Us Morgans Lately

We've had a fun, non-stressful weekend... and I liked it. It was one of the few weekends we weren't traveling or didn't have a ton of stuff planned. It was nice!

Friday night we went to the local high school games. It was homecoming. It's always amusing to me how different each school does Homecoming.  And I will forever think my school did it best... I'm bias.

I think we are pretty cute! :) I like us.

After, we hosted 5th Quarter for the youths.  It was a great night... I'm probably gonna blog about it later in more detail. It was good stuff. 

Today was a fun day. Jacob preached in the morning service. Love hearing my man speak about what God's been teaching him. You can't get any better than listening to the hubs talk about how much he loves the Lord and desires to follow Him... however crazy we may look. Yes. So thankful that I get to do life with him.  I am also planning to blog about marriage... so get pumped! :) it's one of my favorite things. 

This just in - Grant has arrived!!! He has been birthed by his precious momma Lindsey Jo.

We are Uncles again! haha! Lindsey Jo was the first of my besties to get pregnant and I was so frazzled and excited when she told us she was preggers, instead of saying I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl, I said I can't wait to find out if we'll be Aunts or Uncles! Oh bother... but either way he and his bro Isaac Henry are the cutest little lads around! 

Jacob and I had a photo shoot with our pups! Look at how cute they are! 

I'm telling ya... they have brought more entertainment to our family than any TV show, video game, or movie could have. They are hysterical... and a tad bit dumb. And yes... they did dig that LOVELY & HUGE hole in our backyard. Impressive, huh? 

And lastly... I am finally ready to start decorating Eric's room. This is a huge deal. I am usually SUPER impatient with everything in life... but I know me, and I knew if I decorated his room months ago it would have made me even more anxious, worried, and stressed about him not being here. Now is the time. I know he will be here soon and I am ready to get his room done.... designed just for him. The first decorations: 

Simple... but profound. And... I bought a Black Opps II poster (it's a video game) at Eric's request at Walmart yesterday to add to the decor. I know... beautification at it's finest. 

More than ever I'm ready to get him home... not just for my heart but for Eric's even more.  He is worried we won't come. He's fearful that his case worker one day is just going to say, "They aren't coming for you." It breaks my heart. I wish I could erase any doubt, but I can't. He has waited, been let down, and been hurt before... and I just pray and hope he sees and knows this is different... this is forever. 

He's had to go to the doctor for a few things lately and I wish more than anything I could have gone with him... to sit in the waiting room with him, to go to the back with him like other mothers do, and take him for ice cream after the visit was done. But I couldn't.  He does his homework and studies for tests... I wish we could be there to quiz him on his Social Studies and his Math II questions. I wish we could take him for pizza or buy him a CD after he aces the tests. I know it will come... but I just want his heart to believe and know we ARE coming! NOTHING... NOTHING... could keep us from going to get him. 

On a happy note... here are some things we learned lately:

He wants Walter to run with him while he rides his bike... that should be interesting. 

He has asked for v-neck tees, a pair of skinny jeans, and Crocs... what a man! 

He loves the old school Michael Jordan sandals and high top tennis shoes. 

He loves Jolly Ranchers (Grape), Snickers, Hershey kisses, and Twix bars. 

His friends are all happy for him... but I'm sure they are going to miss him. 

His dance group (yes... DANCE group) is performing to "Moves like Jagger" and "Treasure" - LOVE IT!

He is tired of eating beans and bread. 

He has never had his own birthday party - oh... THAT WILL CHANGE! 

He has only eaten ice cream once! 

He loves music. 

Love getting to know our Eric. Seriously... cannot wait until he is home! What a glorious day that will be! 

Yep, we are a CrAzY tEaM - Praying Pelican Missions!

Don't you LOVE the new look for the blog?!?! Thanks to my bestie Lindsey Jo for redesigning it for us! Yes... I said US! Get excited about some blogs from the ol' hubs!!! He had to have a more masculine, professional blog before he would get on board! :) DONE. 

