Christmas 2010

Three silly kids on Christmas Eve!

Evidence that Santa was here...

Santa brought Evan his first bike!

But one of the pedals was broken, so Santa left him a special note...

Merry Christmas!

Waiting on the stairs as Mommy turns on the Christmas lights...

What did Santa bring? Checking it out...

Reading a letter from Santa...

Opening presents...

Playing...the boys spent much of the afternoon like this.

Playing...Olivia loves her new doll house.

Apparently the boys like the doll house too. Their new action figures raided it more than once! 

 

At the end of this day, our hearts are full of joy...overwhelmed by our blessings. 

Not the blessings that were unloaded from Santa's sleigh, but the blessings that have been poured out by our Heavenly Father. From the manger to the cross to life eternal...thank you, Jesus!

Dear Santa...

I took the kids to see Santa Claus today. 

The boys couldn't wait to see him.

For a moment, I thought that Olivia might not want to sit on his lap. No need to have worried...she RAN to him. 

Everyone smiled for the camera and shared their wishes for Christmas morning. They gave Santa hugs and said goodbye until next year.

That's when Olivia came to me and asked..."Where is it? Where's my doll house?!".

She wasn't upset or demanding...just a little confused. She thought Santa would grant her request immediately. The boys and I tried not to giggle as we explained that she would have to wait.

Just a few more days, sweet girl. Santa's on his way!

Feels Like Christmas!

We spent the day celebrating Christmas at Mimi and Papa's house. It was a wonderful day! The kids had fun playing and following their cousin Jordan everywhere he went. Kyle and I had fun visiting with his parents, sisters and brothers-in-law. There was good food, good family time and lots of good humor!

I love the picture above! Evan's expressions says...Hurry up and take the picture, Dad! I've got presents to open!

When we came home, I checked the mailbox. When I saw what was inside, I squealed with excitement and ran back in the house. Here's what the mailman brought today...

State Certified documents for our dossier.

A new ornament for our Christmas tree.

I ordered it from Kim at Embracing the Least of These...isn't it beautiful!

And finally...

A new, super soft t-shirt that I absolutely LOVE!

The Dockery family is selling these shirts to raise funds for their adoption. I think the design is precious. (My picture doesn't do it justice.) Go check out this sweet family's blog and order one for yourself!

Fun stuff, huh?!

The home study interviews went really well on Friday afternoon. Our social worker asked questions, but she also answered some of my questions. She was able to provide really good information and ease some of my fears about attaching to our daughter. I was so blessed!

Our next home study meeting is on Monday, the 27th. This visit will be in our home, so she'll meet the kiddos and see where we live this crazy life of ours! Can't wait!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Olivia and Evan celebrated Christmas with their friends at school today. In each of their classes, they had birthday parties for Jesus.

They both had messy fun decorating cookies and cupcakes. Olivia recited the Lord's prayer and sang jingle bells. Evan sang the Lord's prayer and then signed it. Mommy fought back proud, happy tears!

Olivia was so excited when it came time to give Mommy the presents she made...three cute ornaments for the Christmas tree.

Me and my girl!

Evan loved decorating his cupcake with RED icing and lots of sprinkles.

And here's Evan wishing his favorite teacher, Mrs. Candy, a merry Christmas! He LOVES her. One time I asked him what makes Mrs. Candy so special. He answered, "She makes me happy and she asks me questions." I'm so grateful for this sweet woman that takes an interest in my little boy and makes him happy!

It was a great day for all of us!

I'm looking forward to celebrating Christmas with Joshua's class at school tomorrow. After that party, Christmas break will officially begin...woohooo! I'm so ready to have my little ones at home for the next two weeks!

On the adoption front...Kyle and I have our individual meetings with our social worker tomorrow afternoon. So excited because every document gathered, every interview brings us one step closer to our daughter!

Buns, Bells and Baby dolls

Buns...

My middle child LOVES to play video games. I can't tell you how many times I hear "Mommy, can I play Wii?" in any given day.

He's not quite as fond of clothing. Often he wears just enough to cover his buns. 

This is how I found him the other afternoon.

Bells...

I love the sound of the Salvation Army bell ringing outside stores...so do my kids! We never pass that red bucket without making a donation. I think it's a wonderful opportunity to teach children about the importance and the joy of giving.

Baby dolls...

[An open letter to Walmart]

Dear Walmart,

I shopped at your store tonight. I was in the market for a baby doll...one with beautiful brown skin. Your shelves were well stocked and there was a variety of dolls to choose from. Some of the dolls talked, some of the dolls walked, some came with accessories, some had a twin. But not a single doll was brown. I stood there...shocked. Then I looked around at the other shoppers. Many of them...most of them had brown skin. It just doesn't make sense to me. I'm so disappointed...so sad. I, and I'm sure many other mommies, would appreciate it if you would adjust your inventory. I'm bringing a little Ethiopian princess home to her forever family and she's going to need some baby dolls!

Gingerbread Fun...

Every Christmas, our family decorates a gingerbread house. It's one of our favorite traditions!

We start with lots of colorful, sweet decorations.

Then we all wait patiently while Daddy puts the icing on the house. He's a real pro at this!

The boys make a plan for decorating the roof of the house.

Finally...the decorating begins!

Mommy takes lots of pictures...

The final product?

A beautiful gingerbread house.

A fun evening with family.

And tummies full of candy!

Sleepy Thoughts and A Happy Heart...

It's past 2AM. Everyone is asleep...everyone but me.

At 4:00 yesterday afternoon, all I wanted was to crawl in my bed and sleep until morning. While watching TV with Kyle tonight, I fell asleep more than once. But now...when I actually have the chance to sleep and should be sleeping...I can't. 

