Emmaline

 My Pa-Pa was a jokester. He told exaggerated stories, participated in many practical jokes, and he loved to tease people. I would like to say it was always out of love but that wouldn't be true. He got a kick out of irritating people. It made him laugh. And sometimes, a good laugh was priority over protecting feelings. 

My grandmother was prim and proper. She valued etiquette and grace. My mother and I called her Miss Manners. She was from the same rural area of Florida as my grandfather but, probably for the reasons stated above, my Pa-Pa was "that Norman boy" to my grandmother's mother. He was a little too country, not enough manners. 

Still, somehow he endeared himself to my grandmother and they were married for over 50 years before she passed away. 

My grandmother's name was Doris Emily. My Pa-Pa called her Emmaline. The story is, the name started as a way to tease her. Pa-Pa called her Emmaline, she argued that nickname "sounded too country. Don't call me that," he laughed, and she was irritated. This continued. 

By the time I was born, Emmaline was a sweet name of endearment. Only Pa-Pa called her Emmaline and I never remember anything but a faint smile on her face when he did. In public and to the world, she was Doris. When he needed something or in formal conversation, she was Doris. But, in the tender moments, she was his Emmaline. 

Both of my grandparents have left this world and gone on to heaven. I miss them everyday. I dream about them often at night. And I can't wait to see them again when my time here is done. 

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We have decided to name our baby girl Emmaline Victoria. 

Emmaline is a tribute not only to my sweet grandparents, but also to the two women they raised who have been two of my dearest friends my entire life: my mother and my aunt. 

My mother selflessly gave of herself my entire childhood and taught me so much about being a mother, it would be impossible to put it all down on paper. The most important thing, though, was that these tiny humans I am privileged to raise are a gift to be cherished and beloved. Time spent with them is never time wasted. The things of this world that seem so much more important are not important at all, not in comparison to raising my children. She made my childhood beautiful. And, now that I am grown, she is a dear friend to me. 

My aunt-BB was a child herself when I was born and from a very early age, I always looked forward to playing with her. Watching she and my mom interact has always been entertaining. I felt so special when they included me on their adventures...we always ended up in fits of giggles (and often lost). Now, I still enjoy any time we get to spend together. Hours go by as seconds when we are visiting. BB and her family have loved me and my babies well and I am so thankful for the continued relationship we have with all of them. They are a cherished part of our family. 

Victoria comes from our baby girl's Bulgarian name. It is the English equivalent of the name given her in the orphanage. We love that it means "victory". We pray daily for her heart and her well being and look forward to see how the Lord works in her life. 

Emmaline Victoria, we cannot wait to meet you! 

Our New Daughter

 We are absolutely thrilled to finally be matched with our newest daughter. Due to the laws in Bulgaria, we cannot share her face, name, or any identifying information until after we pass court in many months. She is beautiful and already loved so much. The process is still quite long, and we know it will be a difficult wait, but we also know she is worth it! We cannot wait to be her forever family! We love you, sweet girl!

This has been a trying adoption process. There have been many starts and stops. A big move. Big life changes. An agency change. So many delays. After every little detour, the Lord has been faithful to encourage and speak to us. He has made his path known and shown us the way to walk. We are humbled and grateful that He continues to use us and speak to us. And we are so honored and excited to be this baby girl's family.