So... YES... we know we are CRAZY! We believe the purpose and reason for people to be married is they realize that they, TOGETHER, are effective as a TEAM than they are as individuals. We made that commitment almost 4 years ago (holy moly... 4 years already??) a commitment to be a team and work together. And our next adventure is a huge opportunity for us to be a team on the mission field! After reading Scripture, praying LOTS, and just walking with the Lord day by day... we know this is what He has for us.  After Eric arrives (praying/hoping/believing CHRISTMAS!), we will start working full-time with Praying Pelican Missions! 

We are so excited to tell you about and invite you into the next part of our crazy adventure with God. We have learned in the last year, more than ever, about the faithfulness, goodness, and providence of our great God and also the awesome power of prayer. Now that the adoption is coming to completion and our Eric will be home soon, we feel God is leading our family into full-time missions. 

This is the moment I knew we were gonna get married!
Jacob, 10th grade, serving in Mexico.

We have always had a heart for missions. As some of you know, I (Anna) realized that I was going to marry Jacob as a 10th grader on a mission trip in the dumps of Mexico! Crazy,right?! Since then, we have been on several mission trips, including the one to Belize with Praying Pelican Missions (PPM) in 2012 when we actually met our Eric. Over the past year, we have both felt a strong calling to full-time missions - to go and share the Gospel globally while being able to minister to and equip those here to do the same. We believe God is giving us the green light to join in serving with the very organization that led us to Eric, Praying Pelican Missions.

Serving in Costa Rica, March, 2013

So, what does this mean? Well once Eric is here, Jacob and I will be working as Missions Coordinators for PPM. We will mainly be working with and leading teams to Costa Rica (which is super exciting because we had the opportunity to serve there in March). Our overall mission is to aid local pastors in ministering to and loving on their own communities through short-term missions. Ultimately, we are trying to create long-term ministry partnerships between international churches and churches in the U.S. that will give encouragement and growth to both for years to come. We will be working from home, except when we are leading trips in Costa Rica.

Our plan is to work for PPM, make arrangements to home school Eric before putting him into school when we decide he is ready, and make it a family effort to reach the world with the Gospel! 

Although we are extremely sad we will be leaving our church family and community in Troy, we are excited about the opportunity God has placed in front of us to serve the world for His glory. We believe in what Praying Pelican Missions stands for and their aggressive vision in reaching the world with the good news of Jesus, and we want to be a part of it!

If you want to learn more about what we will actually be doing, click HERE.

If you want to see how you can get involved in supporting our crazy, mission family, click HERE.  

If you want to go on a trip with Praying Pelican - as an individual, group, or family - click HERE. 

You can also check out our Prayer Requests (we will be updating those often) and Our Adoption Story at the top by selecting the different Pages. 

A CHACO TAN LINE - what EVERY missionary needs!

My preferred missions attire!

As an up & coming/new Praying Pelican Missions lady, I'm joining in their blog series about missions fashion.  Here's the goal: 
Tips and tricks from Praying Pelican Missions lady missionaries on how to look good, feel good and take the pressure off of packing your suitcase for a new culture, climate and lifestyle. Our heart is to remove the anxiety and focus from timeless questions like: “What do I wear?” and give you a few times that we’ve learned throughout the years.  Ultimately, we pray that these posts would be a resource for you as you prepare for your trip.  We want to provide you with a few tools that can help you remain focused on what God is teaching you and doing around you during your time abroad, instead of the length of your shorts, the style of your still-wet hair or how much makeup is appropriate.  But of course, throughout it all, we must have fun in the process!

Check out the other ladies' blogs:
Christy, Leah, Bethany, Amanda, and Liz! 


Here's thoughts from your very own missions fashionista!!! :) 
On this blog, I'm highlighting the 3 (THREE) critical, must haves on ANY mission trip! Here's a nice little diddy to get us going: 

You can wear them in the water
You can use 'em in the dirt,
You can wear them when you're hiking
even use 'em when you're workin'... but don't get hurt!


They look good with that one-piece suit!
They look good with those v-nect tees
They look great with that polka-dot bandana
So take lots of pics PLEASE!

So what am I talking about?
What do I love?
Well... it's a pair of Chacos of course...
They fit ya like a glove!

