serendipity

serendipity.  i first heard that word as a young girl.  i remember thinking, "i will add this to my list of favorite words."  it sits in the same category as the beautiful words, "bubble, loquacious, gossamer, effervescent, giggle and hippopotamus."  come on, agree with me,  these are words worth remembering.  words worth pronouncing.  you simply cannot say the word "hippopotamus" and not smile.  go ahead...try.  see, i am right on this.  serendipty. definition: "surprised by joy." i love that.  who doesn't like being surprised....especially by joy? serendipity is the act of discovering something delightful when not looking.  today was a serendipitous day.  i had been out in the yard transplanting grass.  yes, grass.   i was actually grumbling under my breath about the fact that grass can grow like gangbusters in places you don't want....but then is downright obstinate about thriving in those places you DO want it.  i came in from the yard sweaty and hot, dirt caked under my nails and in my shoes. while i was getting something to drink (and still muttering about grass) i remembered an email i was supposed to send.  i turned on the computer and... BAM! serendipity! there it was, this email and these pictures.  there SHE was...this face....this smile.  there on the screen her little pink shoes and her tiny rosebud lips and her enormous dark eyes.  and yes, even her sideburns (note to self:  pick up a good pair of hair cutting sheers before leaving for china).  oh my.  surprised by joy!  i sat and just soaked it in. soaked and soaked and soaked.  i drank in her little hand holding the rail.  i drank in the curve of her chin, the glimmer in her eye, the thickness of her hair.   my only thought:  THIS is the child we are going to get soon.  THIS is the tiny girl we will have running through the hallways of our home.  THIS is the child for which we have prayed.  THIS is our daughter, our sister, our girl.  oh friends, i cannot tell you.  i may love the word serendipity...but it is not nearly enough.  on my long list of beautiful words, i cannot come up with any combination that can do justice to the song in my heart.  though we have tried repeatedly to get information on bella, we've had nothing.  no reports.  no pictures.  nothing since last november.  getting these photos on a monday morning, dirty nails and all, is just a most precious gift. 

rick and i were so encouraged by how healthy she looks.  just to see her outdoors is an amazing thing.  the last picture we have of her shows her behind the bars of a crib, bundled up in a coat four times her size.  there was a puddle of water underneath her crib.  today we saw sunshine on her face.   these pictures are filled with firsts.  we've never seen her stand.  we've never seen her smile. we've never seen her outdoors.  i know these are little things...but when your child is on the other side of the world these little things grow enormous.  and enormous is the gift of these pictures.  enormous is the song in my heart. enormous is my gratitude....and enormous is our anticipation in bringing her home soon. 

"my heart LEAPS FOR JOY and i will give

 thanks to Him in song!"  ~ psalm 28:7