A Letter to an Expectant Mother Choosing Adoption....from a Hoping to Adopt Couple

Dear Expectant Mother,

I am sitting here writing to you via my blog, but I really wish we were both sitting nice & cozy in my living room chatting about life while drinking a Diet. Dr Pepper and eating Chickfila. That’s my idea of a great heart to heart, but instead I will share my heart here, in hopes that this blog finds you in a moment where you can genuinely connect my heart to yours.

I’ll introduce myself to you, but first let me start by saying if I was really saying all of this I would be talking really fast and would probably be BRIGHT RED because I would be so nervous and so very happy to be introducing myself to you, the woman I have prayed for 4 years. So here it goes:

My name is Amy, but I can’t wait for the day that I hear Mommy more often than I hear my first name. I am married to the love of my life, Seth. He is the Associate Pastor of our church, and a Radiation Protection Inspector. He is a wonderful provider and goes above and beyond to make all of my dreams come true. I am a 3^rd grade teacher and lead the Children’s Ministry at our church. We have a Golden Doodle, named Mr. Marley Marbles. We also love to travel the world and explore new places. I can’t wait to plan future family vacations with a new little one or ones. I have 3 brothers, who are the absolute most fun. We have a total of 12 nieces and nephews, between mine and Seth’s side. We also have a huge extended family with lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. I am obsessed with all the things Disney related. I love Disney movies, Disney world, and just Disney in general. I love to read, it’s a soothing relaxation tool for me. Anyways, enough about me. I want to talk to you about you, you are the woman we have prayed for. For 4 years.

We got married 4 years ago, we knew that infertility would be something we would face; but in our hearts we always knew that adoption was something we wanted to pursue, when the Lord told us the right time to begin the process. In July of 2017, we felt led to begin looking for an expectant mother who wanted to give life to her baby through the gift of adoption. This leads us to this letter that I am writing to you……

I think of you often. It’s weird to think that I can think about someone I have never met, but I do. I think of you more than I ever thought I could. I catch myself daydreaming about you. I wonder what you like to do for fun, what kind of movies do you like, what’s the song that you can never stop singing, what has your pregnancy craving been, what’s your favorite soda, do you even drink soda, do you like plays, do you like games, do you like sports, what is your favorite color, do you like alone time, or are you a people person, as you can tell my mind wonders sometimes, even in this letter I have gotten lost in a day dream wondering where you are in the world reading this letter….

I think about you so often, but as I often as I think of you, I pray for you. I pray for your heart. Your beautiful, precious, life-giving heart. I pray for your health, your physical and emotional strength, your mind, and your little one that you are giving life to.

My husband and I could never imagine what you must be feeling, experiencing, and thinking during this difficult time. Our hearts break with you, as you face this life changing decision for you and your little one. We think often that the happiest day of our lives could be the most heart-breaking day of yours. That image of your heart is not lost in our happiness, we see you. We see your heart. Please know that we, two complete strangers, are praying whole-heartedly for your broken heart. It will not go unseen. Ever. You would be giving us a gift that we cannot give ourselves. You would be giving us the opportunity to have a family, to fulfill our precious, longed for dreams of being called Mommy & Daddy. You are our hero.

With this little life that you entrust us with, we promise to fill it with love, laughter, adventure, and most importantly, the love of Jesus. We promise to raise them to know how loved they are by their Creator, Jesus Christ. We promise to protect them in this world. We promise to make memories in the little things and big things that life brings. We promise to show them the world and let them explore it! We promise to teach them to dream big dreams, and to chase those dreams. We promise to make sure our child or children know that they are always loved by you, the one who gave them life. We promise to tell them how brave of a mother you are for choosing LIFE for them. We promise to love them unconditionally through all things. We promise to be the people that we always said we would be. We promise to try and be the best Mommy and Daddy that we can possibly be.

