The Club

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:05:50 -0600

The other day, Noah came running in the front door after playing with his friend Gage and bolted to his room. Thirty minutes later he came out of his room to tell us what he’d been doing. He and Gage had established a club, a Star War’s Club. He’d been setting up the club area in the corner of his room. Although both daddies were allowed to join, I was not given the honor. As you will see from his sign, girls are not allowed. He and Gage have had two official meetings where, I think, they talk about their Star War’s stuff and plan light saber battles.

Somehow Noah has gotten the impression that if you declare something on a sign, it is good and true and must be obeyed. He tried to make a sign that clarified his position on little girls entering his room. He was dumbfounded when I told him that he couldn’t keep his sister out of his room 24/7 just because she didn’t belong to the Star War’s club. I guess he had to try.

A, B, C....

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:38:32 -0600

We hit a milestone this week. Sophie has learned all her letters. This is a major accomplishment for our little girl. It has taken hours of repetition and a lot of confidence building. She has finally decided that she wants to learn. What we’ve discovered about her is that she is capable but unwilling to fail. The moment she has trouble is the moment she wants to quit. In order to distract, she shakes her wispy brown hair and smiles an awkward smile. Then she asks for a snack or says, “Yesterday, I did a good job.” Poor thing, she doesn’t understand that it takes a lot of getting things wrong to finally get them right. I hope that she’ll enjoy the victory enough to be willing to fail a little more along the way to learning new things. Next thing....getting thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen in the right order!

Before Creation

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 10:09:55 -0600

I find myself in a very unusual situation, alone. Noah and Sophie are with my parents and Scott is in New Jersey for work. I am going to join him for a company party in NYC on Saturday, Lord willing.

I am in my pajamas sitting by the fire, admiring the falling snow and the blue jays perching on the Bradford pears. I don’t know why but the fire and the snow make the silence delicious. The quiet is like an extra layer of warmth helping my muscles relax and my thoughts flow. I don’t enjoy being away from my family but I think this time alone is God’s answer to my prayers for contentment and gratitude and patience. He is giving me the opportunity to reflect on His faithfulness, most especially in regard to Sophie.

This past Sunday, our pastor preached on Psalm 139, the Psalm we go to to be reminded of how precious human life is. Where we learn that God “formed our inward parts” and that he “knitted us together in our mother’s wombs.” This chapter shows us how tenderly and intimately God loves his children.

Verse 16 says, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

I couldn’t help but think of our Sophie. Before creation, God knew her. Before she was formed in her mother’s womb, God saw her button nose and smiled at her big brown eyes. Before she was born to people she will never know, God planned her redemption. A redemption that would save her not only from poverty and neglect but from a life separated from her heavenly Father.

And He used us, He privileged us, despite our unworthiness, to be the family that would share in this story of redemption. Everyday Sophie reminds us of our own salvation. We are all adopted into the family of God, not because of anything we have done, but because God loves to show mercy to sinners.

Sophie Jane is our living and breathing reminder of our own adoption stories. She is a reminder that we get to kiss goodnight and to hug good morning. Our little girl, in all her endearing imperfection, prompts us to praise the one and only true God, who has so graciously redeemed us. Is God not good?

“Oh the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Oklahoma

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:14:14 -0600

We’re in Oklahoma, visiting all the Schnorrenbergs. We’ve been busy....doing nothing. It’s been wonderful. I’ve had a good time taking pictures of all the kids. The cousins have been enjoying each other....playing hide and seek, sledding, sorting through old toys and playing with new ones, and petting Zach and Staci’s new puppy.

Oklahoma is white from a Christmas Eve blizzard. As you can see from the above picture, the kids have been relishing the winter weather. If we only had the proper winter gear! Noah has soaked through his clothes several times now.

Sophie’s favorite activity has been going up and down the stairs. I think she’s been using that as a coping mechanism for all the newness. She’s doing well but I can see the anxiety on her face at times (I have a picture to prove it.) Although she seems to be handling everything well, I can tell she is wondering how she fits in the family.

I love that Sophie is being immersed in Schnorrenberg culture. It is a blessing to spend this much time together at once. She is getting the opportunity to really know everyone and they are getting to know her. It is going to be hard to leave.

Christmas in pictures

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:11:33 -0600

Merry Christmas!

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:01:06 -0600

.......or Merry Christmas tree or Happy Dirday Jesus as Sophie would say.

Teeth and love

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:09:04 -0600

My computer and I are so connected that my little Macbook Air decided that it needed surgery too. But the two of us are back, hopefully fully restored and better than ever.

There have been so many happenings in the last three weeks that it’s hard to know what to write about. Thanksgiving, Christmas tree trimming, and parties have kept us busy.

This week, Noah had two baby teeth pulled. Sophie went along with us to the dentist. Noah did great during the procedure thanks to that yummy grape flavored laughing gas. But afterwards when his lip started to come back to life and he discovered that the gauze stuffed in his mouth was full of blood, there was drama. Noah cried like his hand was falling off. Sophie cried because Noah was crying like his hand was falling off. She was so upset that Noah was hurting.

“Whatsa matta, Noah?” she said through tears. All the while Noah is wailing while blood stained saliva is drooling out of the corners of his mouth.

Sophie looks at me, “Whatsa matta with Noah? I likey Noah. Whatsa matta? (sob, sob, sob.)

By the time we got home, they were both in fits of full weeping. Noah refusing to let me change the gauze and Sophie wailing in compassion on the floor.

Despite my ears being fully assaulted by the extreme volume of crying, I was amused and encouraged. Here was my little girl, loving her brother. Noah was being a big baby but I didn’t care. He was seeing his sister care for him and she was getting the opportunity to show it. I’m just grateful that we didn’t have to wait for a traumatic event to see it.

Just wish it didn’t cost $130 to see some compassion between these two. I understand now why Mama always wanted my brother to be a dentist.