the home stretch (and adventures in getting a family photo)

We are in the home stretch here in NC this week.

Home inspection was yesterday, the mad packing up of (whats left in) the house starts this afternoon, see-ya-later lunches and dinners are happening, and a hundred other details are being worked out.

One of my favorite details that was worked out this week was getting a family picture made of our crazy crew for our missionary prayer card.

No small feat for any photographer...and I know this very well!

Good thing I didn't ask just any photographer! My friend Tonya Hurter (who I was just getting the blessing of digging into a friendship with...) is a wonderful photographer with a very similar style and eye to mine. She also homeschools and has three littles of her own...so she is on the level with my world, ha!

She didn't just get the "family shot" (which I'm saving for the prayer card...) but captured some great moments that I will cherish forever.

Of course there is a silly one...we are the Hambricks!

Thank you so much Tonya!!! You blessed our family so much. If you are looking for a great family photographer, you can go here for her info. You can also read her take on our session here.

It is very possible that one of my children freaked us out by falling apart and telling us his "throat was getting hot!"
It is also very possible that we decided to cut our sessions short because we thought we needed to do an emergency benadryl run.
And it is also very possible that this child later admitted to swallowing a fly. Not sure why the fly made his throat feel hot. Or why he felt he needed to hide the swallowing a fly thing.
Due to the cutting it short, it is also possible that we didn't get that one perfect posed family shot for the prayer card and Tonya had to come back out to the house for a second session the next morning.

I bet you can't guess which child it was, ha?!!

We will be using this blog as our main website and information center while we are in Haiti. Therefore, it will be undergoing some changes over the next week or so...so stay tuned throughout any weirdness or glitches on it in the coming days.

Also, if you would like a prayer card...please email me (jennifer @ jenniferhambrick.com) and we will get one in the mail to you!

the mourning process

Since I was completely honest throughout our adoption process, and I am always honest about the ups and downs and craigslist days of my mothering journey...it will probably come as no surprise that I plan on being just as honest about this upcoming Haiti adventure.

The good,
the bad,
the ugly,
the funny,
the embarrassing,
and the beautiful.

This weekend I was am a complete hot mess.

I was an uncharacteristic flood of emotions.
Not the slowly build up the level then blow the dam kind of flood.
No, it was more of the flash flooding kind of flood varieties.

Now, for anyone who knows me...well, you know that I am not a crier.
I am a keep-it-together-at-all-costs kinda girl.
If you tell me I am going to cry at a movie - I won't.
Just out of the principal of it.

I do cry...sometimes.
I just don't like to cry in front of people.
Ever.
(Rarely?)

Not this weekend.

I actually woke up Saturday morning and cried all through my quiet time.
Then I pulled it together when the kids got up.
Lost it again going through the kids dress up clothes. I came undone when I saw this lion costume and remembered my cutest lion wearing it...



Pulled it together for a little while longer.
Then completely lost it when a receptionist was rude to me on the phone.

Well, you get the point.

A true hot mess this weekend.

It was not that I was having second thoughts of our Haiti adventure.
It was not that I was doubting our call.
It was not that I would change anything at all about what we are about to do.

It is that I know a new chapter in our lives is beginning.
Which also means that a chapter of our lives is ending. A very sweet one at that.

With the emergence of every new chapter, there is a loss involved and I while I am excited about what lies ahead I have learned that it is good for me to mourn that loss.

More than good...it is healthy for me to take the time to mourn.

I have learned that at the other end of the mourning process is a renewed excitement and preparedness for all the changes coming our way. A renewed joy in this amazing invitation to be a part of something so much bigger than myself.

But today, I mourn. Mourn what was and reflect on it and give in to the ugly cry and remember it and be ever so thankful for this beautiful chapter in my life.

control (and lack thereof)

I am a closet control freak.
I love to be in control, but I am very good at hiding it to most people.

Most people.

Not my inner circle of Jeremiah and the kids and the few friends I allow to see me freak out when I feel out of control. (You know who you are!)

