Powells, take one step forward.

Today we got word that we were LID (log-in-date) on October 22!  When I talked with our social worker on the phone (again, this woman's patience knows no bounds.....), she said,

"We are now actively pursuing a child for your family."

Did you hear that?  Should I type it in all caps so it's more clear?
"WE ARE NOW ACTIVELY PURSUING A CHILD FOR YOUR FAMILY."

I like that.  I like that VERY much.

This part of the process seems to take a while, and CLEARLY, I'm not good at things taking a while.  This last round of WAITING took 7 weeks and I didn't do so good.  SEVEN WEEKS.

This next part can take 3-6 months.  THREE TO SIX MONTHS.

I will not email our social worker every day.  I will not email our social worker every day.  I will not email our social worker every day.

I will not.

I probably will not.

I might.

But I will enjoy knowing that the next time something REALLY good happens in this journey, it will have a face to go along with it.

I like that, too.  I like that VERY much.

NOW I believe them.....

I have a rule on Facebook:  no posts unless they will entertain and spread some joy.  No posts to complain about stuff.  No grumblings about to-do lists and things that make me mad. No joy?  No post.  And that also applies to this blog.  Most of the time.....

Since we decided to adopt, I've become MILDLY addicted to reading the blogs of people going through this process.  I spend a LOT of my spare time checking on their timelines or crying at their pictures or reading about their "gotcha" day.  I feel like I KNOW these people.... even though I've never met a single one of them.

But I must admit, when they ALL began to whine and complain about how hard the WAIT is in the adoption journey, I thought to myself, "Those people are wimps."  I wondered why on earth people would take up space in the blogosphere with such moaning and groaning and pity-party attitudes.  I declared to anyone who would listen that, "If the Lord has called you to adopt, you gotta trust His timeline.  ENJOY the JOURNEY.  Use those times in between the "documentable" moments to learn patience and to grow."  I even penned a few eloquent words for this very blog, which I never actually posted........ here's a snippet....

(written on Monday, October 15)....(but never posted....)

So, my goal as the Lord has us WAIT (bleck!).... is to keep things in perspective.  My goal is to ENJOY THE JOURNEY.  Repeat after me:  ENJOY THE JOURNEY.  Not just the adoption journey..... the LIFE JOURNEY.  Enjoy the music lessons and the math posters and studying for spelling tests in the big bed.  Enjoy the conversations in the car and the decisions about Halloween costumes and the discussions about the Presidential debates.  Enjoy the tweets and the Facebook posts and the YouTube videos sponsored by your people. Enjoy these days of dreaming about who our little girl will be and what her voice will sound like and how I gotta learn how to make piggy tails.

ENJOY THIS MOMENT.

Who wrote that?  Me.  And I still believe that.  I agree with every word I said. (No I don't.... not really.)  (Well, most of it.....) (I agree with ALL of it.  I DO.)

What prompted such an eloquent oration?  THIS:

(also written on October 15)

Joe declared his glee at a response to an email that we got last night.  And I don't know that it was so much the RESPONSE we got, but my email that prompted it.  I MIGHT have been a bit dramatic in my email to our social worker.  I MIGHT have told her to "call China and tell them to LOG US IN."  I MIGHT have given her the slight notion that I'm a bit impatient and would like to just please skip all this waiting and just go pick up my daughter tomorrow.  She MIGHT not ever read an email from me ever again.

Joe and the boys have now laughed at me for the last 24 hours at my moment of craze.

Well, well, well...... who's grumbling now?  And I would have published that darn post, too..... if Joe hadn't told me to just "think about it....."

Well, I've thought about it.  For a WEEK.  So, here's a bit more...... you want more?  Cause I got more.

(Yep.... same post from Oct. 15.....)

But waiting is hard.

It is.

And sometimes life is hard, too.

Sometimes your status on Facebook doesn't end with a smiley face.  Sometimes your answer to, "How are you today?" ISN'T "I'm fine."  Life is busy and people get tired and some folks are sick.....and on and on and on.  The title of this blog is "Think You Can Hold Up?"...... and sometimes, that's a tricky question.

I know.  I know.  

I have become one of THOSE people.  But NOW, I BELIEVE THEM.

So, welcome to my pity-party.  

Facebook/blog rule:  BROKEN.

We did receive a call from our social worker on Friday (I was so glad to hear her voice and know that I didn't scare her off completely)...... she was precious and encouraging....... 

So, the UPDATE is:

We are waiting on LID.  (That's LOG IN DATE).... This is supposed to happen 3-4 weeks after you are DTC (Dossier to China) (which we were on September 7)...... 

