Darkness and Light

For Jenn- Cardale looking handsome in his Sunday clothes

Can you tell we had two different cameras going?:)

Uncle Tim and the boys

Our little family

We had a great Easter celebration! We went to my parent's house for the weekend along with my brother and sister. The boys enjoyed all of the attention and we enjoyed it too!;) The boys looked very cute in their Easter clothes. Caleb was not happy about wearing a tie, so he only had to wear it for the pictures. He really dislikes wearing "Sunday clothes." As soon as we walk in the door after church, he rushes upstairs to change.

I titled this post "Darkness and Light" because I've been thinking alot about how our lives are comprised of dark and light moments that often occur simultaneously. I have spent the past couple of days in constant prayer for my childhood friend, Natalie. They found out on Monday that their 3 1/2 year old daughter, Alaina, has cancer. They are living out every parent's nightmare. Since then it has been a whirlwind of doctors and tests. They found out today that she has A.L.L. leukemia. The fact that she has leukemia is horrible, but the good news is that it is the best type of leukemia a child can get-very treatable. Thank God for small miracles! They have a long road ahead of them and Alaina is very scared right now, but we know God can get them through it.

When I hear devastating news like this I sometimes think, why is life still moving forward? It seems like the whole world should stop because of this huge event going on in my friend's life. Thankfully, that is not how life goes. We need the routines of life to help us stay sane and hopeful. In my darker thought moments (usually when I'm laying in bed and can't sleep) I think about all the pain that surrounds us. A friend's father is dying of cancer, another friend was widowed this year, another friend's baby was born with a rare birth defect, a friend's baby granddaughter had cancer, Cardale's parents don't want him, etc. However, at the same time I remember all of the joy that surrounds us. A friend who beat cancer is pregnant with her second child, my family is healthy, and there are people who love Cardale and want to adopt him-to name a few! God is good in that He always provides reminders that He is in control and gives us good things, even in the midst of pain.

In regards to Cardale, we had a court session today. His Mom did not show up and has not seen him since early December. The judge ordered that she is not allowed to visit him anymore and there will be a termination of parental rights hearing scheduled. That court hearing could happen by the end of May. Once that hearing happens, Cardale will be officially up for adoption. It was sad for me today to see that his Mom didn't show up and doesn't seem to care. However, the good news is that some friends of ours want to adopt him! So please be praying for Cardale, the judge, and our friends. We know that God has a good plans for Cardale.