Books, Books and More Books!!

Lately, the sound of a knock at the door puts a smile on my face and a skip in my step.  Not just any knock, but the sweet knock of our mailman (mail lady actually).  I am finding myself actively anticipating her arrival.  She has been the reason I've made my appearance presentable (i.e. have changed out of jammies or the hubby's t-shirts) for the day. :) You see, I had a reality moment a week ago when I felt completely unprepared for the arrival of Isaiah and Ruth.  I panicked and realized that I had no children's books that celebrated who they were, their culture or their heritage.  I also panicked at the thought that my entire preparation was based solely on the first 6 chapters of "The Connected Child."  So in my completely, not relying on God-fallen-controlling self, I got online and researched every book, article or blog I could find.  The end result was $150 in books, both for Brian and I and the kids.
So...
now all the books I ordered are starting to come in and it's So Fun!!  Here are the books that came yesterday...

Up above is a book called "Dancing in the Wings."  I LOVE IT!!!!  The book is about a little girl whose dream is to be a ballet dancer, but she doesn't look like the other girls and she is taller and thinner, with bigger feet than all the other girls.  Though her brother teases her, her mother and uncle encourage and support her and she goes on to be a beautiful ballerina. 

From the moment I met Ruth, I thought Ballet Dancer.  Her physique, her composure, her feet - everything! 

And, she wants to dance!  I'm so grateful I found this book.    

My favorite though, isn't a children's book or an adoption book, it's a large, hard back book that is all about St. Vincent.  It is so rich with history and information about the kid's birthplace.  We love reading it and looking at all the pictures.  I hope Isaiah and Ruth like it too!  I also ordered quite a few books on Caribbean culture and children's books whose characters are from the islands.  There is even one that takes the story of Cinderella, but uses an orphaned Caribbean princess as the main character.  It's so sweet!

Though I'm so excited and thankful that these books are coming in, I did recognize my behavior as a little faithless.  But how incredible that my God loves unconditionally, forgives without holding grudges, and walks me through these moments of "freak out" with such compassion and grace?! 
I do know it's important to be prepared, but ultimately, my strength, my counsel and my guidance comes from the LORD and His Word, not books.  And how wonderful that His counsel never changes?!  If it was changed or updated every few years, I would be a lost cause. :)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6