present or future.  That is awesome and that is a great gift!

So, while adopting a family for Christmas does not come with the long term responsibility and extended love of parenting, it does represent a small amount of God’s intentions for us to treat one another as all members of His family. It gives us a small glimpse of the heavenly house that looks past social class or background or difficult personalities or possessions or _______. After all, isn't that what we want for ourselves every moment…to love and be loved without strings…to know that we matter no matter our failings…to be important because of who we are and not our family heritage.

Santa Said No

Whatever she asked for for Christmas, Santa must have said no. 

Thanksgiving 2013 and our $226 Christmas Tree!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY

We made a decision last year to toss our old fake tree, which of course meant that this year, come Thanksgiving we had no choice but to go and get one in the woods.  Even though Anna and I both have memories of real Christmas trees in our homes growing up, it had been at least 7-8 years since either of us had had a real tree so in the words of Clark Griswold, "We kicked off our fun old fashioned family Christmas by heading out to the country in our ole front (err four) wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and to select that most important of Christmas symbols...the Taylor Family Christmas tree!"

(Just a disclaimer, in no way is the Christmas tree the most important symbol of the Christmas holiday so don't get out of sorts.  Christmas Vacation, the movie, is one of our favorites and I couldn't have summed up our adventure in any other way then that.) 

We took Autumn along for the ride and headed up into the Jemez where there was actually a decent amount of snow left on the ground from the storm we got a couple weeks ago.   We couldn't have asked for a nicer day, the weather was great, the sun was out the whole time and the temps stayed reasonable for having an infant out in the cold.  It took us four stops and a lot of hiking in the woods before we found the tree but when we did, we knew it was the one.   the tree was perfect!    After cutting it down and loading it onto the top of the Explorer we headed back down the mountain.  By this time it was pretty late in the afternoon and the long shadows were crossing the road making it hard to catch everything and at some point I hit a sizable rock that I didn't see at all.   Didn't really think anything of it until about a mile later when my tire pressure low buzzer went off.   Uh-oh.    I pulled off the dirt road about a mile from pavement and I could hear the air.    The rock I hit must have been a big one because it sliced a hole in the side of my right front tire.  

Funny, I kind of surprised myself.  I didn't get upset, didn't even let it mess up my mood, the whole day had been so great.  We just unpacked everything from the back, changed the flat and got back on the road.     Praise the Lord it happened when we were only a couple miles from pavement and that the roads weren't worse.   We had to keep the speed slow on the way back to Albuquerque, but by the time we got there, I'd called ahead to the Ford dealership, they had a tire ready for us and by 5pm, the Ford was back to normal, the tree was in the house and we were all ready for a nap.  

So our $10 tree permit ended up costing us a bit more in the end but it was all worth it, we had a great day and have a beautiful Christmas tree.   This is going to be a fun season of memories with Addison and even though she probably won't remember any of this first Christmas, we want to make it special so that years from now she'll see what crazy parents she has.

HEADED OUT TO LOOK FOR A TREE

MY BEAUTIFUL LADIES

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THE TREE IS ABOUT 6 FEET ABOVE ME

LOADING...BEFORE THE FLAT TIRE...

OH DEAR LORD, THAT IS A 12' CEILING!!

MINUS 3 FEET...

CHECKING OUT THE LIGHTS

THANKSGIVING CONCERT

My nephew Brandon gave us a short concert before dinner on Thanksgiving Day.  Addison loved it, as did we.

She's growing up so fast.   She cruises around the house crawling so fast it's hard to keep up with her.  She loves to play chase, get into stuff that she probably shouldn't and her favorite no-no is the dog water.  

 She's standing up on her own, and cruising around the furniture which is a sure indication she'll be walking sooner rather than later.   We can't express enough in words how thankful we are that God blessed us with this nugget of goodness and joy.  We love being parents, we love this little girl, we love our Lord and Savior Jesus and can't say thanks enough.  

Lord we are grateful.

Addi goes to Hawaii

Jason and I got the opportunity to go to Hawaii with his business for a conference with Fellowship of Companies for Christ International. So we packed up our bags and our beautiful baby and headed across the ocean.

I was very worried about her first plane ride, but she seems to think it was just fine.

We spent the first day recovering and the second day eating in our very own cabana!

Taking naps in the sun was the best part!

And then we took most of our dinners on our balcony enjoying the view.

We couldn't quite figure out the sand and it tasted awful.

But we did figure out the boat! And she even let us take turns scuba diving.

I am convinced she will be a swimmer because she absolutely adored the water.

Let me tell you it was a rough time.

But, in the end we all felt worn out by the great fun!

The Things Nightmares are Made Of

It was the moment I have dreaded--the fear and frustration. I stutter stepped at the door not sure that I could face the other side. I forced myself to take a quick peak at the impending chaos and end of life as I know it!