I hope this letter finds you in a finds you in a place where you can see my heart. I love you, and I am praying for you from the time I wake up in the morning until the time I fall asleep. I hope we can connect soon and together we could be motherhood. Until we meet, know that you have us, in a small town in South Carolina praying for you!

With Love,

Amy D. 

Contact us via text or call at 843-250-5292 or email us at: sethandamyadopt@gmail.com or Facebook Messenger

A Baby Did Come....His Name is Jesus

As most of you know Seth and I are pursuing adoption to grow our family. We have been "actively" pursuing for 6 months, but we have been preparing for it for over 3 years. It has been something that we know God has called us to do.

If I am honest, I really thought we would be holding a little one in our arms this Christmas Eve, instead of napping and wrapping last minute presents before heading to our family get together. I thought this Christmas Eve would be filled with my family passing around my little one or ones, fighting over who would get to hold them for the majority of the night. I pictured myself holding hands with Seth, as we watched our little miracles sleep in a little bassinet in our room on their first Christmas Eve. I thought we would wake up and have "Santa" even if they were a day old. Boy oh Boy, how I thought...Key word in all of this, I thought...

Guess what, my thoughts are not where perfection lies. But oh how I thought they were. I thought this would be the perfect time of the year for a baby to come, because I am off school and it would just be our very own Christmas miracle. I thought Christmas would be a special time for the Lord to open up a way for us to adopt, I had it all planned out, but the Holy Spirit is reminding my heart over and over of this scripture:

        "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'." --Isaiah 55:8-9

My idea of the perfect timing is not God's. He knows the perfect situation for our little family and He knows what will make our hearts whole. God knows the disappointment I have felt in my heart this whole Christmas season, He knows the heartbreak, the anger, the total "Scrooge" mentality that I have tried so hard to mask to others. He knows. He saw past it all. I didn't fool him.  

Just a little bit ago I was about to lay down for a nap, and I asked the Lord, "Why? I thought you were going to send a baby this December. Where is he or she?" 

Guess what He answered? He said, "I did, and His name was Jesus." 

I couldn't breathe. I felt like someone had just knocked the wind out of me. Tears began to flow, they are still flowing now as I type. He did send a baby. He sent His One and Only son for me. He sent Jesus for the broken, for the unseen, for the hurting, He sent Jesus for me! It's His Son that makes this whole season even come about. He did send me a baby, and that baby is my Savior, my All in All, my Everything, and it is because of Him that I am able to have hope that one day I will bring a little one home into our little family. 

In August of this year, I felt like the Lord whispered December to me. I have held on to that little word from Him. I know He told me that, but oh how the enemy is trying to get me to think I made it up. Now, it is December 24th, we have no little one in our arms, but that doesn't mean God didn't follow through with His word. December may be the month that little one is conceived in, it may be the month that our precious birth mother finds out she is pregnant, it may be next December that God sends us our little one or ones, who knows what that whisper to my heart meant, only God knows.

 I can say this for sure, His word never returns to us void, the Bible says, 

"so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do." --Isaiah 55:11 

That word from Him is true and whatever He told you is true. Even if it seems like it should have already happened, we have to trust God that His word is never failing. His ways are higher than ours! He has good plans for you! We are going to make it through this season, because of the baby that did come, His name is Jesus! He loves us so much that He is orchestrating the most perfect plan that only He could design. I can't wait to watch yours and ours unfold. With God being the author, I have no doubt it will be nothing short of miraculous. 

Seth and I are trusting God in this season. God has us and He has You; He sent us a baby "in December", and His name is Jesus. Wow, I don't think that'll ever get old. 

Merry Christmas from my heart to yours,

Amy DuVall

Hope Continually, Praise More

Hope.

Wow, Such a tiny word that doesn't take up a lot of space in a sentence, but can take up so much room in your soul. The dictionary defines hope by saying it is "to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment, to expect with confidence." As I was reading my daily scripture on my little calendar, I came across Psalm 71:14 today! It spoke to my heart something serious, and I just thought would share my heart's reflection.

