Goats

19 Feb 2013 3 Comments

by nataliaria in Adoption, Animals, Family, France, Humour, Kiddos, Little Sisters, Photos

The Roommate exclaimed to me this evening rather excitedly about something having to do with goats yelling. I had been spending my precious and highly sought-after free time in watching a youtube video featuring a miniature frog squeak, but the goats sounded intriguing. So I looked them up.

My mother has implied, and will probably deny ever saying, that I have so shrunk my attention span that my deep love of youtube is only fitting because I can’t attend for much longer than three minutes, anyway. I believe this to be a false statement, and I have proof to defend myself as well: my attention span for scrolling through Facebook is unending, and I can while away quite a time on Pinterest, when given the opportunity. So you see.

But goats.

So I watched this video. And sure enough, these goats yell like humans, which was highly entertaining, but this youtube clip is more than three minutes long and goats aren’t Facebook, I lasted 47 seconds before moving on with my life.

But we’re learning about short-term memory and long-term memory and how events pass from one to the other, and I must have encoded goats properly because I got into bed to write this post and thoughts of Paris lead to pictures of Paris and look what I remembered! The closest I have ever come to kissing a goat. And I really was thinking about it, too.
parisgoat

In other news which has nothing to do with goats, Paris, or The Roommate, which I suppose fits neatly under the category of Evidence for The Mother’s Argument Against My Attention Span and For My Literary ADD, our dear friends of many, many years are in China at this moment, finalizing the adoption of their baby girl. I have subjected too many people to my exclamations of excitement over this whole event, because:

1) I like babies.

2) I like adoption.

3) This particular child is remarkably cute, and I’ve pored over every picture the family has posted on any social media I can get my hands on. Truly. I’ve never checked Instagram so frequently in my life. But heaven forbid a new picture of Madeleine or her sister Miranda appear on Instagram and I not become immediately aware of it.

Also, such social media stalking fits well into my schedule because I only ever do anything in increments of 2.7 minutes. So I’ve got time.

But adoption. Oh man, I tell ya. I found myself mildly in trouble for my bold statement last week that I was going to marry a Spanish-speaking man. Indeed I was rather assertive in that claim, especially since the ins and outs of my (utterly nonexistent) romantic life hardly ever appear here. But I figured at the very least, when I marry a completely non-Spanish man, you can return to that post and laugh and shake your head at my folly, and then my boldness will have served at least to entertain you. So that’s a plus.

I wrote about this hypothetical man once, and I’m writing about him again, right here, right now, to say that the man I marry must by necessity have an open mind and heart towards adoption because Hello! There are children out there without families! Children without what they need to survive! Adoption is a huge deal people- just ask my sisters.

It would appear that we’ve moved from goats to adoption to future husbands, and I’ve really no good way to end this post, other than presenting you with this, our very own Awkward Family Photo, taken during the same Not-Goat-Kissing trip to Paris in 2011.
awkwardfamily

~Natalia

Six Years Before

20 Dec 2012 2 Comments

by nataliaria in Adoption, Birthday, Family, Little Sisters, Photos, Travel

This time last year,

this time last month,

this time before;

the power of memory is strong

and a looking back snapshot can be crystal clear.

Today, this morning, this time

six years ago,

O’Hare airport with the mother and brother.

Little Family Six was Little Family Four,

and we’re on our way to a California Christmas.

Dad’ll meet us there soon.

And somewhere around Security,

the cell phone of the mother

buzzes with a call that changes lives

and the voice on the other end

says three hours old,

welcome to the world,

baby girl.

And I didn’t know what she looked like,

and it wasn’t finalized on paper

until months later.

But on December 20, 2006,

this time, six years ago,

Larissa became my baby sister.

Happy 6th Birthday, littlest one.
littlestface

~Natalia

Five Years Later

25 Oct 2012 Leave a Comment

by nataliaria in Adoption, Family, God, Grow, Little Sisters, Love

There are so many, many things that could be said. I could write about reasons to adopt, ways that adoptions has changed my life, the need to adopt, and so much more.

I could write a whole book full of personal experiences and stories about adoption. I could spread paragraph after paragraph all over this space about how adoption changed my life and how thankful for it.

But when it comes down to it, I’m not going to say any of that right now.

Five years ago today, Glendy and Larissa became part of my family forever, and with that, God changed my life and that of my family forever.

Because now, there’s a five-year old who vaults herself into my arms when I walk through the door at home. There’s a seven-year old who sings songs with me, reads books with me, quotes movies with me.

