The Eve of Awesome

Moments ago I clicked on a UPS tracking number for 2 Junior Deuter Backpacks on their way to our home in Florida (they just departed Chattanooga, TN). 

A year ago on September 10th, I'm not sure what I was doing. Probably looking forward to going to "Rock the Universe" with lots of friends from our church the next night. Ahhh, a night away from Isaac, great live music, and rollercoasters. Does it get any better?

Well, yes actually, it does.

 Those two Deuter backpacks are for my two sons. Isaac is getting a blue one and Isaiah is getting a green one...per Isaac's instructions. :)

A year ago tonight I had no clue God had already answered my prayers for a child to be added to our family.  It was like a surprise answer...which is a lot like a surprise party, except its from God and its awesomer than any party.

If you would have known about it and told me a year ago that I'd be tracking backpacks for two little boys tonight, 1) Not only would you have been the Spoiler of the century but 2) I don't know if I would have even believed you.

The morning of September 11th as I was washing the car to get it ready for our fun times at Universal Studios, the call came that a baby boy had been born and -if we wanted him- he was ours.

Joy!

Disbelief!

Thankfulness!

More Joy and Disbelief!

Oh wow. Just thinking about that day brings me to my knees again in awe of the miracle working power of God.

Isaiah Kingston Rivers. My son. The 2nd boy to be born in our family and, I believe, intended to be here from before the foundation of the earth. I described his presence in our family to a friend a while back like this...

"If anything I feel like Isaiah belongs in our family even more because of all the things that had to happen just right in order to get him here. Not that I think Isaac should be in anyone else's family, just that of course ISAAC is ours, but that "wasn't hard" we just did it and got preggers and that was the end of the story. Isaiah it seems had an entire orchestra of events happening to get him here. Like Isaac's entrance was a really great piano solo with one movement, but Isaiah's was a multi-layered, harmonizing, piece with several movements and a lot of emotion." 

Tonight we went out for dinner because I was too lazy to cook we needed to run some errands - one being printing out more pictures to send to Isaiah's birth mom.  As we were driving around I had said photos in hand looking at them.  Both Anthony and I were just marveling at the brown little man in all the photos. "He's so gorgeous. Look at that stud."  Anthony said, "Holy cow love, he's gonna be such a heart breaker."

All those things are true (specially bout that heart breaker part), but I think as I turned to look at him it stood out to me just how familiar he looks. He's no stranger-baby. I don't feel like I'm baby sitting everyday. He's my son. I know him. And I think I'll always marvel, then praise God, then smile, then be speechless at how awesome God is to have done such a work in our lives. 

I am thankful a year ago I had no clue what was about to come. Like me opening the door to that Friday thinking it'd be another day (not that Isaac's not my other joy!) with only one son, then the Lord jumping out, turning on the lights, shouting "SURPRISE!!!!!! IT'S A BOY!" and giving me one of the greatest gifts ever.

"Thank you Lord for Isaiah! Children are always a gift from you but I will never get over how you pulled this one off and made it happen! Thank you for calling us to do it, providing the means, and then giving the child. You are so incredibly awesome!"