She’s also grown into such a classy lady.  There was a day when she would run to my closet for an outfit, but now I go to hers!  It’s neat to see how our tastes are alot more in line as we get older — I’d like to take some credit for rubbing off on her in someway or another over the years.  : )

Her dedication and devotion to Jesus this past year has also grown in such a beautiful way.  It’s a wonderful thing to see someone actually lean on Jesus.  Not just in words, but also in action and deed.

In honor of her birthday this year, I rummaged through the home goods section of my belongings in my parent’s basement (yes, I put up signs in my parent’s basement) and chose some special linens and an array of vintage dishes for a quaint backyard dinner surrounded by 8 of her closest girlfriends.  With the help of a couple friends, I cooked up a meal of spinach strawberry salad, stuffed mushrooms, bread, grilled chicken tandoori tacos, spring vegetables, a vegan dessert mousse, banana dream cake (and it was a dream!), and lastly a Whole Foods strawberry shortcake (thanks Gifty!).  Supper was scheduled to be served after sunset.  After the sun set, the outdoor lights were turned on, the candelabra lit, I donned my apron, and the table set for a cozy dinner surrounded by the cool night air.

There is surely something romantic and cozy about outdoor dining.  It’s something Greg and I hope to do lots of when we move to our own place.  I’d love a backyard patio adorned with twinkly lights, hanging vines, wildflowers, and an outdoor farmhouse table always set for a meal to share.  I love bringing out the good dishes when I plan a meal.  Sure there are tons to wash afterwards, but it makes dinner all the more special.  The way I see it, planning a meal takes thoughtfulness and creativity — the whole process of bringing people together around a table to break bread is special and totally worth all the effort and time put into it.

[...I'm a week late in posting this -- unfortunately my blog time has been cut in half!  But I'm hoping to update it at least once a week from here on out.]

You won’t usually see me in photos — let’s just say I’d prefer to stay behind the camera.  However, after Dhara was born, I started thinking that for posterity’s sake, I needed to be purposeful in being in the occasional family photo, like here and here.  Even though I dislike being in photos, I think it’s important that my children have photos of us together.  I want them to have photos of a young mama with her young kiddos.  There’s something beautiful about seeing a picture of your parents when they were young parents.  I want to make sure that in all the hustle and bustle of this life, my kids have a few pictures of me to look back on — even if it means only once or twice a year like Mother’s Day and Christmas.

Mother’s Day this year was pretty swell.  It started off on Saturday with Greg’s parents coming into town and cooking us an amazing meal of grilled barbeque and teriaki chicken, grilled steak, grilled pork tenderloin, beans, quinoa, cornbread, lemon meringue pie, cherry pie and a large bowl of delicious fruit.  What a blessing that was!  Thank you Dad and Mom, it meant so much to us!

On Sunday (Mother’s Day), we ended up staying home from church because the boys have been really fussy due to gas.  Greg let me get a few hours of rest while he watched the boys — a real treat since sleep is so hard to come by these days!  I was also given the gift of an awesome, awesome retro pistachio colored Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer.  And lastly, my darling husband and daughter got the garden ready for this year’s small crop — there was no way I could do it with the twins this year.

love how my little busy bee, dhara, is perched on the edge of the garden bed

[If we're friends on Facebook, you may have noticed my love for Instagram.  Been using it everyday since I got the app a couple weeks ago -- it's such a great way to capture life everyday, because for the most part I don't have a camera handy, but I do have a cell phone!  Love it!]

Mother’s Day got me thinking…  In the 4 years we’ve been married, we’ve been blessed with three children.  I always wanted kids, a large family even.  However I must say that child rearing is hard — the hardest thing I’ve ever done — and my kids are young, all two and under!  The challenges only get bigger from here on out.  Motherhood means laying my life down for them on a daily basis — not an easy task!  It takes discipline and selflessness.  And yet, there’s a joy that comes when I look at my children, even though I know life isn’t easy.  There’s a love that grows for them every single day.

