Celebration Day September 28, 2013

Dear Annie & Millie,                                                          Sept. 29, 2013

On September 11, 2013 you became official.  Officially chosen, loved, and adopted into a life of continual wonderment.

You now have two parents who want you, who fought for you, & who will change your life forever.  You have NO IDEA yet what all that means.  But as your Majo, I must tell you how very blessed you are!

Blessed beyond measure, shaken up and poured out.  The very house in which you live now, was built by your parents with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.  It took them 3 years to complete, but was never complete, until you entered the threshold. You turned a house into a home.  Actually, you turned it upside down!  It will only get better from this day forward!

September 28, 2013 was a day of celebration.  It seems like it was only yesterday....oh yeah, it WAS yesterday! It required a bounce house along with fun, friends, & family who all came to show their love and support.  I have never seen so many people!  It just shows we serve a good God.  The day started out with rain, cloudy skies, and a wet bounce house!  I tried to bring the sunshine when I showed up, but apparently I don’t have as much pull as I thought!  Anyway, the sun did finally arrive, but not after a lot of soggy, muddy feet and frizzy hair.  Loved it all!  It was all good!

I look forward to many years with you two.  When I became a Mom I could not believe how rewarding it was.  Watching these kids grow up...it was my goal for them to love Jesus and their Mama....which I can say for certain that my goal was reached.....

Now I am a Majo....I have answered to a higher calling!  I was BORN for this gig!  So now my goal is for all of you to love Jesus and your Majo!  It appears for now, I am a Rock Star to you, so I got the loving the Majo part down.....I am sure my star will fade with time, (no doubt) so I am taking it for all it’s worth, while I have it....The years will come when friends are more important...I am prepared to take a back seat....but don’t expect me to go away quietly....I will shout from the roof tops how much I love my Grandbabies....

Laura Jo, you were my first.  I saw you born and I love your happy spirit.

Emily Jo, you are so funny to watch...so serious in wrapping your babies up...precious!

Claire...I love your ear to ear smile ..... it grabs my heart every time I see you.

Annie Grace, you are full of boundless energy and activity....I am sure the grace will follow...ha!

Millie Joy, you are indeed a JOY and laughter and light and love.

I have two more on their way.  A Majo’s work is never done!  Your love for Jesus will no doubt grow.  I hear you sing Jesus loves me....indeed He does....as do I!  May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May He shine His face upon you and give you peace.!

Stadam Plus 2 Equals a Family

                                              Adoption Day  9-11-2013

          Early this morning I got these two crosses off my mercy seat and prayed for them once again.  Today was the day they would go back on the wall....a day I have been waiting for.

         Today if you turn your TV on, all you will get are stories of loss and tragedy.  Not so with the Harris family.  Today will be the day to be remembered as their “gotcha” day.....We all went to the court house and made it all official.  The judge took a large mallet and pounded it twice on his desk.  A done deal if ya ask me.  When Annie first saw me she said, “I’m being adopted today!”  She was so excited, she could hardly contain herself!  

They will receive new birth certificates, new names and a new family....all in a day’s work....not bad!

                             The cousins were so glad to see each other....

We celebrated at the Cracker Barrel and there was not a biscuit left unbuttered.....

                                                         Emily loves her Mac-n-cheese

          Stadam got the girls a bible with their new names and a necklace with their initials.....A day of celebration welcoming Millie Joy & Annie Grace into the family....So happy to have you on board!  A little joy & grace is always a good thing!

Playing dress up at Majo's

Millie turns 2

                Millie is sporting her new wonderful shades while turning "2"....Emily is showing us her happy face.....                                                      The grandgirls sure do love their Majo!

     Emily is examining Millie's present and thinking..."How can I get this thing home with noone noticing?"

                                                                     How cool am I?                                                                            
The cousins made themselves mermaids in the sand.....They had a treasure hunt and dug out a treasure chest full of "booty".....

                                     Claire is just happy all the time!  Looking good girlie!

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE!

                            Wow...a lot can happen in a 24 hour period!

Last night Joe and I were watching TV....a taped Duck Dynasty, which happens to be my favorite show...it just ended and I went in the kitchen to get my phone to turn it off.  I usually turn it off at night before I go to bed so it doesn’t wake me up...It was 9:34pm....Wednesday night.

I just so happen to see I had a text from Sarah.  For those who don’t know, Sarah is pregnant with her 3rd child. She is 10 weeks along.  The text reads as follows:  “Can’t talk...too heartbroken.  I just went to the bathroom about an hour ago and lost a huge amount of blood/tissue and, of course, our baby.  I will call/go to the o.b. tomorrow. I don’t think I will need a DNC since it seems all the tissue came out together, but if I do, would you be able to take the girls?  The most heartbreaking will be tomorrow when I have to tell Laura.”

` Needless to say...this mama’s heart was broken as well.  This came on the heels of Jeff losing his job, and now losing a baby on top of that was a bit much for me.  It was late at night and I did not sleep well, to say the least!  But I did pray well......I prayed all night in bed tossing and turning.  I usually flip around like a fish, but last night was more flipping than flopping....

