Sometimes life swirls...

Since the babes were born, we have tried to be pretty intentional about keeping life outside the home low key. Parenting twins through their beginning ages and stages provided plenty of chaos, and I felt that by focusing almost entirely on home I felt the freedom to spend my days mothering and trying to have as peaceful a home as possible. So, not many commitments, no huge changes, not a very full schedule (other than Joelie's work and even that has slowed down in recent months). In the past couple of months,though, it seems that as life with the babes was slowing down in a sense , life outside the home has started to swirl around us a bit more. Mostly in good, challenging, heart-stirring ways. It was like we were swimming under the ocean water for a couple of years, focusing on our little family and the beauty around us and then God said, "Hey little ones, come up for a breath of air. Come look around and see what I am up to beyond your family (precious to Me and to you as it is, and should be)." So, we stuck our heads up and suddenly we are in the middle of a new church plant, planning on moving to the West side of SLC and possibly buying our first home, and adopting a baby from Ethiopia! WHAT?!

Okay, okay, I'll write about the last one first. It is, after all, the one dearest to our hearts. Adoption has been a part of my heart for as long as I can remember. In silly little ways (while other little girls were playing princess I insisted on playing nothing but make believe scenerios about orphans) and in deeper ways I think God has been preparing me for adoption all of my life. Joel and I decided early on in our relationship that adoption would be a part of our life together, and we have just been waiting for the right timing. For many reasons that I hope to share as time goes on, we feel that now is the time. So, our agencies have been chosen, the paperwork has begun, our home study is complete. It is a long process. I honestly don't know what our timeline is (financially we will need to be creative and are accepting that this will make the process even a bit longer), but I hope that in about 18 months we may have a little one added to our family. Our hearts are full of joy but there is joy and soberness. Joy that we will be adding another precious child to our family. Joy that God cares for orphans and has given us such a beautiful example of adoption by accepting us into His family ("Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and
to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27). Soberness in the fact that there is an orphan crisis in the world that sometimes necessitates children being removed from their culture, language, and first family. So, I hope you all know that we are not making this decision lightly. We have discussed it for years and feel so much peace that this is right where we are supposed to be (daunting as it is sometimes:) . So, join us on this next step in our story. We are glad you are walking with us. I know there are probably so many questions that you have and I promise to try to answer as many as I can along the way.

The rest of the life swirls I will try to catch you up on as well. But for now, I'm trying to keep our days peaceful amidst the changes and that means a little less time for computer stuff. Today the babes and I walked to the park and I watched as they plunked rock after rock into a little stream. It was over cast and breezy and and my heart felt content and I was reminded that even though this is a season of change, I still want Joel and I to be present in the present...ya know what I mean? All for now, Jen