Saturday morning I left the house before the kids were up. I had an appointment to get my hair cut at 9:00. Now that may not sound like a big deal but trust me, it is. Other than a quick trip to the grocery store, I've only left Brea twice since February 16th. Once to attend a marriage conference at our church with Danny and again to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary earlier this month. My friend Laura kept Brea during the marriage conference (thanks Laura) and as hard as it was to leave her, I really felt like it was a good "investment" in our marriage. It turned out to be a great conference and we now use the phrases "please don't step on my airhose" and "pink or blue earphones" quite often. I guess you would have to attend the conference to understand those phrases but trust me, they mean a lot to us. My friend/neighbor/Brea's physical therapist, Daniel kept the kids for us to go out to dinner for our anniversary (thanks Daniel) and it was a much needed break. We had dinner without having to remove the knives from the table and believe it or not...we had a conversation without using the words Dora, Barney, Sit down, No No or Potty! Anyway, back to the hair appointment...
I had to find someone new to cut my hair because my hairdresser injured her back while I was in Little Rock and she is not working again yet so after dicussing my cut we spent some time getting to know each other. I really felt the need to tell her Brea's story and as I did I noticed that she had tears in her eyes. She commented on my strength and I knew that I had to make it known that my strength came from my faith. Before I left, she broke down in tears and told me that God had sent me to her. She said that she needed something to renew her faith and get her back in church. She said that hearing our story had done just that and she was going to get her life back on track. She had lost everything in the hurricane as did many of her family members and since then she had been questioning God and she was feeling angry as to why this had happened to her family. Instantly I knew that God had put me in that place at that time to share our story to give her hope. I've felt all along that God would use Brea's story and crisis to glorify Him and He has! I know it might sound strange to say what I'm going to say but I do feel like our crisis was worth every tear, heart ache and pain that we endured if it brings one person back to Christ.
I was only gone for two hours from the house but it was a much needed break and treat (gosh, I never thought I would think of a haircut as a treat). We spent the rest of the day playing outside and cooking out with the kids. Brea took her first steps (about 6 or so) and Danny and I both got to see them at the same time. It was a little sad because it means our baby is growing up but on the other hand we are so thankful for everyday of her life and each and every milestone that she reaches! I have to admit that we scared her half to death when we started clapping and shouting in excitement. She didn't understand what all the fuss was about but soon realized that she had done something worthy of the excitement and joined in with the clapping!
Just in case the oppossum, stray cats and our pets aren't enough to keep us entertained God sent us a new "friend" this week. We have a beautiful cardinal couple nesting in the trees at the back of our yard. The other day I called the kids to the window to watch the male feeding the female some tasty worms while sitting on the fence. He has become a regular around here and the kids have gotten to see him everyday for almost a week now as he "grocery shops" in our yard and suns himself on the fence. Brea is so fascinated with him and wants to touch him so badly. She has a perfect spot to watch him from since the sofa sits against the windows in the family room. My camera doesn't have a great zoom but I was able to get a good picture of him and blow it up for her. We think he is beautiful and we look forward to seeing him everyday.
Before I sign off I'd like to ask you to pray for a family that adopted from the same agency that we did. They brought their precious daughter home from South Korea in April and last week at the age of 10 months she passed away in her sleep. I can't imagine the emptiness they must be feeling. Please pray that their memories will bring them comfort and their faith will sustain them during the most difficult of times.
Here are a few new photos from this week. Enjoy!
The kids and I will head out again this week for Little Rock for another biopsy. Please keep us in your prayers for safe travel and good results for Brea's biopsy. I will update the website as soon as I have the results (sometime Thursday evening). Until then, enjoy your week. Smell the flowers, let the warmth of the Sun kiss your skin and let the coolness of the breeze before a storm cool you. Step away from the man made things in life and enjoy the "entertainment" that God has provided in nature. Smile at strangers that you pass on the street even if they have a frown on their face. You never know what might be going on in their life and you just might be the "ray of sunshine" they need to restore their faith and start them on the path to true happiness.
Blessings to you and yours,
Mary
