Immeasurably More

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY, RILEY!!!!

A year ago today Riley arrived in the Detroit airport! It was such an exciting day! Michael and I woke up early, and I packed and repacked the diaper bag. We went next door to "Big Boy" and tried to eat. Then, before we knew it it was time to take the hotel shuttle to the airport. We met another family on the shuttle bus whose baby girl was on Riley's flight. Riley's flight was supposed to arrive around 1:30pm, but by the time it actually landed and everyone went through customs it was actually closer to 4:30pm before his escort walked through the doors holding our precious son!

What an amazing moment that was--when we held our son for the first time. All of the loss and struggle and disappointment in trying to become parents felt truly worth it because that journey led us to Riley. It is hard to imagine the pain that Riley's birthmom must have felt in making an adoption plan for him, but I pray that God gives her peace and that one day she will have the opportunity to parent other children. Because of her selflessness we celebrate our son today.

This year has been one of the best years of our lives. God has truly turned our mourning into joy. When we got married we had great "plans" for our life together, but never could we have scripted it more wonderfully than the Lord did. The words to this song were ones I clung to when I wondered WHEN I was going to be a mom, and they were also the words that my heart celebrated with joy when the day finally came.

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Here are some pictures from September 13, 2006 and then a recent picture of Riley's contagious smile. Also, I have posted below the pictures the link to the slide show we made for Riley's birthday, which has a lot of footage of today a year ago.








Here's the link to Riley's video: http://www.clipshack.com/riley1