Introducing my Family!

Hi guys! I realized as I looked back over my previous posts that you don't know much about the people who are my family.

A friend of mine once said, "You don't truly know someone until you know where they come from." She was talking about their emotional background, but I think the same applies to relatives, so today we're going to be discussing my family and hopefully, you'll learn a little more about what makes me, me.

First things first, you should have the opportunity to get to know my parents. They have been married for almost 20 years and the way they met is actually pretty incredible.

My mom's parents were missionaries to Africa, and she grew up living there for four years at a time, then moving to Ireland for a year on leave. Needless to say, her life was very different then most kids her age, and she wanted a husband worthy of her unique experiences. She immediately ruled out all other missionaries (because she wanted to settle down), and all Americans (because at her boarding school the Americans were rather, in her own words "overly-patriotic").

Guess who showed up?

My dad. An all-American boy who moved to the mission field to work as a financial planner.

One night, my mom's dad (my grandfather and also my dad's boss) invited my dad over for dinner. At the time, my father had another girl interested, but he eventually told her the feeling wasn't mutual and set his sights on my mother.

My parents dated for close to a year and eventually, my dad proposed. I must say, if my future husband could take a few tips from my dad on proposals, I wouldn't mind. He went all out! I mean, he brought her to Zanzibar, which is a beautiful island near Africa, took her up to a roof of a hotel at sunset, and proposed. My mom said yes.

They were married a few months later in Ireland and, after a couple years,.... I came along!

Considering I already had four boy cousins, everyone thought I would be the next male child to grace the family, but I proved them all wrong. When I was born my parents didn't tell anyone my gender. My mom's family drove all night to get to the hospital from North Carolina without knowing what color hat they were going to see. I had been a surprise for sure.

Two years later, my mom found out she was pregnant again, this time with my little brother Aidan. I was determined to be a great big sister, and he and I became close very quickly. Over the years we've had a fantastic time playing all kinds of imaginary games, writing stories, and reading books.

Two years after my brother was born, my parents began to feel God's call on them to adopt. As we entered the process, we determined as a family that no mater what picture we received of our future child, we would say yes. My mom was at work about a year into the process when we first saw Andrew's face.

He was an adorable baby at four months old, and we looked forward to him arriving with all the anticipation of soon-to-be older siblings.

When my parents traveled to Ethiopia to bring him home forever, we stayed with our grandparents. I will never forget the moment when I woke up and saw my new brother sitting on the couch, barely able to hold himself up, but with a smile that lit up the room. I never thought I would grow to love someone as much as I did Aidan, but I found a special place in my heart for Andrew. He will forever be the boy who opens doors for me, tells me I look beautiful, and is always offering to help out. He has an incredible servant heart and I will tell you for a fact whoever marries him one day will be lucky to have him.

Finally, after a few more years, we felt the call to adopt again. This time (to even things out) we asked for a girl. Obse, my sweet little sister, came home after a two year adoption process and though it was difficult to get used to the fact I was no longer the only grand-daughter, I love seeing her bloom into the wonderful person she is. Despite the fact that she is only eight she has sang, danced, and laughed her way into everyone's hearts. I couldn't imagine my life without her.

Anyway, I hope that helped you learn a little more about me and my family! As I continue blogging, I'll try to tell more stories about them and help you learn more about us. We are a pretty special group.

Sincerely,

Lara