How can I take this picture of feet and turn it into a post about marriage?

It's a funny thing really, sometimes when I want to write a post I don't always know what I might say. I just feel an urge to write. It will help me sometimes to look at my photos and suddenly one will stand out. I may not know even then what I will write about. I just know this picture is the right one and it is a mystery where the image will lead me. Other times the picture will immediately produce a topic and that is why I choose it. And of course sometimes the reverse is true, I know what I want to write about and then search for an image that feels relevant.

So................

 believe it or not this photo of Scott and Lilly's feet made me think about my marriage.
Weird, I know.

It is a wild and twisty place in that brain of mine.

I wish I could organize my mind as easily as I can organize a closet or cupboard.

I digress......

so for reasons I don't understand this picture made me think about one of the reasons I love being married.

Ready?

Here it is:

I love that there is one other person in the world who loves my children as much as me and that I am married to that person. This makes me extraordiarily happy. Let's face it, marriage is not always easy. We have our ups and downs like everyone does. And during some of the down times all it takes for me to remember the love is to watch a loving  exchange between one of the kids and Scott. My heart beats a little faster and I can feel myself falling deeper in love with the same man who sometimes makes me want to poke my eyes out with sharp sticks.

It's true, I sometimes feel this way.

It's my blog and I'll tell the truth if I want to. :)

This photo was on vacation this summer when we took Lilly to her first official reunion with her Chinese "sisters", the girls she use to live with at the orphanage. Scott and Lilly were  taking a leisurely stroll and I was walking just a bit ahead. I had been inspired by my friend Michelle to take a picture of feet so that is how this picture came to be.

It makes me smile.

Her little feet just beginning her journey and his approaching the half way mark in life.

Simple and sweet.

A little girl and the Daddy she loves and trusts so much.

Sharing this love for our children is one of the great joys of not only marriage, but life itself.

So that my friends, is how I can take a picture of feet and turn it into a story about marriage.

"Even after all this time,

the Sun never says

to the Earth:

"You owe me."

Look what happens with

 a love like that:

It lights up the whole Sky."

from The Gift by Hafiz

Guess What?

Yes, I did something creative. It was Sunday morning to be exact. I had a million things to do but I sat down and painted two little canvases. And it felt soooooo good. I forget how happy that makes me. Sadly, my camera is not feeling well so I can't show you right now. As soon as she is better I will take pictures of my little canvases so you can see. It was a great way to spend an hour and I need to do it more often.

Is there something you love to do but neglect to actually do it?

Give yourself the gift of doing what you love to do simply for the joy of it.

You will be better for it.

We all will.

This makes me feel happy. I was at the park with Heidi and Lilly (my girls) and sat on a rock by the lake contemplating life and I found the driftwood "y" which prompted the idea to spell out her whole name. I love to do creative things....paint, collage, decorate.....and I often neglect that part of myself. I don't know exactly why and I'm not up for self-examination so I will simply say this: The next time I post it will be with a photo of something creative that I have done. Maybe later today, maybe later this weekend. I know if I say this to all of you then I will feel a little pressure which is actually a good thing.

So I will be back sooner rather than later to share my creation.

Why don't you do the same thing and tell me about it, that way we can inspire each other!

I just love to see what other people create.

Let's get busy!

WORD OF THE DAY

GRATEFUL. I had a hard day yesterday, just feeling out of sorts, kind of depressed, kind of ambivalent, kind of blue...........but I woke up this morning to a fresh start. I just scrolled through the photos that I have posted on this blog from the begining and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Lilly was on my lap and without saying a word she would point to a photo of herself from December of 2007 and then point to herself, then she would point to a photo of me and then touch my arm....as if to say .....

"There is me, there is you and here we are now. Together.
As it was always meant to be."
Thank you God.

I love these two things................

Sharlyn gave me this journal a few months ago (a package of two to be exact - the other one is orange - and I LOVE the color orange) and can I tell you that I love, love, love this journal!!! Sharlyn bought them at Barnes and Noble but you can go directly to the artist's website and buy them too - http://www.jillbliss.com/.

