Christmas Eve..Eve

Three days until Christmas!!!! i have so much wrapping to do, but at least all the shopping and baking are done. We got a call from our case worker yesterday. There were 3 things missing from our homestudy. Sad that we didn't have it all together but so happy that they have at least looked through it already!!! Still praying we'll get our approval letter before the end of the year...Christmas would be even better! Tyler got his wisdom teeth out yesterday. I feel so bad for him. He's been reduced from eating about 6 big meals a day to not being to eat very much at all. He's "starving"!! I think he actually is a little better today.

Finals

T1 and H are finishing finals at this very moment. They have 5 more minutes and then their Christmas break starts!! I'm so ready for a break from school. It's so hard to go through high school again!! Ha ha. Our background checks finally came - after 12+ weeks (from the time we did our fingerprints). We are now officially foster parent certified. Now our homestudy is off to Springfield for approval, which we're told will hopefully be approved by mid to end of January. I'm praying we can have it by the beginning of 2010. That would be such an awesome way to start the new year, considering it took twice as long as usual to get our background checks done. Patience...not something I'm good at. I'm so excited to have the kids home.

Snow

This was what was on the mind of our youngest a few weeks ago. We were in the car (where some of the best conversations happen), when out of the blue, B says, "I can't wait to see our new baby's face when they see snow for the first time." I'm not sure what made him think of that because we had not had any snow yet. But then again, I should know...B is our deep thinker. He is very sensitive and caring and is looking forward to being a big brother. He's already talking about how he wants to teach his new brother or sister how to do stuff. He also gives the best hugs - and often. At 11 years old, I'm praying he'll never outgrow giving his mom hugs. B likes so many things and is so easy going. Of course, being the youngest of 4 active kids, he's had to get used to being on the go. Right now he plays football, basketball, and baseball. Basketball is his favorite. He also loves LEGOs. He was on the internet the other day looking at different LEGO sets and found the Taj Mahal. He said, "Mom, look at this. This would probably take me a whole week to finish!" When he starts something, whether it's a book or a LEGO set, it's hard for him to leave it until it's finished. He so good about challenging himself in school. Right now his goal is to memorize and say all the Bible verses he has learned since the school year started. So far he has done that! He also plays the electric guitar. With 2 flutes, a piano, and an elecric guitar, you could say our house is a little noisy...I love it! B brings so much life into our family. Hardly a day goes by that he doesn't make us all laugh. B is also so much like his daddy - they think so much alike and have the exact same humor!!! I love him and am so proud of him.

We have some news...We got the call from our case worker yesterday. Our background checks finally came in! It took 10 long weeks - double what I thought it would. But I am so happy we are moving forward again. Final walk through is on Monday, our agency has to approve our homestudy and then it's off to Springfield. I'm praying that won't take very long but trying not to have any expectations. I got an awesome email from a dear friend from high school. She and her husband leave for Ethiopia next week to bring home their two little boys! God Bless!!

Sunshine

Well, the sun is actually not shining today, but Daddy is home!! We are so happy that he is home from his trip. He had a great time diving and had a funny surprise when he got to his hotel - there were dophin in the swimming pool!!!! Unfortunately, we are still waiting on our background checks. It has been over 6 weeks and we have no idea when they will come in. But everything else is finished, so I know there is a reason - all in God's time, not mine. I thought since we're still waiting, I would continue telling about our family. Our third blessing is T2. She is our "sunshine", the one who can light up a room with her smile. She loves to play soccer and it seems like she has been playing forever - well at least for 6 years, so that's almost half her life. She can't wait to play in high school next year. Right now she is cheering and loves that too. Volleyball tryouts are just around the corner. If you couldn't tell, T2 likes to be active. She plays the flute just like her big sis and is even getting to play a little piccolo this year. T2 got braces a few months ago . We have had a child in braces now for 5 years. T1 got his off and the next week, H got hers on. Then H got hers off and a couple months later, T2 got hers on. T2 has been begging for braces since T1 had his. Yes, you heard right, she WANTED them!! Maybe it's a third child thing, not wanting to be left out. T2 loves to go to church and youth group. She has a strong sense of right and wrong and her faith in God is growing every day. She is the one who remembers the little things - making a card for us on our birthdays, breakfast in bed on Mother's Day, etc. We love her and are so proud of the young lady she is becoming. Thanksgiving is in a week. Do I put up the Christmas tree or not? All our family is coming for dinner and I'm really looking forward to it. It would be so nice to have the background check thing off my mind!!! Praying for a miracle.......

