A few nights ago...

A few nights ago I came home, opened my inbox, and found this beautiful email.  I was absolutely floored.  There are really no words, so I'm just going to share it with you. 

(Don't worry,  I got permission from the author to post it here.)

***

Hi Mae, 

I am your newest follower on your blog. I was following blogs from operation fabulous thing. But then I decided to click through yours some more and I saw the story of your little girl. She is so beautiful and the story is beautiful too. I pray that she comes home soon. I know that you will be an amazing mother. I have cerebral palsy myself and I also have a twin with cerebral palsy too. I am not adopted but I did want to say thank you for having a heart and for opening up your home and your life to that little girl. there are so many children that need homes these days. society just pushes them out of the way and doesn't regard them as anything. I am sick of this and yearn for it to change. I want to make a difference in the disabled community. I may have a disability but that doesn't mean that I am as different. I can still do things just like everyone else. I may just not be able to do everything that people can do. I want to share a poem with you that I wrote on my blog: 

My life is

unique because I

was not supposed to live

born at 1 pound and 7 ounces

I fought for my Life

Doctors said I was not going to make it

God had other plans

He blessed me with a disability

yes a blessing

because I have had so many experiences

as a result of my disability

God has grown me into a beautiful young woman

I may be different

but that doesn't define

who I am in Christ

or who I am as a person

my disability shapes my life

in a beautiful way

My disability

leaves me unable to do something

but I am still able to do so much with my life

God has a plan for my life

and I REFUSE to let my disability get in the way

***

Absolutely beautiful. I can not wait to share this poem with Abi as she grows up. 

I can not describe how much Jessica's words meant to me.  I've since emailed with her a few times and she told me that she wants to be a voice for those with disabilities.  She told me I could contact her with any questions I have and she even hooked me up with a non-profit focused on disability ministry. She then prayed with me and the whole "meeting" meant so much. Some days I'm reminded how God can use anything to bless people.  Even two blogs, an email account, and a kind soul willing to reach out to this new mama.  Thank you Jessica!!

Here's a link to Jessica's blog.  You should go read it.  

Just call me Ginger...

Soooo... I may have gone red.  I've always wanted to have red hair and I've talked about it on a weekly basis for over a decade.  Last weekend, while I lounged in my own piece of TX paradise, I thought... "What the heck? It's JUST HAIR..." So I contacted my hair dresser, talked about my options, and made an appointment.  Today, at 12:45 I sat down in the chair and said, "Do it."

A few hours later I was in my car and headed home. A ginger.

Sayonara highlights and hellllo red...

I was totally clueless if I'd love it, hate it, kind of like it, really hate it... but alas, I'm loving it!  It's fun and different and it seriously shocks me every time I look in the mirror. Will I ever be blonde again?  Sure.   Will I ever be a brunette again?  Sure.  Will I ever have blue, pink or purple hair? I sure hope so. But for today, the red is pretty darn fun.

Sidenote: While I was at the salon a nice woman sitting next to me was going from super blonde hair to suuupppper red... like comic book character, Little Mermaid's Ariel, fluorescent red. She had been blonde her whole life. I liked her guts.

Thinking of doing something fun with your hair? Doooo ittttt... and then send me a pic :)

Houston...

Friday afternoon, I packed a small bag (complete with one pair of pj's, one pair of jeans, and a bathing suit) and headed to the airport with my friend Ashley.  By 3:00pm we were soaring 30,000 feet above the air towards Houston.  As passengers around us tried to sleep, we belly laughed until I thought I was going to pass out. The young flight attendant even came by and hung out in the aisle laughing with us for a long time. I know the business men around us just LOVED hearing three squealing women laughing about embarrassing moments and scenes from Bridesmaids.

2 hours later we landed and walked outside to greet our beautiful friend Danielle.  The rest of the weekend was fast-paced and lazy all at the same time.  Good food, a day at the pool, an Arbonne party, brunch on patios, great friends, ordering pizzas, movies watched on the carpet of D's bedroom, and three solid nights of sleeping in the most comfortable King size bed... all by myself.  Staying at D's house always makes me feel like I'm in a resort.

See what  I mean??

Her house is the perfect combo of stunning, comfy, and cozy. 

You want to stay and lounge forever.

In the midst of all our fun, I was having to step away in order to correspond via email and address some adoption related struggles.  The girls were great to give me space when I needed it and on Saturday night when I was upstairs delving through the latest debacle, they were downstairs (unbeknownst to me) saying a prayer.  

Such a blessing to have friends that can be on "vacay" with you and get it when you're up and when you're down. 

Yesterday morning, Ash and I were back in a cab headed to the airport before the sun even came up. And by 7:30 we were sitting at a terminal waiting for a plane to take us back to "real life." 

Oh, Houston-You were so good to me. 

Thanks for the weekend D! It was much needed :)

PS- I had a very interesting woman in front of me on the plane yesterday.  More on that to come.  Right now, I've got to go visit my husband at an absolutely killer studio downtown.  

Heck yes, new record!!!!

Woohoo!!