I am a Browns Fan

Yes, I am from northeast Ohio and yes, I love the Browns! On fall and winter Sunday afternoons you can undoubtedly find me, my husband and even Gabe watching the Browns. And while we generally watch the Browns lose, we still watch. And each game we still cheer and each game I am 'sure' that they are going to pull out a win.

Take yesterday for instance, Matt and I were fortunate enough to get to go to the Home opener. We cheered, stood up, cried foul and cheered some more all whilst willing the Brown's to pull together a win. We waited until the time clock read 1:07 and the officials had ruled that the Chiefs made their 1st down before we vacated our seats and joined the swarms of people who were leaving the stadium.

Upon walking out of the stadium I realized that no matter how good (or how bad) the Browns play on the field I will still watch, still cheer and still hope that they're able to pull through. Whether the season go as I predict ( 9 - 7 with a play-off bid) or follow their current streak and end 0 -16 I will continue to be a Browns fan, continue to cheer them on and continue to wallow in the grief of being devoted to a team that continues to let me down.

And that's when it hit me! Not quite an epiphany but a realization all the same. Sometimes, a lot less often than before thank goodness, but occasionally all the same, the relationship I have with God reflects my love affair with the Browns.

You see I struggle all on my own, I do my best but when I'm doing it all on my own my best just doesn't work. And quite often when I'm doing things myself I fumble, fall and fail at reaching my goal. Just like the Browns.

For the Browns there are 11 players on the offense, 11 on the defense, special teams players, coaches, assistants and trainers but more often than not they forget that they're part of a team, rely little on one another and fall short of getting the win.

And sometimes I'm that way too. I forget that I'm not a one-man team. I forget that I have a captain (God) to lead me, a coach (God) to help direct my moves and watch over me and lots of friends and family that are in this adventure with me.

But just like the Browns, when I fumble, fail or even forget to try God is right there with me. And when he watches from the sidelines and sees me ignoring His playbook (my Bible), He still helps me up each time I fall. He still cheers me on, lifts my spirits and directs my path. And while it may not always be pretty... while I may get disgusted with how the Browns play but still cheer them on, I am certain there are times that God is disgusted with the way I forget to let Him lead, leave Him out of certain areas of my life and let Him down He is always still there for me.

Now I'm not in anyway trying to say that I love the Browns as much as God loves me because that's certainly not true. For one I would never allow Gabriel to die so that the Browns could live (or win) and secondly no love could ever compare to God's love.

During that long walk from the stadium filing by equally disappointed Browns fan, God used that moment to show me that no matter what happens, no matter who wins or loses, regardless of the end results He is there.

And while there are times my faith in the Browns will waiver my faith in God will not. And while my Browns may continue to let me down, my God won't.

That, my friends, is the best win yet!

Gabe and his GAK

Do you have a GAK? Gabe has a GAK! Matt doesn't have a GAK and I don't have a GAK.

Meet GAK:

This is Gabe and his Great Aunt Kim. Gabe's GAK is my aunt. And a few weekends ago she mosied up here from her farm down south to visit with her sister and see her great nephew. I still hold fast to the fact that she came only to see Gabe and visiting with my mom was just a bonus.

Gabe did his usual "I don't like new people" face at their first visit but as the weekend progressed fell into quite a comfortable repoire with his GAK. And I was so happy! Happy that Aunt Kim was finally able to meet Gabriel, happy to see Aunt Kim after 1 1/2 years and happy that Gabe seemed to love his GAK as much as I love my auntie.

Throughout Gabe's first year I'd think of Aunt Kim often and remember the sweet and supportive emails she would send me as Matt and I began trying to have a family and when we decided to adopt. I'd remember talking to her at the big kitchen table in their old farm house and wish she was sitting at my little kitchen table with me and Gabe. And then sometimes I'd be sad that Gabe wouldn't know his great aunt Kim like I knew my aunt Kim.

But Aunt Kim surprised us with a visit and my little man who wants no one but his Mama and Daddy was easily (well, maybe not easily) won over by GAK and that filled my heart to overflowing. Because aunt Kim is very special to me and I wanted Gabe to know her too.

Gabe has lots of wonderful people in his life who are going to teach him so many different things. He has uncles who will teach him all about sports, trucks and mudding, aunts who will teach him about love and forgiveness, 'aunties' who will teach him about perseverance and what family really means and so many other people who will help us teach Gabe everything he needs to know to help him grow up into a Christ-loving young man.

And Gabe's GAK, from her he'll learn about strength, perseverance and how to love your family fiercely. Because with a husband, 6 children and oodles of grandchildren Aunt Kim loves her family fiercely. And that's what I too learned from her: to love my famly fiercely. Thanks GAK!

Silly boy and GAK

Nothing says love like blowing raspberries!

Day 16 & Delurking Day!

We're more than halfway done with our beans and rice experience. Or should we say challenge? A challenge because every evening it has become challenging to want to eat dinner no matter how hungry we feel.

And when I feel this way, I immediately feel ashamed because in just a few short weeks we will stop eating beans and rice every evening and go back to tasty dinners of lasagna, chicken pot pie.. any thing we want while many children in Africa will continue to be lucky to have a belly full of beans and rice when they go to bed at night.

the picture is from last night, but it looked a lot like tonight's dinner too ;)

And for all you lurkers out there... you know who you are. You read our blog but either don't comment or aren't a 'follower.' Well we want to know who you are! So... just leave a comment saying, well saying whatever you want (but FYI we don't post nasty comments) so we know who visits our little blog. Thanks!

And because this picture is just too cute to keep to myself:

Quick Update!

Just in case we're not 'friends' on facebook or I didn't text you yesterday afternoon (thank goodness for unlimited text) I just thought you'd like to know that we're in!!!

And by "in" I mean we've officially been accepted into the Ethiopia Program through All God's Children International. It is quite possible that are little ones is already alive and waiting for us in Addis Abba, Ethiopia being cared for by the loving people at Hannah's Hope.

We feel so blessed that God has trusted us to care for another one of His greatest miracles and I'm fairly certain Gabe is pretty excited to have a sibling!!! He just doesn't know it yet!!


And in other news, we still haven't heard back from insurance regarding Gabriel's eye. I suppose we'll be calling tomorrow!