It's About Love

It has been an interesting past few weeks in our home.  Our extended family has seen how life changes involving both death and illness can bring you together.  Just a couple of weeks ago I sat in my husband's grandmother's funeral.  The room was full of family.  She bore eight wonderful children that loved her.  Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren were a result of the love that she shared with her husband, and the love that she showed to each little spirit that was added to their family.

As I sat in the funeral, I was once again reminded about how family is love.  About how all of the best parts of my life are a result of the family that I was born into, the family that I joined when I married my husband, and the family that resulted from my marriage.  I have been blessed.  My family is the sweetest part of even the most bitter days.  Finding ways to express my love isn't always easy.  Sometimes loving someone means saying "No".  Sometimes loving someone means putting their needs above your own.  Sometimes loving someone means holding their hand when there is nothing else you can do.

When Clark was two and a half years old he had a scrape on his cheek.  He asked me to kiss it better.  I did. Following the kiss, and after looking in the mirror, he replied "it didn't work, it's still there".  My kiss hadn't magically made his scrape go away, but he had had faith that it would.  As a parent/family, we can't always take away the pain and difficulty of life, but we can always do something.  We can lend a listening ear, we can support them as they make mistakes, we can help them get back on their feet when they fall. We can kiss their cheek, and let them know we care, and would fix it if we could Family is love.

My sweet friends Quinn and Ashley have a beautiful family.  Their sweet daughter  looks just like her mommy and daddy.  I grew up with Quinn, and he is an awesome guy.  Soft spoken, kind hearted, and hard working.  Ashley I met in college.  We had a painting class together, and she was expecting their daughter.  Ashley is full of personality, sweet, smart, creative (see her blog here), and very nurturing.   They are amazing parents, and their daughter is so lucky to have them to call her own.

Ashley and Quinn have more love to share, and Kelsey is ready to be a big sister. You can read more about their story here, but they need our help.  They are looking to grow their family by way of adoption.  If you know of anyone that is looking to place a baby up for adoption, please send them their way.  They want to kiss it's scraped cheeks, change it's dirty diapers, give it a place to call home, and make it part their family.