Belle

Belle is one of the nicknames H acquired as a little girl. Such a girly, girl and always dressing up like a princess. It's amazing how children from the same family can all be so completely different. I think that's one of the reasons why adoption doesn't seem that odd to me. Every child is a gift from God, and every child was put on this earth to be loved and cherished. H loves music - anything to do with music and is very talented. She seems to know what she wants most of the time. At age four, the only thing she wanted to do was take ballet lessons - not tap or jazz, just ballet. And it's so hard to find a dance studio that will do only ballet at that age. But we found a wonderful studio where H learned so much. The music just flows through her. She "gets" it. After 8 years though, she moved on and doesn't take ballet lessons anymore, but that doesn't stop her from dancing and choreographing with her sister. Now that she is in high school, she has other things to fill her time. Marching Band takes up a huge chunk of time, but she loves it and has some very good friends in it that she gets to hang out with all the time. She plays the flute and piano and would take on violin if I let her. We love to listen to her play. I can't believe she is already a sophomore in high school and will be driving in a couple of months. Watch out!!! I am so proud of the beautiful young lady she is becoming - both inside and out. She truely has a heart for God and shines for Jesus.

Cold

It's so cold today. It's beginning to feel like winter. We woke up to frost on the ground, but the sun is shining!!!! Thank you, God, for the sunshine. It's been a rough morning. I think Thursdays are harder than Mondays. We are all at the point of exhaustion and getting ready in the morning is so hard. We're so glad Daddy will be home in a couple of days. It's been a long week and we all miss him. Had a scare with my car this week - it stopped working!! T1 and I we laughing about how it seems like every time Daddy goes away, something bad happens. The last time he was out of town, our water heater went out! We decided maybe he shouldn't go out of town any more. Ha! Ha! Anyway, I was able to get the car fixed and we are out and about again. I'm so thankful for T1's truck. It's hard to fit all 5 of us into 2 and a half seats, but at least I could run errands. I'm so thankful for friends too. They were so gracious in helping out with getting my kids where they needed to be this week.

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

My kids know how I struggle when Daddy goes out of town. They even have been praying for me this week. They are so sweet. But I do know that God is my refuge and strength and with Him, I can get through anything.
Still praying that our background checks come in this week. I would love to get our homestudy sent out on Monday!!

Waiting

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannont fathom what God has done form beginning to end.



Sometimes, waiting is easier said than done... As of right now we are waiting on our background checks so that our homestudy can be sent to AGCI for review. Unfortunately, Illinois has an extra step in that DCFS has to approve the homestudy also, which can take an additional 4 - 6 weeks. I know God has a plan and His timing is perfect. He already knows our little one, and I'm trusting Him each day that we all will be together one day. I'm praying that God gives me peace while I wait.



As I look at other families' blogs who are adopting, I'm constantly reminded how our situation is a little unusual. But God is good and He has put it on our hearts that we have a little one waiting for us in Africa. Just this week I went with our oldest to a "college planning night". Yes, college. He is a junior in high school and is looking to his future. We have no idea where he wants to go nor what he wants to do, other than play football. He started at QB this year and played at safety and corner. He loves the sport and I'm a proud mama. I can't believe how much he's grown this year. At 6'3", 205lbs, he's almost as big as his dad. I never thought that would happen and can't believe how quickly it did. I remember kissing his tiny little toes. Ask my family, I am NOT a foot person but my babies' toes were the best!!! Now at shoe size 14, I don't kiss them anymore (and at 17, boy is he glad that I don't). We are so proud of him. Not because of what he does but because of who he is growing up to be - a man of God. He is such a blessing.

Blessed!!!

It has always been in my heart to have a big family, and God has blessed us with four beautiful children, whom we love so much!!! We thought that our family was complete - two girls and two boys, but God had different plans for us. I had been praying about adoption for several years and asked God that if it were His will for our family that "Daddy" would be open to it. This summer I mentioned in passing to "Daddy" that maybe we should adopt and four months later, here we are with all our paper work completed and just waiting for our background checks. I'm creating this blog in hopes that it makes the waiting easier and also share our adoption journey with family and friends. I have not put in our full names for privacy purposes. Please pray for us as we wait for God's timing.