God did not call us to do easy.

 Scarlett's Gotcha Day!

August 23, 2014

 Today is one year after getting this puppy!  Scarlett Rose joined our family as our first family pet!  Boy, was there a learning curve! Poor puppy was bombarded with love, noise, hugs and kisses and cuddles.  But, she wasn't the only one who there was an adjustment for.  Jaryse had a whole list of responsibilities that he hadn't had before, I had to help with those responsibilities and deal with the potty training! I wasn't sure I could take one more inside accident when Scarlett finally decided that she was done peeing under my table! Whew! There was also the getting up and taking her outside at night and her whining when left in the crate.  This list goes on.  Now, as most of her training is complete and she has melded into our daily lives, there are still responsibilities and finding puppy sitters when we leave and such, but on the whole, she has been such a blessing to us!  She is funny. She is playful. She is loving.  And, one year later we are so happy that we have Scarlett in our family!  We celebrated her gotcha day by buying her a big bone! LOL!!

Ecrissa and Jaryse's Gotcha Day

March 12, 2009










1 year later.

March 12, 2010


Talking about Scarlett's Gotcha Day, made me think of our other Gotcha Day!  Our, Gotcha to the USA day!  What a day that was! It was a long road, 4.5 years of waiting. But, through it all, I learned a ton!  I wouldn't trade one of those days of struggle!  They have made me who I am.

When talking about how awesome Gotcha Days are, I do not forget that adoption is built on loss. I understand this. I live this. EVERY DAY I live this. The behaviors, fears, anxieties, and struggles that both of my children face due to the trauma of their early lives has a profound effect on us daily.  I chose not to forget the past, but I also chose to focus on the beauty of our lives now and in the future. We are three broken, imperfect humans that all come from different beginnings. God put us together to build a beautiful family that relies on Him for our daily bread.  A big part of what I am learning through this current phase of my life journey is that brokenness is beautiful.  My church family is reassuring me weekly that we are loved through our struggles. My godly friends are walking alongside me in ways that I never expected. God is reassuring me in ways that are astonishing that HE IS IN CONTROL!  That when the world things adding another child into this already hard mix, God reassures me that He didn't call me to do "easy", but called me to love His children and He'd take care of the rest. I am so thankful that He has chosen me to walk this path. Is this path easy? NOT A CHANCE. But, it sure is beautiful!  Watching these 2 children and myself go through our struggles and come out stronger and better for it is worth it.

I am praying and praying for our next Gotcha Day!  Sweet China Baby is another piece to our family puzzle that I can't wait to add. Will it be all roses and sugar plums?  NOPE! Her story is also ridden with loss and struggle. She will have her own fears and struggles, her own brokenness.  Will it be beautiful?  YES, I know it will be because God is in the business of taking the broken and making it beautiful!  And we are so excited to add this perfectly imperfect little girl into our already perfectly imperfect family!  Listen to the words of this song my friends.  Steven Curtis Chapman hits the nail on the head about the beautiful story that God is writing through the brokenness of our world.  He takes all of the ugly and turns it into amazingly beautiful stories.  This blows my mind and fills my heart with joy all at the same time.

I am so glad that I get to be one of the broken pieces that God will pick up and build beauty from.  I trust each day, through each struggle, that God is making something beautiful from me and each of my babies, like only HE CAN!