When I read it this morning, I thought yes, this exactly what I needed to read. When we are sad or discouraged, we are quick to lose hope in what our Heavenly Father has for us. (or maybe I am the only one who does?) I am just being honest, I do..... (insert sigh here, because I hate that I do this)

I am quick to say, gosh well why did He let that happen? What was the point of all of this falling into place just for it all to go away? Then, in all of my doubting and negative talk, I begin to lose the hope that I had and start letting my faith value diminish. I stop talking about how good God is and begin to give the enemy way too much of my words.  This is credit and time that the enemy does not deserve, but has been given to him by me. This means I am allowing Satan to rob me of my praise that belongs to God and God alone.

Even when bad things happen, and plans fall through, we have to be confident in the truth that we know and hope continually like David says in this Scripture. When I cannot rejoice in what I have at the moment, I can continue to hope for what is to come to me. We know that we can do this through faith in the promises of God.  For example, God promises us in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love the Lord." So, while I may not be able to rejoice at the very moment of the defeat or the sadness or the loss, I can still hope for what's to come, because God said it's going to be GOOD. 

Hope is continual like the Psalmist says, we know that God is not finished with us. He has promised us that He not going to withhold any good thing and He has a good plan for our lives. When we cannot see the goodness around us, we can stand in our faith knowing that we have hope in a Savior whose promises never return to void. While we are waiting for what we are hoping for, we have to fulfill the second part of this scripture, "will yet praise You more and more...." 

We cannot let our praise diminish because our hope was shaken. We cannot stop praising God for all of His blessings, praise unlocks miracles, praise is our love language to God. Unfortunately, sometimes we (again I say we, but really I am talking to myself here as well) get so wrapped up, in our everyday life that we forget about the blessings we have ALL AROUND US. If you are reading this right now, you some how have been blessed to be able to go to school to have been taught to read, you have been given or earned access to a phone or computer that has internet to read this, you are breathing, you are alive, you are not in a third world country starving for your next meal, you are sitting in the land of the free reading this blog, you, friend, are blessed. I forget this all the time. Sometimes we are waiting for the next blessing from God and not thanking or praising Him for the little or big blessings that He has given us along the way to the next.  

Doesn't that just break your heart? Thinking that we could be ignoring God's precious little gifts along the way. It makes you think of a time you may have forgot to tell someone in your life thank you for a little something they did. I hate when I forget to say thank you. It happens to all of us, time got away or that person left before we got a chance to talk or maybe you never hit send on the text, etc. Sometimes it really hurts the person's feelings that did something nice for us, when we don't even acknowledge that we appreciate it...I don't ever want to do that to anyone, but  especially God, however, I think I do it more often than I realize unfortunately...

Thinking on this scripture, I want to learn from this, that the word YET in that scripture is reminding me that my praise is not to dwindle down because I haven't gotten what I wanted. Instead, I should praise God more and more because I can trust that He has the best possible plan for my life ready for me . He knows what I need before I even need it, therefore He deserves more and more praise. He is so good, all the time, even when we don't feel like He is good. We can trust that HE IS FAITHFUL because he gave us  His son Jesus that we might be able to even have this Hope in the depths of our very soul.....

I pray that somehow this has ministered to you like it has to me. I know it's 1:30 am and I have rambled and rambled, but if you are walking through something and if you feel like God has not answered your prayer, just try and have hope in knowing that His promises are true and He loves you so much. You are His prized possession and He has your best interest at heart. Even if you can't rejoice at this moment, have hope in knowing that your answer is coming and praise Him while you wait for it. 

If Seth and I can pray for you in any way, please let us know. 

Living to make Jesus famous,

Amy DuVall

xoxoxo 

P.S. This is my favorite song right now that kind of goes with this whole blog as well, it's so good. 

I Have This Hope-- Tenth Avenue North 

A Believer's Thoughts on the Shack...why I will take my non-believer friends to see this...

