Wild Weekends

Hello!  Well it has been an amazingly busy, blessed, and exhausting week!  Last Thursday we took the kids to a local amusement park and rode rides and water slides ALL DAY...from open to close and they were ROCKSTARS.  We had so much fun!  The following day was a planned zoo day and visit with Jacob's birth mom who was in town from out of state visiting her family.  I was apprehensive, but God was SO with us the whole day and it was great to see her finding peace and closure.  It was a bit awkward and I am guessing it will be as we continue to establish a relationship and healthy boundaries. 

God orchestrated a beautiful story when He decided to weave our stories together and I am so grateful.  I'd be lying if I said it was not a bit nerve wracking, but God carefully sprinkled some of our friends throughout the zoo to pray for and with us and just provide a breath of familiarity.  All in all it went well, aside from it being insanely hot and the kids bickered a lot and Jacob pooped through two outfits.  :)

We got home from the zoo and since we'd been playing hard for two days we decided to insist upon a family nap time.  Just as I got everyone settled our phone rang...and normally my instinct would be to let it go to voicemail and check it later but I was prompted to answer the call.  I was stunned when the person on the other end of the phone said, "Hi, this is _____, I was wondering if there was any way you could take twin four month olds on respite for the weekend."  I caught my breath and asked for more information and time to talk to Howard. 

We decided ultimately to take the babies ( I know...we are crazy).  This meant an 8 year old, a 5 year old, a 3 year old and 3 four month olds.  The babies had some special needs but were about the sweetest things ever!  We went to a Fourth of July party with all 6 in tow and it was so much fun.  We enjoyed them immensely!  They blessed us more than I ever could have imagined.  We still feel honored to have had the chance to hold them even if only for a weekend!  AND let me just say that after doing 6, 4 seems like a breeze.  ;) 

We had one more visit with Jacob's birth mom before she flew back home and it was also very sweet.  She loves him so much and is very considerate of our family.  She brought the kids donuts and a new blanket and rattle for Jacob.  I feel overwhelmingly grateful that Jacob's story is being written so beautifully...he will hopefully never doubt how much he is loved by us and by his biological family. 

We've spent the past week cleaning and reorganizing the house and preparing for a yard sale to help us with the cost of our August trip to Reading to finalize!  If you are in town, stop by the weekend of the 20th (Isaac's Heaven Day) and see if there are any treasures waiting here for you!  :)  I am so thankful for your continued prayers for our family and for Jacob's birth mom!  We are blessed to have such a wonderful support system.  I still stand in awe of what God has done!  He is so faithful and so worthy of our praise!