I feel so blessed to be called a mother, and be given such a cool and out-of-this-world-rewarding job to care for these little treasures. [2011, 2010].

rohan [left] / kieran [right]

rohan [left] / kieran [right] by CHP

The boys are already a month old!  It’s the weirdest thing to look at the two of them and know they are mine — these two sweet sweet baby boys.  I know the common term among little boys is that most are “mama’s boys,” but I never really liked that term — maybe it’s because I usually like to go against the grain of tradition.  Dhara is my mama’s girl — she’s my buddy, my little partner in crime.  However, Greg tells me that in time these boys will occupy a part of my heart that not even my little girl can.  I’m excited to see what that feels like.  We shall wait and see.  : )

Rohan is my baby with the stormy blue-grey eyes.  He’s the elder and the smaller of the two.  He smiles all the time in his sleep — his smiles revealing two huge dimples which I love.  He makes the funniest old man noises when you move him around in your arms — I joke that it’s because he hates being manhandled.  The past few weeks have been hard on him because he seems to be having a bad bout of gas which often wakes him up from his slumber.  If he’s not troubled by gas, he seems to be a very content baby who loves watching his surroundings with great big curious eyes.

Kieran is my sturdy boy.  He’s strong and contemplative and loud.  His sturdiness reminds me of Dhara when she was born — she was also a strong little baby.  Most people who see Kieran say he looks like me.  He loves when you talk to him.  He’s beginning to smile more and more, and like Dhara, he’s got one dimple on the left cheek.  He loves to sleep and can sleep for a few hours at a time during the day.

kieran [left] / rohan [right] by CHP

I’m not going to lie — caring for two babies (and a toddler) day in and day out is not easy.  I never thought it would be easy, but I never thought it would be this hard!  The looong nights of feedings, the endless diaper changes, constant bouts of gas, and two babies crying at the same time.  Whew!  Sometimes I just want to give up.  But the thing is, I can’t give up — this is a train that’s going whether I like the grueling pace or not — no stops, no breaks.  I know this newborn stage is rough, especially since they were born 4 weeks prematurely.  Even though it’s rough, I know it’s also fleeting and will be done before I know it.  A part of me is looking forward to a couple months from now when they are more engaging and sleep longer through the night!  All in all, we are totally in love with them and feel so blessed to be given two little boys even though it may be hard at times.  They are a gift and we are grateful.

rohan [left] / kieran [right] by CHP

A huge thank you to Chelsea Hudson Photography for the amazing photos of the boys!  If you remember our love story from a month ago, we won a photo shoot and we chose to use it on the boys!  Love her stuff!!!  Check out her blog for more of her lovely work.

Our twin boys are finally here!  Meet Rohan Hudson + Kieran Tozer.  (First names pronounced “row-haan” and “keer-in.”)  And 4 weeks early too!  Rohan and Kieran, fraternal twins, were born at 36 weeks gestation via cesarean section on Saturday, March 24th, 2012 because my water broke at 3 AM that morning.

Rohan, the elder of the two [by a minute], was born at 9:32 AM at 5 pounds/6 ounces and 19.25 inches long.  Kieran, was born at 9:33 AM at 5 pounds/13.4 ounces and 18.5 inches long.  Greg and I are truly in awe of these little people. It’s the sweetest thing to see our two boys laying together in their cot, forehead to forehead like best buds.

Like Dhara’s name, it was important to us that we choose meaningful names that represent our heritage.  The boys’ first names are Indian.  And if you are wondering about their middle names, Greg was keen on naming them after mighty men of God who lived their lives for the glory and honor of God.  Men who made an impact for the Kingdom.  Men who the boys can look to as a godly example and inspiration as they grow into men.  When Greg told me of his idea for middle names I immediately fell in love with it, hence the names Hudson and Tozer!

Rohan:  in Sanskrit, it means the one who takes the higher path; ascending / Hudson: after Hudson Taylor; radical missionary to China, man of faith, purpose, and resolve — a man who changed a nation.

