First Pig Tails

Meg has hair! I knew it would grow, someday. It is even long enough for little stick up pigtails. And, she hasn't pulled them out. What a day!

Home for Christmas!

On Christmas Eve last year this photo brightened up my inbox.

But this year there were 5 kiddos in our living room! Yay!!!!!!!!!!

We were awake at 5:45 a.m. and I think Meg wondered what was going on!?

Isn't it a little early for kisses?

Meg meets Nana

Our family travelled to Anchorage, Alaska last week for my Aunt's memorial service. Maren met my mom for the first time. She loved Nana! Nana loved her! Maren also experienced snow for the first time. I think she enjoyed it! When the wind met her face she got an excited look and she smiled. It's so good to have our island darling home to cozy up with for the winter.

Bye Bye Bitter Sweet First Year

Marking Maren's first birthday is bitter sweet. It's sweet because she is home and we are celebrating this important milestone TOGETHER. And, look at her! Isn't she precious? What's not to love? She is thriving, changing, learning, and growing She brings so much life and joy into our home.

O.k., it's a little bitter because I'm not quite ready for her to be one! But ready or not birthday number 1 has come. We've only been together 5 months. Time is going a little too quickly. It still feels like we're trying to catch up. And, it's already time to say good-bye to formula (well maybe this is partly sweet for our budget) and hello to whole milk and an era of bottles and infancy is already beginning to come to a close. She is standing up now and I know walking independently is just around the corner. I love the baby days and I am grasping to hold on to them.

I cannot help but think of Maren's birth mom. This is also bitter. I am sure that she too is marking this important milestone. I am sure she is still mending from this huge tear in her heart.

I guess it's good that the bitterness of life is mixed with sweetness. It makes everything more palatable. And, it helps us look forward to our real home with our Father who will wipe every tear from our eyes.

Happy 1st Birthday, Dear Maren!

Recovering From The Toll of the Wait

I was listening to a webinar by Karyn Purvis in preparation as we waited to bring Meg home. The good doctor was encouraging adoptive parents to take care of themselves so that we can in turn take good care of our children. She encouraged drinking enough water, taking a multi-vitamin, getting daily exercise, and dealing with the emotional baggage of your life through journaling. As she was elaborating on the stress of adopting she mentioned in passing the stress of the adoption process and specifically noted how grueling and taxing the wait can be. When she mentioned that I began to cry and I was thankful that she had included this little sentence in her presentation because it affirmed and gave credibility to the pain that I was experiencing as we were 1/2 world apart from our daughter.

That crazy wait wears on you! And, it takes time to recover from the wait after it's all over. And, the recovery is taking place as your adjusting to the new little bundle in the family and you're going through jet lag.

I feel like I am coming out of the fog of the wait! It feels good. It was worth it. And, it was hard. And, now I better get a glass of water, take my vitamins, and go for a jog.

I Know You Better Now

Just looked through some of my photos that we received while we were waiting to meet Meg. I haven't done that for a while because I've been having too much fun with the real girl live! Looking at those pictures now brings different feelings. Ah, it's so good! I love her personality and I love that looking back I can see what was there all along but I couldn't recognize because I didn't know her yet. I know you better now, Meg!

Rejoice with Me

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me!" Luke 15:3-7

It is so hard to find words adequate to express our joy. As I reflect on our Maren's home-coming this phrase "rejoice with me" captures what is in my heart. Our daughter is HOME! The lost is found. Rejoice with me.

Alex and I have prayed since 2003 that the Lord would set an orphan into our family. Many mornings at breakfast I would sit down with our children and we would ask the Lord to bring us a baby who needed our family. We would say, "we are available please make a way".

However, the whole idea of adopting seemed overwhelming. We wanted to adopt so much but it would take a miracle for us to be able to do it.

Finding His Hands Taiwan was a miracle. The fact that Maren was not aborted was miraculous. Financing our adoption was another series of miracles. Being matched with a birth mom who was such a perfect complement to our family was another miracle. All of these miracles has given us great hope that God is at work. We pray that we will all be in heaven together one day. We are so happy that God has provided miracle after miracle.

It is with this joy that we wish to invite you to rejoice with us on November 14, 2010. You are invited to Maren's first birthday party. We are holding an open house in Maren's honor at in our home on Sunday, November 14th from 4-7 p.m.

In lieu of gifts, we will have a basket available for anyone wishing to make a tax deductible donation of any amount to His Hands Taiwan, the orphanage where Maren received her care for the first seven months of her life.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Alex and Beth

For friends at a distance who would want to bless Maren's orphanage the U.S. address is:

His Hands Taiwan

P.O. Box 404

Leakey, Texas 78873

You can write in honor of Maren Brodine on the memo line.