BOOM!
Seriously, every missionary's outfit is completed with a pair of Chacos! They have tons o' colors and lots of styles!!! They seriously can be worn ANYwhere to do ANYthing!!! they are wonderful! They last forever. BUT... they do tend to stink after a bit! Don't fret though - just stick them in the dish washer (not with the dishes) and put them through a cycle... they'll be good as new! My Chacos have been with me through the Africa sun and dirt, the Costa Rican rain forest, the Belizean turf, and the Mexican terrain!! They work like champs! 

And the BEST thing about Chacos is... THE CHACO TAN LINE!!!!!

ISN'T THAT AWESOME? 

When you've been working all day in Costa Rica, Zimbabwe, Guatemala, or any of the other great countries Praying Pelican Missions serves... you can slip your Chacos off and have that tan line as proof of your hardcore mission work! I'm telling ya - every missionary needs a Chaco tan line! 

The other accessory you CANNOT go on the mission field without is a... drum roll please... BANDANA!!! 

Bandanas can make ANY bad hair... BEAUTIFUL! My goal for any mission trip outfit is to put together as many colors as you can... because it's fun and no one really questions your outfit choices on mission trips! So... be daring! Add a zing, some color, a bit of a pop, or... if you like to match... a matching BANDANA!!! You can wear them in so many ways - with pig tails (my personal fav), as a wrap like a biker, with a pony tail, around your head/forehead to distract people's eyes from the oil that comes without taking showers... and many more! Just throw up (or down) your hair however you want it, and beautify it with a bandana! You can't go wrong! 

Check out more ways to wear them on my friend Christy's Blog! 

In Africa working with my friend Dinah in Kenya... rockin' my leopard bandana! 

Also... bandanas and precious children look GREAT in any pictures! :) 

Finally... something helpful with packing all of your fabulous mission trip outfits are simple ZIPLOCK BAGS!!! If you pack your outfits in the individual bags... it keeps your stuff smelling fresh, you have your outfits ready for each day, and keeps your suitcase organized and neat! 

BUT... WHATEVER you do and WHEREVER you go expect God to do amazing things! He is a God that uses us, despite our outfit choices, hair dos, or make up! 

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 

Getting to know our teenage son...

What a joy it's been to hear Eric's voice on the nights we get to talk to him. I look forward to it EVERY day, try to think of more questions to ask him to know just a little more about him, and dream of the day when he is sitting across from us at the dinner table.

We are all excited about being untied as a family. We talk about Eric's room and what it will look like, the food we will eat together, what are lives may look like, what things we will get to do together, and so much more.  It makes my heart so happy to know more about him... our son... and to learn all about his amazing personality.

I know he is excited about being adopted. I know he has ideas of what life will be like in the states. I know he is thrilled that he has a Mom and Dad, but he also has fear. He has worries. He has felt alone for more than 10 years now... waiting for someone to adopt him.  He has experienced an adoption that's fallen through and hasn't worked out. He has heard people say they wish they could help... and then didn't. He's been let down.  I also know he is worried that this may not work out either... that he may never make it to Alabama.  I'm sure he is afraid that we may not actually come get him.  I'm sure he is hesitant about letting go and trusting us whole-heartedly.  Although we have assured him we are coming for him, I know there is worry. Although we have told him we wanted to adopt him and to have him as our son since the first day we meet him, I know he has doubts.

I CANNOT wait to get to Belize, to hug that boy, and to say to him over and over again that he is WANTED. That he is LOVED so much. That he belongs in our FAMILY. I cannot wait to be with him and help him remove all doubts and worries and fears. He IS ours. He is a forever crucial part of our family.  I cannot wait to explain the things that have happened, the people that have helped, the crazy adventures we've been on, and the hard work it took to get him home... and he was worth EVERY SINGLE SECOND!!!! 

Please be praying for his heart... that he would be assured that he is wanted and he will be adopted. That he would have a peace about becoming a Morgan. That he would know that we love him and will come for him. Pray that he would know the love of God and the AMAZING plans He has for our Eric's life! Pray that we will continue to bond as a family... that joy, laughter, and honesty will abound! 