If there is one thing this  life journey to Haiti has taught me...it is that I am completely and utterly out of control.

I control my reactions and that is it. Period.

Controlling things makes me "happy", but allowing God to control makes me holy.

The thing is...I know this. I know that losing control creates dependency on God. Which is exactly where I want to be. Where I need to be. And dare I say it...where everyone who calls themselves a Christ follower needs to be.

Dependency on God is something you need to be intentional about allowing. For any of you other closet control freaks I am guessing you are really good at a few things. We are really capable, efficient, productive...call it what you want, but we have got some skills!

Or "skillz" as we say here in D-town.

Those skills aren't bad and using them for the work of the Lord is a great thing.

But.

Where you will experience the most relationship and shout the Glory of the Lord the loudest is when you act on His character, not on your own.

Now, I'm not talking about throwing yourself off a building and seeing if God will make you fly. Duh.

I am talking about choosing to obey Gods word in the things that we know are close to His heart...local and foreign missions, caring for widows and orphans, and leading your family just to name a few. Then step out in faith, take a risk, put yourself in a position where God has to be in control and come through because you cannot do it on your own.

It's scary, it's exhilarating, and yet...its peaceful in a deeper way than you will ever experience doing anything else. Soul fulfilling peaceful.

I like the way my pastor put it a few weeks ago...

"Faith is risk. It is acting on the character of the One who is trustworthy."

It is not acting on my abilities.
It is not acting on my character.

It is acting on His character.
His never failing, ever loving, perfect, grace filled character.

...And he has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

thursday thoughts (the state of the family address)

This week has felt very surreal for me.
The closest analogy I can give for this feeling is those last days before a new baby is born or a child is coming home...you know everything is about to change, nothing will be as it was before...but, nothing has changed yet.

Soon, but not yet.

Its strange I tell ya.

I would say that we are all doing well right now. Jeremiah has had a very busy week with work (it is my favorite week of the whole year for our church...Serve Your City Week!) and so we honestly haven't had much time to talk, but I know he is doing good. He has been amazing at juggling the craziness of the last few weeks and attending to all the little details that have to be worked out.

I interrupt this state of the family address for an invitation to join us this Friday for a community movie night if you are a local reader. It'll be fun and we'd love to see you! Click here for details.

Our house officially went under contract this week! We have had a good amount of traffic over the last two weeks and only gotten positive feedback from everyone who had viewed it so we were pretty certain we'd get an offer this week...and we did! Its a great offer and we are super excited. We really struggled with choosing to rent or sell, but are certain we made the right choice for us in selling the house.

I am doing good. I've felt out of sorts this week just with that sense of knowing everything is about to change. I would normally be gearing up hard to start school next week, but instead I just finalized my planning and packed everything up into a suitcase. I would normally be getting excited for the upcoming change in seasons (as much as you can call it a change with the warmth of a NC fall, ha!), but instead I went scouring sales racks for marked down summer clothes for my family to take to Haiti. There is no such thing as a fall or winter season there!

Despite the out of sorts feeling, there is an underlying excitement and peace. I know this is God's plan and I ultimately am resting in that.

The kids also are handling things like champs. I really have been so proud of them! We had to sell a lot of their toys and things and they had such good attitudes about it. Zoe and even the boys really don't have a lot of comprehension of the changes that will happen. To the boys they are just excited about the airplane ride and seeing their grandparents and all the known positives that are coming with the move.

Ella understands a lot more. Up until the last few days I would have said she was doing great and 100% for the move. The last few days she has expressed some apprehension...sadness about leaving friends and family and all that is known to her right now. We are working through it and learning a lot of good lessons in trust and obedience. I know she will struggle at times, but I am also certain that she has a faith of her own and this experience will draw her close to her God in an amazing way. I am just praying for wisdom in leading her through the sad times.

My very sensitive and perceptive sweet girl.

We are excited about the upcoming packed full weekend of seeing friends and getting even more checked off our list!

One more week in North Carolina...wow.

Happy Thursday!

that didn't come out right

Zoe: I see a hoink!
Translation: I see a pig!

