Dear Mikki.....

Dear Mikki in the Future,
     I'm writing to you today because I worry that you won't remember.  Life there in your future is FULL and BUSY cause you've got FOUR KIDS AND ALL and I'm afraid that you'll forget the details of these last couple of months. I'm afraid that you'll gloss over the big events.... but mostly, I'm afraid that you'll miss the little stuff.... you know.... the stuff that happens BETWEEN.  Those moments that just fill in the gaps between the big stuff.  Those little things that go unnoticed because you're prepping for the big thing or taking pictures of the big thing or cause you're exhausted from having lived through the big thing.  Those were the moments you actually liked the best.  You'd smile and get all teary eyed and tell Joe that y'all are SO BLESSED.  You'd make a mental note to NOT FORGET THIS MOMENT because it was so quiet or so sweet, but then you'd go ahead and forget it because LIFE. So, I'm writing to remind you.  Cause OH MY WORD...Stuff has been happening!  May and June of 2017 have gone down in Powell History as months where THERE WAS STUFF HAPPENING.  And not just little stuff..... BIG, PUT ON YOUR LIFE'S TIMELINE kinda stuff.  THE LORD HAS HIS HAND ALL OVER YOU kinda stuff.  WRITE THIS STUFF DOWN AND TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES kinda stuff.

So, here's a glimpse at what you've been doing lately - some big stuff and some little stuff.  And just so you know, you enjoyed EVERY second of it.


Jack's stuff:

Remember that time Jack Powell finished his high school career?  There were MANY final orchestra performances. I think there were SIX performances in ONE week.  That was fun.  And remember that time Jack told you it started at 6 but it really started at 5:30 and he realized it at about 5:20 and there was a lot of fussing and crazy driving?  Yep. Good times.  Oh!  And there was his Senior Recital!  Jack did a tremendous job! You were smiling because you realized that this would be the last time Jack would stand in front of a large auditorium of people wearing the coat with the IRON MARK from that time you tried to iron it.  You were glad you'd be finally retiring that darn tux! BUT, no one noticed the ironed coat because the hit of the event were those cookies shaped like VIOLINS! Remember those?  Those were awesome! (Leah, I'm looking at you!)

The week after was Senior Sunday.  Jack and his long-time friends wore their cap and gowns to church and had a lovely day together.  Remember that day's senior table? (remember sweating on top of that ladder?) and the luncheon? (remember when you were supposed to bring Jack's favorite dessert so you signed up to bring Jim N Nick's chocolate pie because that's his favorite only they were OUT of chocolate pies when Joe went to get it on Saturday night and he called and said what do I do and you told him to not come home without a dessert and he came home with a huge caramel cake from Heritage House and y'all proudly displayed that thing next to the card that said it was Jack's favorite dessert even though he'd never had a bite of caramel cake in his life?) Y'all have laughed so hard about that.  And Jack thought that whole day was just great.  So, WIN.

Then there were awards ceremonies (remember when Jack got Most Outstanding Library Assistant? He also got one of his school's Most Outstanding Senior honors, but it's that Most Outstanding Library Assistant one that y'all enjoyed the most.... or maybe it's the "Party Animal" award that his fellow seniors gave him at the Senior Banquet..... FUN. NY.")

  And then there was GRADUATION. Jack Powell graduated from high school. It was a fine day. The  whole entire family gathered for a big lunch and graduation was just perfect.  But do you remember your favorite part of that day?  Your favorite part was later that evening....remember?  It was just y'all - the Powell 5.  It was STORMING outside, but your little family was cozy, all piled up in the living room, eating leftover caramel cake (!) and watching a movie.  And then Jack mentioned something about this being a PERFECT day and then he THANKED you and dad for everything.  Well, THAT.  THAT was good.

Soon after graduation, Jack set out for BamaBound and got all oriented at the University of Alabama.  He registered for classes, figured out about the meal plan, heard stuff about where to park, and started getting himself a plan.  He already has a job on campus (Stacy - we love you) and is gearing up for COLLEGE LIFE.  You've mentioned MORE THAN ONCE that this totally cannot be real.

Then, on top of all that, the boy who is LITTLE in your mind's eye turned 18.  He registered to vote.  He got mail from Selective Service.  That's all there is to say about that.

Good memories.  Big and Little.  You still smiling?

Cause Max had stuff, too:

Max Powell blazed into the end of his Freshman year of high school MIFFED that Jack was exempt from his finals and got out of school three weeks earlier than the rest of us.  You were miffed, too, as I recall.  We all decided we hated Jack for those three weeks.  Max got so worked up that he got diagnosed with STREP THROAT.  Poor boy.  But he pushed on.  He finished essays and powerpoints (remember that time you did that project "with" him because he was sickie?) and he studied for his finals.  He even survived Spring football stuff including a game in Demopolis the weekend before the last week of school.  (Remember that place with the onion rings y'all found before the game?) Max also had awards ceremonies.  Thanks to your constant "encouragement" (nagging?  I think not.), Max Powell finished Freshman year with a perfect record.  Good on ya, Maxer.

