Liv was a little sick Saturday. Maybe it was a one-two punch from the garage sale and all the sweets she had eaten the day before. Shiloh was either empathetic or also a little worn out, because he, too, lay around the floor much of the day.
Should a photo-happy mama takes advantage of such cuteness? Definitely.
In light of the last post on the frustrations of infertility (thank you, by the way, to everyone who commented), I have to point out that this photo captures the grace of God in my life. He gave me Livia almost five years ago and for that I am a kind of grateful that words can’t accurately describe.
Jeremy and I walked into Jewish Family Service in Omaha about seven years ago in order to get approved for adoption by the state of Nebraska. Our social worker expressed a bit of surprise at my age—and I laugh now thinking of it—because apparently it was a rarity to interview a 24 year old for a homestudy. No kidding! Adoption is usually the second option compared to the first, which is pregnancy. But I praise God that he had prepared my heart for adoption years before, and that he gave me a husband who was willing to adopt as well. I mean really, I cannot imagine my life without Livia Raine. As many times as I say “no” and she says “yes,” as many times as I have to tell her to PUT THE DOG DOWN!, as many times as I stumble mentally to find creative ways to entice/encourage/promote obedience within her, Livia brings unspeakable joy to my heart.
Two years after the homestudy was completed, a baby girl needed a home. After so much wondering of the future (on my part, I don’t know that Jeremy felt the same way), after lots of tears and the greatest doubts of faith I had ever experienced, we received a simple email that sent us well on our way to parenthood. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.
Thank you, God, for the joy you have given me.
Happy birthday, dear Livia! Happy birthday to you! May you always love small creatures, chocolate, your parents and Jesus (not in that order). We love you dearly, big five year old.
Hard to believe you were this small at one time. I’ve been getting teary today thinking of how blessed I am to be your mom. God gave us a huge task when he called us to be a family—He is good and has sustained us through the last five years of you!
We’ll love you forever and ever, Livia Raine. Happy birthday.
Love,
Mommy
Internet, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Mucho doggies photos are in your future (which is why Jeremy added a Shiloh category for my blog posts).
Here are the five steps of The Child/Dog Meet-and-Greet.
1) Profound excitement at first glance.
2) Slight anxiety at crazy puppy antics.
3) “Whoa, there.” Mounting distress at crazy puppy antics.
4) Dog calms down.
5) Acceptance is given, love is exchanged, vows of lifelong petting and companionship are uttered.
The End.
That is, the end until tomorrow when I post more photos of Shiloh.
Liv is the kind of kid who chooses to play with pets over other kids. We’ll go to someone’s house to play and if she spies a cat or dog, forget her little buddies! It’s all about the furry creatures. Needless to say, she’s been asking to be a “pet owner” for a l-o-n-g time.
So we decided to get her a small critter for her birthday.
And after rotating through everything from Madagascar hissing cockroaches to rats, we settled on… a dog. We had two specifications in mind. 1) The dog had to be kid-friendly because s/he was going to get a lot of loving from an almost-five year old. 2) The dog needed to be as hypoallergenic as possible since several family members are allergic to pet dander.
Details of our plan fell together quickly this last week and it all culminated in a roadtrip yesterday to pick up our 10 week old Coton de Tulear named Shiloh. We told Livia that Daddy had the day off and we were planning to have a picnic and a few adventures. Halfway through our drive we handed her an early birthday gift. Here is her response:
Now taking it all in…
Sheer delight.
And finally, a Mommy-induced pose.
Livia had a wonderful surprise today in honor of her fifth birthday next week. As you can see, we’re already putting the newest Tredway to work in the yard.
When I get a chance, I’ll post more photos and blog the story of our day.
Like most four year olds, Livia is learning her alphabet and beginning to read. The other day she told Jeremy she wanted something that began with the letter G. (I think it was ginger ale.)
Yesterday Livia wasn’t satisfied with her lunch; apparently, she had other things in mind for eating. I asked her what she wanted and she told me, “Something yummy.”
“Oh yeah? What?” I asked
“Something sweet…” [drawn out pause] “…and it starts with the letter CHOCOLATE!”
By the time she explained, with such a funny little grin on her face, that she wanted chocolate ice cream I was lost in laughter. Most days, and perhaps most hours, I too want something that starts with the letter chocolate.