Are you doing the math in your head?  Cause we've been waiting more than 3-4 weeks...... thus, my recent meltdown.

But, our social worker superhero figured out the problem.... something about a "wire verification"..... and it's all fine.  We should have LID any day now.

Do I still check my inbox like a hundred times a day?  Yep.

Does this knowledge make it any easier to wait?  Nope.

But it's okay..... cause I also wrote THIS:

(you got it.... October 15)

Cause I sometimes worry that I'm missing it.  I'm missing the joy of each day cause I'm flustered or hurried or writing bizarre emails to our social worker.  I don't want to miss anything.  If the Lord speaks in a still small voice, then He surely is present in our still small moments.  I've just got to calm down long enough to soak Him in.

And there you have it.

Operation CALM DOWN is ON.

It took about 2 seconds.

At 4:57 today, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.  I was STILL at school trying to work through the massive to-do list that has been growing since the first day of school.  The pile of ungraded-papers-that-must-go-home-on-Tuesday was not small and had already been shoved into the "gonna have to be done this weekend" pile.  I was frantically studying up for next week's math lessons cause this new math program we've adopted is asking me to teach kids in a way that sometimes I don't even understand myself. Something smelled funny in my classroom and I couldn't seem to find the source of the stench. And SOMEBODY had consumed the last caffeinated drink in my school fridge and I was staring at the three little bottles of water that were left.


THEN, my phone rang.  It was Joe.....and the first words out of his mouth were.."We are DTC!!!!!!"

In adoption-speak, that means "Dossier To China"......
In Mikki Powell speak, that means WOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

This is a HUGE milestone in the adoption process.  It means that our very large stack of paperwork that we've been working on since APRIL (diligently working, mind you.....it just takes a LONG time).... is right about here:

That precious pack of paperwork is on its way to CHINA!

What's next?  LID........ which officially means "Log-In Date"...... but unofficially means "China knows the Powells exist and that they have the paperwork to prove it."

LID should take about three weeks.

What's next after THAT?  Matching.

What a precious word.  MATCHING.

That's when the Lord will reveal to someone in China that they should reveal to someone at Lifeline that they should reveal to US who our Mary is....... we'll see her face and learn her story, her needs, her location, her age...... we'll meet our daughter..... on paper.

She won't know us yet, but that's okay.  Cause we've already started praying for her.  And if you'd like to join in, here are specific prayer requests:

1.  Pray for Mary.  Pray for health and happiness.
2.  Pray for Mary's birth mom.  I still think about her ALL the time.  Pray for her to have peace in knowing that this child will be SO taken care of..... and pray that she will know Christ.... cause I sure would love to meet her in Heaven some day.
3.  Pray for the orphanage workers.  Pray for patience and compassion.
4.  Pray for the workers at Lifeline as they begin our matching process.  Pray that they will receive direct guidance from the Lord and follow His will for us and for Mary.  Pray for safety as the China Team travels to China.
5.  Pray for Joe and me.  Pray that we'll have patience as we wait, wisdom as we make decisions, and joy through the waiting.
6.  Pray for the boys.  Pray that they will adjust well to our new normal.
7.  And pray for that stack of paperwork.  Pray that it finds its way to the right person and pray that the person who handles our file will be compassionate and diligent.

At 4:57 today, I was grumpy, stressed, and burdened.  I'm all better now.  It took about 2 seconds.... DTC, baby!!!!!

You want the short version or the long version?

The happenings in our house lately can be summed up in just a few words.

#1:  "Go ahead and process these two."

#2:  "Great!  Thank you."

#3:  "Enjoy the island."

#4:  "THIS is American Idol."

Let me explain......

#1:  "Go ahead and process these two."

 Part of the wonderful paperwork involved in the adoption experience is filling out an "I800A".  The REAL name of that document is "Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country."  Geesh.  Part of the process for this little puppy is to have your biometric fingerprints taken at an immigration office.  Here's how it goes:  WAIT for your application to be received at a Lockbox in Texas.  WAIT for your application to then be sent to Missouri for initial screening.  WAIT for them to send you a letter of receipt.  WAIT for them to send you an appointment to have your biometric fingerprints taken.  WAIT for your biometrics date to arrive.  Have your fingerprints taken.  WAIT for them to approve your fingerprints.  WAIT on your final Immigration Approval.  

Yep.  Fun stuff.  You see all that waiting?  Yuck.   Timeline estimation:  2-3 MONTHS.  Mega yuck.