Almost 10 years ago, 2007ish, I picked up a book that was the latest New York Times Best Seller, The Shack. I was a sophomore in high school and was fascinated with learning more about the Holy Spirit. I read this book and loved the way this creative author portrayed the Holy Trinity.

I passed this book on to special people in my life and found that it was easier for some non-believers or people who struggled in their faith to read this book than it was for them to read the Bible. One of those being my precious cousin, Hank. Hank was an awesome guy, a believer, but not a big reader. Yet, he found interest in this book. Every day over the course of time that he read this book, he would text me and tell me how much he loved it and how it was speaking to his heart. He loved that God would present himself to a man, to spend a weekend with him, just to show him that He is a good God. Hank longed for that kind of weekend in his life.

Fast forward 5 years, and my precious cousin in his 40’s passed away on March 26, 2011, due to a heart attack. I was devastated, beyond devastated. He was the first person that I was extremely close with that I ever lost. However, I watched God use that book, The Shack and teach Hank over the course of those 4 years. I watched Hank grow more in those 4 years of his walk with God than I had ever seen. God used The Shack to show Hank that He is a good God, and He cares for every need big and small. God used that book to connect with Hank on a level that he had never experienced. The book inspired Hank to read his Bible, to worship freely, and to pray without ceasing. I will forever be thankful for this precious book that sparked a fire in my cousin.

Now let’s fast forward 6 more years, to Sunday night, March 5, 2017. The Shack was released as a theatrical production! I was so excited to see it and have no regrets in watching it. It was absolutely amazing. I loved every precious minute of this story. There are many who choose to say that it is not correct, blasphemy, etc. Friends, I can say that that’s not the case at all. This precious movie is a story depicting a question of why do bad things happen to good people, believers even? And why do we have to forgive those who hurt us? Why are bad people that make poor choices still allowed into the kingdom of God? These are questions that are so hard for a non-believer or a person who is struggling in their walk to fathom and comprehend. This movie answers these questions so well and depicts the amazing love that our Father in heaven has for us.

Do I think this movie is a substitute for the gospel? Absolutely not! However, I can totally see this as a tool to bring non-believers and those who struggle in their walk to come into a deeper relationship with their Creator.

As I was watching this movie, I pulled out my phone (yes I know, rude in a theater, but I knew I would never remember these precious quotes if I didn’t write them down) and made a list of some awesome points this movie makes. ****SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T READ BOOK OR SEEN MOVIE*****

“After what you’ve been through, I didn’t think you could handle a father right now.” –Papa, God

o   This quote is when Mack is just realizing who he is speaking to, and questions why God is a woman. He mentions that he always pictured God as a white man with a long white beard. Mack is baffled and confused about everything around him at this point, which is when Papa makes this statement.

o   There are some very intricate and important reasons why God takes the expressions and forms he does for Mack. This shows that it’s in his nature to meet us where we are and to take us to where He is.

“When all you see is your pain, you lose sight of me.” –Papa, God

o   Mack is having a conversation with Papa and questioning how can He be good, if Missy was taken for no reason.

o   Papa explains to Mack that when we are focused on what’s wrong in our life, we aren’t able to focus on Him. We have to seek Him first for wisdom, instead of blaming. We aren’t able to look and see the good that can come from the bad, because we won’t look up from our mess to see the Healer of all things.

“Love always leaves a mark.” –Papa, God

o    Papa shows the scars in his wrist that are there because of the crucifixion of His son, Jesus on the cross at Calvary. He says that love always leaves something behind. His love for us was so great that He was willing to give it all, all, being His one and only son, so that we might live. We were created in His image and we too are left with marks, although they are not visible, are still left with marks on our heart from the people we love.