Ella: Mom, where is the conculator?
Translation: Mom, where is the calculator?

Ezra: When are we doing boot rear floats?
Translation: When are we doing root bear floats?

Zoe: Night Night fu*#
Translation: Night Night Fox (a picture she has on the wall of her bedroom that she tells goodnight as part of her bedtime ritual.)

Eli: That is so appropriate. (said in the most disgusted manner he can muster up)
Translation: That is so inappropriate.

It's possible that I laugh at them.
And get them to repeat over and over just to laugh some more.

After all, why have kids if you can't laugh at with them?!
Yep, I'm super mature like that =)

An oldie but a goodie. One of my favorite pics of these silly kiddo's.
 - July 2010 

blessings in the here and now

It's been a great weekend...a great week, actually.
Yes, we filled it chock full of museum visits and appointments and so on and so forth.

But we also had a lot of quiet, simple, and meaningful moments.

I feel like I have been given this tremendous gift that I didn't really expect in these last few weeks before the big move to Haiti...

The gift of perspective.

I realize that my time with my friends is short and so I am cherishing their company.
I know I won't have the luxury of museums and libraries and playgrounds...and so we are enjoying them with a new found fervor.
I am taking lots of bubble baths and savoring the luxury of it.
I am singing my heart out like I just don't care during our church worship.
I am soaking in the coolness of our strong air conditioner and sleeping under heavy blankets.
I am calling my mom every day just because I can and its easy.
Instead of being discontent with my house/yard/clothes...I am absolutely utterly content. There is nothing I need.

I realize that these simple things that I normally take for granted (and lets not even go into the realm of the clean water I enjoy or the access to healthcare that is provided for my kids...) are very quickly going to be coming to an end for this new season of our lives.

And when you lose something, or in my case, know you will be losing something...all of a sudden you don't take it for granted.

What a blessing this is!
What a perspective shifter.
I am so grateful and thankful and blessed.

I am completely overwhelmed that my God would choose to use me and my family in this way, in this calling to the mission field in Haiti. I don't feel I am sacrificing. I feel privileged. And part of this privilege is the knowledge of the Lord's blessings on my life...in the here in now of these last few weeks before Haiti.

swiftly fly the years: Zoe Elizabeth turns two!

Oh, the sweetness and sassiness and spunkiness of this girl is just too much.

Too. Much.

She loves her some Minnie Mouse.
And princesses.
And squinkies.
And running around (scaling stair railings) in just a diaper...

She is full of quirky expressions.

She loves her siblings.
And her Abby dog.
And her buddy "Miah."



She is particularly attached to me right now.
I've never had a "momma's girl" before and I have to admit, I am kind of enjoying it.

She is super affectionate and loves to give hugs and kisses.
Insists on kisses from everyone before bedtime and goodbyes.
Multiple kisses.

Is sort of a particular eater...still preferring meat over pretty much anything else. Although she will go crazy for any kind of popsicle or ice-cream treat. CrAzY!

Is officially paci-free except for bedtime!
Still sleeps with her blankies and assortment of minnie mouse, princesses, barbies, or other random stuffed animals.

Has a very strong will and loves to boss anybody who will let her.
Loves to color and play with stickers and paint.

Her first "official" painting =)

Loves shoes and purses and hair accessories.
Doesn't like loud noises and chick-fil-a cows and firemen dressed in their equipment.
Or being told no.
Or having her diaper changed.
Or holding still.

She just cut 6 new teeth in the last few weeks.
Is wearing 2t-3t sized clothes...not sure how much she weighs or how tall she is until next weeks 2 year check up appointment.

She has no clue of the major life changes that are about to happen to her in just a few short weeks. I, obviously, am very optimistic for how she will adjust as her world is her family right now and none of that will be changing...just the environment. I appreciate any prayers for her adjustment and peace for her little soul as her world is about to be rocked.