And there they are...little, snotty monsters smiling their come-and-get-me-if-you-dare grins and gnawing on otherworldly creatures of plush blue and red. Devious laughter and outstretched slobbery fingers.

It. Is. Daycare.

Can I do it? Can I leave Addison within the reaches of 10 other virus ridden children? Children who I am sure will eagerly share their boogers and spit.

I have no choice. I reluctantly leave her in the arms of the gentlest looking "teacher" I can spot hoping that maybe she just won't ever put her down on the floor with the herd of other needy kids. I take a step to the door and look back, another step and look back, another step and look back, and then slowly close the door behind me peaking through the window with sudden regret and anxiety. Remembering that I am the strong mother who has decided that she will not be the mother who cries over leaving her child in the church nursery, I shed only one solitary tear...until I get to the car and then 5 minutes later I wipe my face and readjust my mascara.

In reality, the first week was little hairy with some crying and her first cold, but now the crying has limited itself to nose wiping or face cleaning. In fact, the most recent day care report  is that she does nothing but smile and talk. She wants to sit with the bigger kids when they eat their solid foods and is too entertained to take a regular nap.

Thankfully Addison is cheerful as a morning baby. She would easily sleep to 7 am but my school schedule mandates that she get up at 5:30. Her daytime schedule is slowly starting to mold to the day care schedule and seems worn out with excitement when she gets home. She always falls asleep in the car and continues to sleep through the night.

Each day she comes home in a different set of clothes than what we sent her in because she is drooling through her onsie. With three teeth and more on the way, two sets of clothes a day seems the new norm.

Our new nightmare is that we will miss her "firsts." Will she crawl first at day care? Say her first word to the teacher? Stand for the first time on their play equipment?

Grand Teton Camping Trip

Anna, Addi and I just got back from a week in the Teton's.    Addison was such a trooper, the trip took us 1900 miles and we spend 36 hours in the car over the 6 days we were gone but it was all worth it.   Here are but a few of the pictures of the great memories of her second road trip/camping trip, we forgot to take any pictures during the first one. 

Day 1 - Camping at Sugarite Canyon State Park

 Day 1 was driving from Albuquerque to Raton in one of the most severe and crazy rain storms I've ever experienced.    I was really glad we had rented a big vehicle for the trip.  

Dinner night 1

 Right before dinner, I went for a run and not a quarter mile from the campground scared up a black bear that was rummaging in a culvert next to the road, he didn't hear me, I didn't hear him and thank the Lord, he took off when I passed him, amazing, he was no further than 10 feet away!

Nap Time

While Daddy was cooking Addi went for a walk

Day 2 - I am so happy when I wake up.

 Addi slept fantastic, we set up two cots and her pack-n-play between us in the REI Hobitat tent.    She woke up every morning with a big smile and ready for whatever might come.    Day 2 we left Sugarite Canyon and drove to Cheyenne.  Along the way we stopped and visited our friends Kneil and Jodi, and their two kiddos Abigail and Bethany.

This was my command and control center for the trip.

After a long trip north we stopped in Cheyenne and...

 I rediscovered KOA's on this trip.  :-)  They do make it a bit easier to camp with a small one.

Daddy and I got beat playing Mom putt putt.   She's really good.  

 The KOA in Cheyenne was really nice.   It was a bit loud because of the proximity to the interstate but it had Putt-Putt and a pool and ended up being a really fun place to stay.

Day 3 - another day of travel but tonight we'll be in the Teton's.

Stopped for coffee at a used book store along the way

 If I can find a way to purchase Anna a used bookstore/coffee house in some sleepy town during our lifetime for her to make her own, I will have done a good thing.  It is a dream for her.   We love stopping in them in little towns when we travel.

Beauty along the way.

Stopped for gas in this rocking town...traffic was rough...

Finally we are here.

Yeah!

Daddy made smore's, these look like something I will try later on 

Morning!

:-) My two beautiful ladies.

Starting the hike around Jenny lake

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Lots of flowers

Might be hard to see but there is an elk bed down in the center of the picture.

Hidden Falls

I love hiking

Love these girls.

Daddy played with my feet

At long last we are done, back at the trailhead

Hiking wore me out.

I got cold so daddy and I snuggled

Pics from a run to Hermitage Point

Same run, pics at Heron Lake

Ahhhhh, tickle time!

Final night camping in Ouray

The trip was wonderful.   We spent a lot of time in the car but we also spent a lot of time taking breaks and going on walks and exploring new places.   Made ton's of new memories!  Jesus did a nice job of creating such beautiful places for us to explore and what a blessing to be able to go and explore the great outdoors for a week.   

Addi is growing so quickly.   She is 6 1/2 months old now, sitting up on her own and teething like a banshee. She starts daycare this week as Anna is going back to school and so am I.