I wanted to share a friend's blog about the photo session we did with her and her husband for our family portraits.  She (and I) told our story and I want to share it with others.

http://frayededgeconcepts.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/h-family-portrait-session-greenville-nc-photographer/

Christmas With the Harringtons

Here it is December 26th, a windy/rainy day here that kept us all inside and in pajamas all day and I sit thinking about the many blessings we have received this past year.  The best gift we received this year was to officially become a family.  On December 11th we all went to the courthouse in Pitt County and had a small, private ceremony in which the Clerk of Court made the adoption of the boys official!  We were surrounded by Rob's immediate family, Morgan Pearce, Caty Gray Urquhart, our pastor Diane Christianson, and our two social workers Jennifer Stroud and Nikki Mears.  It was a very touching ceremony because the Clerk had adopted a child 26 years ago and she got choked up as she talked to us about the joys and responsibility of adoption.  Had I known how special it would be I would've probably thought to video it.  She also allowed the boys to seal and stamp their papers.  

We celebrate with a few small gifts - books about adoption, official Harrington sweatshirts for the boys, and a special plate Rob's mom had made for us.  Then we were off to a celebratory dinner at McDonald's (don't think the boys noticed that it wasn't the special dinner we would have liked to have had) before rushing off to Alex's school Christmas program.  

At the program he made us so proud!  I think this boy has a future on the stage.  

We also enjoyed a party this season thrown by Century Link for foster kids, the Bethel Christmas parade, and dinner at church with Santa.  Although we would've liked to do some other fun Christmas things there just didn't seem to be time to fit it all in.  Again, the boys didn't seem to mind or notice and enjoyed every moment of the things we did do.  

 

After all of those fun things we finished up school and headed off to Maryland to visit my family before  Christmas.  Mom hosted several fun things at her new house with Curt - tea with the Aunts which my roomate, Carolyn, came to also so that we could catch up as well, our family dinner and gift exchange on Friday evening, baking cookies with Aunt Susan and Grammy at Susan's house Saturday morning, Cousins gift exchange Saturday evening - with munchies and fantastic soup by Levi and Hope, and then a quick breakfast Sunday morning after church before we headed back to NC so we wouldn't miss Santa!  (Sorry, no pictures from this trip since I packed everyone else's stuff and then forgot my camera!)

We made it back to NC in time for Christmas Eve so we could make sure that Santa could find us.  And find us he did!  Plenty of new toys and lots of fun for mommy and daddy watching our faces light up with excitement.  But, the best gifts our these three, special boys that have come to steal our hearts and the hearts of everyone that meets them.  We are so thankful for them and all of the love and support of our families and community in welcoming them.  

Sitting back...feeling blessed!  

Can’t seem to stop reflecting back to a year ago and how hard I battled depressive feelings trying so hard on a daily basis to trust in God’s plan.  Despite my best efforts it really was a constant battle and I felt myself falling deeper and deeper into despair.  In order to fight against it I knew I had to turn to God.  David Crowder’s song “Shine” came out about the same time and I identified with the words of that song.… “Shine your light so I can see you.  Pull me up, I need to be near you.  Hold me, I need to feel love.  Can you overcome this heart that’s overcome”.  It’s so hard to face the feeling of being overcome or overwhelmed by your circumstances.  As a Christian, you have to just trust in the Lord and his plan for your life but despite all of that the natural, human tendency to rely on yourself is hard to fight. 

A year later it seems like a whirlwind…wish I had been keep a daily journal to track it all because it happened so fast.  I looked to facebook for a record of what I might have been feeling or facing but seems even facebook did not hold the answers.    But it was mid September before we even found out our license to be foster parents had finally been approved. And relying on my memory is proving to lead to inaccuracy.  I somehow got October 17^th confused and started believing the 19^th was the anniversary of the boys arrival.  Nonetheless, it has been a crazy year.

When we tell people that it has been a year most say they can't believe it and ask us if it feels like a year.  It really doesn't.  We've done so much and been through all the major milestones...first holidays/birthdays, etc. but time has just flown by.  Looking back at the pictures and seeing all of their chubby little faces and thinking about how they reacted those first days and all we've gone through since then.  Noe could walk and feed himself but he was so still and mostly stood and stared.  Now he is running (usually with some sort of ball), jumping, and talking up a storm.  We had been so worried about his speech delays and now he can say anything and amazes us every day.  Junior and Alex both had their share of behaviors initially and the path wasn't always easy but things appear to have smoothed out.  Despite those the good times have far outweighed the bad and the boys have brought more joy to our lives then I ever knew was possible.

So as we celebrate a year and wait for the adoption to be finalized I have to realize that we are now in whatever "groove" there is when you have three boys under the age of 5 so it is time to reflect about God's amazing gifts.  It is totally true that if you are just faithful God will give you the desires of your heart!