Could This Be Your Son???

For several weeks now, I have not been able to get this little boys face out of my mind...he is from China and is on a Waiting Child list...he is 8 and it lists him as healthy....everyday I check to see if someone has put his file on hold and finally today, I thought to myself, if his file is not on 'hold' then I am going to help find him a family. There are so many precious children out there in need of a family...someone to call mom and dad....I think maybe he caught my eye because he reminds me so much of Charlie---a healthy, rambunctious 8 year old with a smile that could make you melt!! I have tried to think of Charlie in that place....on a list somewhere with no takers because he is 8!!!!??? It makes me hurt....Could YOU be his family???? He is listed under the name Tripp...go to www.lifelineadoption.org(cannot get the link to work on here so you will have to type it in), Click on International, then China, then Waiting Children (on the right hand side)...PLEASE prayerfully consider opening your home to a child....no, you cannot cure the orphan crisis in this world by adopting one child but for the child you adopt, you will change EVERYTHING and hopefully give them a chance to know Jesus...as Christians we need to rise up and be doers of the Word and not just hearers (James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!!)


James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Let me know if you have any questions and I can put you in touch with some wonderful people in the adoption field....

Charlie's Birthday Getaway:)

Charlie wanted to go to the mountains and stay at the cabin for his 8th birthday, so we loaded up after church Wednesday night and headed north!! We did alot of relaxing (hallelujah) and it was alot of fun. We did however honor some of the kids' requests for activities while there....on Friday, we went ice skating, snow tubing and ended the day with pizza and the hot tub...THEY HAD A BALL and we did too...snow tubing was SOOO fun!! I was thinking that Lucy might get scared, but I should have known better...she never batted an eye!!

Charlie had given me a drawing of what he "wished" his cake could look like but said I could do whatever I wanted him to have, so I took his drawing to Nestle Tollhouse and they did it exactly like he wanted....he was SO excited that it was what he had drawn...Tennessee and Georgia...we put that thing DOWN!!!!

We ate at Applebarn, as always....

Mom, Regan and Davis went too...

Here are the kids going crazy while we waited to snow tube...we ended up using this time to ice skate, which was quite interesting--poor horsey...Lucy and I opted to get ice cream while the boys skated....it looked painful and brought back memories of the few times I have done it...I don't really like being cold....

Finally, in line for snow tubing...it was pretty cold...I did buy handwarmers and put them in my shoes...they NEVER got warm, I guess they were duds....

Charlie was 'big deal' carrying his own tube and just doing it without any help...he is really growing up...

Lucy was such a brave girl...she LOVED it!!

Max did too, he was my little 'back seat driver'...telling me what to do so we could go faster....

Me and Max....at this point, it was REALLY COLD, did I mention, I don't like weather under 70 degrees...I love my kids:)

We ended the night with pizza and a trip to the hot tub (and I escaped to the jacuzzi and locked the door!!) We told the kids when we were packing to go get their swimsuits and this was what they packed....my daughter REALLY likes to be like her brothers...I didn't even fight this one!! I have a feeling this picture will be resurfacing for years to come!! The weird thing is it really brought flashbacks of Charlie at that age...they look so much alike. It was such a fun day and we all slept like rocks....I think Charlie had a pretty memorable birthday and it was nice to have a few days away!

Nighty night...

Frustrated

Wow...things have been going pretty smoothly as far as the adoption goes...actually things have been super fast and without a hitch, but today we hit a few snags and it is sooo much more frustrating than I ever dreamed. Maybe because I have her face in my head pushing me on....We have a couple of things to do in addition to our homestudy that we found out about last week and we are working on getting those things done....things that I cannot make go faster...trust me, I have tried. Then, today, they called and said they needed additional information on 2 VERY MINOR surgeries I had, one in 1996, a tonsillectomy!!!!...now, I could understand if I had a debilitating disease or something, they may need more info to make sure that I could take care of my child, but I mean really. My doctor already put in the medical that I had surgery and the condition was resolved. Now, he needs to expound---what is there to say?? There is no telling how long that will take and every day something ridiculous like that happens, it is longer she is there. I know it is normal, I know these things are going to happen, but it feels alot different when it actually happens. I honestly could cry--but I am not...I just want our homestudy sent to DHR already...so, please pray that we can tie up these loose ends and that from this point, things will move expeditiously (I love that word)!! I am ready to show everyone her picture...come on PA!!!!

Waiting as patiently as earthly possible:)

Cupcakes for Our Sweetie

Well, we had a little celebration tonight as we thought about our little one's birthday today...I wanted her to have something girly so I got these sweet cupcakes and we sang Happy Birthday and everyone said something to her on video. It was a very precious time and it was emotional....Then we said a prayer for her and enjoyed the cupcakes, knowing this would be the last time we would celebrate without her...

