Happy Birthday Joshua!!!

Twenty-five years ago today, we received a phone call that our son had been born. He was officially ours on the 24th and that is when we went to pick him up. He has brought us a lot of joy over the years. Here are some pictures of Joshua. Happy 25th birthday Joshua. We love you and are so grateful to the Lord for bringing us the gift of you!!!

Joshua and Brittany's New Apartment

Yesterday our fellowship had a work day. The men got together to help Joshua get his apartment set up. It is a very nice apartment over a garage. The garage belongs to this family. They are a wonderful family and I am sure that Joshua and Brittany and Melanie and her family will become good friends. Here is was the apartment looks like from the front of the property. Melanie's house is to the left and you can see the apartment over the fence and through the tree. You would walk around the fence and through a side gate.

Here is a little helper coming through the gate and down the path to the apartment.

Here is looking up the stairs to the apartment.

Here is that same little helper up in the living room. There is a nice kitchen with room for a table, a living room, bedroom and bathroom. It is very nice and will be cozy.

Joshua's Special Day

Twenty-four years ago on this day, I got a phone call that changed my life. Let me back up a bit to twenty- four years ago on the 21st of this month. I got a phone call telling me that my son had been born. Oh, I was trying to protect my heart. He was not mine yet. We had to wait 72 hours for his birth mother to sign papers. Then at 4:27 PM on this day we got a call from our lawyer. Her first words were... "He's Yours!!!!" You have already guessed this, but I am sitting here crying while writing this. So what's new? I was handed a very precious 3 day old baby boy who I had already bonded with in my heart. I was a Mom!!! That year was my first Mother's Day that I didn't want to hide and not go to church where all the moms were asked to stand up. I would be able to stand with them this year. All through Joshua's life even after hard battles when he was older, I always try to remember to tell him this... "You will never do anything that will make me stop loving you. I love you so much and you are my gift from God." Thank you God for these last twenty-four years of blessing.

He now owns his own contracting/remodeling business and does very well. He got an early start.

Here he is as a young fisherman on my Great-Aunt's dock in Florida.

He was a cowboy as well.

In this picture he is not happy, but TOO bad, I was going to take this picture. He is being held by his Great-Great-Great-Aunt Edna. She is my Dad's Great-Aunt.

Here he is dancing with his Great-Great-Aunt Flo. He was one of her favorites and she was one of his. She did not have grandchildren and I believe she adopted Joshua as hers. She is probably around 98 years old in this picture. She lived to be 102.

When he was younger he LOVED to dress up. Here he is at church one morning.

We worked with the college kids at church. We had a handful that hung out at our house a lot. One of them was into dressing up. Joshua tried to emulate him.

Here he is with Jacob, his cousin. Those two were so ornery together, but oh they had fun. I had painted them matching shirts.

He had just lost his first tooth. He was thrilled.

This is on a trip he took out west.

Here he is with his future brother-in-law. They are playing games at the table. This is Boaz. He really likes Joshua and likes to be close to him.

This is a picture of Joshua and his beloved right after Joshua asked her to marry him. That is another one of her brothers, Brasen.

Here is Joshua with another soon to be brother-in-law, Ben. Who knows what they are doing.

Here is Brittany, his beloved. This is their official betrothal picture. This is the one going in the papers. Joshua is an only child, but Brittany is one of 8. Her mother is pregnant with number 9 and due 4 days before the wedding. =)

Joshua, you are not the child of my womb, but you are the child of my heart and no one was ever loved more than you were or are. I love you!!!!

Happy Birthday Joshua!!

Today is a bittersweet day for me. I really should have used Joshua's birthday as my blessing for the day, but chose not to. Partly because it is bittersweet for me. The sweet part is that he is celebrating his 24th birthday today. The bitter or should I just say sort of sad part is that this will be his last birthday at home with us. He is getting married in October to a wonderful young lady whom we love. Yet, our nest will be empty unless God decides to give us more. Joshua is my gift from God. I gave up my right to children and God in His infinite love gave me this precious baby boy.
Happy Birthday Joshua. You are so loved!!!!!!