Okay,
So I will set it straight from the beginning of this post. This is Valerie and I have hijacked Darren's computer and blog while he is napping with the girls. It has been a very exhausting day on the potty training front with at least 5 wet pairs of panties and 3 outfits. Which I might add is a lot of laundry when you are doing it in the sink!
I just wanted to take a moment and blog about my husband who except for God the Father is the most amazing father I have ever met. I'm not sure I can even do this justice but here are some of the things I love best about my husband not his Father's Day:
1) His unwavering trust in God. When I am freaking out and wondering how we will deal with the "what ifs" and "what next," Darren is enjoying and living in the now. Trusting that the answers will be revealed in time, even if they aren't what we would want them to be. There is no way our family could survive this current uncertainty without his faith. When I am undone, he gently reminds me that the God who created the heavens and the earth has us in his hand.
2) His love for our girls, his choice to have 4 daughters. Granted, our two oldest daughters were made the old fashioned way so that is a bit different. Kate and Abby were desperately wanted babies and we were thrilled with them (still are and darn proud every day) but we knew these youngest two would be two more girls in our family and Darren still said "yes." He says yes to all of us every day with his life. He is our girls' biggest fan, always ready to step in and help out, the ultimate soccer coach and best friend. Willing to catch snakes and lizards of any variety, he is always up for the adventure, for the fun. I have never regretted that our girls have had their father at home with them when they were small. He is the greatest!
3) His love for the broken. Darren is already saying "the next time we come to the DRC" while I am saying "Lord get me back home." He is already dreaming up ways that our family can be involved with loving orphans (besides the two crazy girls we hope to bring home soon) in the DRC. Anyone who knows Darren isn't surprised. He would give the shirt off his back, his last 5 bucks away and still give more. It is the only explanation for how he has stayed married to me for 18 years!
4) His love for me. I don't deserve it, could never earn it and have at times taken it so for granted. But this guy continues to love me sacrificially, continues to forgive my daily shortcomings and freak outs and continues to make me feel like he would rather be with me than anyone else in the world.
5) His ability to hang in the Congo on a gated compound with two little Swahili speaking, traumatized and spirited fodder girls. It appears that our girls have not spent a lot of time around men and were fairly afraid of Darren for the first few days. They would only let me take them to the potty, hold them when they were scared and put them to bed at night. Well, they have figured out where the fun really is and are both quickly becoming daddy's girls. So, in addition to the other 2 daddy's girls in our families, we will have a crazy group of 4 girls who think he is the greatest think since peanut butter (did I mention that the twins think peanut butter is the greatest food in the entire universe...except for M&Ms).
We are planning to cook Indian food again for dinner to celebrate Father's Day in the DRC since barbecuing isn't really an option..... Please continue praying for our girls' visas so that we can return home and have all our girls together on one continent. Please pray specifically that the paperwork for the orphan investigation would be complete and that our case would be processed without further delay. Love and miss everyone!
So I will set it straight from the beginning of this post. This is Valerie and I have hijacked Darren's computer and blog while he is napping with the girls. It has been a very exhausting day on the potty training front with at least 5 wet pairs of panties and 3 outfits. Which I might add is a lot of laundry when you are doing it in the sink!
I just wanted to take a moment and blog about my husband who except for God the Father is the most amazing father I have ever met. I'm not sure I can even do this justice but here are some of the things I love best about my husband not his Father's Day:
1) His unwavering trust in God. When I am freaking out and wondering how we will deal with the "what ifs" and "what next," Darren is enjoying and living in the now. Trusting that the answers will be revealed in time, even if they aren't what we would want them to be. There is no way our family could survive this current uncertainty without his faith. When I am undone, he gently reminds me that the God who created the heavens and the earth has us in his hand.
2) His love for our girls, his choice to have 4 daughters. Granted, our two oldest daughters were made the old fashioned way so that is a bit different. Kate and Abby were desperately wanted babies and we were thrilled with them (still are and darn proud every day) but we knew these youngest two would be two more girls in our family and Darren still said "yes." He says yes to all of us every day with his life. He is our girls' biggest fan, always ready to step in and help out, the ultimate soccer coach and best friend. Willing to catch snakes and lizards of any variety, he is always up for the adventure, for the fun. I have never regretted that our girls have had their father at home with them when they were small. He is the greatest!