Kieran:  in Sanskrit, it means ray of light / Tozer: after A. W. Tozer; Christian writer, a man of clarity and understanding, a man who knew God, encouraged others and helped others passionately pursue God.

our little smith dudes

Health-wise, we are so thankful that the boys have normal levels of jaundice, unlike what we went through with the Dhara-girl.  And my incision from the c-section is healing nicely.  Exciting news — we also may be going home today! [We joke that the babies aren't really ours until we have permission from the hospital to take them home -- until then, the babies belong to the hospital.] Overall, we are so grateful for all the prayers and love we received these past 9 months, and are so excited to now be a family of five!

Pregnancy Must-Haves:

• red raspberry tea or Mama’s Red Raspberry Brew - I purchased my organic tea in bulk from Bulk Herb Store — it’s something both Greg and I enjoy drinking before bedtime — here are the benefits of red raspberry tea
• calcium pills
• DHA pills
• wheat germ
• evening primrose oil
• belly salve – I use Mama Bee Belly Butter
• rice sock – handmade in my Bradley Method Class
• yogurt – Greek yogurt especially is high in protein

Post-Birth Must-Haves:

for breastfeeding:

• Mama’s Milk Tea – if you plan on breastfeeding, this is a tea that helps in the production of milk — purchased in bulk from Bulk Herb Store
• oatmeal – oatmeal also helps in the production of milk
• cloth breast pads – as a nursing mom, I went through so many disposable pads, that I ended up investing in cloth pads or you can make your own
• Medela nursing stool – this is one of those items that worked out so well for me! it was sooo very helpful with nursing a baby!
• Boppy nursing pillow – this time around I made sure to have 2 — one for home, and one for the car
• breast pump
• Maternity nursing bra – unlined, cotton, soft, so easy

for a comfortable baby:

• pacifier – I know some moms have a problem with pacifiers, but this was so helpful at calming baby and putting her to sleep — after 4-5 months she weaned herself off it
• warm mist humidifier – great for fall + winter months when babies’ noses get too dry
• Aden + Anais OR Luna Lullaby Blankets – these are GREAT swaddle blankets; now that I’ve been using these, the typical sized receiving blankets seem worthless to me — for some reason I’ve noticed the Target brand of Aden + Anais are made of a better quality than the regular Aden + Anais blankets
• kimono onsies + tops – love my kimono onsies from Kate Quinn Organics and Nature Baby
• changing table – as a recommendation from my cousin, I got my Pottery Barn changing table off Craigslist — I LOVE it!  It’s been my most used and loved baby must-have
• changing pad covers – along with a changing table, I LOVE my quilted covers from Land of Nod — I would never go back to any other cover!
• a soft, smooth diaper rash ointment – cooling – Burt’s Bees Diaper Ointment
• pre-bath oil – Burt’s Bees Apricot Oil or jojoba oil
• baby sling and/or baby carrier – we love the Ergo carrier

What is something that you recommend as a must-have for pregnant women, new mommies, or baby?  I would love to hear!

Today marks my 35th week of pregnancy, and I can truly say I’m so ready to meet these little guys.  While I’m SUPER excited to be a mom of twin boys, I’m also intimidated at the thought of how my life will change taking care of two babies in addition to a toddler, and how I’ll ever love them as much as I love Dhara.  How can that much of me go around, and go around thoroughly?  I hear this is a question most moms wonder when pregnant with their second child.  But it’s truly a valid question, and one I am anxious to find the answer to.

As of now, I’m having to go into the city for monitoring and ultrasounds twice a week!  This weeks’ monitoring proved that one twin sleeps while the other takes the night watch — they aren’t usually awake together.  Position-wise, Baby A is breech, and Baby B is transverse — if they decide to stay in these positions I am quite certainly a candidate for a c-section between 37-38 weeks.  I’m coming to terms with this if it’s what needs to happen, but I’m still praying for a miracle!