So, I was elated when our waiting time began to evaporate as things started showing up in our mailbox VERY quickly.  Our fingerprint appointment letter came on July 30.  Date of appointment given to us by Homeland Security:  August 9.  Problem was, we were going to be slightly out of town on that date (see number 3 above).... so we decided to try our luck and show up at the Office of Immigration in Birmingham 10 days early. 

They don't like that.

The guard (who was actually very sweet) was EXTREMELY perplexed about whether or not to let us in.  I told Joe not to worry.... let me do all the talking..... so I started talking..... and the guard..... got up and walked off.  I did not have a good feeling and am fairly certain that I started to cry.  And I knew that since we couldn't make the August 9 date, they would give us one even later.... and that would run into school starting and I'd have to get an even LATER fingerprint date so I wouldn't miss a day in the first week of school....and all of that would put us a WHOLE MONTH behind on our process. I'm pretty sure I mentioned most of this to the guard.  Anyhoo..... he quietly handed us each a clipboard and told us to sit down and fill it out.  I WAS SO HAPPY!  

BUT... then the guy who runs the office came over and demanded to know from the security guard if any of these people (there were about three people total in that office) were WALK-INS???  Joe and I tucked our heads and started writing faster.  The security guard just pointed at us.  Joe quickly jumped up, grabbed my clipboard, and announced that we were done (I don't think I was....) with our paperwork and ready for fingerprints.  And then the office manager said it.... SIX of the loveliest words ever spoken.....

GO AHEAD AND PROCESS THESE TWO.

Yes.  Thank you, sir.  You just brought us a month closer to Mary Powell!!!!  Immigration Approval.  CHECK.

#2: "Great.  Thank you."

Have I mentioned that I met and had a conversation with Barry Manilow?  Indeed.  Since many of you have already seen the now-infamous video (see previous blog post), I'll give you the short version:

1.  Joe forgets to book a hotel room in Nashville for our weekend seeing Barry Manilow.

2.  Mikki hops on Expedia and snags a room at the Hutton Hotel. Never heard of it.  Cheap room.  Don't care.

3.  We arrive at the Hutton.  SWANKY.  Score one for Expedia.

4.  We hop in the complimentary shuttle to the Barry Manilow concert.  The driver asks who we're in town to see.  The driver has never heard of Barry Manilow.  I decide now to tune out anything else the driver says because I realize that we can never be friends if he doesn't know Barry.  But I do hear him mention something about BARRY MANILOW STAYING IN OUR HOTEL!!!

5.  I beg Joe to let us come back immediately after the concert and wait in the lobby for the small chance that we might catch a glimpse of Barry.

6.  Joe says no.  

7.  We enjoy a wonderful concert.....really..... WONDERFUL.... Barry's totally still got it.  Then we go eat at Merchant's in downtown Nashville.

8.  We hop in a cab around 10:15 and head back to our swanky digs.

   

ALERT:  IT IS ABOUT TO GET GOOD.

9.  I begin to notice things:  There are SEVERAL guys in black suits with earpieces scattered around the area, the elevator door to the PENTHOUSE is open with a guard standing in the doorway, all of the hotel staff are standing and silent, there is NO ONE else anywhere around.  You could cut the tension with a knife.

10.  I tell Joe that Barry is near.

11.  We parade right in that lobby (where is is absolutely SILENT) and sit down on the couches near the elevator. (We are the only people not standing and the only people not dressed totally in black.)  (We are also the only people who are unbelievably giddy with the thought that they're about to meet Barry Manilow.) (The black suits MIGHT have been staring at us.)

12.  I tell Joe to get ready.

13.  And then, as if in a dream, Barry Manilow walks into the Hutton Hotel.  I get very nervous.  I don't know what to do! Should I run up to him to get my picture made? Should I hug him?  Should I ask for an autograph?  What does one do when they encounter Barry Manilow?

14.  I opt for the calm scenario.  I stay in my seat, but quietly applaud him as he walks through.  I want him to know that I'm a fan, so I wave my Barry Manilow cup at him (it has my new Copacabana shirt rolled up in it and my hot pink glowsticks from the concert are hanging out the top).  I tell him how we enjoyed the concert SO MUCH.

And then Barry speaks.  He says..... "Great.  Thank you."  

Three words.  So fabulous.

Here is the moment again, in case you missed it..... and because it's soooo goooood......

#3: "Enjoy the island."

