A Little Love and Laughter!

THANK YOU God for the little things that make the mess and chaos of life not seem so messy after all....

"And all too soon, the clock will strike midnight....and she'll be gone.""

I have said time and again I am fanatical about documenting my children's milestones.  Weekly (at least), I methodically write in baby books, scrap books, our family book,  photo books, and quote books trying to make an attempt to capture and in turn treasure every moment I can with my family.

 Today, I was reading with my baby girl Kate, and she began to sing her amazingly-enough, quite on pitch, accapella version of "Jesus Loves Me." It instantly brought tears to my eyes.  Not only was it the first song she has ever recited to us before, but it shows how children even at the age of 2 can know the unconditional love our Lord has for them.  I am so thankful for so many amazing people in Kate's life who have helped to teach her this eternal lesson.
  At bedtime, Kate, Aiden, and I continue to pray for weekly or continues needs and blessings going on in our world and those around us.  We continue to pray for our adoption process and those friends and co-workers struggling to start families of their own.  There are few things more sacred in life than family, and we are so thankful to be able to have one another to pray, grow, and live life with.  It's hard at times to know what to say when these amazing women (who will become amazing mothers) are patiently waiting to start their dreams of motherhood. I just let them know our family is praying for them.  No voice too small, no prayer unheard...even in the prayers of a two and one year old.

Our blog title is names after Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella." It is such a beautiful song, capturing how quickly our babies grow--treasure the moments and take the time to instill the eternal qualities in your babies.  :)

Although at times techy-challenged, I uploaded Kate's first song!  Please excuse to coaxing and video visuals....she still is 2, so the camera has to "disappear" at times!  ENJOY!

The Big Announcement!

After many months of bursting at the seams to announce our plans for adoption to our church family, yesterday was the day!  I was able to share my testimony, and the way God has been working in my heart and life, planting seeds along the way for a love of adoption!  I am so thankful to have such an AmAzInG church family and am forever grateful for the support, prayer, and encouragement they have given my family since I arrived in Fowler 3 years ago! My testimony was able to be tied into Kirk's excellent sermon, "A New Family," which reminds us we are all adopted through Jesus Christ should we seek to accept Him as our personal savior. What an exciting reminder of the goodness to come!

Check it out!

http://www.vimeo.com/25636817

www.vimeo.com

A Sweetest and Most Sincere...See You Soon

Today was an incredibly difficult day at work. Last night,  we lost Dr. Tom O'Connor tragically in a car accident during a terrible storm. He was a living testament of God's love, compassion, patience, and mercy. Aside from being an incredible surgeon, he lived his faith through his words, actions, and love of life with anyone and everyone he met.  I am so thankful to have been able to witness such example and pray that I can continue to grow to live life in this same manner.  I have to think God has a most incredible plan for such a incredible loss and find comfort in the fact that God promises His greatest treasures after life here on earth for those who trust in Him.  My family's deepest sympathies go out to his colleagues, my co-workers, and Dr. O'Connor's wife and five children, one of whom was in the car at the time of the accident.  I pray for their continued faith, perseverance, and confidence that God will carry them through this time of need. Please keep them in your prayers.

Running on His Love,
the Zimmermans

HALLELUJAH!

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!! On May 12, 2011, our family's homestudy was approved!!  We signed on the dotted lines, made payment, and are now prepping for completing the dossier!  This is such an amazing milestone, and continuing to pray He will bring us one step closer to seeing, holding, and loving on OUR sweet baby!  Kirk and I have constantly talked about the love we have for our children and those to come. It is truly amazing to have a partner to encourage, pray, and live this journey alongside me. :)

PLEASE PRAY!

Running on His love, the Zimmermans

Oh, Canada...Land that was Kirk's Home

Looking back from the last post, I cannot believe it has been several months! To present a slight recap, our family of six traveled to Canada to visit Kirk's family and friends.A major highlight for me, aside from seeing loved ones, was a birthday celebration with lobster and Kate's Dora ice cream cake!It was great to see our kids reconnect and have a carefree week with family they love so much!We traveled along the coast and met up with childhood best friend Sheldon.I am not sure he realized he signed up for a daylong tour after just traveling down to see us, but was hilarious to see the one-and-only college boombox at his cabin!It was great to see Kirk in his element--relaxed and just a sense of being home.

To make up for some lost time, I will continue to post updates on some awesome life changes here VERY soon!!  Stay tuned!

Running on His love, the Zimmermans

Back to Life, Back to Reality.

Well, we made it--our first ever family sickness. I am so thankful we have not yet had to tackle this battle, but I am pleased to announce aside from some runny noses, the Zimmerman household is illness free!! Last week, the babies battled 102-104 temps, colds, coughs, low oxygen sats, croupe, and three ear infections between them, while I also battled a shut in at work and illness all week. Gross to the max, but thanking the Lord for making it through sickness back to everyday norms.

This week Kate's vocabulary has really been beginning to take off.  From dropping her milk cup on the ground and exclaiming, "Oh My!," to asking Gram on the phone, "what are you doing?" Kate continues to find new daily joys in communicating through words.  Aiden simply adores his older sister and takes great pleasure in engaging himself in Kate's every word or jumble, even though he has not a clue what his sister is telling him. It's all good, I think Kate would drive him batty with her unwillingness to share and repeatedly telling him "mine." We're working on it. They are just too fun together, and I love being able to spend an entire day watching them in little people action.