Max entered into Summer ready to REST.  NOT!

We zipped out on Jack's Senior trip where the boys fulfilled a plan they'd had for ages:  all four Disney parks in ONE day.  They ventured out all on their own (with a few family members strategically placed in parks so they could use their fastpasses!) and, after 14 hours, had achieved their goal.  ALL their favorite rides in EVERY park in ONE day.  Super fun.  That's one they're probably still talking about!  Your favorite part of that?  Watching your two boys enjoying their time together and PLANNING IT THAT WAY.  They really do like being together.  You start crying every time you think about that.

Max was also old enough to graduate to the ROOFING team at Mission Serve this year.  He's been eager to get on a roof and he finally made it!  Sweet thing spent a week (and his birthday!!!) in Illinois carrying shingles, nailing stuff, toting trash, and ministering to the homeowner.  Remember how you texted him a MILLION times that week and you'd get back one word?  Remember how you resorted to sending him AWESOME gifs and still no real response?  Remember how you went three days with no word from him and texted Jack to see if Max was still alive?  Yep.  Good memories.

Max's BIG event of the summer was turning 15 and getting his PERMIT!  He'd asked for just a few things for his birthday - crocs, a wallet, some new shorts, a case of Grape Propel (he asks for that EVERY year.) Remember how proud he was? He's so precious. Remember that first time he drove you somewhere and he smiled the WHOLE TIME cause he was so excited?  Remember how you looked over at that cute smiling thing and smiled too?  Remember how then you actually pulled out of the driveway and you saw your life flash in front of your eyeballs MULTIPLE TIMES? Remember how your hands literally ACHED the whole next day because you'd clutched the door so hard? Remember how I told you earlier that you'd enjoyed EVERY SECOND of these events in your life?  I lied.  You did NOT enjoy this.

You loving these memories, Mikki of the Future?

Cause the Mary had stuff going on, too!
I told you May and June were BIG!!

Mary Powell graduated from PreK!!!  Yep - there were TWO graduations in ONE WEEKEND!!  That sweet thing put on that white cap and gown and joined her class in singing songs and doing motions.  And what is it about an end-of-the-year video that makes you cry EVERY TIME??  Her graduation was precious and just perfect.  Remember how you made Jack put his cap and gown back on just so you could get this picture? Remember how right after this picture, you had to take Jack to the doctor's office where he, too, was diagnosed with STREP THROAT? Ah.  Sweet memories.

Later, Mary attended her Kindergarten Breakfast at Rock Quarry Elementary.... aka "Mama's School!"  That's gonna be F.U.N.  

Then, she got herself a big-girl haircut!  We'd been needing this for quite some time, but the BOYS in the house all kept telling you NO, that they LOVED her long hair. Well, too bad.  For summer, lil bit needed shorter hair!  AND SHE LOVED IT.  Four inches off and she felt like a new woman.

..... just in time for GOTCHA DAY!  Mary Powell has been home for FOUR YEARS.  Crazy. Remember letting her pick out anything she wanted at Toys R Us on Gotcha Day and she chose that Rainbow Fish full-body, slip- into- it blanket?  Remember how she then wore that blanket around the house TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN???  Remember giving her the set of silk POUCHES from China?  She quickly put her "monies" into the purple pouch.  Cause a girl can never have too many pouches.

Remember going to Mr. Chen's? Remember that conversation?   Mary asked her daddy when HIS Gotcha Day was and y'all started to explain simply and gently WHY she had a Gotcha Day and the rest of us didn't? Later in the car, randomly and out of the blue, she exclaimed SO I HAVE TWO MOMS?  You told her YES... cause she was just that special!  And then you explained about her China Mom and how you get to be her Forever Mom.  She sat there with a smile on her face and nodded.  There will be more questions to come, but for now, that was enough.  She's learning about her story.  And for now at least, it's making her smile.  Prayers that it always does!!!


So, Mikki of the Future, THAT's what life's been all about these last couple of months.  That, and CONTINUING THE ADOPTION PROCESS TO BRING OUR LOTTIE HOME.  But I'll let you tell that story yourself.  Maybe you should sit down and write a blog post about it or something?

Your life is full, Mikki of the Future.  But, as I recall, you said you wouldn't trade it for anything.  It's not perfect and it's not easy, but, just in case you forget, you KNOW that you're right where the Lord wants you.  And THAT is good stuff.

So, there you have it, Mikki of the Future.  So you can never ever forget.

Love,
the Mikki in the NOW