In other baby news…  We get the question quite often, “So have you picked out names???”  Sadly we have to tell those folks that the boys’ names are a secret until their birth — it’s more fun that way.  Though one thing you can be sure of is — our names don’t rhyme — no matter how much my grandma would like them to.  : )

My sweetie-pie grandma also tends to think twins should always dress identically.  I was initially super against this notion of dressing twins identically because I’m a real proponent of having one’s own identity and being your own person.  BUT, as I’ve shopped around for boys clothes these past few months I’ve found that I can’t just buy one really cute outfit because the other twin would need to look equally as cute.  : )  SOOO, on occasion you will find my twins wearing identical outfits or outfits that are identical but in different colors.  Speaking of boys clothes, I’ve finally discovered I love little boys in cardigans and I love stripes!  The options for cute boys clothes are so limited because most come adorned with little funny characters or cars, trucks, and dinosaurs.  Good thing there are still stripes!  And leather suspenders are definitely a plus.  ; )

Also, we are officially owners of a mini van!  Never wanted to be the mom driving a mini van — we wanted something more like a Suburban — but after driving the van for a few weeks now, I can vouch that it’s a very, very comfortable ride.  Plus, I can’t imagine toting 2 carseats back and forth from a Suburban — can you?

As these last couple weeks come to a close, I still have to wash baby clothes and cloth diapers, hang the swinging bassinet cradle, possibly find a king bed on craigslist, steam clean our bedroom carpet, and pack my bags.  Crazy that two will be joining us in no time at all…but oh so exciting!

I’ve never knit a hat before, so for this project I chose Hadley’s pattern for the Modern Baby Bonnet in size 0-3 months, also found via Ravelry, here.  It’s so cute! I knit the hat using straight needles and Artful Yarns Cliche in the color, natural linen.  I really like this yarn because it’s made up of a combination of cotton and linen.  It’s especially nice for a spring baby because of the cooling nature of cotton and linen.  Unfortunately, I think my hat falls under the 3-6 month category — it turned out a little bigger than 0-3 months.  But it’s ok, it will end up being a cute fall hat.

Overall it was a fun knit.  I’m happy to finally have made a hat — it’s not as complicated as I thought.  And how my fingers have missed the rhythm of knitting — it’s so therapeutic!  Now I’m off to figure out what to knit next!

As the day of the twins draws closer, I’ve been on the search for some specific items that we’ll be needing.  I’ve compiled a short list of 5 products that I’m really excited to begin using, and I’m hoping to do a review on each one once I’ve used them for a bit.  I love reading/watching product reviews, so hopefully my findings may be helpful to someone.  Yay or nay — we’ll see!  Here’s my list:

Bumbleride Indie Twin:

I never thought I’d be the one with the double stroller!  So when we found out we were having twins, I began the search for the dreaded beast of a double stroller that would be good for our lifestyle.  First and foremost, I want a side by side stroller.  I don’t like having one child not being able to see past the other child’s head.  Some other things that I needed in a stroller — the ability to accommodate 2 car seats simultaneously, a BIG basket for storing diaper bag/misc items, seats that fully recline, narrow enough to fit through doorways, a cup holder for moi, and a stroller that looks more modern than the outdated double strollers out there.

The Indie Twin fulfilled all my requirements — EXCEPT the price tag ($700) — so began our search on Craigslist.  We ended up driving to New Jersey to purchase a brand new Indie Twin from a mom of twins for a much better price than retail. Sweet deal.  I love Craigslist!  She ended up being soooo nice.  She included additional accessories that wouldn’t normally come with the stroller.  This is one of those purchases that I’m feeling really optimistic about — so I pray that this stroller be good to us!  Thanks to Papa and Granmummy (my grandparents) who gifted this to us!

Hanging Cradle/Swing:

I initially registered for a Papasan Swing even though the very thought of it in my room irritated me.  While it may work great, it’s an awkward piece of equipment, and really not that pretty!  But I figured with two little babies to take care of, I would be in need of something to entertain/console one baby if I’m busy with the other baby, and vice versa.

