18 Months...My Favorite Age

I wasn't actually going to blog about this today. I don't know why, really. But, here I am anyway.

At this very moment, 18 months ago, I was holding this precious boy in my arms for the last few moments.

18 months ago, I couldn't imagine life after this day. I couldn't imagine what healing looked like or how I would ever go through a day without the sadness.

I knew I would. Because God promised it to me. So, I desperately clung to that promise. But, I still couldn't picture it.

Tonight, as we worshipped with our church (yes, yet again...without planning it, I was blessed with a worship night on Chase's 18 month birthday...and yes, yet again...Chris read Chase's life verse in the service without realizing it. CRAZY, I tell you. :) )

Anyway, as we worshipped and sang, I thought about the healing God has so graciously given me. I sang "Jesus conquered the grave" and cried--not because of sorrow, but because of thanksgiving! We sang "all of my life, in every season, YOU are STILL GOD, I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship", and I meant it. Every season brings us closer to God. But, I truly think this season of loss and grief and healing has literally brought me into the center of His heart, and I've abided there. It is the most amazing feeling in the world. And, to think it came through suffering.

But, I couldn't imagine any of it 18 months ago.

Tonight after the service, I was blessed to pray over a mom I had never met, who lost her son a few months ago in a very similar way. As I prayed for peace and strength for her...and for her to have something beautiful created out of the ashes of loss...I was filled with tears on her behalf. Because I remember being in the place where I couldn't imagine what that beauty would look like.

Oh, my little Chase. I could have never imagined the life you would bring me. And, today, you are officially at my very favorite age. I imagined your little face alot today. What you would be doing now, what my life would be like as your mommy.

And, at the very same time, I imagined what my life would be like if you hadn't come just as you did, for exactly the time you did, in exactly the way you did.

I also imagined the day when I see you again and all the pain of this world is absolutely melted away. Oh, I dream of the day!

You are a gift. We celebrate you today. Jesus has conquered the grave. I do have a reason to sing. I do have a reason to worship.

I love you and miss you. And, I have no doubt you would be the cutest 18 month old EVER. :)

Tea Time!

It's always fun to have a photographer in the family. You get good pictures at every family holiday, and family photo shoots anytime you want them. Of course, just gathering the clothes selections for family pictures stresses me out, so we NEVER do it! But, it's still fun to know that I could have a family photo anytime I wanted.

Yesterday, my sister Cassie (who is an amazingly creative photographer....check out her photo blog Twelve Twenty) and our friend, Taylor (who is ALSO an amazingly creative photographer...check out her photo blog Barefeet Creative Photography) combined forces with Shelbi Rene's creative design...and they literally created a tea party wonderland for our girls.

I haven't even seen the still photos yet, but I am blown away by this precious gift below. A video of the occasion, complete with the Carlie laugh I love so much, Abby Kate's perfectly precious eyes, Milla's sweet smile, and Kendyll and Mary Alice...friends since birth....having British conversation over their tea and cookies.

There is nothing better. And, as I told Taylor today, this is truly a priceless keepsake for me. I've watched it a ridiculous number of times tonight already. :)

Taylor and Cassie, THANK YOU so much for allowing us to be blessed by your talent. Thank you for loving all five of these precious girls and for creating a day that will last forever for them.

I love being your guinea pigs. Call me anytime. I'll even pick out clothes without complaining.

(*don't forget to pause my crazy music at the bottom of my blog before you watch. You'll want to hear this precious song!)

Tea Time from Taylor Jackson on Vimeo.

Updates from Near and Far!

I know many of you are following Mark's updates and pictures on Facebook, but I wanted to also share a quick update here as well, for you "non-Facebookers" out there. (By the way, how am I NOT in that group anymore? What happened to me?!)

Mark is having an amazing trip. I know it's really only day three, and there is still so much ahead, but there have already been many connections made, thanks to some of our sweet friends in Kigali, and some great possibilities put before us. It is so exciting to talk to Mark every day and hear all that he is experiencing!!

Can I just say for a moment how much I love watching my husband use his gifts and talents in this way? He has been working in hospitals his entire career, and I'm watching him use those skills to reach out to this hospital full of beautiful people. And, I'm amazed. He was meant to do this...in my humble wifely opinion. :)

This morning, before his appointments with hospital staff, he got to meet our sweet friend, Jane and her husband.