Yes, adoption changed my life. And Christ changes my life every day. And He’s using these two girls and the rest of my family to help me grow.

~Natalia

Inside Looking

05 Oct 2012 Leave a Comment

by nataliaria in Adoption, Bible, College, Friends, God, Love, Moody Bible Institute, Remember, Sovereign

There’s a part of my life

wherein I talk with prospective Moody student;

sit with them in chapel, give them campus tours,

take them to class, show them my room.

I love where I go to school,

I love attending Moody Bible Institute,

and I count it a blessing

and just generally really fun

to have the privilege of meeting

and talking with

young individuals who are considering making Moody

their school, their college.

Looking from the inside out,

from my seat in chapel

with my ID dangling around my neck,

it must look different

than looking from the outside in;

a high school student looking around,

beginning to figure out

where God would have you go,

what He’d have you do.

I know what it’s like to be on that side, too.

To visit,

to love,

and to not be sure if you’ll ever end up here.

February 8, 2008
I went to Founder’s Week today, at Moody.

I was going to go on Wednesday and Thursday, and then just on Thursday; and I ended up only going on Friday.

I wasn’t amazingly overjoyed and excited in the days leading up to going, but I was excited this morning, and I got more excited as the day went on.

I heard three talks. The first was by Tommy Nelson, who talked about why we are on earth, and why we as Christians can’t just sit around waiting to die and see Jesus; we have to follow Jesus’ example and share with the lost and grow in Him.

At least, that’s what I took away from it- and that Tommy Nelson is pretty funny.

The second talk I heard was by Dennis Rainey, who talked about orphans and how God can use us to help them, specifically through adoption.

If you know me very well, you should be able to figure out why this was my favorite talk: not just because of my family, but also because of what I want to do with my life.

It was a very good talk.

After the morning session, Hannah and I went back to her apartment and had lunch, and, after we had hung out a little there, she gave me a little tour of the campus.

I love Moody Bible Institute.

When I was in fifth grade, my AWANA leader attended Moody.

I thought that Moody was not so much a school as a place where the coolest people found on earth hung out and read their Bibles… I still think that’s what it is, but I know a little more now.

I decided when I was in sixth grade that I wanted to go to Moody when I went to college.

I am still planning on going there, and literally can’t wait to be there.

Hannah introduced me to some of her friends, who were hilarious and sweet and very kind- further solidifying my understanding of Moody students’ character.

After a third talk, this one by Mike Milco, I headed out into the courtyard. I looked up at the buildings surrounding the courtyard (all of them with names I don’t know yet- except Fitzwater, which I secretly refer to as Fizzywater) and I prayed that one day, hopefully sooner than later, I could call Moody Bible Institute my home.

Almost five years ago, I was outside looking in. Now I’m inside looking out, and God’s wisdom, knowledge, and provision can be seen everywhere I turn.

~Natalia

Together Now

01 Jul 2012 1 Comment

by nataliaria in Adoption, Beauty, Church, Family, Friends, God, Kiddos, Love, Wedding

Back row’s easiest to get to; I was here before most people, and I’m watching people come in now. There’s a bride’s side and a groom’s side, but it’s all going to be one side soon. Two people getting married is much more than two rings and a marriage license. It’s wife and sister and husband and son and daughter and aunt and uncle and friend.

A new family made, and two families come together at a wedding.

The minutes tick closer and closer to 3pm and there are more people in the sanctuary every time I look around. A tiny asian child, glasses perched on her nose and a long, dark ponytail trailing down her back catches my eye. From my back row hideout, my eyes trail the little one as she follows her mother down the aisle to their seats. I’m watching the pair when I notice the family two rows back; a mother, older siblings, and two tiny, dark-skinned beauties tucked into the corner of the plush pew. Pastel colored dresses lie slightly askew on their little legs, and their feet dangle inches above the spotless carpet.

I can’t miss the marked similarities between the sweet duo and my own small sisters.

I’m excited for the wedding, and my heart is pounding happily at the sight of so many, many children brought home through adoption. A brother and a sister, set like bookends on either side of their mother at the other end of the row. Two sisters, bright bows stuck in their thick, wildly curly hair, squeezed neatly between their parents, just two rows in front of me. Tangible proofs of God’s power and grace are everywhere in this sanctuary.

My hearts thrills happily, the ceremony hasn’t even started yet, and this wedding is already drenched in the hope and miracle that is adoption.

