More fun times. . .

We are having a blast this summer and can't wait to share all our fun with everyone! We spent a weekend with NaeNae and Papa, and this is one of the wonderful toys that they have (it conveniently gets left there when we leave every time!) See ya later!

Just some summer fun . . . .

Got these on the computer today (finally) and thought you all would enjoy them! By the way, the heat index in KC today is 110. Really, it only June!!!

Brave Ransom

Hello friends- just thought I would send you to some wonderful thoughts given about my dear friends in Asia who just had a baby. I would recommend you reading the post from this new baby's mama on the Rupp blog, and also Candace's thoughts about naming and the power of our words. Both of these are such women of God, their hearts flow so openly, and they speak such truth that I figured you would love it as well!

Bethany's Dinner- Fayetteville, AR AND Kansas City, MO

No, this in not the newest member of the Harrigan family. It could be. She could look like this. She could have darker skin, she could have lighter hair. Part of this adventure is recognizing that simple fact, we have no idea what she will look like. But we do know this much, we know that she belongs in this family. We know that she is designed, created, loved and formed that she would be a part of our family. We are anticipating the day when we will meet her. Here's the beginning of the story:

I had always thought about adoption, but was convinced it was for someone else– people who couldn’t have babies or who were kind of weird and wanted a whole bunch of children and had a lot of money. After we had Benjamin, the Lord spoke very clearly to my heart. “There are babies who don’t have mommies and daddies and you are a mommy and daddy.” I’m a black and white kind of girl, so this was one of the better words for my heart. As the years have passed, my heart has grown, not in an abstract way, but a very concrete, clear direction. Before we got pregnant with Samuel, the Lord gave us the name Bethany. We were convinced that Samuel was going to be a girl and her name would be Bethany. We were sure of the word of the Lord. Needless to say, without a doubt, the ultrasound tech said he was a boy, and the Lord knew he was to be called Samuel. Slightly disappointed, I asked the Lord about Bethany. Why had you given me this name when she wasn’t in me? He promptly answered me with my growing heart for adoption. “She is out there. I have and will form her for your family. She will come to you from me.” I was wowed by the awesome hand of the Lord, that he would do such a thing. That he would allow me to participate in this amazing thing called adoption. I am consistently awed by the concept– that we are adopted into the family of heaven, that we are grafted/adopted into the family of Israel. I don’t fully understand it, but I know there must be something there. The dynamic of adoption on the human heart is so powerful that I want to be a part of it. I want to know the heart of the Father from this angle, I want to see the other little ones that he has in store for our family.

Part 2: As we grow in our knowledge of adoption, what it means, what it costs, we begin to realize that we don't have all the resources necessary to do this on our own. We are now learning that it is a combined effort, by the church as a whole, to come together and take care of these little ones who need homes.
Before anyone can adopt, you must complete a home study. It is done by a licensed agency, costs $1000, take at least a month and up to six. It is an examination of all aspects of your life, from marital issues to parenting to financial stability. They are wanting to make sure you are stable enough to adopt. After the home study has been completed you get copies of it and fill out more applications to send to the Adoption Agencies around the nation where the birth mothers come. Once the applications have been received, your profile (a book of pics of your family) is given to birth mothers who fit with what you are looking for and you can get a call with a match. Once you are picked and agreed upon, the largest sum of money goes to the agency that is taking care of that mother. It can range anywhere from $8000 to $35,000. We are interested in the group of babies that most people don’t want to adopt.

We are wanting to have two fundraising dinners: One in Kansas City on July 12 and one in Fayetteville, AR on Sunday, August 2.

We will sell tickets for $50, $75, or $100 each and invite friends to a night out. John and I will speak briefly on adoption, what we have learned, and what we feel like the Lord is saying about it, and then let everyone have a great time enjoying some great food and each other. Here are the things we are praying for and asking:

1. You all have more connections than we could ever have on our own- would you consider hosting a table, inviting 8-10 of your friends for a night out?
2. Would you consider joining us for dinner?
3. Would you pray for this one, Bethany, wherever she is and however she is, that she would know she is created by the Father and loved by our family?
4. Would you consider donating to support this new addition to our family?

Please leave a comment if you can help or are interested in coming. Thanks so much-

In with the heat, out with the spring.

Well, that time of year is fast approaching. I have said in recent years that Kansas City weather is not all that exciting. Maybe I have just been spoiled. Both northwest Arkansas and central Kentucky really have beautiful weather. (though when I was there, I wasn't quite as appreciative). Nonetheless, summer has hit with a vengeance and we are headed into the nineties this week. We have been to two weeks of swimming lessons, which by the way, the local YMCA does wonderfully! We are learning the basics and are soon pool worthy. With maybe a life vest or two. Either way, let the heat come! We have learned some valuable lessons to keeping the upstairs cool, we have learned to venture downstairs when we can't stay that way, and to always, given the choice, play in the sprinkler! We are ready!!

