Jimmy * Esther * Zeke * Lilly

Thanks Stephanie for planning a play day, we had a great time!

Zeke and Jack

Zeke and Kaitlyn trying to sneak away. Kaitlyn is Zeke’s first kiss, he kissed her on Sunday!

Dax looks so tough in this picture

Zeke looking back to see if he made it away without being caught

Zeke loved coming next door to look at this shop

Zeke stole this poor little girl’s waffle fry, I didn’t know if I should make him give it back or not because he immediately shoved it in his mouth. Luckily the girl’s parents just thought it was funny, the little girl doesn’t look like she thought it was funny though :-)

Later, Zeke’s cousin Dallin came to play too while his parents went on a date

home again with his buddy Dallin

There’s a new book out by Michael Mclean titled “From God’s Arms To My Arms To Yours”. It is a collection of adoption songs that he has written, with pictures and commentary before each song, and it comes with a CD of the songs. Jimmy and I have enjoyed listening to the CD.

A year ago this month we got the news of a lifetime when we found out we had been selected by a birthmother! We met with our caseworker at LDS Family Services one evening, and it was then that we received the sweetest little scrapbook from Zeke’s birthmom, Samantha, announcing we were going to have a baby boy! In the scrapbook, Sam included the lyrics of “From God’s Arms, to My Arms, to Yours”. This song has such a special meaning to Jimmy and me because of that experience. A month later little Ezekiel James was born! Zeke was the most darling newborn we had ever seen, every feature was so perfect and precious! After placement, (which is when adoptive parents receive their baby), it was very surreal holding little Zeke and knowing that we were finally parents! We had waited over 3 years for our little bundle of joy, but believe me, while we were waiting, it felt like decades! Some days it seemed as though us being able to be parents was only a fairy-tale fantasy.

In Michael Mclean’s book, there are some new songs that are really nice, one that I especially like is called, “Something Perfect”. It’s from the perspective of an adoptive parent, and it’s about the day when they receive their baby.

Something Perfect

There’s an ache that’s missing today
There’s an emptiness that’s been filled
There’s a cloud that’s lifted and drifting away
There’s a raging storm that’s been stilled
There’s a joy that’s real
There’s a wound that’s finally healed
There’s a future replacing the past
There’s breath of new life in a cast

And there’s something perfect happening here
And this moment will bury the mountains of fear
And through countless tomorrows it won’t disappear
This something that’s perfect happening here

No one knows, so no one can say
That tomorrow all will be well
Will the brightest promise that shines on today
Shine tomorrow? No one can tell

But one thing is sure
And will be forever more
When such unselfish love has been given
The world just made more room for Heaven

And there’s something perfect happening here
And this moment will bury the mountains of fear
And through countless tomorrows it won’t disappear
This something that’s perfect happening here

I love “Something Perfect” because I think it captures a lot of the feelings we had when we were placed with Zeke. Life now had so much more meaning, and there was a new hope for the future. The constant ache in my heart was gone. It was so painful wanting so much to be a mother, but not knowing when, or if that would ever happen. It was as if in an instant all of my internal longing and emptiness, was taken away when I held my baby boy.

It’s amazing how much unselfish love is involved with adoption. I am so thankful for Sam, and the love she has for Zeke. I would imagine placing Zeke will be the hardest thing Sam will ever do, and we are eternally grateful for her selfless choice.

Zeke is the joy and sunshine of our lives, a great blessing from Heaven!