The Powell family enjoys Disney.  Not just Disney WORLD or Disney MOVIES or Disney ON ICE or Disney CHANNEL..... We enjoy ALL THINGS DISNEY.

So, before little Mary comes to join us and we all hunker down at 6 Hickory Forest and work on bonding/attachment and other adoption-related issues and possibly not leave the house for months, we decided to take one final BIG trip as a family of four.  

We went on a DISNEY CRUISE, baby!

And.  It.  Was.  Magical.

The food.

The shows.

The ocean.

The Aqua-Duck.

The 24 hour coke station.

The all-day showings of classic Disney films on the big screen outside.

The bedtime turn-down service.

The characters roaming about.

The ice cream station.

The Disney trivia.

We had a marvelous time.  It was good for us all to be unplugged (from Facebook, Internet, email, etc.) and to just enjoy spending time together.  We had the boys all checked in at the teenagery spot where they could go and "hang out", but they preferred to be with us..... and we liked that just fine.  

The service on the Disney Dream is absolutely impeccable.  From the cruise director to the room hosts to the servers at dinner to the entertainment gurus..... they took BE OUR GUEST to a whole new level.  

And it couldn't have come at a better time.  This August we find ourselves plugging along through the adoption process (sigh...) and preparing for another person to join our family (can't wait!), beginning another year of school, continuing the daily commute to Birmingham, participating in multiple orchestras or private music lessons...... along with all the other pressures and expectations and responsibilities of life.  

So, it was SO NICE to just relax and have fun.  

My three new favorite magical words, which we heard every day for a week:  "Enjoy the island."

#4:  "THIS is American Idol."

As a final "squeeze every single moment you can out of summer" event, the boys and I went with Mudger, Aunt Paige, and cousins Will and Josh to the American Idol Top Ten Concert in Nashville.  This was the boys' first concert ever and it was GREAT!  All of our favorite idols sang all of our favorite songs.... Phillip Phillips:  HOME.  Jessica Sanches: PROUD MARY.  Joshua Ledet:  RUNAWAY BABY.   Plus there was Heidi, Colton, Skylar, Elise, Heejun..... really great night.

And FREE with our American Idol admission was the little show going on right in front of us.  More people were videoing this guy more than they were the concert itself.  I bet it's fun to be his friend.

Well, that about sums it up.  Summer.  Goooooooood.  We have now officially entered the scheduled days of another school year.  And that's good, too.  

What is THAT?

There's been a WHOLE lot going on in Powellville lately.  We've traveled places, rearranged things, filled out paperwork, completed projects, and met folks.  They say a picture's worth a thousand words, so I was thinking of just putting a bunch of pictures of our happenings and doings here on the ole blog (those are called WORDLESS posts in blog-speak you know...), but, because I love words SO MUCH, that wasn't very fun for ME.  So, this "wordless" post is gonna be a bit wordy.  Cause I like words.

And, you, dear reader, have a part to play in this post.  Yes, we're going all INTERACTIVE this time.  When I show each picture, you need to say, either out loud or in your head, "What is THAT?"  (And I teach my fourth graders that when you see something written in all caps, it's begging for emphasis.  So, say THAT emphatically.)  Go ahead, practice.... "What is THAT?"  Okay.  Good.  Let's begin.

Ah.  And one more disclaimer.  Some of these embody a bit more excitement than others.  But, that's how life is.... some days you're cleaning out closets and some days you're meeting Barry Manilow.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Okay.  Let's REALLY begin.

What is THAT, you ask?  That is my next Pinterest project.  I enjoy the Pinterest.  This chest will soon be sporting a new look..... a new RED look.  We moved this little number OUT of the playroom cause we've been REORGANIZING.  It was not fun.  But we made progress and the boys are now sporting a brand new "Man Cave".......

Do you see any clutter or toys or STUFF?  No.  It's put away.  For now......

What is THAT?  The boys listening to the history and happenings and stories of George and Ethel Vanderbilt on the back porch of the Biltmore.  Now, that WAS fun.  During the annual Ryanfest in the mountains, we took a break from the coasters of Dollywood and went after a little culture.  So, we loaded up and went to the Biltmore.  If you ever get to go, definitely get the audio tour.  SO GOOD.

That is Little Bit's first baby doll.  That piece of preciousness will go in the care package that we send to her.......

THAT is where they make Bush's beans.  We went there, too.  No reason.

That is my new classroom.  Had to move rooms.... AGAIN.  Also not fun.  Whole lotta learning gonna take place up in here.  It's not finished, but it's close.