Just the right size for my purse and the perfect place to record random thoughts, ideas, books to buy, music to listen to, quotes I love, to-do lists, grocery lists............pretty much anything. The paper inside is teeny tiny graph paper and I love how it keeps my writing looking so tidy and organized. And the pen, oh the pen....or should I say marker. I love ZIG markers, they are archival quality and come in a zillion colors. One end is a fine tip and the other is thick like a sharpie, but more rounded then the sharpie tip. I have used this brand of markers for years and absolutely love them. I don't just use them for art projects. At any given time you will find several colors of these great markers floating around in my house, purse and car. I balance my checkbook with them, write notes and of course fill the pages of my jill bliss journals. I buy them at Michael's craft store as well as AC Moore and sometimes even Target.

I can see some of you grabbing your keys and purse right now, hollering to the kids and hubby....

"I'll be right back."

You're gonna love 'em!

What

would

 you

 attempt

 to

 do

 if

you

 knew

 you

 could

 not

fail?

Do you see it?

I see a sunny day, a beautiful girl, a sweet happy dog and one very grateful mom.

Perfection

I was thinking this picture is so perfect....

except what is on her face....

tried to wipe the computer screen....

nope, it is actually something on her face.

Upon closer inspection I discover it is a piece of grass.

So, I was thinking how we do this to our life sometimes.

It would be perfect, except...

I like it, but....

I am happy but I would be even happier if.....

What if we just said...

It's perfect just the way it is.

I am sooooooo happy!

Wow! Who knew that all I needed to feel a renewed sense of purpose was to pick up the story where I left off. For me there is no other story, just this one. The story of Lilly, how she was born in my mind suddenly and without warning, how we waited three very long years, how we flew across the ocean to meet her and bring her home and become part of our family. It was after we got her referral that the bigger vision showed itself to Sharlyn and I. Although it may seem that we gave up on the idea of serving orphans....REST ASSURED THAT WE HAVE NOT GIVEN UP NOR WILL WE EVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP. We know like we know like we know that this is why we are here. This is what moves us, this is what makes us dig deep inside to find strength we didn't know we had. This is what matters to us more than anything else ~ children. Children being loved, children being safe, fed, read to and  tucked in safely each night.

So with that thought I must run out and scoop up the Lilly Bean from her morning at pre-school.

Love,

Kimberly

One whole year...are you kidding me?

I cannot believe one entire year has passed by and I have not written in this blog.

How can that be???

Well, let me see.....we are building a house, raising four children, tending to a various assortment of cats and dogs and trying to maintain some degree of sanity through it all.

I have been writing quite a bit but not here. This blog world is sometimes hard for me to navigate. Do I maintain this one for Lilly and our other children and have a separate blog for ramblings not related to children? I don't live my life in compartments so this seems pretty challenging. It's all connected right? And this whole thing started with The Story of Lilly. Yes, I am the same person and no, I am not the same person at all. She has changed me. She has opened my heart to every single child who does not have a family. I sometimes feel that I walk around with my heart gaping wide open for the world to see.

Is that such a bad thing?

I watch videos on you tube of other people meeting their children for the first time, traveling to such faraway places as Ethiopia and China. I cry. No, I WEEP. I want to hug and feed and love them ALL.

I want to do more than I am doing right now.

I have to.

I cannot pretend to not know what I know. My dream of dreams would be that no mother would ever have to give up her child but as of right now that is just a dream and we HAVE to do something about all of these babies. These precious babies who give to us more than we could ever give to them. People will often say that Lilly is so lucky and oh, no no no no no no......WE are the lucky ones. We are blessed beyond measure to have her with us, to hear her call us momma and daddy. To run after her, to hug her, to swing with her and litsen to Dora for the zillioneth time. Seriously. I LOVE her sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much that my heart feels like the Grinch whose heart grew 10 times that day. I should just dress like a giant heart everyday now. Wear a heart hat and a heart t-shirt and a heart skirt with some heart shoes and some heart earrings and a heart bracelet and ................you get the idea. She has made me so much better.

So much more aware.

 I really know that I can make a difference. Little ol' me. One girl, one dream and so many lives transformed. The power of God to choose this perfect little girl to come to this family absolutely boggles my mind.

I am grateful beyond words.

My prayer everyday multiple times is how can I use my life to ensure that as many families and babies are as blessed as we are. The answers are starting to come. I am listening. I will do what I can.

Because it really matters that we all do whatever we can.

With an overflowing heart,

Kimberly