John's #7 Mark

John Timothy is our funny face, full of expression, compassionate, bike rider extraordinaire, Chinese speaking, reading on grade level, draws action packed stories on multiple pages every day, deeper thinker than you might guess, not the crazy bravest (yet), hilarious, super sweet heart Seven Year Old.

#welovehimlikecrazy

Happy Birthday, John Love!

a super sweet fun group of boys here to celebrate 

We played games outside first...  For capture the flag, these "light sabers" were the "whackers" that could send your opponents to jail.   (Love these fine ten year old young men!)

Then they came up for some delicious lagman (the local noodle dish) and cake and ice cream and a bit of splashing around in our little blow up pool.  #supergrateful

This shot was actually from a few days after his party... we were at a new park that just opened and John wasn't feeling well.  Sweet boy ended up tossing his cookies at the park, but he was still a cheer to be with, even being low energy.  

We're so grateful and so outstandingly blessed to have you as our son, dear John.  May the Lord continue to grow your heart and mind and body strong in Him, and all for Him, for His glory!  We could not love you more John Love!  ~ your smitten mom and dad

the birth of a star in our hearts?

Anyone who's read much here will know that I'm a grateful reader of Ann Voskamp.  Her post yesterday is just too good to leave unmentioned here.  Just too good, too beautiful, too full of eternity and forever glory...

If you feel at all stirred by the excerpt below- and I hope we all are- please read the whole magnificent thing over at Ann's blog.  

"They say that 77% of practicing Christians believe Christians have a responsibility to adopt, but only 5% of Christians have adopted — and I get why it’s tempting to think you shouldn’t adopt and someone else should and I get the choking fears and I get the questions that won’t stop haunting and I get that supporting adoption doesn’t mean that we’re all called to adopt because caring for orphans looks different for each of us, but it has to look like something —  and I never stop getting over how Jesus left the 99 for the 1 and the whole focus of our Father is fighting for orphans, making them sons and daughters.

God searched for you, found you, fought for you, signed the papers with His blood and He adopted you and brought you Home –and the only way any of us get into the family of God is through the most painful adoption.

If real belief cares for the orphans — can one be a believer and not be caring for at least one orphan in some small way? 

Adoption is all of the broken’s story.

We’re all sort of a different kind of the same kind of broken. "

Good, Good News {Welcome to our new, dearly loved nephew!}

A new redhead has been welcomed into the world and into many wildly ready to LOVE THIS CHILD hearts in the K family.

Evan Lloyd, you are an answer to prayer, an evidence that indeed "God is gracious."

If you're interested in the name, you'll see in Greg (Matt's brother) and Heather's post that there could not be more awesomeness or legacy packed into one little boy's name.    We love it!  We love him.  We love all these Grether Reds and all of our precious ND Ks.

Missing you, loving you, and wishing we could bring over spaghetti or tacos or pie for the big two.... and be with all of you to celebrate this GIFT!

Blessing on you Evan Lloyd.  May you grow as a boy of valor and joy and wisdom and radiant passion for Jesus and super fun wit (how could you avoid any of that in your family!?).  May the Lord's blessing be on your life for His brightest glory, all the days of your precious life.

Just so you know, little love, we're celebrating your birthday with a day off homeschool!  Too much teary joy for schoolwork today!

We love you,
Uncle Matt and Auntie Jill and all your China cousins-  Isaiah, Marian, John and Vivian

#ComequicklyAugust!

Homesick: Hurting for Orlando

#prayforOrlando is a huge pull on our hearts these days as we grieve from too far away, such tragic losses, such gross violence and pure EVIL in a city we love most dearly.... the city where we met and married, where our first son was born, where so many, so very dear ones live.

We are grieving for families and broken hearts and lives shattered by this wickedness of two shootings in one weekend.

May the Lord speak His true Word into all the brokenness across Orlando... for comfort, for hope, for healing, for drawing many to the Truth of Who He is and how we need Him and that He is good,  truly good, fully good.... even though this world is full of wickedness.  May Orlando lift up their eyes to see the loving Father, the suffering Savior, the present Comforter and may His peace be known in your hearts there now...