{Momma Got a Getaway & Baby Got Mad}

Every year for the past three years I've attended a wonderful retreat for adoptive & foster moms called Created for Care.  Sadly, this past March retreat was the last of them...but, another retreat just south of Atlanta was mentioned and I thought it'd be nice to get away for a couple of days to refresh & connect with other like-minded mamas who are in the trenches of adoption stuff too.  I'd be lying if I said that adoption wasn't hard work.  It's constant and as AG grows and starts to process more of her past, I need to be prepared and equipped to help her.  It's such a blessing to have a few friends I can call at a moments notice who get it!  We know that kids from hard places are a whole different kind of kid when it comes to parenting...and it's a gift to be able to share and learn and educate ourselves.

Anyways, I gladly took my hubby up on it when he told me to get out of town for the weekend!  I typically go to these type things with a friend or at least knowing a good handful of folks but this was different.  I literally knew {as in really knew} one person!  Erin and I were in China together when we got our girls and she was one of the ladies coordinating the retreat.  So, although I knew her, I still ended up staying with two ladies I'd never met before...and making more friends throughout the weekend.  I love how God orchestrated it all!  And, since the retreat was called "REST for Moms"...I didn't hardly turn on my phone the entire time...or take photos!  That was nice!!!

One thing that was a focus of the weekend was learning to turn our unmet expectations into unexpected joy.  The speaker for the weekend had us write every unmet expectation of what we thought our lives would look like before we had kids or even got married down on a piece of brightly colored paper.  Then, one by one, each lady went to the front and shredded that piece of paper.  My list was long...I'm a dreamer and had my life planned out including the names of my boy and girl twins and exactly what my life would look like.  HA!  Heart surgery, brain surgery, trauma, PTSD, therapies, sensory issues, speech issues, geneticists, grief, anxiety and so much more were NEVER my plan.  But, those things...along with many more...went from being written on that piece of paper into shreds of little bits of color.  Then, after the final big group session on Saturday afternoon, each lady was given a tiny little bag of neon confetti....our unmet expectations that were now a reminder to find unexpected joy.  So, my little bag is hanging just over my desk in our school room {also very much not my plan to homeschool when I was in my 20s} to remind me that there is always something to celebrate...and joy is always near!

I worshipped and wept.  Laughed and lived off of lattes.  Pondered so much and found peace in His promises.

Still much to digest as I look over notes from the weekend but so thankful that, amidst the chaos of what it takes to get mama out of the house alone for two days,  I had time to renew and refresh and restore my soul in this weary battle called motherhood.


Back to life and loving the ones I was created to serve...even if the littlest is not happy mama hid the iPad! Sorry, sister...it's back to legos!