Oh Zoe, 

I know I say it a lot...but you are so incredibly and ridiculously loved and adored by your family. You are an impish bundle of fun that we could just eat up, we love you so! You are a blessing, a gift from God, and we pray that even now at the young age of two that you know how much you are loved...most of all by your heavenly Father. We are entrusted with you for this precious short time...and we desire to make the most of our time...loving you and training you and enjoying you and sharing the great love of God with you. 

To the great big moon and back,

Your Momma

Thursday Thoughts: museum overload (and photo dump)

I have this checklist I am working through to get all the practical things done before Haiti...wills and insurance and blah blah blah.

Necessary...yes.
Boring...yes.

I also have this 2nd mental checklist I am working through of not so "practical" things I want to do before Haiti.

Necessary...probably not.
Boring...absolutely not!

One of the things on this list included a trip to visit all of the amazing museums that are local to us here in NC...some of them longtime favorites and some of them as first visits.

Not having a lot of time left...and "free" time at that...I decided to squeeze visits to 4 museums into 2 days.
By myself.
It was crazy fun!

The kids loved it, I loved it...and I never even lost a kid (for more than a few seconds!)

Some pictures of our museum adventuring, in complete random and unedited order of cell phone and "good" camera photos, because ain't nobody got time for that anymore...

Outside at the NC Museum of Art Sculpture Walk.

Zoe's favorite...the fish at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences Museum.

Ezra's favorite...the t-rex head =) 

This boy would sit at the origami table at the NC Museum of Life and Science for HOURS. 

                         

The kids loved the mirrored walls at the NC Museum of Art, ha!

Now that we all have our fill of "culture"we can spend the weekend picking our noses and watching cartoons?!


Happy Thursday!

in the wait

**I first wrote this earlier this Summer...before Haiti became a reality. Even now that I've moved out of a season of "waiting" I know there will be more waiting seasons throughout my life and I will need this reminder just as much.**

I recently finished up a Lysa Terkeurst Bible Study: Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.

Kind of a ridiculous name, but if you can get past the cheesy title, it really was a good study.

One chapter especially resonated with me, probably because it dealt with the subject of waiting.

I don't like to wait. I don't know anyone who likes waiting. Anyone. Do you?

Yet, we all have periods of waiting in our lives. And I'm not talking about the waiting for our food at a restaurant or a prescription at the pharmacy...but the God ordained periods of waiting...

For a move, or a job, or for a husband to come to know the Lord. Waiting for a door to open. Or a door to close. Waiting for a child or sibling to come back to God. Waiting to get pregnant, or for a referral for an adoption. Or for that phone call or email with the news.

It can be excruciating.

I think a lot of it (for me) is that waiting reveals my lack of control and my not-being-okay with my lack of control. I am a planner, a woman of action. Give me a check-list and I am in my happy place. Give me a blank sheet of paper with one word on it...wait...and I am likely to throw a very mature and classy hissy fit.

Anyways, in the study we were looking through the life of David, specifically when David was called in off the fields where he was tending sheep and anointed as the king by Samuel. Immediately after his anointing I was struck by the next order of events:

1 Samuel 17:34a But David said, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep..."

After his anointing as king he went back to tending sheep. Waiting. He had been called to something from God...and yet he had to wait before he fulfilled that calling.

But his waiting time wasn't a waste, his waiting period was necessary to prepare him:

1 Samuel 17:34b - 37 When a lion or bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on my, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear.

David's preparation was perfected in the fields of his everyday life.

He didn't complain, he embraced it.
He learned in his season of waiting.
He allowed God to prepare him.
He didn't rush it.

And when the time came to act...he was prepared.

Are you in a season of waiting? Allow God to grow you and teach you and prepare you. Embrace it, don't complain about it. And then, when the time comes to act on that calling...you will be perfectly prepared.

photojournal: Zoe's Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

My Zoe girl is a big Minnie Mouse fan. H.U.G.E.

Which is so funny to me because none of my other children could have cared less about her when they were little...one never knows!

Anyways, we had a small family party (plus the two sweeties I nanny for who got to stay the weekend with us because their baby brother was born!) over the weekend, and the theme was...yep, you guessed it...a Minnie Mouse party.