I woke up and texted Sarah that I would love to watch Emily while Laura was in school if she could get into the OB today.  She then tells me that Jeff said it could be a uterine blood clot, since it was a one-time release of blood and there was no cramping.  Jeff was working in Zephryhills and could not leave or be with her, so I was thinking he was grasping for straws to make himself feel better.  Poor guy...he has been through a lot in 2 days.

I got Emily for the day...so much fun this little one.  A serious little toot, just like her mother was as a child...  wrapping a baby in a blanket is serious business, for heaven’s sake.  We put pretend cookies in and out of a container, we played with rocks, had lunch, jumped in the trampoline and fed squirrels....a full day....

It was fun, but my heart was somewhere else in a doctor’s office....At 12:10 I get a text which reads: “Baby is alive and well!  I have pictures to prove it!  He says I’ve got a 90% chance of keeping the baby, those are good odds.”  So it was a blood clot after all, (I call it a miracle) and all is well with the world, and God is good and I have been doing the happy dance ever since.  O my...a roller coaster ride for sure!  My arms were raised and I was going down fast....but like most rides, there was an UP and a safe landing!  

Thank you Lord!  Before Sarah went for her appointment, she said she has been blessed with 2 healthy girls and was praying with open hands.  I think when you know all is His anyway...it makes it easier to give it back to Him.  She showed great faith in the one who threw the stars into place and the One who is the giver of life.....It strengthened my faith and prayer life, and I know even if the outcome had not been so wonderful, we serve a good and righteous God.  

The Sherwood family is growing in numbers...Amanda is pregnant as well and Stacy and Adam are adopting their two girls this Wed.....Really?  As I write this, the rain is coming down in buckets, just like His blessings on my family. ...

The bible ‘verse of the day’ on my phone reads as follows:

Ps 68:19  “Blessed be the Lord--day after day he carries us along.  He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes! He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.” ...Can I get an Amen?

Happy Anniversary July 12, 2013

5 years ago today, these two love birds got hitched!.....This Mama wants to say Congrats!  I could never be more proud than I am of you two!  A year ago you gave me my third grandgirl....Claire is amazing....she is all smiles and is now walking all over the place!  She will fall and run into things, much like her Majo......that is why we get along so well!  She has definitely run away with my heart!  I love her and you too.  May you have many more years of wedded bliss....My best advice for you is to not take life so seriously....Laugh a lot.....Love a lot.....and eat a lot...oops, I was talking to myself just then!  

I have watched my son grow up to be a man...a snotty little kid who hit his sisters and could clear a room in 3 seconds flat!  Wow...you are now 28 years old and have stopped hitting your sisters....and can still clear a room in 3 seconds however.....makes a mama proud!  and Amanda....I could not have picked out a better match for my boy!  He needed someone with a good head on her shoulders, who is organized, can cook, and loves Jesus!  Well, slap your grandma and butter my biscuits!....You are so awesome!  

A lot can happen in a year!

Exactly ONE year ago on July 12, 2012, Major changes came into the Harris household.  Adam & Stacy worked for months to get their foster parenting certifications, and two little ones came into their home that day.

Ally was 3, Millie 1.  Can you say topsy turvy?  It was a new world they were stepping into.  A world of diapers, little shoes, bath times, timeouts, bed times, lunch times, and hard times for sure....and more to follow.....no doubt!  It had been a difficult adjustment at times, but one that is with rich rewards.

Ally is, can I say ACTIVE?...ok, I just did.  She keeps me on my toes.  No sitting around with this one in the house.  She loves to swing, swim, and feed squirrels.  Of course, her version of feeding squirrels is yelling out the door, “COME ON SQUIRRELS!”....to which they run for their lives...ha, never a dull moment.

Millie smiles from one ear to the other.  She is very active as well.  She is a very good talker (will repeat whatever you say, so watch what you say)(I am talking to myself here) and loves to look at our fish.  Soon after she came into their lives, she was walking....or should I say running.  She loves books, dressing up, and ball room dancing(sorry, but I just threw that last one in for fun).

They have captured this Majo’s heart big time.  I never wanted them to have my whole heart, just in case they would be gone way too soon.  But last month, all the signs are heading toward adoption.  Papers have been filed, signatures on the dotted line, and middle names have been picked out.....and no, Jo is not one of them, to my disappointment!

It is Emiliana(Millie) Joy and Annie Grace....sounds perfect when you put Harris at the end. New names for a new home.  It has been a long road of infertility and heart break, but the future looks bright.  Two girls are getting a chance to live in a God-filled house with parents who I personally think are incredibly wonderful people...one to which I helped raise!  Stacy makes this mama so proud!

So lift up your mason jars and help me toast this milestone....ONE YEAR!...wow, it has gone by so fast!  May the years to come be full of wonder & hope....and of course JOY and GRACE!

I love you so much!