"So promise me you'll never forget...that you aren't an accident or an incident...you are a gift to the world, a divine work of art, signed by God. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth...Flooded by emotion, overcome by pride, the Starmaker turns to us, one by one, and says, 'You are my child. I love you dearly.'" Max Lucado, God Thinks You're Wonderful







Saturday, February 7, 2009

Oh, my heart!

So I have to journal this moment...I don't ever want to forget it.

Owen made me cry....happy, sweet tears though.

Tears of joy and thanks.

I was feeding Sadie while the boys were playing with Blake.

I could hear Owen calling me, but I didn't respond as Sadie was drifting to sleep in my arms.

He wasn't crying, just looking for me.

Our house isn't big...I knew he could find me easily.

He walked into Sadie's room and it was dark so he turned her nightlight on (so sweet that he knew the big light would be too bright for her).

He walked to us and told her, "I sure do love you Sadie", and smooched her on the head.

He started singing this song he sings to her..."Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep, sleep, sleep, sle-ep!"
While he was singing to her he was rubbing her head trying to get her to fall asleep. It actually woke her up more, but I couldn't stop him...it was priceless.
After he finished singing he said...

"Sleep tight sister. Tomorrow's gonna be a fun day . It's gonna be nice outside and we're gonna play football. We're going have a family day. And you know that God is in your heart Sadie. I sure do love you."

As he was walking out he turned the nightlight back off and said, "Sadie you sure are a sweet sweet girl!"

By this time I have tears streaming down my face. I couldn't say anything but just watch him.

Oh, Lord...thank you for these sweet, incredible children. Help me to teach them to be like you. Help me to be an example of your love for them. Give me peace and patience, mercy and a gentle spirit. Help me to remember how tender they are. Remind me that these baby years will pass so quickly and that I need to slow down and take in each moment. More than anything may they see the love I have for you and want nothing more than to have a relationship with you. Thank you will never be enough for the miraculous ways you brought them to me!

12 comments:

Kristy said...

You and Blake are doing an amazing job raising those kiddos they usually repeat what they have heard and see, how awesome!

mom2many said...

I love sweet little boys...and Kristy is right...they are mimicking what they see/hear in the house. A couple of days ago, Samara said, "Mommy, is Jesus almost done with our baby?" I truly think she thinks Jesus is going to hand deliver us our baby! Oh, to have a child's heart!

Becki Francy said...

Sweet sweet Owen....I love him so much!

Terra said...

I agree...children repeat what they hear. You guys are wonderful parents! Sweet boy!

sheridan said...

Oh my goodness, I'm speechless. I can't believe the sweet sweet things he said all in a row! Man I'm so touched and impressed that you were able to remember all that. I always have to get a pen IMMEDIATELY or I'll forget it all.

Molly said...

I did Sheridan! I got an envelope and pencil and wrote it all down for Blake to read first. He wondered why I came out of her room with tears! He just kept going on and on...but I am pretty sure I remembered most of it!

I realize that our kids do repeat things we say, but I am just glad this is what he repeated because you all know I am human and say some crazy stuff sometimes!

Thank goodness he remembers I love you's more than "what are you doing?!?!"

Brooke and Peter said...

so sweet and wonderful!

Chassidy said...

one word....Precious

What an amazing job you and Blake have done with the boys that they have so much compassion and love in their hearts.

Lisa Smith said...

What a sweet tender moment. I love how little boys love. It's priceless. Amen to them remembering the I love you's more than other things we say!!!

fivemjs said...

Hey - its Marianne. Can I have your e-mail address?

Shelley said...

from the sound of this, it's just one of the many moments you will have to remember and tell them about as they are growing up. my kids often ask me to tell them stories of when they were "little".

(makes me wish even harder that our other two would hurry up and get here... )

Anonymous said...

Hello, Shockley's! We have been following your blog for awhile now and have fallen in love with you all. Your sweet Stephanie was in our building (ECU-BSU)alot while she was at ECU. Our son Ken, his wife Johnnie (Remer) Gandy and our daughter Kathleen were all students then, too. When we became friends with Stephanie on Facebook, we noticed her notes about you all and couldn't resist peeking at your blog! We were immediately hooked and can't go more than a few days without checking on you all. We were a family of 7 - 1 bio. son and four children (three other boys, one princess, uh, I mean girl) who WERE adopted one day in court. After that day, they were just "real" and still are! We are "real", too. I love for people to ask me "which one is YOURS and which ones ARE adopted? My answer is always, "I've forgotten!" I say that with a smile, so they always smile too. =0}Most people don't mean any harm, huh? Some do, though, so you learn real quickly who your real friends are. We have heard some mean things, but mostly people have been SO supportive. We think that you all are one of the most precious families we've ever "known". God shines through your faces and words. (If you would like to know more about us, we are robandkathy gandy (no spaces in robandkathy) on Facebook. Our group is Remembering Ron & Rusty Gandy. Our BSU groups are ECU Baptist Student Union and ECU-BSU Alumni. Our website is www.ecubsu.com (The www is necessary.) I know you must have very little time and any time you have when the children are napping needs to be used in other ways - I hope you REST sometimes! - but if you do have any time to look at our things, you would feel like you know us. I dreamed of adopting all my life - mostly I just dreamed of being a mommy. It doesn't matter how that happens. In fact, I feel kind of sorry for people who don't get to experience adoption, don't you? Giving birth is wonderful, but adoption is just as wonderful. Our living children are now 38, 35 (daughter), and 23. The youngest is a senior at ECU, doing his student teaching this semester, so our nest is "empty" part of the time. Our two oldest children, though, have given us another daughter(-in-love)and a son(-in-love) PLUS one cute grandson and SIX beautiful granddaughters! The youngest three are all 2-year-old girls. Baby Emma was born first, then twins Baylee and Brooke were born 11 weeks later! We say that the new babies are God's reward to our family for "keeping on keeping on" through some really tough times. Our now-9-year-old granddaughter Abbie was born at 27 weeks gestation, weighing 2lbs. 1oz We so very nearly lost her and her mommy. We lost two of our boys five years ago - less than six months apart. You can read about them on our group page - also on our Facebook page in our family albums. Thank you for reading this from a "stranger". Now we aren't "strangers", huh? I love the pics you post of your extended family, too. Your sisters, their families and your parents look like a family in a magazine! God spent alot of time putting your family together. BTW, why do you refer to your family as "interracial"? ;o) Love in Christ, Rob and Kathy Gandy, Ada, Oklahoma PS I know this was too long. I promise not to haunt you. It took me months to write this, so that's proof that I won't bother you often!