Here we are (with her picture--I blurred it, since we don't yet have our PA)....this was an 'act of congress'....just getting everyone to behave and look in one direction!:)

Happy Birthday to My Sweet Girl:)

Well, this is one of the more awkward days I have had...it is the birthday of my youngest daughter. My daughter that I have never touched or hugged, never tucked in, never smelled her hair or looked into her eyes and that has never heard me tell her I love her, though I have said it a million times. I am so happy today but my heart is hurting so bad. I really didn't think I would feel this way. I knew I would think of her and I would wish she was here, but I really didn't anticipate literally hurting because we are apart. As I got in bed last night a little after 11:00 pm, she had probably just finished up her rice for lunch and was getting settled into her nap (on her birthday day). There was probably no big celebration on this day for her. I prayed that on this day, she would feel love and that she would be taken care of and for her protection. I thought about her birthmother leading up to the time that she was born and what circumstances could have been surrounding her...the things going through her mind as she was about to deliver this baby girl and I prayed for her...was this her first child, or her third? Did she know she was going to have to give her up before she had her? Did she know she was going to have to give her up because she couldn't provide for her? Was she scared to death? Did she think she was the most beautiful baby in the world and still have to lay her down?? I can't imagine and I will never know the answers to these questions, but my heart breaks and I am thankful that her birthmother gave her life and I am thankful that God spoke in our lives and we listened, and I am thankful to be celebrating the day that my sweet daughter was born. I am thankful and I am humbled...

It has been 11 days since we found out about her and I am dying to show her off, hopefully our PA is on its way...so I thought, surely I could at least show one precious piece of her. Just looking at her little chubby hands makes me want to eat her up...ironic how they look so much like her sisters:) ....Happy Birthday my angel!!! We love you!!!

Happy Birthday Itty Bitty Phoebe!!!

Today is our sweet dog, Phoebe's 9th birthday...we had her a year before we had Charlie and I wish I had more time and I would find one of her baby, or rather, her puppy pictures. She is the best dog in the whole world. She is a good watchdog (though not very scary), but if you let her in (which is a rare treat), she will literally just lay there and sleep. She has the sweetest little girly face and is so dainty. The kids can do anything in the world to her and she will just let them. She also lets our cat, Lola, lay all over her-they are snugglebugs (and I hate to say it, but she lets her nurse, but I can't really figure that one out since she is not a kitten). She is so laid back it is unbelievable...what I am trying to say is, she is beautiful, she is the best dog ever and we love her with all our hearts. Happy Birthday Phoebe!!!

Here is one of my favorites of her with Max....

My Girl:)

Well, now that things have had a little time to set in, all I can say is, I am head over heels for my baby girl!!!! The records we received about her say that she is a moderate sleeper, has a good appetite, is restless and outgoing (haha, should fit right in!!), has a 'ready' smile, she is close to her caregivers and friends, her favorite activity is sitting in the bumper car and her favorite toys are ones with sound!! All of her milestones, like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking, waving bye bye, were pretty normal as compared with our children, maybe a month or 2 later...so by the time she was 1 year 2 months she was walking steadily:) She has big, beautiful brown eyes, and the daintiest sweet lips! Now that I have seen her face, after praying to see it for so long, I am SOOOOO IN LOVE!!! There couldn't be a more beautiful angel!! I have looked at her picture hundreds of times, so that she is etched in my mind and the thought of her is constantly in my head! Thank you so much, Lord!! YOU ARE SO GOOD!


She is our little miracle and I just need to get my hands on her!!!

Read this on a blog that I keep up with early this morning! It just struck me and I thought that I HAD to repost!! If you are interested or know someone who is, let me know and I can give you an email address to get more information from the family that wrote this.

"Wanted to share another need with you as I was wondering if you knew of anyone that was interested in adopting domestically. Adoption Associates in Michigan, a Christian agency, is in dire need of families that will take African American infants. They have posted this on their website (won't let me post the link, but the address is www.adoptionassociates.net ) and on their face book page that the need is urgent. They have only 2 waiting families in that program and are working with quite a few birth mothers. The economic situation there is still very poor. So if you know of anyone please pass this on. Our two daughters came to us through this program and they were awesome to work with. Babies go into Christian host homes until the legal process is done, so when you bring your baby home there is no legal risk. I would also be glad to share our story with anyone if this would encourage them to pursue this avenue. We have had our girls since they were 5 weeks and 6 weeks old."

We Have a Daughter!!!!

Well, there is definitely a story which I will share soon, but we just wanted to say that after thinking we probably would not receive a referral this month for various reasons, yesterday we recieved a call for the referral for a beautiful baby girl who will turn 2 in just a few days....she is absolutely beautiful and we cannot wait to have her home. Pray that every hand that touches our paperwork will find favor with it and move it as quickly as possible so that we can bring our little angel home. God is all over this and He gets all of the glory!!! We have not one doubt that she is our daughter and was meant to be. Ok, there are lots of letters in this next part, but I am going to try to explain....Now, we are waiting for our PA (preliminary approval--which comes from China) saying that they accept our LOI (letter of intent: letter saying our intentions to adopt her and a care plan to provide for any needs she may have) which we sent last night. They ask that we not post any identifying information (for example, picture, name, province) until we have our PA. This usually comes in 2 weeks, but with the Chinese New Year coming up next week, it could be longer....anyway, God is in control, I can tell you that with 100% certainty, so I know He has it all worked out...can't wait to show you her beautiful little face!!