Praying for my son...

We've learned more treasures about him:

He loves pizza

He likes to read - the Magic Tree House series to be exact

He still LOVES video games... and I mean LOVES!

He wants to learn how to play American football - Don't worry his Dad is itching to teach him! :) 

He wants a few v-neck tees - yep... he's gonna be stylin'! 

He wants Walter to sleep with him!!! :) Our 2 boys... presh! 

He hates spiders... and zombies

His best friend's name is Bryan 

The lady that has really impacted his life growing up with Augustine... I hope I get to meet her and squeeze her tight! 

He is super nervous about getting on a plane! - We told him we would play games so he wouldn't be scared (Don't worry Em... we won't do a Crossword puzzle!)

How can we love a boy that we just met once so very much? I don't know... but we do. Can't wait for him to be H.O.M.E.

Thank you for praying for our Eric. 

Can I call you Mom & Dad?

What.a.day.

My.heart.is.full.

After 2 days of not being able to talk to Eric Friday and Saturday, we were finally able to chat with him this afternoon. :) YAY! 

We talked about normal stuff... our conversations get more natural and better each time. Talked about video games, church, his tests at school, his dance practice, his friends, and he asked for a cross to be hung in his room (done.). I absolutely love talking to that boy... I look forward to it each day. 

When we were getting off the phone today... as usual we asked him when he wanted us to call again and he answered tomorrow.  Then he said "I have one more thing..." Of course we encouraged him to tell us.  And out of his mouth came the most amazing words EVER... he asked, "Ummm... Is it okay if I call you Mom and Dad?" Oh.My.Goodness.  I lost it. I couldn't keep it together... not even to answer even though my heart was screaming "YES!!!". Jacob had to say, "Yes, of course, you can call us Mom and Dad." I was a mess...

It breaks my heart to know that he has not grown up without someone to call "Mom" and "Dad." It absolutely thrills my heart to know that he wants to call us Mom and Dad just as much as we want to call him "our son."  He wants to talk about his new parents and the plans he has with his new family... just like we do. He now has a place where he will forever belong. Forever be accepted. Forever be loved.  Forever have a Mom and Dad.  

I have wondered what he would call us... or how that conversation would come about, but this... this was such a treasure to me. He asked. I wonder how long he has been wanting to call someone his Mom... to have someone to take care of him when he's sick, someone who will always be there to make him laugh, someone to cheer him on every day, someone to get on his nerves with all the love. I wonder how many nights he has longed for a Dad... someone to practice ball with, someone to play video games with, someone who truly cares about the man he is becoming. A family.

I hate not being able to help him study for his Math tests, watch his soccer games, or read stories with him. I cannot wait for him to be a Morgan. For him to be HOME. For him to scream down the hall, "MOM!!!!" That will be a good day my friends! I am a Mom. Jacob is a Dad. How crazy! How beautiful! So thankful I have a hubby who is willing to be crazy with me... willing to follow the Lord with me... and just as anxious to get our 13-year-old son home from Belize! 

On another note - 

I also got to talk to Becky... in AFRICA today!!! Loved hearing her voice!!! She is amazing!!! Read about her stories HERE!!! 

Also, last night I got to spend wonderful time with these stunning high school senior ladies. We went for a night out - ate ALOT, shopped some, and spent time with Jesus... away from Troy!!!! I love them more than words can say. So thankful for their hearts! Can't wait to see what all the Lord has planned for these FEARLESS ladies!! 

To talk to Eric.

I don't even know how to start this post. We are finally able to talk to our son, Eric. What a joy. Just to hear his voice. My heart just wants to burst when we are talking with him. 

Let me just tell you how it went down... because... I can't make this stuff up people. 

