Evelyn's Adoption Video

It is somewhat of a tradition among adoptive parents to make a video of their adoption journey. As their children grow they can watch "their story" as a reminder of how much they were loved and longed for even before they were born. Many times while we were waiting for Evelyn's arrival Patrick would come in and find me crying while staring at the computer watching someone else's story of the journey to their child. Although these were happy tears of joy and anticipation there was also an ache in my heart for our daughter to be home in our arms. Now I can proudly say that we have our own story and I can watch it from beginning to end. It is a beautiful story that only the Lord could write, and we are very thankful to be a part of it. Here it is.

This is Evelyn's Road Home.

Evelyn's Road Home from Amy O'Mara on Vimeo.

Happy Father's Day...

...to Patrick from all your "children!!"

...and to Papaw from your biggest admirer!!

We Love you Both!

{Seoul Sisters}

Last weekend Evelyn and I made a trip to meet

Eliza Grace Ethridge

Eliza Grace just came home from Seoul with her new family on June 3.

She is a month older than Evelyn and hopefully they will be best buds one day!

It's fun to think how much they will have in common including their Korean heritage.

Eliza Grace's parents, Phil and Maggie, are dear friends of ours that I have know since kindergarten! We have been through this adoption process together and finally have both of our girls home... at last!

{First meeting..."hey, you look like me!"}

{You wanna share some cheerios with me?}

{Playing with EG's big brother Wilson}

{Cooking some yummy Korean food}

{Getting ready for a teaparty}

{I wish we knew what they were saying to each other!?!?!}

Welcome Home Eliza Grace!!!

{Evelyn's Baptism}

Evelyn's baptism took place on Sunday, May 22.

Amy and I meditated often on this day when Evelyn would receive the sign admitting her into the local church body.

She wore an eloquent dress made by a friend. Family and friends were in town.

Our Evelyn, no longer fatherless and orphaned, was receiving this sign of the covenant. Sentimentality crept its way into this day so easily. We struggled for this to not be the case.

Beautiful, yes. Sentimental, no.

The beauty of her baptism is that this sacrament points not to Evelyn, but to our Redeemer and God's faithfulness to His people; not our response, but to His provision of the Lamb, the Lamb worthy to be praised; not to our obedience as parents, but to our Father's great love for his covenant people.

We long and pray for the day when Evelyn's heart will be opened to the reality of her sin, the truth of the Cross, and when she will confess the reality that her

"Redeemer lives and at last He will stand upon the earth."

Evelyn's dress was lovingly made for us by a dear lady in our church Mrs. Lee Jones. She gave it to us as a gift at Evelyn's birthday celebration before we even had her home! It is an absolutely beautiful and priceless heirloom that Evelyn will be able to pass down to her children one day.

Thank you Mrs. Jones!