On a side note, I have no pictures today because I left my camera at NaeNae and PaPa's house last weekend and they are mailing it back this week. Swim lesson pics are soon to come, and maybe I'll get a pic of the garden this year. Though I still cannot stand the deer in our area, I have not given up and we have eaten fresh broccoli and lettuce this spring. The tomatoes were eaten, but are coming back from the root, the potatoes are ready to be dug up and the squash and zucchini are looking great! We still haven't seen the corn or the beans, but sadly enough, they were planted very late for their season! We'll have to wait to see if they make it. Love you all dearly and thanks for reading-

The unwanted babies. . .

This is something I saw recently that spoke to my heart. It is definitely what the Lord has been speaking to us- a very simple message- that the adoption of this little one is not about us. It's about her. It's about what purposes the Lord has for her life and what He wants for her. Thought I would share. . . .

Faithful Daddies. . .

Remember that post I put a while back about my Samuel? I told you all that he was very slow to trust, but VERY loyal once his heart had been won. I also told you about how his daddy has won his heart. It is so exciting for me to sit and watch the two of them, they are so alike in such wonderful ways. I am a blessed woman. All that to say, this evening I had another moment of learning about the Father from the men in my life. John got out the mower to take it for a spin or two around the yard with the boys. Since Benjamin was older and since he asked first, he got to ride around the yard with daddy first. Let me explain something at this point. Usually, Samuel comes running inside when the mower is on and tells me it's "too loud." We have learned how to cover our ears with our hands and wait until it passes by and then it's "not too loud." When Benjamin and John decided to go for a ride I didn't even think Samuel would want to and by the time I realized he wasn't afraid anymore, I had already told Benjamin he could ride first. All that to say, Samuel had to wait his turn.

We sat and sat on the back porch, munching on the leftover dinner waiting our turn with Daddy. After a few minutes, John came back, dropped off Benjamin and picked up Samuel. It occurred to me at that moment that Samuel's earthly daddy was teaching him an amazing facet of God the Father. He was teaching him about faithfulness. Daddy was faithful to do what he says, and God is faithful too. He will do what he says. He will keep his word, keep his promises, and follow through. Even at 2 years old, Samuel can learn that Daddies do what they say. Both now and forevermore.

Secondly, I saw a fear in my son disappear that usually rises to the surface. When Daddy was on the mower, no matter how loud and in charge, it wasn't frightening. It wasn't scary because there was safety in his Father's arms. The Lord is so much bigger than we are. He has so much more knowledge about what is happening in our lives, he knows how to control the mower even when we feel like it is loud, out of control, and moving along despite all our attempts to slow it down. It's okay.

I have found myself lately feeling a little out of control and it was such a necessary reminder that the Lord is faithful not to leave me standing on the porch outside his heart. AND that He is the safest place I can be, no matter how much it feels like I may be spinning out of control. Amen and amen!


Matthew 11:28 - 30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Fun times in KY

So, there are tons of thoughts from this past weekend, but the highlight was definitely the $2.32 purchase of a 50 foot sheet of plastic. And yes, I said, 50 feet. Imagine this. . . . a slightly dramatic hill, water, dish soap, and loads of fun! There were a few tears shed, but overall the fun far outweighed the tears.

P.S. If you are interested in such an activity for your little ones, let me share some very important lessons, learned no less at the expense of our oldest children. (sorry kids)

1. Always wear a shirt (boys) and shorts (girls). The grass hurts when you hit it hard and fast. The front of my son's chest is a sad testimony to this lesson.

2. Soap is crucial for speed, or even going at all. I thought that the soap would be unnecessary if there was enough water- I was mistaken. It doesn't go well at all.

3. You MUST have a catcher at the bottom of the plastic. I don't know if you can tell well enough, but most of the pain of the first experience happened as the kids slid off the bottom and into the grass. On Day 2, we had a daddy at the top and at the bottom. Worked beautifully!!

Besides that, have a blast and know that your kids will love you all the more for all the fun they are having!







Good job Daddy! We love you!

The new beds. . .

Okay, so I thought all who know my boys would appreciate the joy coming forth from the little blue bedroom. The first pic is of Samuel asleep in his big boy bed for the first time! The second is the whole caboodle. . . .

Addendum to the previous post.

Romans 8:23-24 23 "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all."

So I found an addendum to the last post. I guess this is the reason I have connected so powerfully to the adoption of little ones. I want to know more about what adoption is. As it says in Romans, our hope is in our new bodies at the end of time, when Jesus comes back and we are seated as ADOPTED sons (and daughters) forever in the kingdom of the Lord on Earth. Really, is there anything cooler? To have an even greater understanding into what it means to be adopted, by adopting others, can only increase my own heart to see my adoption into my Father's family finalized on the day he returns. Wow. It's pretty cool.