Jane was our guide in January and has set up alot of the details for this week for Mark and Brian. He was able to go by their house to pick up an order for me, and meet the women who work hard on these beautiful necklaces too {who I made him take pictures of, since I didn't get to meet them last time!}:

In just a couple of weeks, we will begin selling these necklaces, as well as Rwandan bags, to help support our summer trips to Rwanda. I can't wait to get them all home! They are beautiful! And, so are the women who create them!!

And, by buying a necklace, you support widows and women who have struggled to make ends meet for their family, as well as orphans at Noel! And, you get to join us as a spokesperson for orphan care every time you wear your beads!

Then, after his time with Jane and Peter, Mark got to meet with the Chief Medical Officer at King Faisal Hospital.

It went really well. I won't get into too much here, but there are quite a few possibilities at this point, and we look forward to seeing how the rest of the week goes, as details are organized and plans are made. Tomorrow, Mark has a big day in the hospital all day, with another important meeting tomorrow afternoon. And, then Brian arrives tomorrow night as well! I'm looking so forward to them being together!

Thank you all for praying for them while they are gone, and for the path to be made clear and for this hospital to get what it needs. The people of Rwanda amaze me. But, that's another post.

I wish I could describe what is in my heart on a day like this. Listening to Mark experience the country we love. Watching him connect with people all over the city. Praying that God continues to reveal exactly what He has planned there. I told a friend today that I literally feel like I'm on the edge of my seat. He is up to some big things and I can hardly stand the suspense!

Meanwhile, back home...

We have kept ourselves pretty busy! It seems to make the time pass quicker, and is especially easy to do when everyone around you is on Spring Break. (This is not our official Spring Break, since next week, we are heading to visit UNCLE CHRIS in Boston and New Haven, as well as spend a couple of days in New York City! We're excited to really experience the US history we've been studying in school, and get to hang out with our cool uncle C too!)

This week was also the girls' last week of ice skating lessons.

For Christmas, each of the girls got a 10 week package of lessons from us. And, it has ended up being the best gift ever!

The girls have all come a long way in their skating skills, and have really enjoyed having this treat every Sunday afternoon.

And, by the way, there is nothing cuter than a toddler class of ice skaters. :)

They've all learned enough to now enjoy skating without falling, and they even know a few steps and tricks!

(Kendyll was sad to hear that this wasn't "the gift that keeps on giving" and that she was not enrolling in the next semester, even though she passed her skills test this week. Sorry, Charlie! That was a one time deal! They have already decided to ask for it again next year though.)

After skating, we made a few stops in the mall, including new sunglasses for everyone!

This purchase was prompted by my biggest girl getting her first {and hopefully only} migraine headache this week! It was so scary, because she had vision problems, was dizzy, had nausea, and pain in her forehead! We were glad to have it pass in a few hours, but are trying our best to avoid the "triggers" that we think caused it....the main one, being sunlight.

I was dying laughing at the cool shades Abby Kate picked out. She is the funniest girl I know.

Apparently, the other trigger {according to my mom, who is a migraine expert, unfortunately!} could have been the good old change in weather. Going from this:

to this:

has been great for playing outside...but apparently, can be really bad for migraines. And, we've been outside ALOT. So, we're now aware of those things and will hopefully recognize the headaches faster in the future. Plus, they feel pretty grown up in their new shades. :)

Last night, the girls got to have one of their favorite families spend the night. Yes, all 7 of them were together and I was lead chaperone. :) They are such fun kids and they had a great time together.

I really do love sleepovers for my kids. I'm weird like that. The kids did a little of everything...painting pots and planting flowers,

playing LOTS of dress-up...

having American Girl beauty shop,

making brownie sundaes and watching movies...

climbing trees, riding scooters, and watching ducks at the pond...

These kids played hard...and slept well tonight! That is always a good ending to a couple days full of fun. :)

Mark's Turn!

So, my husband is officially in the air and on his way to Rwanda. He is already greatly missed around here, as my girls kindly said at bedtime, "But, when DADDY is in charge, we ALWAYS stay up late!" And, "When DADDY is here, we can have dessert even if we didn't finish our dinner!" Yeah, yeah, he's the fun one. I know.

But, hopefully, they'll survive with me for the week. Luckily, we're having company some of the time and we're visiting friends too, so we'll have a full week of fun.

