Returing home

Today I'm headed back to Dallas, TX from Phoenix, AZ and this will be the first time that I've seen Tamia in almost 4 months. We speak over the phone at least once a week so that she doesn't forget who I am but today is the moment of truth.....

Mini Minnie

Ok, so this is for sure my last Florida post! I just could not cronicle the experience without highlighting what I thought to be my two most brilliant ideas along the way! On Wednesday, we made our way to Disneyworld but not to go inside, just as a landmark along the way. I decided that we couldn't go to Disney and not dress for the occassion so I pulled the cork, and let the creative juices flow and this is what I came up with....

 

You looked somewhat like a mini Minnie Mouse and for what it's worth, my efforts where not lost because so many people noticed (SCORE!) We had fun that day and we took soo many pictures. That day and every day of that trip, you were just a ball of happiness and excitement and it just blessed my heart to see how the simplest and smallest things made you so ginuinely happy. I'm taking lessons from you Tamia believe me!

Beach Babes

With our final destination as Miami, FL, it was only right that we visited the beach. Your other sisters and I were so excited! You....not soo much. We drove around most of the day so by the time we actually made it to the beach, we barely got any of the daylight (good thing we went for the experience rather than the daylight because we would have been disappointed). We made the most of the beach anyway although you wanted to be anywhere but there.

Judging by your face, you weren't too thrilled with the idea of being half naked in cold water (who knew?) I guess next time we'll have to plan it a lot better. At least we have these memories for now :)

STRAIGHT road TRIPPIN'

Spring break 2012, we set out from Dallas, TX with Miami, FL as our final destination. The whole trip came about because I wanted to go to a conference with all of these big name Christian celebrities and my original plan quickly turned from a solo trip to a family road trip (minus the conference). So we rented an SUV, packed our bags, packed a cooler, gathered the TOO LIVE CREW, and headed east>>>

We went through 6 states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and finally Florida) and back and you were a TROOPER! The only time I remember you crying was when you didn't want to sleep at night. We had a blast and we honestly have you to thank for that because you kept us highly entertained. At such a small age, you possess such a lovely personality! Always happy, always smiling, never fussy, so independent, yet so loving! I am so glad and so grateful that the Lord put it upon my heart to make the trip to Florida a family one because I know that it wouldn't have been a fraction as memorable as it was with all of my TOO LIVE CREW members!

Thanks a million for being sooo good during the road trip! I pray that you remain such an easygoing and free-spirited personality ;)

Growing up

It's true what they say......."Don't blink or they'll be grown before you know it!" I guess I blinked because somewhere in between the two jobs, the youth ministry, college preparations, and keeping up appearances, you grew!!

The baby days were fun, I won't deny that and I kind of miss you being little but then I snap back into reality and I'm appreciating this age. You are so much more fun at one (almost 2) than you were as a little baby. I miss the bottles but we exchanged those for sippy cups, the crawling for walking, the baby talk for a small vocabulary, the crying for....less crying, and we're transitioning from the pampers to the potty.
I have to admit that some part of me would like to freeze time with you at this age so that I can fully enjoy you but I'm so awestruck by every little accomplishment and milestone that I'm also excited to watch you grow.

*just please don't grow too fast! PLEASE*

Welcomed responsibility

When you came home, I was working a full time job as well as a PRN(as needed) job and taking care of you as well as your older sibilings (which are my other younger siblings), meant more responsibility on my part. I didn't mind it then, and I don't mind it now in fact, I did and still look foward to it! You gave and will continue to give me an opportunity that I would not have otherwise had. Sure, there's my sister's children who I love to death but they come around and start whining when they're ready to leave and I have to oblige but you on the other hand, will be around forever. So I welcomed the change and the responsibility and it became my primary duty to bathe you, feed you, burp you, comb your (little bit) of hair, play with you, carry you if you were fussy, and perform all of the many other tasks that come along with babies (that are not indicated on the label). I was happy to do it, so much so that I didn't want to go to work because I didn't want to entertain the thought of someone else doing it and risk you liking them better. Someone else did have to do it because I HAD to work but I think it's safe to say that I'm still your favorite person......NO (well maybe just your favorite sister...NO) well maybe you're just a tad more fond of me than you are of most people.....OK *phew*

Me (happily) hand washing your clothes & blankets

You after a fresh bath and mosturized hair combing

Pretty in PINK

Tamia,

We used to dress you up in the color pink (because it's the most common and "appropriate" color for baby girls). What you should know about the color pink (that I didn't) is:

-it's the color for universal love
-it's favored by lovers of beauty
-the pink carnation means "I will never forget you"
-Shades of deep pink, such as magenta, are effective in neutralizing disorder and violence
-it provides feelings of caring, tenderness, self-worth, love, and acceptance

Tamia, may you be universaly loved! May you be favored by lovers of beauty! May those who come in contact with you never forget you! May you neutralize disorder and violence! May you always provide feelings of caring, tenderness, self-worth, love and acceptance!

Guess we knew what we were doing after all huh?!

