The Garage Is Done!

First of all, this is the only picture of his highness for today, so just look at it a lot. We were really busy today and forgot to take more pictures of him. We worked on the garage today and before Miss Candace (Thank Goodness for Friends!) got there we had to put Reed in the pack-n-play. That was okay with him because we gave him sand!

BEFORE:





DURING:





AFTER:





Thanks to Uncle Bill, we were able to get the garage done in a very neat and quick way! He was a huge help! Don't you wish you had an Uncle Bill?

It was HOT!!! All three of us were soaking wet with sweat, but we are really pleased with the end product.

The only let down was that we were really hoping to be able to both park in the garage. While our garage is a good size, it was obviously not meant for a minivan and an SUV. I got both Abbey's van and my Jeep in the garage, but it was tight, so unless the forecast is calling for ice or something, I doubt I will be parking in the garage.

Now, I want to talk about something a little different tonight than just an update of our day.

You know those times when your little one is completely attached to you? Well, for the past couple of days, that has been Reed with me. Now, there have certainly been times when Reed really wanted to be with Abbey, but today it was all me. Now, that can be both really neat and really annoying. But, I began to think about how awesome it was that Reed wanted me! How many times in your life are you the exact person that can "fix" any hurt, soothe any tear, or be the best friend? Not very often. I try not to get preachy on the blog, but I think that's the way God wants to be for us.

I also think about how some people refer to Reed as my adopted son. Now, I have many soapboxes, but I think this is going to be one of my new ones. Reed is not my adopted son. Reed is my son, who happens to be adopted. I cannot tell you how much Reed feels like he is a part of us. In the past 10 months that Reed has been in our lives, he has become an extension of us. Truly, he was planned by God to be our son.

I wondered how our families would react to our son who was not a biological extension but an extension through the miracle of adoption. I got to experience this first-hand last week as I saw Reed run with open arms to his Lola (Mrs. Linda when she came home from work). I saw it when I saw my mom beam with excitement about getting to take her grandson to Wal-Mart and pick him out some balloons. I saw it in my Daddy giving Reed a bath and how Reed wanted to be under his feet while he cooked breakfast. It was in my father-in-law's face as he beamingly introduced Reed to everyone in his office. It was in my big brother's voice as he asked "Where's Reed?" It was in my little brother's early arrival on Monday morning ready to spend the day with Reed. It was in Aunt Ava's glow as she drove through traffic just to meet us at Sonic for a few minutes to see her "blood" nephew. It was in my grandfather's reaction to seeing us by saying, "Hey Reed" even though sometimes he can be a little confused. Reed is us. He is our family. We are so blessed.

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Now for number 3 in the 7 days of Abbey.

Her Heart. I had planned on this being on day 1, but I chose to change it due to the information I posted above. It was Abbey's heart that I fell in love with on our first date. Her practical, yet optimistic outlook on life. Her openness, yet reserved wisdom. She's an amazing, amazing woman. Most people don't know that on the day we found out we were infertile, Abbey didn't cry as we left the doctor's office. I did. All of my hopes for a baby seemed dash. Abbey said, "We'll just adopt." God had opened Abbey's heart to adoption long before we even went to the fertility clinic, yet it was mine that had been closed. I was not against adoption, but I wanted "one of my own" first. I firmly believe that it was Abbey's gentle spirit, her fervent prayer, and wise counseling that lead me to adoption openness. So, where does that leave me? You read the above post, do you realize what Reed means to us? To Abbey? To me? He is our gift, he is God's plan for us in live motion. Abbey's heart extends in so many ways. It's so beautiful, I hope you've had a chance to see it or experience it. As for me, I wake up amazed each day that I can experience her amazing love and her amazing heart. Can you believe we're only on day three? There are still more things to love about this woman!