Some of you have wondered if Mark's trip this week is connected to our summer projects...or to our adoption...and the answer is surprisingly no to both. Yes, we're confusing like that. This is actually a totally separate thing. Which makes it so crazy and so exciting!

After my trip in January, Mark and I were having many of our usual conversations about this amazing country and how far they have come since '94. But, we also felt this heaviness for how far they still had to go...not because they aren't trying or because they aren't able. This country is filled with the most determined, purpose-driven people I've ever seen! But they have had such devastating loss to suffer through: poverty, death, disease, and an orphan crisis, just to name a few of the major struggles.

We talked about how many "big things" Americans could help with if they were willing. It could literally revolutionize this little part of the world if we were open to some pretty big ideas. As we talked, we both had in mind this idea that came to me in the middle of the night on my last night in Rwanda.

It was this vision of partnership. Of Americans coming alongside Rwandans to help both nations find what they've been missing. :) It's already happening in many industries and I think it's great.

As I thought about what Mark does everyday, I started wondering...What could happen if corporate America used the gifts and talents of their employees to pour into a country in need of those exact specialties?

There are multiple families from America who are living in Rwanda doing exactly that. They are businessmen, leaders of churches, educators, attorneys...all living in Kigali, teaching Rwandan leaders, business owners, and students how to be successful on every level. And, it totally inspired me...I thought, why couldn't Mark's company do the same?

We have been so blessed by Mark's job and especially the AMAZING people he gets to work with at The Medicines Company. They are a pharmaceutical company focused on cardiovascular care in hospitals, who truly care about their colleagues, the patients and the hospitals they serve. They had already been searching for the right way to "give back" in a philanthropic kind of way, and to help others with medical needs somehow.

So..what if they could partner with the main hospital in Kigali, to meet their needs and help develop their facilities? As Mark says, could we partner and be a source of help, to make this hospital a 'center of excellence' like it desires to be? That's what they do every day in hospitals around America already!

Now, who knows what that will look like...this is the beginning of it all. It could mean training for nurses and doctors, improved facilities, access to better medication, better cardiovascular care...we don't know what it will be yet.

But, that is why Mark is there. His amazing company has sent him, and our friend and Mark's colleague, Brian Woods, for the week to meet with the key doctors and staff to see what could happen if a forward-thinking hospital in Kigali and an innovative, compassionate company in America come together for the improved health of a nation.

Could be pretty cool! This is all still "in the works" and we really don't know much yet. But, I did want everyone to know why Mark has gone and how this came to be.

I really do marvel at what God has done to lead us on this path. He clearly said "Rwanda" over a year ago to us, and we had no idea why at the time. But, there was no mistake that this little country was supposed to be a part of our lives. Now, we're finding many reasons why He said "go". And, we're looking forward to seeing just what He could be planning...

What a Weekend!

This morning, in the middle of church, I looked down the row and cried. (Yes, I cry weekly at church. But, today it was because my row was full of sisters. :)

All three of my sisters, my brothers-in-law, and all of our kids were together for church this morning. And, as I looked at our row FULL of people I love, I was just struck by the blessings of this weekend. To get to be with sisters and their families is always SO good. To get to worship together, share ups and downs of our week, celebrate Cortni and Adam's anniversary, and eat some GOOD burgers and fries for lunch just makes for a really good day.

And, even better...my sister, Cailee, was here this weekend and stayed with us so I got extra long talking time with her. And, of course, the girls go CRAZY for Aunt Cailee, so we all enjoyed our Cailee time. :)

And, no, she wasn't dressed as a pig, but this was a Sing Song picture from last month that I never posted, and LOVE.

Cailee, I love you so much and am SO incredibly proud of you. God is doing amazing things in your life and I love watching His plans for you unfold.

Wanna know the main reason Cailee came in town? Because SHE is coming to Rwanda with us this summer!! We are SO SO SO excited about this, and we were so glad she was able to be a part of the group meeting at our house this weekend.

That was certainly another HUGE highlight of this weekend. We had the opportunity to gather with 20 or so others who will be traveling to Rwanda with us this summer, to start planning and praying over our time there. (Here is a sneak peek at our summer trip logo, created by my sister Cassie. I'll be back with much more about that...

Once again, at this meeting for Rwanda, I looked around the room and just saw story after story of God's faithfulness, and His clear direction to each of these families to join Him in taking care of orphans. They are all such talented people, using their gifts for the Lord...and they're all on fire for going and serving! We are so fortunate to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family.

