Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane

Today's walk down memory lane is so easy for me to decide what to write. I keep thinking about my girls in Romania. They are so far from us, yet I truly feel them with us often. When I am really missing them because we have not heard from them in a long time, or because we are doing something as a "family", I just stop and go through the pictures of our time together and am so blessed. So this week, walk with me as I walk down memory lane from our trip to Romania almost three years ago now.


Here our girls are getting ready to get on the plane. I use to love to dress them alike when we took trips so I only had to recall one outfit in case they ever got lost. Now we all giggle about these outfits a bit. They call them the Pepto Bismol Princess outfits. I love it! I don't care how bright they are, they looked so sweet. We had to leave for the airport so early in the morning and they jumped out of bed with no problem because they knew we were going to see their sisters. They truly were floating all the way to the airport. Matt had gone to Romania the November before, so he knew how long the flight would be and kept telling us to prepare for a long trip. That did not sway the girls. They were convinced if Vio and Gaby could do it, they could. Love that!

Once we made it to Romania, Matt started doing what he does best, cleaning teeth and occasionally pulling them. Here Doodle is helping him do his job. She was so excited to be his special helper. He also had our friend Gaby Simoc helping him.

While Matt was working on teeth, the girls and I were able to play. This picture brings back so many memories. Some may say that it really doesn't show much. You can't see who it is, but trust me, it is precious to me. Here Bean is playing with Alex. Why is this so sweet? Well, Bean is terribly shy. She never really left my side much. Here, we were only at Caminul Felix for about 20 minutes and she starts running off with the kids who live here. She felt safe. It was a precious moment for this mom.

There it is: the picture that touches my heart. This is the first time all four of our girls were together. This photo brings such joy to our hearts. Doodle could not be more excited. She is just beaming to finally have all of her sisters with her.

This picture is of a gypsy village school/church. We were visiting with the guy in charge of the school/church and looked back to see the kids with their faces plastered to the door. This was their safe place. They wanted to be at school and could not wait to get inside. I have often thought about this picture. It reminds me of how I should approach my time with God. Each day, I should plaster my face up against the window as I eagerly await God to open the door to gain more wisdom from His word.

Here we were with kids who have nothing and my head went to mommy mode for germ control! Not cool! God stretched me right then as I saw Doodle playing with the kids. It did not even cross her mind that the kids hands were covered with dirt and germs or that they did not have shoes or clean clothes. None of that mattered to her. It also did not matter that they did not speak the same language. To her, they were new friends who she wanted to share the love of God with. What a heart! This child showed her mom what being the aroma of Christ to others truly looks like. I was humbled immediately by my thoughts and took every chance I could to love on these kids. Below is a picture of the village we drove through before arriving at the school/church. I was humbled to see what people called "home". One thing Doodle reminded me of as we prayed for these people, they were happy. Truly, she is right, these kids had joy even if they did not have shoes or clothes. They were happy. That made me think, do I show that kind of joy with the life God has given me? Do I appreciate what I have in times of struggle and in times of plenty? The answer is truly humbling and something I still work to achieve.

After leaving the gypsy village, I was really having a hard time. I cried on the bus back to the hotel. We were so blessed to have this opportunity, yet I was ashamed how I reacted initially. While that is true, I was amazed at my children. I see now why God says the little children will lead them. So I will follow.

The next stop was the baby hospital. This is where Bean was able to shine. She was only 5 when we went to Romania. Truly she was just a baby herself. (okay, well at least to me) At the hospital, we met babies who had either been very sick or had been abandoned because their parents could not care for them any longer. This hospital was nothing like what we have at home. The babies are not held often and do not get to bond with other people. Thankfully, that is changing as there are now people working to change that. Here, Bean is holding Rosalyn. This baby was crying for everyone until Bean held her. It is her gift.

Here we are again with a picture of our girls together. This was a special day. We had waited to have the chance to spend time with the girls. So after school one day, they made us lunch and took us to see their school and their city of Oradea. The buildings were amazing! I had not seen such architecture before. I felt as I was walking through a page in a history book. It is just beautiful. We enjoyed a pizza as a family. They ordered it the way they usually eat it...with french fries on it! We enjoyed it. After the meal, we walked some more and shopped together. Truly, this was the highlight of our trip. I will never forget what it felt like to have all of our girls together. The most precious picture I will have forever in my mind, I can share with you today. Here they are, hand in hand, walking through the streets of Oradea, Romania.

My heart will always hold this day close. When I miss these girls, I think of this day and know that one day, God will bring us all back together. Until then, we write via email, talk via instant messaging from time to time and very seldom receive a phone call. Most of all, we hold tight to the memories of our days together and know that love knows no boundaries.