For Tamia

Tamia,

When you're much older than you are now, it is my sincere hope and deepest desire that you look at this blog and these memories of you as your big sister's way of expressing her love to you!

I was inspired to create this blog from others that were very beautiful and captivating in picture and in word. I can only hope that this blog is that for you.

Mwaaaah!

When God calls you blessed.....

Since I can remember, I have had the heart to adopt. As a young girl, I always wanted a LOT of kids but now, my definition of a lot is a little less.

When I was in junior high, my ideal family was four biological children and three adopted children (possibly all boys since in theory, I can't biologically produce boys). The question would always arise from my peers "What if you don't have four children?" Without hesitation, I would always answer, "Then I'll adopt seven!" I don't know where that answer came from or how that answer came about because to this day, I don't know the origin nor do I have a significant story behind the number seven (being that my favorite number is eight).

What I do know about the number seven, which I will teach Tamia when we study the Bible together is that the number seven represents completion. When God created heaven and earth, He saw that it was good and on the seventh day he rested Gen 2:1&2. I can only believe that for my own family, the number seven will be our number of completion (unless the Lord says different) since it was so etched in my mind as a young child.

I said that to say, since I've always had the heart and mind to adopt, I find it very interesting that the first child to enter my life and home permanently is neither a biological child nor an orphan but my very own sister. The Lord that I serve is just too BIG, too GOOD, and too AMAZING for any adjective that the human vocabulary can explain. Who but Him could orchestrate my life in such a way that such a blessing would come in this form?!

I have yet to meet the man that the Lord has created for me to have those biological/adopt children with, yet the Lord is so faithful that He lovingly gave me a child to raise from nearly birth through adulthood that I neither had to conceive nor experience the "what ifs" that are common in adoption situations.

I am in no way bragging but instead, testifying to the goodness of God. He knows why He does things, allows certain things to happen, and causes certain things to be the way they are. I find it easiest to let Him take the lead while I take the background (lyrics cleverly used by Christian artist Lecrae).

What I also know is that to whom much is given, much is required and the blessing that I have been given is a huge responsibility. One that I do not take lightly! In life we are intrusted with things that God intrusts specifically to us. To some, that comes in the form of wealth, to others it's businesses, and to the rare CALLED of us, it's in the form of another life. What you do with that "thing" (for lack of a more appropriate term), you have to give account for just like the parable in the Bible of the talent Luke 19.

With this little life that will soon enter my life indefinitely, I'm preparing my mind to be a sister but more, a parent but more, and a friend but more! It is my prayer that God gives me the strength and the wisdom to care for and raise this little person the right way and grant me the patience and knowledge that I need to live and know how to separate these three very distinct relationships.

I thank God for the blessing that is her because I know that the saying is true.....

"When God calls you blessed, you are blessed indeed!"

The right decision

What I want you to know is, when you were just about to enter this world, I was asked if I would be your guardian and without hesitation, I said "YES!" However, God knew what was best and for the first month of your life, you were sent to live with a very nice lady while our daddy went through all of the legal procedures to bring you home.

Your other big sisters, big brothers and I were so sad that you couldn't come home from the hospital, but we found comfort in knowing that you would be coming home.

Not having you in the house but knowing that you were somewhere in the world was tough but I spoke with my boss who was a Christian as I was, and she told me everyday how she prayed for you and knew you'd be coming home soon.

She was right!

I remember when you entered the house on the first day (one month later). I was at work extremely excited to see how much you'd grown and just grateful to be around you finally.

When I made it home from work, I burst through the door of our small two bedroom apartment shouting "Where is my baby?" and this little face was what I saw...

 

Then I held you....



And admired all of your little features.

From then, I only knew you as mine!
My sister, my daughter, my Tamia :)
(or "mymia" as I call you)

Our daddy was advanced in age (67) when you came along and for that reason, I made the decision that once I was settled, I would come back for you, place you in a new/unfamiliar environment where all we have & need are each other and God, and give you the best life possible with the knowledge and resources that I have and gain. I never promised to be perfect or give you the easiest life but I did promise to do my best in every decision that concerns you, your safety, and your well-being. As I embark on this new journey into being a better person, a better sister, a better friend, and a mom...I'm more than happy to begin with you. I made the decision to give you the best of me so that you'll learn to experience the best of what God has to offer.

Before you were born....

I made a vow to myself that as long as she's in my life, I would take the time to make time to chronicle HER life. So here it is....

The day thatI found out your mom was pregnant with you, I wasn't too thrilled because our living conditions weren't the best for us so we sure didn't need someone as innocent as you around reminding us of our short-comings. What I would soon realize was that you would remind me of everything but... You were a tiny replica of me, born into the same conditions from a different womb. Same father, same strength, same joy but soo much different than me. I would later learn of a courage more courageous than mine, a love more loving than mine, and a life much more promising than mine. The doctors nor your mother gave you the fighting chance that you deserved but that doesn't mean that they meant to hurt you, they just didn't know how to be hopeful about the things that God placed inside of you but I think that's why He gave you me but most importantly, that's why He gave me YOU!