In heaven and with much excitement,

Tough

Well, lo and behold, yesterday I had my first emotional breakdown so far in the paperwork process. We are adopting from China and are bringing home a child with a minor special need of some sort. Don't know exactly what that need will be just yet. All along we have talked about different needs and have looked into them along the way as we have been preparing our paperwork. Well, the day came when the only outstanding piece of paperwork for our homestudy, was our medical special needs checklist. We found out Tuesday that our insurance would not be covering some things that we thought it would, so that left lots of questions and calls to be made to get to the bottom of some things and lots of research. In the meantime, our agency let us know that instead of a list coming out in March, in the 4-6 week pattern we were expecting, a list is anticipated to come out next week. It has not even been 3 weeks since the last list, which is crazy and surprising. Basically what this means for us is that we could possibly match very soon, although I am not expecting it. So, the past 2 days we have spent talking about needs non-stop and doing all of the research we can...which brought me to the 'breakdown'. I just never anticipated how emotional I would be filling out this thing. Right or wrong, I just felt bad and guilty for all of the needs that I couldn't mark yes on. Yes, my head knows we can't take every child and bring them home, but I sure do wish I could. As I was working on it and got so upset, I realized I was giving myself more power than I deserved and I was disregarding the sovereignty of my God. Who am I to think that a little checkmark made by me can limit, bind or surprise my God...we have prayed and asked that God would lead and guide us in and through this process, even in the checkmarks made on this page. So, I got a hold of myself, and finally came back to the truth & that is that God knows who our child is. If we do or don't mark a need --that is really irrelevant in the scheme of things...we have checked what we felt a peace about checking and God ultimately is in control. End of story. So, time will tell who that special little girl is that we have prayed so hard for and I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HER PRECIOUS FACE....I am so thankful for this opportunity and I know God has some mighty things in store for our family.

Goodnight sweet friends...

Final HS Visit

Well, today was quite an eventful day for us...we travelled to our adoption agency for our final homestudy visit. We finally got to meet a sweet lady that I have spent alot of time on the telephone and email with, so that was nice. This was an interview, a time to ask any questions, to talk about what special needs we were open to, to see where we are and how we are doing in the process and what the rest of the process from here might look like. For me, I usually leave these type of events with a really good or really bad feeling. When we left, let's just say, I was all smiles!! That is a big deal. (not that I am smiling, but that we felt comfortable and good about our agency once meeting in person!!) Of course, you want to feel good about your agency and all of the people involved. Everyone was wonderful, they would've sat and talked to us all day if we had wanted to ask questions that long.

They said we were flying through our paperwork and that our homestudy would be done by Friday and our social worker will turn it in to her supervisor for review (which takes about a week). Once it has been proofed and we approve it, then it will go to DHR, I believe, for a process that takes about a month. Things are looking good and they say we could have her home by Christmas...that is if all goes smoothly. Be in prayer as we complete our final checklist of medical special needs...that is a tough one....and probably going to be harder than I thought. BUT, God already knows who our daughter is and how many black hairs are on her sweet little head. That is what let's me sleep tonight...

"Aren't two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows."Matthew 10:29-31

Can I Get a HALLELUJAH!!??

I am SOOOO excited although I feel kind of dumb...let me backup a little....when we got our big ol' China manual, we got a list of the first things we needed to do. On the top of the list was, get your fingerprints and CAN forms (child abuse and neglect clearance forms) done and sent ASAP, because it can take 8-12 weeks to get the fingerprints back and 2-4 weeks to get the CAN forms back. This is a hold up for many people. They finish their homestudy and are sitting there waiting for their fingerprint clearances to come back. So, I broke my neck getting them done and in the mail to our agency by Christmas, Dec 21st to be exact....on this Saturday,Jan 30th, we got 3 letters in the mail, one for me, mom and Charles, saying that basically our background checks were in and we had passed. I was guessing by the timeframe (about 5 weeks), that it was the CAN forms and I thought they had sent 2 copies each, one for our agency, one for our records. Well, long story short, I emailed my social worker to tell her what the letter said and ask her what the letter was and she told me that I would get 2 letters that looked similar but one would say ABI and one would say FBI....I ran and looked and lo and behold, we got BOTH!!!! I just never read the second one because it looked identical to the first!!! Can you believe it!!!?? 5 weeks!!!! That is unbelieveable!!!! I guess cracking the whip before Christmas really paid off...so now, we have our last homestudy visit tomorrow and we should be wrapping that up....never in my wildest dreams did I think it would happen that fast. It was VERY encouraging to say the least...got to get lots of paperwork together and copied tonight for our records and our meeting tomorrow! Can I get a HALLELUJAH!!! Thank you Lord!!


On cloud nine...