Hobo Town and Harvest Time

Every once in a while, all of my kids enter into their own little imaginary world

...together. 

Although their imaginary worlds tend to create all kinds of creative mess, 

it really is bliss (for me).

The Kidlets spent three whole days in the world they created.  I actually have no idea what it was they were playing....but it looked like a hobo town to me. 

A very well armed hobo town. 

One you wouldn't want to just sneak up on,

 hoping for a cup of coffee from their fancy, broken, garage sale coffee maker they had drug out of the garbage bin.

It looks like they also might be signalling for more small hobos to join their ranks. 

I'm not sticking around long enough to find out. 

They scare me. 

One year ago today, after several months of working, wondering, waiting, glitches, and set backs, this little face popped up in my email inbox.  

Our official "Child proposal". 

Our match.

Without a doubt in our minds we replied 

"YES!"

"We will pursue this child, we intend to make him our son. "

I think it was a miracle that we would even *know* or trust enough to sign those papers for a child we'd never met.

I can't explain how we both knew this was our son, but we did.  I can't even begin to explain it.

I was willing to go to the ends of the earth to find him, 

and I'm so glad we did.

It was nothing short of a gift of God's grace, provision, and providence...

in our life and his. 

A beautiful, life filled, joy bringing gift.

I still find it amusing that the name given to him in China was "Qiu" meaning Autumn/ harvest.  

Somehow this time of year is significant, marking not only his name but most major milestones and transitions in his life.  

(Including his birthday which is coming up in a couple weeks!)

His "birthday", 

his abandonment/ finding as a toddler, 

a couple different major transitions between foster care and orphanages, 

and his forever parents claiming him as their own

all happened during harvest season.

I'm not one to read too much into things like that,

but this time of year does cause me to pause, give thanks, remember, and celebrate all that the Lord has done in his life....and will continue to do. 

It's that time of year again.

Harvest 2013 has officially begun.

Soli Deo Gloria,