Christmas Morning With a 6 Year Old...

I was journaling this morning and made the realization that we are in 2013.  Ok, so the world knows that we are in 2013, but it seemed to hit me like a ton of bricks.  This will be the third New Year in a row that we enter it, hoping and praying, for our referral.  Three is a charm, right?  I was reflecting on the fact that we have finished 3 Christmas seasons in a row without getting a referral, and we have not only survived, but thrived.  I feel like Nate and I have grown leaps and bounds as individuals, in our marriage, and in our relationship with God.  It has NOT been a waste of three years, and I am more than grateful.  In fact, I journaled this morning, I would NOT trade this journey in for the entire world.  That being said, "It's 2013...I think we are ready (just in case God might be reading this right now!).

Not only are we ready, but the entire Long/Sawtelle/Ciardi/Ingram/Penney (all of our immediate family) clan is!  In fact, Emma, my 6 year old niece may be leading the way in excitement.  Emma has an amazing tender heart for a 6 year old.  She has prayed for us along our journey, she has sent us homemade cards, pictures and even story books including our "children to come."  She has asked about me when I am upset, she has hugged me when I have needed it, and she has been crazy with me when I needed a smile (in fact, she was describing someone to me the other day and said, they are just like you, Auntie, you know crazy!).  Emma's heart led her to raise over $400 dollars for pastors in Cuba who needed chickens and pigs to earn money.  She is a pretty amazing girl with a huge heart.  That was evident Christmas morning.

We were going about doing our normal thing...rushing around, getting the breakfast table ready, checking out the presents under the tree, and attempting to pack up all of our stuff to bring to Maine that day, when Emma came running into the kitchen.  "Auntie Ang...Auntie Ang...you have to come see this...come on...follow me (this was in a high pitched, more than excited, desperation kind of voice by a little girl with her eyes about as wide open as they come)."  I figured she was going to show me the presents under the tree or some new trick Pop Pop had learned...but instead, she pointed to the mantle and exclaimed, "Look what Santa brought you!!!!!"  I looked at the mantle and there were two handmade Ethiopian Stockings for our children to come (see below).  "Santa" had remembered our children in a year where deep down inside we needed someone to remember.

My sisters make fun of me all the time for crying Christmas morning.  I have a knack for bursting into tears, usually around the time we go around the table sharing what we are thankful for from the past year.  Like every new Christmas, I was determined this year NOT to do that, and again epically failed!  This time, I didn't even make it to the table before I started crying!!!  As soon as I saw the stockings I burst into tears.  I am not even sure the tears were shed so much for the stockings as much as they were shed for the reality that there is a family that can't wait to love on these kids...a family that includes nieces and nephews like Emma who will more than embrace them when they get here.  Man...I think I have a lump in my throat again just thinking about it.

So, to my family who again made this Christmas a Christmas of hope to say, "There is a light at the end of tunnel...God knows what he is doing...you have not been forgotten..." Thank you for travelling the journey with us and not giving up hope.  Next Christmas those stockings will be full.