That is the outside and inside of the best fort ever built.  Cause what's summer at the farm without a fort?  And this one was equipped with air conditioning (fan) and the latest technology (movie on the iPad and games on the DS)..... Max didn't come out of that thing for HOURS.  I highly recommend......

That is a completed Home Study!!!  SO happy!!!  This comes after many meetings, much paperwork, reading requirements, medical check-ups, 10 hour online trainings, and home visits.  NEXT:  We've sent our "stuff" to the Department of Homeland Security (I800A) and we're waiting on Citizenship and Immigration to give us the nod.  Just today we received our appointments for our biometric fingerprints....and if THAT ain't official, I don't know what is......

Okay.  Take a deep breath.  Cause things are about to get goooooooood on this blog.......  SO good.

THAT was my moment with the great Barry Manilow.  That's all I have to say about THAT.... FOR NOW..... cause that's a WHOLE other blog post...... but I'm still recovering from the experience, so I'm not ready to share just yet..... But, I have to know..... did you clap when you watched it?  Cause clapping is important.

And, if you've made it this far..... I have ONE more......

That's the name of our new little one.  We'll call her Mary.  Mary Powell.  

And THAT's what we've been up to lately.

We hope you're having a GREAT summer.

I'm on BEACH time.

I have no idea what day it is.  I'm using the sun to try to figure out what time it is.  My biggest problem right now is that my tea is too far away for me to reach it.  Beach time is gooooood.

I asked each person what was the BEST thing about this beach trip.  Here are our favorites:

JOE:

Deep Sea Fishing was a first for us this time.  Six hours out on the water...... We left early in the morning just as the sun was coming up and went WAY, WAAAAY out..... Although the Maxer got a bit queasy, we all had a lot of fun. You see all those big fish behind the boys' heads?  Well, they caught them.  Red snapper.  A LOT of Red Snapper.  Then, our new friend Jesse cut them all up for us, and now they're sitting on ice in our cooler over there.  I have no CLUE what to do with them, but we got em!

JACK:

Very fitting that Jack's favorite beach experience has to do with food.  The boy ate his WEIGHT in shrimp over the last few days..... This yummy shrimp boil was put on by Joe's company last night.  It was GREAT.  When Jack noticed this particular spread, he did exactly what his Dad does in situations like this..... he whipped out his phone as fast as he could and started snapping pictures for Facebook!   Jack can now peel and eat shrimp faster than you can say BUBBA GUMP.

MAX:

Did you see this one coming?  Indeed.  Max's favorite thing about the beach?  The Claw.  Oh, dear.  He seems to be convinced that there is some "skill" that needs to be perfected and calmly tries to explain to us that he can't "practice" those skills if we don't give him more money to put into the thing.  I then calmly explain to him that there ain't no WAY that we're plugging any more money into that machine.  It's. A. Ripoff.  I don't care if you did see someone win something once at the Piccadilly.  You're done.

MIKKI:

Do you see these people?  THEY are my favorite thing about the beach.  I like taking pictures of them. I like burying them in the sand.  I like hanging out with them.  I like getting ice cream with them.  I like riding in big boats with them.  I like eating shrimp with them.  I like jumping waves with them.  I like watching the sun set with them.  I like them.

Here's a few more shots of my three favorite beach things......

And the picture that I must get every time......

Thank you, Beach.  We had fun.

Sometimes mail is fun.

These little happies were in our mailbox this evening......

And when we opened them....... we found.........

Four little passports, sitting in a row......

Sometimes you just need a little happy.

Now all we need is a completed home study, approval from Immigration and Homeland Security, a Dossier, a Log In Date, a Letter of Acceptance, and Travel Approval.

We're coming, baby girl!  We're coming.

Living WELL.

My sweet friend, Laura, met Jesus face to face Saturday night.  For the last 48 hours, she has been in the presence of the Savior that she so desperately wanted others to know and love.  Her journey through cancer was not one that she would have chosen for herself..... but, she would often say..... it was a journey that led her into the arms of God time and time again.  (A precious place to find yourself, I'd say......)

You see, Laura RELISHED one simple truth.  A truth that is available to all of us, but one that we rarely REALLY think about.  God loves us.  GOD LOVES US.  And everything that we do in life, every word we say, every action, every relationship should come back to that..... God loves us.

So, what did that mean in Laura's life?

It meant that, although she was suffering terribly, she talked freely about the goodness of God. It meant that when she was given bad news from doctor after doctor, she said, "But have you met my God? My hope is in Him." It meant that she pointed people to Christ with every single breath..... until she took her last.