A few simple Minnie Mouse presents was all she needed. She had PLENTY O' help opening them, ha!

Blurry picture, I know...but her face...oh, her face!

Pink Minnie Mouse overload, anyone?!

She knew just what to do with those candles and blew them right out this year!

Zoe and her "Miah"...these two are such sweet buddies. I'm so glad they could be together for her birthday.

"Official" birthday post to come later...once I'm not taking care of 6 little ones, ages 7 and under, ha!

thursday thoughts (on Friday)

We interrupt all the Haiti posts for a very big Zoe announcement...

She got her first hair cut.

Oh, the cuteness is unbelievable.
Although I was sad to see the big curls at the end go...they are safely saved for the baby book.
She looks like a real and true toddler now.

Allowing a paci and Elmo on the ipad worked like a charm in holding her still!

She turns 2 on Sunday. Sigh.

The house officially went on the market this week.

We did about a months worth of work (yard sale, cleaning carpets, weeding, painting, de-cluttering, major cleaning, landscaping, etc...) in four days.

My body is tired, but I am so stinkin' excited for this next phase!

I can physically take a deep breath and relax for the moment. Jeremiah is hoping that my brain function will return to semi-normal levels, ha!

And if I may, I must say that my husband is a beast! And by beast, I mean that in a complimentary way =) He has done the majority of all the heavy lifting on getting the house ready, staying up late late into the night working on finishing up freelance graphic design projects, as well as a myriad of other necessary things and still manages to fit in time to wrestle with the kids. All of this with a good attitude.

Beast, I tell ya.

The kids got most of their travel vaccines last week...and were great troopers! This week was the rest of the shots and the passport application appointments. Why in the world the US Postal service really wanted all 4 of my children present for these appointments is beyond me, but bring them all in at once we did.

I am already amazed and overwhelmed at the support of friends and family in the process. Cliche, I know...but really and truly amazed! From watching our kids to buying our stuff at the yard sale to offering a storage site for our keepsakes to the prayers lifted on our behalf and on and on.

Again with the cliche...but I really can tell people have been praying for us. Thank you.

We bought our airplane tickets. Official departure date is September 17, 2013.

Yikes!

Haiti here we come.

Happy Friday!

the Haiti adventure: how you can get involved

Alternative title for this post could be "We stink at fundraising!" But that isn't near as classy, so we will go with the other one for now.

We have been inundated by friends with questions of how you can help...and so, without further ado, here are some practical ways you can help us in our new adventure:

1) Pray for us. Duh! No brainer. We are expecting your prayers. If you love us, care for us, or are even just remotely amused and entertained by us...pray for us!

Here are some specific things that are dear to our hearts that we ask you to pray for:

- For our marriage to stay strong. Satan would love to see us succumb to the stress and turn on each other.
- For our kids to have peace throughout all the upcoming transitions.
- Our house to sell quickly.
- Our sanity as we have an enormous amount of details to take care of in a very VERY very short amount of time.
- For an effective ministry in Haiti!


2) Support us financially.

Our position is very unique in that a lot of our major expenses in Haiti are taken care of, such as our housing and airfare costs. However, we still need to raise money to cover our health insurance, food costs (food prices in Haiti are about 2 1/2 times more expensive than here in America...a gallon of milk is $9!), moving expenses to get to Haiti (passports, travel expenses, vaccines, etc.), as well as purchasing a vehicle for us to use in Haiti just to name a few things. We estimate that we need to raise approx $10,00 for a vehicle and $1,500 a month.

We KNOW that God always provides for what he has called us to and so we are trusting in that truth...scary as it can be!

If you would like to give, all our funds will be going through Jeremiah's parents ministry: Until The Whole World Knows, a 501c3 tax-exempt mission organization. All gifts are tax deductible. You can give safely online by visiting their site or you can send a check to:

Until The Whole World Knows, Inc.
731 Duval Station Rd. Suite 107-281
Jacksonville, FL 32218

Just be sure to mark your gifts with our first AND last names since we share the same last name, ha!