This week, I submitted the first round of adoption paperwork.  Not going to lie, I have probably checked my e-mail thirty times a day since Monday to see if there is a response but at the same time am experiencing such peace with the decision our family has made to adopt. Kirk and I enjoyed reading one another's autobiographies.  It was really interesting to read Kirk's perception of our life, and the direction he is hoping to head with our family; it made me excited!
Of course at times, I wish I could speed up the process or control the situation, but I know it will work out the way it is supposed to. I am prayerful, hopeful, and joyful in knowing that everything will work according to His plan.  This week, I was struck by Matthew 6: 34 "Give your attention to what God is doing right now." I certainly can't wait for the newest addition(s) to come, but I certainly don't want to miss the amazing blessings right here right now. Change is inevitably headed our way, so I am soaking in these precious moments!

 Will keep you posted--please pray!

Running on His Love,
  the Zimmermans

SUNDAYS, FUN-DAYS

Sunday mornings.  They have become my absolute favorite time of the week.  Aside from the typically lazy afternoon to follow, it's the delightful chaos in the morning that really gets me.
  Today, I got up to get ready before the babies awoke.  It's silent, which almost never happens these days, and gives me time to reflect, pray, and think about the week to come as well as its flip side.  It's the routine along with spontaneity that makes these mornings exciting. Kirk's sermon notes lying on the coffee table each week, pen in place, his Sunday best pressed and hanging on his special "outfit" hanger :), and the babies' clothes laid out and ready to rock.  The only things missing are Caleb on the couch and Callie's light on, which I would inevitably need to turn off...bummer. (We will look forward to that next week :) ).
  This week I was able to spend a Friday with my family.  It was an amazing day.  My family laughs because those who know me know I am constantly taking the babies and our family in for photo shoots. This week was no different; hello, milestone moments?! Aiden was getting his 9 month pictures taken, while Kate took great joy sabotaging every moment he was posing.  Balloons in face, monkey in basket, basket coming toward A, Kate smacking A-dawg after he reaches for the baited monkey or balloons...you get the drift.  At the end of the shoot, we put on Kate's snow suit and took her outside to play in the snow for the first time.  Never having been knee deep in snow, we were not sure how she would take to the wet, glistening goodness, but we are happy to report she is definitely half Canadian.  Kirk would make a snowball, hand it off to Kate, and Kate would choose to eat it or through it at Mom. Excellent (insert sarcasm), but nevertheless, so fun to watch.  Aiden made the littlest snow angel, and Kate was so incredibly happy spending a family day in the snow.
   After the photo shoot, we headed to see the Cavanaugh family in Valpo.  I was so excited as I have not seen the twins since our wedding.  I walked up to the door and there was a cut-out rainbow and sun posted for our arrival from Becca.  It was so sweet, as I am sad to report, she didn't remember who we were. As the door opened, there stood Becca and Brady.  I felt as though time stopped, a piece of life's puzzle put back in place.  I had spent so much time with their family throughout school, esp. the twins, and here they were running to the door, ponytail, leggings, and cords after I had left them in diapers, watching Dora.  This is the reason I take the pictures.
   While Heather and I were talking, I mentioned I have a really hard time with milestones.  I am so excited to see my children do or say new things or enter the next phase such as "tweenie" but saddened as I will never get to see some of those cherished moments again. (I confess I get really teary and emotional.) The cuddly cute, the wobbly stands, the first smile, first crush--they melt my heart and enter into the memory bank for keeps.  Fortunately, I was reminded of the goodness and beautiful moments to be created, after all, I do need to be reminded how incredible snow is from time to time, and Kate's carefree smile did just that Friday.
  As we were walking out the door, I told Heather we needed to do lunch sometime even with life being crazily busy.  Having five kids with five lives, she looked and said, "If you wait for time, you will never have it. It's a choice, and we will choose to do it." So true. Time never stops, life keeps running full speed, and the times you choose to stop and invest in those family moments, friendships, and awe-ha God moments, will NEVER be regretted.
  I'm off to the races, I'm hearing the little man!!

Running on His love, the Zimmermans
 

Getting the "OK" . . .

(Callie)

   Today Caleb and I first received the news that our adoption process was "okay-ed".  The journey has started!  Yep, we were all sitting at the kitchen table and there was a pause while Megan looked on the computer for our Lion King song (we call it Dos Vuh-den-ya, haha) . . . the African one, I don't know its name (we're adopting from Africa, so it fits).  What a great opening.  

   Anyway.  I can honestly say I was speechless - something that happens often, but still.  I thought it would happen, but at the same time I didn't.  Like it was some far off dream or something that was there but still distant . . . and now its HERE.  I'm so excited.  Caleb was also speechless (which DOESN'T happen often).  We all agree that a baby boy from Africa would be the cutest thing.  I don't know why, I usually go for the girls (we have to stick together).  Although we're gonna have to cut back from stuff like shopping (yikes!) and eating out (even worse) I wouldn't change the decision for the world.  

   Coming from a bi-racial family in Fishers, I think it would be a good idea to have two children from another country because then they can have somebody that looks like them and they don't feel too different (even though different is what makes us unique and special).  Since we are a BIG family, people better watch out if they say anything less than positive about my siblings - I already consider them here.  Nobody messes with family.

   Unless God wishes it otherwise, in maybe two years our family will be blessed with a new addition.  One more can't hurt, we're already a zoo.  Well, maybe two can't hurt, but that's it. (Caleb and I have four little brothers and sisters from both families.)

   The quote at the top of our blog page basically defines our family, which is why we picked it.  "I'd rather regret something I've done than something I didn't do."  What an awesome quote?  I don't know who said it (or if it was made up), but our family definitely takes those risks and goes with it.  Just to explain a little.

  'Nite.