After seeing the Papasan Swing, my mom wasn’t too enthused either.  She recommended a bassinet swing — which is what she used for her own three kids. She thinks it’s better for baby to lay flat, rather than lay in a semi-sitting position. Unfortunately, these types of swings have been taken off the market for some reason — there are not many like the one she used.  So we searched high and low and came across various hanging baby cradles/hammocks — a product used all around the world except in the USA!  I wonder why?

Anyway, my mom and I settled on this one from Nordic Bliss, a shop based out of England.  The young couple who own the shop are Scandinavian and love all things from the Nordic countries, so they started a shop that sells house wares and textiles from all over Scandinavia.  This particular hanging cradle hangs from the ceiling and swings — our bedroom ceiling is about 13 feet high, so this should be interesting.  Plus, I think it’s the most adorable thing ever!  Thanks to my awesome mom who purchased this cradle as a gift to the twins!  Thanks Mommy!

Lulu Wrap:

I love baby wearing.  I remember the first time I wore a baby — my cousin’s eldest daughter, Anna.  We were at the mall on a shopping excursion and wearing a baby just felt right.

Here is a post on the various slings/carriers I used with Dhara.  I ended up selling my Maya Wrap and Puj Sling on Craigslist because I wanted to try a stretch wrap.  I went with the Lulu Wrap — which is most similar to the Moby Wrap.  Here is a video demonstrating one, among many, holding methods with the Lulu.  I messaged the stay-at-home mama/designer, Elle Rowley, asking her how the Lulu is different from the Moby, and she said it’s “less bulky, lighter weight, more breathable, they come in nicer colors, no tacky labeling, and are handmade!”  I think the handmade sold me.  : )

I’m still on the search for a woven wrap — my most favorite being the Ellevill Zara Wrap (here and here) and the Didymos Wrap – but ouch, those price tags are scary!  But aren’t they beautiful?!

Puj Tub:

From the makers of the Puj Sling, here is the Puj Tub!  I’m really excited to use this tub for some reason.  I just remember bathing Dhara in the basic plastic tub we got when she was an infant and it being an uncomfortable experience for her.  The Puj Tub looks so comfy.  Here is a video demonstration of the Puj Tub in action.  Looks like a cozy bathing experience to me!

Life Factory Glass Bottles:

I’m such a sucker for glass bottles.  When I had Dhara, I purchased the Medela Glass Bottles — and while I loved the shape and make of them, they always leaked! I’ve heard rave reviews about Life Factory Bottles, so I found a great deal on them and invested in 8 bottles.  The nice thing about these bottles is that they are compatible with my Medela Breast Pump, they’re adorable, and lastly, they are made of a thermal shock resistant glass which prevents breakage when put in the freezer, to boiling water, to even falling on the ground.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m referring to, I submitted our love story for a contest on Chelsea’s blog.  There were a total of 4 stories in the running, and our story ended up winning thanks to everyone’s votes via Facebook — we won with 88 votes!  So thanks again for all your votes!!!  Here’s our story if you didn’t get the chance to read it…

“A New Thing”

(based off of Isaiah 43:18-19)

“But forget all that — it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

As a first generation American born Indian, I never dreamed of marrying a non-Indian.  It’s not a common thing.  No one in my family has ever done it.  But with respect to me, the good Lord would have it differently.  It’s so hard to keep this story short and succinct, because I could literally write a book detailing the wonderful miracle of joining Susan Kurikeshu to one Gregory Smith.

***

Greg and I met in a college ministry group at the University of Maryland in the spring of 2003.  It was the first kick-off meeting of the semester, and I had been invited to attend.  (I was born and raised in a Christian home, but it never occurred to me to join a Christian group on campus until my third year of college!).  After the meeting that evening, Greg, a student leader in the group, walked up to me and we hit it off instantaneously — him being the gregarious person he is, was able to navigate around my timidity and got me talking like we had been friends for years.  And it truly felt like we were longtime friends.  During that conversation we learned that we lived a mile from each other for 10 years of our lives, went to brother/sister Catholic high schools, and went to the same Baltimore campus for our first semester of college before transferring to the same school which we were currently in.

