It has been a little over 3 months since I have felt any sense of motivation or desire to post on my blog. It is a sad and pitiful situation I am in. I love Washington but I think I have become one of the ever growing number of persons who has developed seasonal depression due to the lack of the sun shining on this part of the world for a few months out of the year. I long for summer, or at least spring when everything comes back to life. I thought that I loved the fall, but really I just love the colors that accompany the crisp season. The season that I long for is summer, ah, summer ; 90 degree heat waves, the tinging of the ice cream man’s truck, ice cold tea, and playing at the beach every chance I get. The winter cannot end soon enough.

What brought me out of my slump and gave me an ounce of motivation was the fact that I wanted to share with everyone the feelings that I have for my in-laws. They came out for a visit at the end of October for a few days, too few in fact. We were a stop among many they were to make, to visit family and friends on the West Coast, as they make their home in the Bronx, NY.

We had a wonderful visit as the sun decided to shine it’s lovely face on us for the three days that they were here. In fact, those were record breaking temperatures for the month of November. We couldn’t have asked for a better setting to visit the Arboretum for the first time. I have been living here in Seattle for over a year and had never bothered to visit the beautiful woods right in my own backyard. Andru was working so we took the kids, all bundled up, and Grandma Kathy and Grandpa George to visit the magical forest with so many different varieties of trees and greenery, it was like being in a human kaleidoscope of fall colors. The air was crisp but not too cold, and the leaves crunched under our feet as we made our way down hidden paths with Tommy leading the way.

I was able to visit with Andru’s mom and the kids kept Grandpa busy running from here to there, always ahead of us. She regaled me with stories of being a mother to a 15 year old teenage girl and all the adventures and misadventures that go along with it. I am sure that I will be able to channel some of the extraordinary mother mojo from her when it comes time for my sons to make their way into teenage oblivion. She has a wealth of knowledge as does Andru’s father and it was such a fulfilling visit in regards to how much I learned from the two of them.

I have so much respect and admiration and warm fuzzy feelings about my in-laws it seems almost indescribable. Kathy and George are two of the most caring, giving people I know who are genuine parents to their 4 biological and 3 adopted kids. I have never noticed them treat their adopted kids, Andru included, any different than their own God-given kids and that is a testament to their devotion and love for each of them. They are my heroes at best and I long to be the kind of parent that each of them are.

Andru’s father has been ill and we continue to pray that God will work his wonders on him, so we were grateful for the short amount of time we were able to spend with both of his parents while they were here. We took a trip out to Pike Place Market and stayed home one night so that Andru could get that nice “home-cooked by Mom” meal he had been craving. His mother showed me a wonderful recipe for chicken cooked on the stove that I can add to my short list of staple recipes. We were also able to take a stroll together as a family along Green Lake and feel the cool air turn our cheeks pink with its touch. It was a task trying to keep Alijah focused on staying on the path instead of running haphazardly along the lake’s shore. He would jump right in if we did not stop him. If anything, he will be one child who takes the road less traveled by.

It was hard saying goodbye after only 3 short days knowing that we would probably not see them again till spring of next year and I was proud of myself for not letting my emotions take over, I held back my tears as we said our farewells. I wish that I had the courage to say things to them that I should have while they were here face to face but I was brought up to hide all my feelings and our family never talked about what was going on inside each of us so I want to take this opportunity to say that I truly admire my in-laws, they opened up to us about their relationship and trust us enough to share their most intimate struggles, as every marriage has, and sitting there, listening to them, I realized yes, Andru and my marriage has it’s share of ups and downs, but that we have made a commitment to each other and to God, and holding onto that is what will keep us together.

A woman I highly admire,  Julie Leung so poetically wrote;  “Marriage is dynamic and amazing…There’s always something new and different, something deeper, something thrilling and something familiar. There are constants and foundations to our relationship along with new challenges and ways to love each other, highs and lows, unseen sharp turns in the road and sweet easy seasons of romance. We thank God for being the glue between us and giving us a love beyond ourselves, flexible and strong, forgiving, spiritual uniting physical, emotions and intellect, sustaining our family.”

Julie was able to put into words what I feel about my marriage and about my in-laws’ marriage. I don’t know how to express the gratitude I feel knowing that we have their support in all things and I wish that we could give back to them the gifts that they bestow on us everyday. I can only give what I know is from my heart and that is this, a prayer; “Heavenly Father, you have given me the gift of another set of parents who are true blessings in my life. They are so needed Lord, not just for the mother and father that they are to their kids but for everyone that they have touched in their incredible lives. Lord, they are the most self-less people I have known and I ask you to please bless their lives a hundred-fold, to ask them they would say that they have already been blessed, but Lord, I ask you, to please lay your healing hands on Dad, and give Mom the strength and courage to see hope in everyday, we all have struggles Lord, but I pray to you that you will lift some of those struggles from them because they truly are your children. I thank you for bringing me into their lives through Andru and know that you will hear my prayer, in Jesus precious name, Amen.”