Then, tonight, after much preparation and primping, I got to watch my handsome husband and beautiful daughters go off on a date to the Daddy Daughter Princess Ball for church with their friends, Emily and Ellie and Mr. Colin.

And, for the umpteenth time this weekend, I was struck by God's faithfulness and generous giving in my life. I love these girls...and these pictures...and these dresses!

And I love the Gammy who made them too! Thanks, Mom, for sewing these sweet dresses for the girls. They truly felt and looked beautiful!! And, they told everyone that their Gammy made them. :)

And, I love this man in the cute yellow tie too. He is the best daddy to these girls, the best daddy to his little Chase, as he continues to lead us all in serving others in his honor...and he will be the BEST daddy to his little one coming SOON (we hope!) from Rwanda.

It was a great weekend around here, and we're looking forward to a BIG week too. More about that coming later...I need sleep first. :) God is so good!

$10,000 PLUS!!

I have intended to sit and write an update all day...and I have literally not sat down until late tonight. So...the longer version will come later.

But, I want to make sure everyone hears tonight how extremely grateful we are for those who gave to these little ones at Noel.

We are BLOWN AWAY to have received OVER $10,000 in the last 24 hours!! What we thought impossible, God made POSSIBLE!! And at last count tonight, we had received another $900 today! It continues to come in, and we are so very thankful.

It is simply amazing.

And, so incredible to experience with our kids.

They will be responding by video tomorrow, by the way. They wanted to do it today, and we have had no time. But, it's literally on their minds and in their hearts constantly.

They can't stop talking about what God has done.

Just tonight, out of nowhere, I said "Girls, can you BELIEVE what God has done? Our sweet friends gave $10,000 for the kids!!

To which Carlie said, "I can't believe it!! We are going to do SO MANY great things with the money. And, to think He just used children--a 9 year old and a 6 1/2 year old to do it."

Ha ha. I love it. :)

We then had a great conversation about what it means to be used by God for His purposes, and how great it feels when you get to watch Him work. I also reminded them that this was not because of us that He has done this, but because He loves those kids in Rwanda SO MUCH that He wants to shower blessings on them just like He has on us!

The girls are so ready to be there loving on these kids, and we are all praying for God to do HUGE THINGS (Kendyll's quote) for orphans in Rwanda.

We believe He will.

We believe He already is.

And, we're thankful that He's using all of YOU to do it.

Thank you so very much for joining the chase. :)

We love you!!

"I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did these things for someone who was overlooked or ignored, that was Me--you did it to Me." Matthew 25:40, the Message

100th Day of School UPDATE!

It is lunch time at the Jacobs homeschool, and we have been celebrating our 100th day all morning.

But, more than that, we have been celebrating every time we check the computer and see another sweet donation! We are SO EXCITED to report that we have $3,100 in the first half of the day!!

This is so amazing...not just for my heart, but especially for my girls who are watching your generosity flow on behalf of the orphans they love.

As, Abby Kate wrote in school today, "i love orfns". And, we do. We really, really do.

Just to give you a little more info, this money is going toward all kinds of needs at Noel Orphanage. Two teams are traveling with His Chase in July: One team will be building a new athletic area for the kids...an amazing place to play soccer, basketball, run track, do gymnastics. And, the medical team made up of doctors and nurses, will be providing medical assessments and treatment for ALL 650 KIDS who live there. We are also hoping to buy mobiles for each baby crib, as well as new blankets and cloths for diapers. We want to bless them with food, and possibly help with new beds for the children too.

There are some BIG dreams floating around our house and amongst the teams traveling to Rwanda.

And, today, those dreams are starting to become reality!

I love my sister's post about our "nutso-itis". Thank the Lord that He's caused us to become crazy. Nothing makes me happier than to see us all coming together---and giving from our hearts---for ones who have no voice and no hope without us.

Bless you all. And, if you haven't given, will you PLEASE join us? We're dreaming of reaching $10,000!!! In one day!!!! This isn't just dollar bills. It is life-changing love you are giving.

100th Day of School Challenge & Giveaway!

As of today, March 2nd, we have been doing the homeschool thing for 100 days!! The girls and I are so excited about our plans for today, and have been looking forward to this "new tradition" in homeschool.