So Thursday, last week, we finally got word that we could call him and start communicating with him (2 governments working together... ya know... have to have approval for EVERYTHING). Thursday night we try to call him with the number that Belize gave us... NOTHING. It was a busy signal or disconnected. UGH! We tried one billion times... NOTHING. We finally gave up and were just going to try again the next day. 
Well... the full-time missionary working in Belize with Praying Pelican Missions, emailed me (he's been keeping up with our adoption) after he saw my post about trying to call Eric and not being able to reach him.  He told us that the orphanage was having phone troubles recently, he mentioned the phone number, and gave us some advice about what to do with shipping stuff and communicating with him.  BUT the phone number he gave us was different than the phone number Belize gave us! Go figure!!! So Friday night we called again using the number he mentioned... and he finally answered!!! If it wasn't for Josh, the missionary, being concerned about our story... there would be no phone calls with Eric right now! Thank the Lord for the little things that turn into great things! :) 

In the meantime... WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU SAY TO YOUR SON THAT YOU'VE BEEN ACHING TO TALK TO FOR 13 MONTHS!!???!!!!??? So many thoughts swarmed in my head - how do we start the conversation? What do we say? How do we ask all we want to know in a 15 minute phone call? How do we even start to learn all there is to know about Eric? How will I ever know what the first words he said was? When did his first tooth fall out? When did he take his first steps? Who was the first girl he liked? What did he wear on the first day of school? Will he like us? Will he want to talk to us? What questions do we ask? WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE WE DOING??? Just freaking out a little ya know...

I know the answers to some of those questions I will never know and that hurts my heart. BUT the answers we will get discover are treasures to me.

When he finally picked up the phone... I can't even explain what we felt. We were finally somewhat connected... as a family. We were together in a sense... and it was so good. It was awkward at first... I'm sure he was feeling the same craziness as we were - he's been at that same center for most of his life... dreaming of the "what ifs" as well... and to finally talk to the couple who will be his parents... I'm sure that's more than overwhelming.  But we talked... we asked questions... he asked questions... and we are being to get to know one another. He is wonderful. He is definitely a teenage boy. I am so thankful we will get to talk to him on the phone, to develop a relationship, to pray over him each night... to become a family!!! OH MY HEART!!! 

Basic treasures about our Eric: 
He loves Math (Oh dear... good thing I have a lot of Math-y friends)
He loves soccer 
He likes basketball
He likes dogs (Whew...)
He wants a Lakers poster in his bedroom
He likes the Black Opps 2 video game
He wants some cargo pants
His favorite color is white
He remembers us
His favorite food is a cheeseburger
He likes Chris Brown :)
He likes to dance... and is even on a dance team with his friends! YES! 
He wants to learn guitar
His favorite movie is GI Joe
He loves the song "How Great is Our God"

I know these are simple things... but they are treasures to me... things I have been longing to know about our Eric. 

Each night we talk with him we pray for Eric and then we ask, "When do you want us to call again?" and he says, "Umm... tomorrow?" :) Yes... tomorrow. And all day I think about that phone call... 

I cannot wait to get him home! I am so thankful I can now hear his voice and ask him about his day... but I hate not being there for soccer games, for dance performances, for "good nights," for meals, for sending him off to school, for sick days, and just for times together.  But... it's coming. I know it's coming. 

I can't wait to have our Eric home. 

***FUNNY FACT - Eric was born when I was in the 7th grade!!! :) 

To our Southside Family

So, it's after the official announcement at big church... we (Jacob & I) are going into full-time missions together... we have accepted full-time positions as Missions Coordinator with Praying Pelican Missions... effective January. My heart feels like it is in one million different places with one million different emotions. I don't know how else to explain this expect by writing a letter to our Southside family.  So... here it goes. (I will explain more about the actual jobs and what that means for us in the next post)

To our Southside Family:

Thank you.

Thank you for loving us so well and allowing us to be part of your family for the 6 years (for Jacob) and 4 years (for me).  Thank you for taking this young married couple into your hearts and allowing us to serve with you. Thank you for loving us... the crazy Morgans... who probably rocked the boat more than a few times with our ideas and ways of doing things. Our prayer is that God was/is/will be glorified through our efforts.