“… You were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around… Living unloved is like clipping a bird’s wing and removing its ability to fly… A bird is not defined by being grounded but by his ability to fly. Remember this, humans are defined not by their limitations, but by the intentions I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image. Love is NOT the limitation; love is the flying. I AM love. ”  --Papa, God

o   In this scene, Papa and Mack are looking out of this beautiful little “shack” and see a bird. Papa uses this as a teaching point for Mack and tells him what his purpose was meant to be, which is to be loved. We were never created to walk in defeat, failure, and self-loathing. We were created to be loved by the Most High and let that love encourage those around us and let it go back in praise to the Father.

o   God doesn’t see us as our limitations or the things that we struggle with, God see us as we can be. He can see what our finished product is. Our walk with Him is constantly preparing us for what is to come.

“You’re trying to make sense of your world with an incomplete picture.” --Sarayu, The Holy Spirit

o   Here, the Holy Spirit is speaking with Mack in the garden and they are discussing the confusion and chaos of his life in losing his daughter, Missy. Meanwhile, they are paralleling this with his his work in the garden with the Holy Spirit. Mack sees it as a huge disaster and mess. However, when you look at the garden from an aerial view you are able to see the beautiful design that has been created. It is absolutely breathtaking, when you look at it from that perspective.

o   Sometimes we can’t see the end in sight, we can’t see what is coming next, but God does. We can’t put the full picture together, but we can TRUST in the one who is working all things together for our good, because HE IS A GOOD GOD.

“It’s wild, perfectly in process. This mess is you.”---Sarayu, The Holy Spirit

o   God recognizes that we don’t have it all figured out. He knows and sees that we are not the finished products that He has in store. He sees that and loves us despite ourselves.

o   The Holy Spirit, also named Sarayu, tells Mack as they look at the garden again, that it’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay. We are a process. We are a mess, but when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us we are able to still be used through our mess.

“You’re letting it consume you, that’s inside you. You look at me”--- the Son, Jesus

o   Mack is in a boat out in the water waiting on the Son to come back from working in the shed. While out in the boat, he begins to have a horrible hallucination and fright. He can’t seem to break free from it.

o   While in this horrible dream like sequence, Jesus speaks this to him. He is telling Mack to focus on HIM! Focus on Jesus! Don’t let our problems, fears, defeats, losses, and hurt consume our beings, instead focus on Jesus and we will finish the race! When Mack finds the eyes of Jesus, He is able to let go of that past regret and is actually able to walk on water with the Son of God!

“You’re imagining a future without me and that future does not exist.”—the Son, Jesus

o   Jesus promises to never leave nor forsake us no matter what. At this point in the story, Mack is trying to figure out how the rest of his life is going to pan out without Missy. However, the Son explains that He is going before us and with us throughout the whole journey.

“It was the work of evil, no one in your world is immune to it.” –Saaryu, the Holy Spirit

o   Sarayu is explaining to Mack God is a good God, but there is an enemy on the planet that seeks to kill and destroy. There is no one on earth that can get away from it. We can have God’s hand over us, but there is always going to be evil in this world.

o   This is one of the quotes that dispel the argument that The Shack does not believe in the enemy or mention Hell. It very well says that evil is searching to hurt the people of God. The Holy Spirit.

“ I can work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies, that doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedy.” –Papa, God

o   I love this so much. It’s just the verse Romans 8:28 written in simpler terms, the NIV says, “And we know that in All things, God works for the good of those who love him.”

o   God doesn’t cause bad things to happen, but He can use them for good in our lives.

o   Mack is trying to process his loss, but is starting to learn that God is not to blame for this tragedy. God does not cause suffering in our lives, but He will use the suffering to bring even greater blessings.

“Look around, don’t forget to enjoy the journey.” –

o   I just loved this because God is always using things around us to bless us and give us hope. Mack is surrounded by this beautiful lake, garden, and mountain throughout his weekend with the 3. God wants us to be captivated by His beauty. He doesn't want us focused on the problem, but on our journey out of the problem with our eyes fixed on Him!