Among other things, we're having 100 cereal pieces in our bowls at breakfast, making bag fulls of 100 things in our house, listing 100 things we've learned in school so far, thinking of 100 people who we are thankful for, and shopping for 100 items to bring to the orphanage in Rwanda this summer!! Kendyll is planning to buy toothpaste, Carlie is buying toothbrushes, and Abby Kate wants to buy paint sets.

We also get to celebrate with our homeschool group from church on Friday, since most all of the families are close to their 100th day as well. We will be doing all kinds of fun activities as a group, which the girls are also excited about.

But, today, the thing that has excited my girls the MOST...is a challenge to all of YOU! To see the video message from the girls, visit our Facebook page.

Or, you can keep reading. :)

At dinner last night, we started talking about 100 pennies and then 100 dollars. We talked about what you could buy with 100 dollars. And, somehow that began the conversation about how MUCH MORE 100 dollars can buy for orphans in Africa. So, THEN...we thought of the greatest idea!!

We began to DREAM BIG about what would happen if everyone we know gave $100 to His Chase today in honor of our 100th day of school! If just the 922 "fans" on Facebook gave, we would have almost $10,000 for the kids at Noel Orphanage in Rwanda this summer. And, that's only the BEGINNING of what could happen!

It was so fun to dream with the girls at what all we could do for this orphanage that literally has NOTHING. They don't have enough food, or enough beds, or toys, or books, or clothes, or shoes. We could do HUGE THINGS, as Kendyll said!

And, we hope to.

With your help.

Will you give $100 for this special day? EVERY SINGLE PENNY will go directly to these little ones at Noel who need so much. There is no better return for your investment than to put a smile on these precious faces.

AND, for our first TWENTY FIVE generous friends, we have a FREE Rwandan paper bead necklace for you, made with love by our sweet friend Jane!

We'd be honored to celebrate with you today, as God does something significant with an insignificant school holiday. :)

Go HERE to donate...and be sure to select "Rwanda Summer 2011" on the funds menu, and let's get this party STARTED!!!!

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think!" Ephesians 3:20

It's a bird, It's a plane...

No! It's Super George!!

That's how we felt this weekend, as we spent time with one of our biggest superheroes in life, George Achibra from Ghana. George is the "man behind it all", who spends day after day on Lake Volta, rescuing children from the horrific life of slavery.

I have never met anyone like him. He has truly been chosen by the Lord to do GREAT and NECESSARY work, and he does it with all of his heart and soul, giving all glory and all credit to God.

To have this great man in our own city, was surreal. Every time I saw him, I just kept thinking "George is really HERE!" And, every time I saw him, I was greeted with the same huge grin and cheerful hug. I love this man!

This was his first trip to the United States, and he has had a busy few days for sure. We were honored to join our friends, the Grieges, in their beautiful home, as we hosted a meet-and-greet for George and the Touch a Life staff in an evening together with friends. (You might recognize the Griege family from Charlie's Bike-a-Thon for His Chase!! He's another superhero!)

The Grieges planned every detail and did such a great job of welcoming George to the US. I was so glad that so many of YOU could be there, and it means the world to Mark and me to share this sweet friend of ours with you, as well as all the people at Touch a Life who we love so much.

After our fun party, we also got to worship with George at church the next morning, as well as listen to him share his ministry and calling with everyone there. Every time he speaks, I am so moved by his heart. He shares of his passion and love for these kids, and how much we must come together as ONE family on behalf of those who are "voiceless". Amen, Super George!

By far, my favorite moment of the entire weekend was when my girls got to meet him. As my friend Amy said, all we could think of was Jesus as we watched him. "Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to children like these!"

Every child was scooped up.

Every child was joyfully greeted.

Every child was loved from his heart.

Every single child who came to greet George was lifted up immediately to his face, and with a huge smile, and laughing the whole time, George would greet them and tell them how wonderful it was to see them.

His heart just overflows with love for kids. And, I know my girls' love was pouring out right back at him. They were so excited to meet the George they had heard so much about! It was a precious gift and a day none of us will ever forget.

We continue to pray for God's power to be shown in the life of George Achibra, as he continues to fight for justice and for freedom for the trafficked children. We pray that as George spends his life on behalf of the hungry and satisfies the needs of the oppressed, the Lord will guide Him always, satisfying his needs and strengthening his frame...that George may be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:10-12

We love you George! You're forever our hero!