Thank you for letting us, and encouraging us, in loving your children well and teaching them the precious Word of God. Our heart, day in and day out, has been to show each youth the vast and great love of Jesus and the great joy in loving Him back.  Thank you for entrusting your students with us - for every Wednesday night service, for every Monday night Bible study, for every event, for every trip, for every random night they came to our house... THANK YOU. We love each and every student... we really do. They are the reason that we wanted to wake up each day and do life.  They have AMAZED us.
To our youth - we love you. You have our hearts. Thank you for sharing life with us. We pray for you EVERY day. Thank you for the smiles, the laughs, the tears, and everything in between. Thank you for loving us well. Thank you for taking risks with us - from trying out Student Life camp for the first time to taking a mission trip to Belize.  And to my girls - the best nights of my life were with you... hearing your hearts, listening to your dreams, crying with you, laughing with you, and trying to figure out with following Jesus LOOKS LIKE in real life. You are more than precious to me. Youth - YOU WILL NEVER BE REPLACED! We pray, most of all, that you saw Jesus in us and that you know Him more because of our time with you. This youth ministry was never about us - it's just about Jesus. This is our prayer for you:

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21

Thank you for being you.

To our college students - oh... our hearts ache leaving you. What a blessing life with you has been. We had no clue what God had planned for us when we risked starting a college ministry. We have never experienced "church" like we have on Wednesday nights with you - prayer for each other, caring for each other, honesty in its most raw form, and laughter like I've never known. We could have never imagined the community and love between such different individuals than we've experienced with you. The relationships and the community we have with you will be hard to match. Thank you for loving us. For sharing life with us. For volunteering your time and energy and life to love our church and students with us.  You have taught us more than words can explain. You are absolutely wonderful.

Our prayer for you - that you would live as crazy ambassadors for Jesus:

If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:13-21

We are beyond thankful for these silly faces: 

To the Connection ministry - My heart was to create unity within our church and within our community. I don't know if that happened completely, but learned so much and experienced so much joy working with the people who invested time in coming and serving the people of Troy. I am grateful for this ministry. Thank you so much to Robin who was my constant companion, friend, and fellow servant leader. I am thankful for you and praying as you continue to lead this charge! Thank you to Mrs. Pam, Mr. Gary, Jaleesa, Andrew, Jacob, Derrick, Samantha, and so many others who believed in the mission of simple meals and relationships.

Each person at Southside is so special to us. Our hearts are heavy as we think about leaving. I hope we can tell each person all that they mean to us. I just have to say a special thanks to the following people...  

To the Knicks... what we have done without you? 

Words cannot express what you mean to us - as our pastor and his family and as our best friends.  Thank you for always being there. Thank you for sharing life with us in Troy - the great, the good, and the ugly! So thankful we could always lean on each other... whatever was going on. So thankful for Sunday lunches together, week night dinners together, and being such a part of Parker's life. Thankful for Jacob and Andrew and the once-in-a-lifetime relationship they shared - hunting, fishing, ministry, and all the other guy stuff. Thank for pedicures, Bible studies, and support that I got to share with Kelli. We love you like family and would never let change hinder our relationship.  We love you so much and would NOT be who we are without you! We love you Knicks! 

To Judy - I would have never guessed the amazing friend/co-worker God would bless me with in you. Grateful to be able to interpret with you week in and week out at church. Thankful that we work together at Troy - I WOULD HAVE DIED WITHOUT YOU!!!  Thankful for the encouragement, laughter, understanding, kind words, passion, and truth you bring to my life. I know God is using and will continue to use you and your beautiful family! We love the Robertsons! 

And the last shout-out for this post is to The Motes! 

We love you Mrs. Wanda and Mr. Terry. We would have been lost without you.  Since DAY ONE you took us in. You let us know you were there and you weren't leaving. You spoke truth to us any time it was needed. You stuck by us no matter what was going on. You stepped in to make sure we were okay when our parents were miles away. You offered your home to us and the youth, you stood up for us in EVERY situation, you loved us extremely well, you prayed for us, encouraged us, came and fixed our AC, came and looked at houses with us, cried with us, laughed with us, went on every youth trip with us... WE WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT YOU!!! We are so thankful for you Motes... I can't even find the words. 

Thank you Southside. We love you and will forever be grateful for you.