 “For what we have to do today, you’re going to need a Father.” –Papa, God

o   Later on in the movie, after Mack has dealt with the painful past dealing with the disappearance and death of his daughter, “Papa” is no longer seen as a woman. Instead, he appears as a man middle aged Asian man, who provides incredible strength and guidance, as Mack finishes the hardest part of his emotional journey.  It once again shows that our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need, before we ever need it.

“Everything bears consequences, I’m not asking to excuse what he did, I’m asking you to trust me.”—Papa, God

o   This is special because Mack is being asked to forgive the man who took Missy. God doesn’t say that there is no justice. He doesn’t say that the man is off the hook. God says every thing has a consequence, which means He is the judge, not us.

o   It’s okay to be angry and it’s okay to not understand, but we have to trust in Him to be our advocate and our justice.

“The pain inside you, is devouring your joy.”---Papa, God

o   When we allow our pain and our thoughts to take control of our minds, we rob ourselves of the joy we can have in Jesus. Even if we are not happy, we can still have joy in the fact that we are going to spend eternity with Him. We aren’t mean to live in defeat.  

“It’s crippling your ability to love.”—Papa, God

o   Mack’s inability to forgive was causing him to not be able to love. He couldn’t forgive himself and he couldn’t forgive the man who took Missy, and he couldn’t stop blaming God. Papa shows him that this was causing him to not be able to love his family, his wife, his kids, his friends in the way that he is called to.

“You are important, so everything you do is important.” ---Papa, God

o   I saved the best for last. I just love how God is reminding us that he cares about everything big and small in our lives. He is interested in our hurts, our desires, our passions, our disappointments, and everything in between.

o    Just like the scripture says, “You have collected all of my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” Psalm 56:8

o   Sarayu, the Holy Spirit, collects all of his tears in a bottle throughout the movie. It just shows in a tangible way how intricate God is. It shows how He cares about detail and that our emotions are real and matter to Him.

As you can tell, I loved this movie it spoke to my heart. It was used to help heal pieces in my heart that I didn’t know were still broken. It was a beautiful representation of the trinity and the PURE, HOLY, JUST, KIND, ADORING, LOVE that the Father has for us.

This movie was never meant to replace the Gospel or say that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit looks like those particular characters. It was meant to be a tool to help people connect with the Living God. It wasn’t mean to tell you exactly what they look like and how they will sound and talk, it was meant to show us that God WANTS US A RELATIONSHIP WITH US. He is constantly pursuing on hearts and will do whatever it takes, even if it is a weekend with a man in The Shack. He cares about You, You matter.

Put aside your religious cloak, throw it down, and take a non-believer to this movie.  Then, take them out for coffee or fro-yo after. Go help them understand that God is 3 in 1, He may not look like those characters, but His character is evident in all of those characters' words and actions. Tell them He is pursuing their hearts and longs for a relationship with them. Use this movie as a ministry tool. 

Just go love people like Jesus did. 

Living to make Jesus Famous,

Amy DuVall

Xoxox

So, You want to go to London?

So, we have been home for a little over TWO MONTHS now from one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. I have been meaning to get all of this written down so I wouldn't forget it. I truly don't even know how to describe all the amazing things and wonderful opportunities we had while across the pond. I guess I shall start from the beginning....

We have been planning London since about August, early September. I came home from a horrible day, and for some reason Seth happened to have the computer out. I mentioned that I wanted to get away for our anniversary, I was thinking something in the country, you know like the beach or mountains possibly. Out of his mouth pops, "So you want to go to London?" How often is it that your husband offers take you across the ocean to another country on vacation?!? Let me answer that for you, that would be the first! (The other times out of the country have been on Missions Trips, which are equally as wonderful, possibly more, but this was totally different) So, of course I responded with SURE!!!! My Pinterest board began about 5 minutes later and was a continuos hobby and stress relief up until the day before!