He walked away from our meeting that night thinking, “Wow, I could marry that girl.”  I walked away from our meeting that night thinking, “Wow, he’s like the boy-next-door-friend I never had.”  You see, it never occurred to me to consider a non-Indian guy –- it wasn’t part of my upbringing or culture, so being “just friends” was as far as my mind would go.  Plus, I had always wanted a “boy-next-door-friend.”

Over the next 6 months, our friendship blossomed into something really special -– it’s so hard to explain, but the words that come to mind are: pure, childlike, adventurous, and FUN!  We were like kids who loved exploring together.  Our friends thought it pretty amusing.  The whole time we kept our liking for each other a secret.  Although it wasn’t much of a secret to our friends because our faces always lit up whenever we saw each other on group outings, or bumped into each other on campus, or had an occasional lunch together at the campus co-op — we just loved being in each other’s company.  But we never talked about our feelings for one another -– I for one would never have said anything due to my family background, and for some reason I was doubtful that he would say anything either.  I guess I thought it would just be a fun season in college to have such a dear friend.

It was that summer that I received an email from Greg telling me that he had feelings for me, and that he couldn’t go on hiding it from me if we were to be friends.  I was shocked that the truth had finally come out, but realized that it probably had to come out eventually.  The first person I told was my sister -– she started crying and asked, “Why are you doing this to us???”  She knew how hard it would be on my parents if they found out.

And hard it was.

The next 4 years would be a journey that my family, myself, and Greg never thought we’d be on.  My parents — immigrants from India — never imagined that their daughter would be interested in an American boy.  It was out of the question! They were already looking for good Indian boys to marry their eldest daughter.  When they found out about Greg they didn’t even want to discuss the idea.  In all their passion, they just said, “NO!”

I never gave up.  Because Greg and I were part of the same ministry and part of the same group of friends, it was hard not to see each other even if my parents didn’t want us to.  Trying to explain to Greg about my family background was also hard because entering into a relationship seemed so simple to him, but it wasn’t.  For me, culture and family play a heavy hand in who I am.

My parents — God fearing folk – had some time to think about the “predicament” their daughter was in.  While their minds wanted to say “NO!”, they knew they couldn’t unless God said “no.”  So they ended up saying they would pray about the situation.  They never gave me the “yes” I wanted so badly to hear, but they never again gave me the emphatic “NO!”

It was a journey of truly dying to what I wanted most — to be married to my best friend.  While the world was doing just that –- people marrying their best friends — I didn’t and couldn’t go against my parents’ wishes.  In the end, I determined there was no blessing in something my parents didn’t bless.  I needed their blessing with whomever I ended up marrying.  Even Greg eventually realized the importance of honoring my parents in this decision.

***

After graduation, Greg left for a yearlong campus ministry internship in Illinois. During that year my parents asked that we take a fast from each other and pray for the Lord’s will.  Greg and I may have spoken 2-3 times over the course of that year he was away.  It was so hard to not talk to the one I had grown so close to.  During that time my parents encouraged me to be open to what the Lord may bring -– they were implying another person.

The summer Greg returned, my parents asked that I take a trip to India to meet a “proposal” of sorts.  For those of you who don’t know, a “proposal” is someone to consider for marriage.  My parents had basically found someone of good family background, education, God-fearing, etc. that could possibly be a good fit for my family and I. So as confused as I was at the time, I went to India thinking, “Well maybe God does have someone different for me.”  The person I met in India was a great guy – modern, an awesome Christian, and someone who would get along with my family wonderfully.  It was also in India that I received a word from God from Isaiah 43:18-19, “But forget all that — it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.  For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

I came back home from India knowing God would do something, but I wasn’t sure what and with whom.  When Greg heard about the purpose for my trip to India he was heartbroken.  He did not want me to just get married to any guy for the sake of my family, but there was nothing he could do but pray.  I also prayed for God’s will concerning the guy in India, but the peace never came.  I told my parents that I could not move forward with the proposal.  Thoughts of Greg always came back to me — the way we looked at each other, the way we spoke to one another, the way we were like kids when we were together — it was this I wanted in a marriage –- a simple LOVE that makes your heart ache when you aren’t with that person.