3) His love for the broken. Darren is already saying "the next time we come to the DRC" while I am saying "Lord get me back home." He is already dreaming up ways that our family can be involved with loving orphans (besides the two crazy girls we hope to bring home soon) in the DRC. Anyone who knows Darren isn't surprised. He would give the shirt off his back, his last 5 bucks away and still give more. It is the only explanation for how he has stayed married to me for 18 years!
4) His love for me. I don't deserve it, could never earn it and have at times taken it so for granted. But this guy continues to love me sacrificially, continues to forgive my daily shortcomings and freak outs and continues to make me feel like he would rather be with me than anyone else in the world.
5) His ability to hang in the Congo on a gated compound with two little Swahili speaking, traumatized and spirited fodder girls. It appears that our girls have not spent a lot of time around men and were fairly afraid of Darren for the first few days. They would only let me take them to the potty, hold them when they were scared and put them to bed at night. Well, they have figured out where the fun really is and are both quickly becoming daddy's girls. So, in addition to the other 2 daddy's girls in our families, we will have a crazy group of 4 girls who think he is the greatest think since peanut butter (did I mention that the twins think peanut butter is the greatest food in the entire universe...except for M&Ms).
We are planning to cook Indian food again for dinner to celebrate Father's Day in the DRC since barbecuing isn't really an option..... Please continue praying for our girls' visas so that we can return home and have all our girls together on one continent. Please pray specifically that the paperwork for the orphan investigation would be complete and that our case would be processed without further delay. Love and miss everyone!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DARREN!!! Valerie, you are blessed ~ by the way I feel like I'm the most blessed woman but I'm glad that you feel that way too!!! :) Continuing to pray that you feel God's incredible peace today in the chaos of your life there at this time and as you play the waiting game under the Congolese gov't and US Embassy!!! Also continuing to pray for God's miraculous hands and grace all over the details of this and that those dealing with the papers and details SEE and EXPERIENCE HIM!!!
ReplyDeleteBlessings precious friends!!! Love you all!!!
Gracie and gang
Me again and I wanted to say, "WAHOO Valerie for hijacking the post, FINALLY!!!" I told Gretchen the other day that I couldn't believe you hadn't hijacked it yet and I was hoping you would do that soon. Nothing against you Darren cuz your posts are amazing and way challenging!!! Just kept wondering how Val was doing and now we know!!!
ReplyDeleteGracie
I am inspired, as always, by your crazy lives. You are definitely more "Interrupted" than "Stuck"!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove and hugs to you all.
Karen
So good to hear from you Val! I feel feel "qualified" to totally agree with you on the reasons why Darren is such an amazing dad & husband since we have been friends with you both since almost the beginning of our marriages - seeing how BOTH of you have grown together and allowed yourselves to be molded by God in this journey to do things for His glory - I know you are God's gifts to each other! BTW I think you are an AMAZING mom too :) I know you feel like you "freak out" sometimes but you are so brave & strong Val, I don't know what I would have done without your friendship and encouragement in my life! Just so you know, today was GOOD day - very good and I am praying that It will just keep going in the right direction! God has been so gracious, and reading your journey has given me inspiration every day. Love you two so much! Give Darren a happy Father's day hug for us & let him know we missed you all today at our BBQ with the Rohn's (Nichole has surgery tomorrow in Denver so we are watching the kiddos, they are sleeping over). We thought about you all today & can't wait to see you all when you get back with those adorable girls!
ReplyDeleteDear Valerie and Darren,
ReplyDeleteSorry for the exotic location for Father's Day, but I am so glad you have made it this far. Take the panties off the girls, they pee where they want where they have lived so far, as do the adult women and men, so the concept might take a wee bit of time, no pun intended. Anyway, that's a small thing and they will soon learn, like the new puppy I have just adopted. She's trying to be a good girl, but if I don't want to wake up at 2 in the morning well...
It is a delight to see a partnership, if only in words as I haven't met you, that works so well. Long may it be happy, and congratulations on your success so far.
Karen forwarded me your latest as I rarely remember which blogs I am supposed to be part of, and the bits of scrap paper I write them down on are somewhere, but where?
I am very happy for you, and if you have 4 girls wanting Daddy's lap, well you get to cook dinner or go for a massage! Joking, but I am delighted with your success.
Michelle in Argentina