Now, fast forward 3 months and its December 28, 2016, our anniversary! Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30 from Augusta. We flew from Augusta to Atlanta. We had about a 3 hour lay over in Atlanta and we were starving for dinner. We passed a Carrabba's and was set on that being our anniversary dinner......well little did we know the kitchen closed at 8 and was no longer serving food. So, we walked to another terminal and ate our anniversary dinner at Longhorns in the airport. It was quite delicious and our last sip of sweet tea before hopping across the pond. :) 

The flight from Atlanta to London was about 8 hours long. We left Atlanta at 11:30 pm and arrived in London at around 1:30 pm their time. They are 5 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone. The flight was actually pretty great for me. I slept almost the entire time. I missed all the meals they served and sodas. I never even had to get up and use the restroom! (haha, this is a big deal for me on a plane) Seth said he took naps intermittently, but nothing like I was. I made sure to stay busy that whole day, so that I would sleep really well that night. It was my first time flying through the night, and I must say I really enjoyed it.

When we arrived at the airport, we had to go to customs of course. It was a long line, but did not take as long as I thought it would! Our bags came out just fine and then exchanged our money for theirs! Then, we waited on our taxi that we booked before we got there. However, because our flight was delayed they did not wait around for us. So, we had to take "the tube" from the airport to our hotel. This was a lot of walking and a lot of pushing our luggage around. I don't pack heavy, but I don't pack light. So, my legs were already killing me and it wasn't even technically Day 1. Let me also make note though that MY HUSBAND IS SUPER AMAZING. He can figure out where he is and how to get to the next spot, no matter where he is. Sometimes he doesn't even have to use the map, it's like he just knows! I always feel safe when he is leading us around.

We made it to our hotel, which was called Tune Hotels. It was a great place to stay, it was very central to all of the sights and "the tube." This hotel was not the most expensive or the most grand, but we had the BEST customer service you could ask for. The room was EXTREMELY cozy (aka small), haha. Being completely honest, we did not have room for both of our suitcases to be laid out on the floor or propped out on a travel rack. :) The bathroom was only big enough for one person to stand in. The shower was stand up and the sink and toilet were semi connected, if you will. However, we have made a deal that the hotels when we travel, just need to be livable and not disgusting. They don't have to be fancy, because we are hardly ever in there anyways. When we are traveling (except at the beach), we are on the go, go, go.

After we made it to our hotel, we unpacked (as much as we could, hehe) and chilled for all of about 30 minutes. We changed clothes and headed out on the town. The time there was crazy. It got dark at 4:00pm and yet it still felt like it was the morning time to us. Totally bizarre. We walked from our Hotel to see Big Ben, the London Eye, and the shops! We were starving when we left the hotel, yet as soon as we started to see all of the big sights, It was like our hunger was totally gone. We of course had to take pictures immediately and pose for the touristy stuff (like telephone booths). I felt like I was in a dream walking hand in hand with my handsome hubs!

Once we realized how cold we were and we had explored a bunch, ( I did not wear layers on this particular night, I wasn't prepared this night, but after that time I dressed in layers for the rest of the trip) we decided to finally find a place for dinner. We ended up at this cute little place called, "Trovia". It was tiny, warm, yet fancy. The chairs though were so very tiny. This was our first time eating out in London and boy were our eyes opened. The way they seat you is quite hilarious. The tables are so incredibly close to others. No joke, myself and the lady at the next table brushed elbows more than once throughout the meal. It wasn't just at this particular restaurant, we had this experience everywhere we went. Seating is limited and you fit in where you can. What I found to be so interesting, was that it seemed to bother no one. It was like we are all friends just having dinner. Loved it. Totally different than a meal in the states. We also came to realize quickly that ice is not served in drinks and you don't get refills. :) This is a huge thing to me because I am one to drink several glasses of drink before my meal comes. I had to quickly learn to slow down drinking habits. (and by drinking habits I mean diet coke, guys. :) ) When our waiter heard us talking, he quickly found out that we were from the states. He helped me pick out something from the menu (chips, aka fries) and chicken wings. Seth was much more venturous and dinner time than I was. He had lamb for dinner! I was sticking with what I know I like. :) Every waiter that we had in London was so genuinely kind and really seemed to enjoy their jobs. I loved interacting with them!