Thank you so much for those of you that have already overwhelmed us with your support and prayers! It is cliche...but it really is amazing to see our friends and family joining us on this new ministry.

Also, if you'd like to receive email newsletters once we are on the field, please let us know by emailing me: jennifer @ jenniferhambrick.com (no spaces).

Haiti, here we come!

Not Me Monday

Zoe did not lock herself into the downstairs bathroom one day this week.

I did not realize it until I realized it had been way too quiet for way too long.

I did not panic a bit when I knocked on the door and found it locked with NO sounds coming from inside.

I did not immediately drop to my stomach to peer under the crack underneath the door and see two chubby little feet moving around and start breathing again.

I did not finally get the door unlocked and was greeted by the sight of my very wet from toilet water precious daughter covered in the completely unrolled roll of toilet paper...licking the toilet plunger.

Oh no. Not me.

I'm way better at supervising my children.

Especially this little girl who turns 2 this week...

Yes, my eyes are always watching, always monitoring and supervising...

Ahem.

the whole box of crayons

Ezra doesn't do things halfway. 

Part of the way. 

Or just a little bit.

He goes all in. 

He goes way over. 

And darn it if he doesn't pester you to death about it while he's doing it.

From building airplanes.

to complaining,

to playing a game,

making one of his many millioned creations.

wrestling with his brother,

talking with the doctor,

or making a new friend.

He doesn't want to just eat lunch,

he wants to make it!

When he is mad...he is MAD.

When he is excited...he is EXCITED.

He doesn't color with just one or two crayons,

he uses the whole box.

I love that about him, exhausting as it can be to parent a "high-maintenance" child like him.

In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

The word life in that passage comes from the greek word "zooi" which means abundant, overflowing, and full. It is where we get our word "zoo" from! Not boring, not going through the motions, but an overflowing life. 

Ezra's got a head start on this. My prayer is that this translates into his life as he grows. He has a wonderful gift of just embracing life with all he does and feels...and with Christ leading the way...the world had better watch out!

thursday thoughts

Well, hello August! How did you sneak up on us?

It's been a big week around here.

We decided to sell the house instead of renting it. It is more work upfront but it will be much less stress in the long haul just to be done with it. We have 4 days until it goes on the market...woohoo!

My dear sister Tasha kept the kids for me Tuesday night and all day Wednesday and I worked like a maniac...

Our normally neat and organized garage is very hazardous at the moment!

Now, having the whole house to myself to get into shape I did what any self-respecting mother would do...I set the pandora station to 80's classic rock, pulled my hair back in a pony-tail, and set to work on the kids rooms. Because every mom knows that trying to get rid of toys WITH your kids is never a good idea. All of a sudden that dust-bunny covered happy meal toys from 2 years ago becomes your childs FAVORITE thing in the whole wide world.

Oh, the anguish.

All this cleaning out means that we are having a pretty good yard/moving sale this Saturday. We have a place to store some of our stuff (keepsakes, photos, special furniture, etc.) while we are gone...but everything else we own that doesn't fit inside of the eighteen 70lb bags of luggage we are bringing with us...has got to go!

I have to admit it is very freeing to see all my "stuff" go. 

If you are local, feel free to come by to the sale...even just to say hi!

3 Monarch Way 

Durham, NC 27713

Saturday, August 3rd 

7am - till we drop

Normally I am a very independent "I can do this" kind of person. To let people help me out is hard for me. However, I feel a new side of me developing as I have decided to say yes to every single offer for help...as I know I cannot do the sheer amount of work required to get us down to Haiti in 6 weeks by myself. I just can't. And I am amazingly ok with that. So, this is your warning if you were thinking of offering help...you will be taken up on it, ha!

Jeremiah and I get to take all four kids to the passport health agency this morning for them all to get their travel vaccines.  I don't think I'll be getting any offers for help on this one. You know you are jealous of me =) 

Oh, the anguish!
(Ice cream will make it all feel better!)

Happy Thursday!