To make a long story short, I told Greg that I couldn’t move forward with the Indian guy — that I just didn’t have peace.  And as the next summer rolled around (Year 3) my parents realized that Susan was not interested in other “proposals.” They came to realize that they either had to get to know this Greg Smith, or they had to answer questions regarding their unmarried daughter.  So they came forward and told me they wanted to get to know Greg.  They liked him, but as hard as they tried, it was still so difficult to come to terms with their daughter marrying a non-Indian.  They just couldn’t come to grips with it, even if they wanted to.

So during the summer of 2006, Greg and I met at an Irish pub in downtown Baltimore to end a sweet friendship that had begun 3 years prior.  It was a bittersweet day for us because it was the first time we actually went out to a restaurant alone together –- like a date — but we knew it would be our last time. As hard as it was, we both came to the conclusion that no matter how hard we pushed, prayed, and wanted — God was closing all doors for us to move forward in our relationship.  I left the restaurant that day not sure if I’d ever see him again.  I wept all the way home thinking that the last 3 years had been a waste.  Once I reached home, I ran straight to my bed and opened my bible.  God gave me Psalms 18 (so powerful!).  After reading it, I knew God was going to do a beautiful work in my life.  I wasn’t sure how or when or with who, but I knew He would.

Three days later, without me knowing, my parents asked an uncle (specifically a spiritual leader) of mine to meet with Greg to get to know him better.  They met, and my uncle came back and reported to my parents that they would not find another boy as great as Greg for their daughter.  And for some unknown reason other than GOD, they instantly felt the peace they needed to move forward with this American boy!  Don’t ask me why, when, or how, but God truly brought a peace that passeth all understanding to their hearts.  No longer did they care about what family or friends thought — they knew that God was at work.  (And folks, this is THREE days after Greg and I called it quits!  Three days after we died to our desires!  Three days after we completely let go and let God.  Talk about resurrection!).

On the flip side, Greg was ready to move on.  Don’t get me wrong, he stayed the past 3 years because he believed in it, but after three years of being tugged here and there with no real answer, he was ready to move on.  He compared the feeling to an engine that ran out of oil.  So while my parents were ready to move forward with a no-turning-back “YES!”, Greg was ready to tell us all he couldn’t do it.

So a few days later, Greg was ready to stop by my work to give me the unfavorable news, when all FIVE of his spiritual leaders gave him a call at different times during the day without him contacting them –- (to this day, Greg says something like that never happens!) They all felt that he shouldn’t give up on the dream, and that it wasn’t God’s will for him to give up on the dream.  So instead of stopping at my work that day, he drove right by, and said to God, “Lord, I’m ready to do this again if You are in it.”

And God surely was in it, because the following year was all about Greg and I becoming best friends again –- and with my parents’ blessing!  Greg proposed in the spring of 2007 after a quaint picnic and prayer walk around campus he got on one knee in front of the campus chapel.  We got married in a beautiful wedding surrounded by family and friends who fully supported us in the fall of that year. And we can truly, wonderfully say we know for a fact that it was all God.  I see my family and extended family and how they love Greg, and it just makes my heart so full to know that waiting patiently upon the Lord only leads to an abundant life.

When trials and things come our way, we can put our full assurance in Christ knowing that He is the one who let an imaginative American born Indian girl walk into a college ministry that one fateful night, so that she could meet an amazing man of God who waits on the Lord, and who won her over with his childlike faith. Nine years later, (5 years being friends + 4 years married), with one darling little girl and twin boys on the way, we look back and can’t believe the journey that God took us on, and that we get to be married to one another.  It’s a gift.  It really was “a new thing,” as God promised!  It all feels like a dream now.  But we know it will only get better!

After I was done making them, Dhara wanted a little playtime with the whales — I watched as she showed the whales to her toy bear (which she lovingly named, “Fency”).  She goes on to say, “See Fency, mama made this.  Be gentle.”