After dinner, we walked back to our hotel and stopped at little convenient type store that was directly across from our hotel to grab some bottled Powerade and Dr. Pepper.  We did so much walking on this trip it was insane. :) I so wish I wouldn't have left my fitbit on the charger back at home, I would have gained some serious badges. :) By the time we got back to the hotel, we were exhausted. I connected to their Wifi and chatted with my mom for a bit (we don't have international plan, so I was only able to text, Facebook, snapchat, FaceTime when I had wifi). After talking with her, we went to bed!

The next day began early. We woke up at odd hours throughout the night due to the jet lag and time differences. However, we ended up getting up and ready to walk out hotel lobby at about 8:30. We had breakfast at a local bakery across the street and walked to the nearest "Tube" (subway station). We took the tube to go get our Broadway tickets for the night's showing of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We bought our tickets online but we had to pick them up there.

The next day was one of my most favorite days, it was very busy but oh so fun, New Year’s Eve. First things first, we rode the tube to Westminster Abbey. Just the mere sight of it was breathtaking. There was so much history in that building from decades and centuries ago to history of my time (like watching the Princess Diana’s funeral to the wedding of William and Kate), I was in total awe of it all. We purchased the London pass, which allowed us to enter in without having to purchase a separate ticket. We did a self-guided tour that had headphones that you could play information from through the Abbey. It was absolutely my favorite part of the trip.  

After we went to the Abbey, we walked to Buckingham Palace to see it and the changing of the guard. We got there just in time to get a good place to stand to watch the changing. It reminded me a lot of the Tomb on the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. It was very cool to watch the history behind it all. Every corner of London has a piece of History and I just am very obsessed with the Royals so just being in front of Buckingham Palace was enough for me. We stayed and watched the procession and just took it all in. It was so surreal being in another country witnessing their ceremonies that are so important to their culture and history.

After we left the palace, we went to the gift shop (of course), I bought an ornament from their along with some souvenirs for my family. From there we walked to Kensington Palace, where PRINCESS KATE AND WILLIAM LIVE! I so wanted just run right through the gates and find her, but I decided to act like I had myself together. (hehe) Of course, a picture was taken. We hit a couple of stores, and made our way back to our hotel to get ready for the New Year’s Eve Firework Show on the London Eye.

We got there found a great spot on the bridge and waited. It wasn’t nothing like New York at New Years. We had room to move and was able to actually enjoy the evening. However, I did have to walk forever and a day to find the bathroom. Seth was so sweet though and helped me find one.  We came back found a spot on the bridge and watched the fireworks shoot off the London Eye. It was another bucket list moment in the books! Seth is always making my dreams come true!

On New Year ’s Day, we went and rode a double decker bus and enjoyed all sorts of things off our bucket list for London. We had high tea together, then we rode the London Eye, found Princess Diana’s memorial, went to a Disney store in London, walked through Piccadilly Circus, found Abbey Road where the Beatles were, toured Little Venice, found the National History Museum, and so much more. We had a great time and everything was magnificent. Our final night we got dressed fancy for dinner and went on a beautiful midnight stroll in the streets of London. It was the most picture perfect night and is one that we will remember forever. 

The next morning we flew back to the states and had a crazy funny ride home. It was a trip of lifetime and I look forward to many more trips with my precious husband. He never ceases to amaze me with the trips he plans for me. I love him more and more every day as he is constantly pursuing my heart. Our adventures fill our lives, we love seeing this world that the Lord has created. This world is His masterpiece and we enjoy experiencing it!

Living to make Jesus famous,

Amy and Seth DuVall 

until next time....xoxoxox