Laura got it.  And once you get it, apparently, you spend the rest of your life explaining it to others.
Through her testimony, teachings, and writings, Laura lived her life proclaiming His love..... For years now, the way she has lived her life has challenged me as I live mine..... I want to live WELL..... resting in and relishing the truth.....

God loves us.
Simple.  Beautiful.  Powerful.  Life-changing.
God loves us.

So, what does that mean in MY life?

It means more diligence in knowing the Word.  It means more conversations in my house about how we can show God's love.  It means more patience.  It means being obedient to the tugging and nudging of the Holy Spirit.  It means more time spent in prayer.

Laura lived well..... and she finished well.
What an awesome example.

If you haven't found Laura's Caring Bridge site, you're missing out.  I'm new to this blogginess, so I don't know how to post a link that says to go *here* to find stuff...... so just Google "Caring Bridge Laura Black"...... you'll find it, and you'll be so glad you did.  (I highly recommend her "Letters to My Children" series..... oh.  the.  goodness. that.  it.  is.)

I'm happy to have known you, Laura Gautney Black.  Thank you for your friendship, your witness, your courage, your insight, your wit, your joy, and your legacy. Well done.......

My Max.

Two days after Jack turned three years old, Max Powell was born.  He spent his first few days in the NICU and I remember being extremely anxious about the fact that no one was holding him in his first few hours of life..... would he bond with us?  was he scared?  was he sad?  was he hurting?  would he ever trust us to protect him?

That was ten years ago.  I can't believe I have spent ten delightful years with Max Powell.  I have been around a lot of ten year olds in my day, and I must say..... this one is unique.  He is constantly thinking about things and processing information, but he really doesn't want people to know that he's smart.  He enjoys spending time with his friends, but he would rather not have to talk to grown ups.  He gets really, really scared during storms, but he knows for certain that his peace during those times comes from the Lord..... and doesn't mind praying about it.  He likes to stay busy..... down time is not his friend.  He collects things....many things.  He hates haircuts.  And new books make him happy.....which totally makes his Mama happy.  

I had the awesome privilege of having Max in my fourth grade class this past year and, about half-way through the year, realized that I spent EVERY single moment of the day with this child.  Every.  Single.  Moment.  Literally..... 24/7.  I wondered if either one of us would begin to tire of the other..... cause, you know..... that's a lot of time...... but we never did.  He still cuddled up with me on the couch at night and talked about his day.  He still asked me to read out loud to him at night or watch Storage Wars with him.  He still started every sentence from the backseat with, "Hey, Mama...."  

I adore this boy.  He and his brother make me smile.  Here's are a few smiles from Max through the years......

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

And, just to keep things even..... here's my favorite video of the Maxer..... 

This one was a "hidden camera" experiment to explain to Joe what I go through in the afternoons before he gets home from work.  You gotta watch all the way to the end..... Oh, dear....

I think you are a mighty fine man, Max Powell.  It is my pleasure to be your Mama!

Happy #10 Birthday!

My Jack.

Today, June 16, my Jack turns thirteen years old.  That's a lot of years.....THIRTEEN.  I tend to get all sappy on these days and start thinking back and remembering things.....funny things they've said, places we've been, special events and holidays.  The boys went out to breakfast this morning and came home to find me buried deep within my closet going through old pictures. I started thinking back to how hard it was to take pictures of Jack because he never would look directly at you.  I laughed at the picture of him in his Cat in the Hat costume and how he wore it EVERYWHERE.  I cried when I found the picture of his baptism.  I smiled back at the boy listening intently at the National Book Festival and hugging characters at Disney World, working at the school store, and playing the violin.

 It's barely 10:00 in the morning and I've already told Jack like a hundred stories of things that he's said or done in his thirteen years.  And I must say, they've been the most marvelous thirteen years of my existence.  We have had such fun.  Just so you all can experience the absolute preciousness that I get to live with everyday as Jack's mom, I've found a few photos to share...... Here's Jack:  Through the Years......

One

Two

Three

Four

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I'm in awe of this young man.  He is patient, kind, talented, smart, funny, happy, content...... He's learning what it means to serve the Lord and use his talents in worship...... He enjoys reading a great book...... He helps me when I don't know how to do things with technology...... He's the best big brother on the planet.......

Now if I can just get him to write down his homework and pick up his shoes, we'll be all set.

Here is my all-time FAVORITE video of the Jack:  We call it "How to be a Man".....

Also starring:  Dad and Max

I love you, Jack Powell.  

I am SO blessed to be your Mom!