And then I’m drawn out of my marveling by a shift in the background music, and wedding music gently and firmly fills the sanctuary. The groom and groomsmen file to the front, and then a slight pause before the bridesmaids begin making their way down the aisle.

The program lying on the pew next to me lists the names of each individual in the wedding party. Tens of people involved in this wedding, yet it would seem that half of them have the same last name. Marriage, adoption, birth, grew this family over the years.

And when the ceremony’s over, we drive to the family’s house for the reception. And little ones run in and out of the trees, blond ponytails mixing with dark, dark braids and one or two tiny afros. And big sisters push little sisters and cousins on the tire swing, and little guys with gummy smiles and bed head from a nap dig holes in the sandbox.

And sisters and friends and brothers give speeches while other sisters, aunts, grandmas, pass the tiniest members of the family back and forth. Sweet, chubby babies who nestle sleepily into their arms. The next generation of this family beauty.

And there’s dancing and talking, playing and chasing. And I’m sitting on the front porch, watching bride and groom mingle with their guests, their family, their friends.

Two families brought together and a new family made, yes. But this is more than that. This is friends, siblings, strangers coming together to celebrate. Celebrate family and love and the grace that ties us all together.

~Natalia

Happy Gotcha Day

25 Oct 2011 6 Comments

by nataliaria in Adoption, Family, Kiddos, Little Sisters, Love, Photos


Larissa, Easter 2008


Glendy, Spring 2008


Larissa, Summer 2008


Glendy, Summer 2008


Larissa and Glendy, Fall 2008


Larissa, Winter 2008


Glendy, Spring 2009


Larissa, Summer 2009


Glendy and Larissa, Christmas 2009


Larissa, Spring 2010


Glendy, Summer 2010


Larissa and Glendy, Fall 2010


Larissa, Spring 2011


Glendy, Spring 2011


Glendy and Larissa, October 2011

Four years ago today our little crazies officially became ours. Glendy and Larissa are brilliant, witty, rather small, dramatic, imaginative, and without a doubt the best little sisters our family could ever ask for.

I love you, Wee and Mani!

~Natalia

Future Ministry Goals

06 Jul 2011 4 Comments

by nataliaria in Adoption, College, Family, God, Kiddos, Moody Bible Institute, Purpose

As I continue my quest to attend Moody Bible Institute, I filled out a form this afternoon to apply for my “Practical Christian Ministry”. A PCM is exactly what it sounds like; practically living out Christian life and service in a real-life experience. Youth group leader, AWANA teacher, tutor, soup kitchen server, etc. They’re all PCMs.

I wrote my full name, address, date of birth and gender neatly on the lines provided, then encountered a question that gave me pause. The words “Future Ministry Goals” stood proudly on the left side of the form, with exactly one line of space after it, where I could write whatever I desired, as long as I printed legibly.

“Wait, Mom, they want my ‘Future Ministry Goals’!” I exclaimed to my mother, who was working on the computer in the other room. She offered a one-liner about taking care of lots of children, and I considered writing her exact words on the form, but decided not to plagiarise my mother’s take on my Future Ministry Goals.

I flipped to the second page, where I exed myself out of try-outs for the men’s and women’s choirs, returned to the first page and watched myself write, “Serve children and youth internationally through foster care and orphanage ministries” on the “Future Ministry Goals” line.

And it’s true, that is exactly what I want to do. Foster mothering, adopting, working at an orphanage, helping other people adopt; God knows the specifics and I’m not picky. But I am looking forward to what God has planned for me.

~ Natalia

Entitled to Participate

05 Nov 2010 1 Comment

by nataliaria in Adoption, God, Kiddos

November is National Adoption Month.

As many of you know, my sisters were adopted internationally a little over three years ago. And honestly, I feel a small sense of entitlement when it comes to National Adoption Month. I do not parent adopted children, but I share a bedroom with them, and I feel like that should give me a free pass to celebrate National Adoption Month without needing to actually do anything.

But I do not think that is the right response. I want to legit participate in National Adoption Month. And with this post, I am officially kicking off my participation in National Adoption Month 2010.

And while we do not need a special month to be able to celebrate and support adoption, I encourage you all to consider what National Adoption Month looks like for you. While not everyone is able or called to adopt a child, everyone can help care for these children. You can pray for the millions of orphans around the world. You can write a letter of encouragement to someone who has adopted/is in the process of adopting a child. You can sponsor a child.

I do not actually know what my next step of awareness and support is, but I’ll let you know when I find out.

Meanwhile, I’m thanking God for my family, especially my sisters.

~Natalia

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