A Week of Gifts

I have learned that when you purposely seek to make the practice of thanksgiving  - giving thanks for the gifts and grace all around - an active, conscious habit in your life, it becomes easier to see all there is to be thankful for. Some days are easier than others. Last week during days one and two of Zach's Three Day Potty Training Pee-stravaganza, it was not always easy to keep an attitude of thankfulness. The 60+ day LOA wait made it difficult to find things to be thankful for. I constantly have to remind myself that joy is found in eucharisteo and my strength comes from remembering the joy of who God is and what he's done, regardless of my circumstances. So, joy is worth fighting for, and this looking for things to be thankful for is also worth the battle.

Other times, like this week, the gifts flow freely and obviously, right in from of my face, and I love adding them to my list of "One Thousand Gifts". Here are a few from this week: 

1. We are in the middle of the wait for our Article 5 pickup. Tomorrow will be one week. A5 pickup takes 2 weeks. It's one of the only predictable milestones in this timeline. No wondering this week when it will happen or if I should be doing anything to ensure it keeps moving expediently. I can just sit and wait. That's a rare treat!

2. Actual gifts from generous friends. Laurie threw a lovely suitcase-filling shower for us this past Sunday. Her house was adorably decorated in ladybugs, right down to ladybug cupcakes and tiny Chinese lanterns. And I am absolutely blown away by the generosity of our friends - old and new - who supplied us with tons of gear for our upcoming travels! It truly helps so much! Thank you, everyone, for your kind thoughtfulness! 

3. An update! I opened my email yesterday to see the most adorable little smile looking at me!

From the the report, it sounds like she is doing really well, which is such a comfort to know! 

So, we are getting closer and closer. My impatient heart wants to be there NOW, but it will be soon. Thank you for continuing to hold us up in prayer as we walk through the final steps to get to our Meimei!