So instead of just laying in bed thinking about sleep, I'm here. Sitting on the couch in our very dark family room, writing about sleep. I hope to be actually sleeping shortly after this post is written. We'll see.

Let me start with a quick adoption update...

Last Saturday, we had our first home study interview with our social worker. It went really, really well. For some reason, I had prepared myself for an interrogation. Something formal...intimidating. It wasn't that way at all. It was a very casual, comfortable conversation. She asked us questions and we were able to ask her questions too. We were given valuable information and insight. 

Our next interviews are scheduled for Friday, December 17th. Kyle and I will meet with the social worker individually this time. I'll go first...at 1:00. Then at 3:00 it will be Kyle's turn.

And now for the post I really sat down to write...

I often quote Proverbs 15:13 to my little ones. It says...A happy heart makes the face cheerful. Let me just tell you...I love this verse! It's a great reminder to find happiness, joy, contentment not in our circumstances, but in what God has done for us. It also reminds us that the expression on our face should be evidence of the joy in our heart.

God has made my heart happy and my face cheerful in so many ways recently. Some were small things, some were silly and some were incredibly powerful. Here are a few...

Olivia, who is 2, likes to tell me secrets. Several times this week, she put her head very close to mine, cupped her little hand around her mouth and whispered with her precious lisp, "Sthecret!". That's it...her secret is "secret". Makes me giggle every time!

Last Sunday, one of the couples in my parent's Bible fellowship class gave my mom an envelope and asked her to give it to me. When I opened the envelope later that afternoon, I found a generous financial contribution to our adoption. The generosity of this couple that Kyle and I have never met overwhelmed my heart with gratitude and made me smile through tears of joy!

After a long day at work, I found a large Diet Dr. Pepper from Sonic (my favorite) waiting for me on my front porch. A precious friend of mine knew how tired I was and left the special treat there for me. Her thoughtfulness warmed my heart and I smiled with every sip!

And, finally...the kids have been playing "Christmas" lately. Olivia always plays the role of Mary and one of my boys...usually Evan...plays the role of Joseph. The other morning, Evan was pushing Olivia throughout the house in a toy shopping cart. (When you don't have an actual donkey, a shopping cart will do...right?) After watching them for a few minutes, I asked, "Where are you going?". Evan replied, "We're going to Bethlehem to count."

So cute and so funny how their little minds learn and process...and sometimes misunderstand...things. The blessing of being a mommy to my three little ones...that makes my heart happy and my face cheerful!

Now...it's time for bed. Night night, y'all!

Home Study

At 10AM on Saturday morning, Kyle and I will meet with our social worker for the first of four home study interviews.

We're excited! Until now our adoption journey has been all about gathering documents, completing forms...lots and lots of paperwork. This is the first time we'll sit face to face with someone. 

We're also a little nervous.

Prayers are very much appreciated!

Come, Thou Fount...

Hubby has the day off. We're enjoying a lazy morning at home.

In a little while, Kyle and Evan will go have lunch with Joshua at school. Olivia and I are going to run some errands. If you ask her, she'll tell you that she's going to "hang out" with Mommy.

Tonight we'll head to church to watch Evan sing in the preschool choir performance. Can't even tell you how excited we are about this!

I sang the hymn below with my church family Sunday morning. I'm still singing it today...might just be my favorite!

Have a blessed Monday!

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Calls for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it

Mount of thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,

Till released from flesh and sin,

Yet from what I do inherit,

Here Thy praises I’ll begin;

Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Here by Thy great help I’ve come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood;

How His kindness yet pursues me

Mortal tongue can never tell,

Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me

I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in blood washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry

Me to realms of endless day.

Scraps...

On Thursday afternoon, I sat in my parents' dining room and stared at what remained on my Thanksgiving dinner plate.

A small strip of turkey...

A bite of broccoli cheese casserole...

A spoonful of mashed potatoes...

A few crumbs of a dinner roll...

Scraps.

The meal was over. Family members were moving on to other areas of the house. The clean-up was about to begin. But I couldn't think about the dishes or the pumpkin pie to come.

As I looked at the scraps on my plate, all I could see was
the gaunt faces
the swollen bellies
the pleading little hands
of hungry children all over the world.

I imagined how starving children in India, Africa, China, Guatemala, America might eagerly devour the food I was going to simply throw away...what I was too full to eat.

My heart is heavy...aching.

 

In recent months, I have asked God to break my heart for what breaks His. He has. And, like any heartbreak, it hurts.

 

To be continued...

A good day afterall...

Before I started writing tonight, I read my last post. I laughed out loud after reading about the way I "worry and fret". Love that wording...such an understatement. My Bible Study sisters might describe it differently...they would likely say that I "freak out" or "flip out" or "break down". Ha! Love you, ladies!

The kids and I are out of school all week for Thanksgiving. I'm excited about the break and look forward to celebrating the holiday, but must admit things got off to a rough start this morning. Lots of whining, teasing and arguing on the kids' part and very little patience on my part. By 9AM, I was thinking that this might be a long day and a very long week.

At our house, bad attitudes are sometimes best cured by distraction. So the four of us ventured to Mardel to find a new Christmas family devotional. We found a great little book with devotions and activities that are perfect for young children. (We're going to start it after Thanksgiving...can't wait to share more on this later!) Then we headed to the library. Everyone had fun looking for books to check-out and, by the time we left, all that whining and arguing had turned to smiles and giggles!

And tonight I got to have a little mini-date with Joshua...a trip to Target. Not exactly exciting, I know. But when we got there I treated him to an ICEE and a bag of popcorn. Joshua was thrilled...all of the sudden grocery shopping became a special time alone with Mommy. We talked and laughed and he was a great helper...keeping track of our list and putting items neatly in the cart. I thoroughly enjoyed my stroll through the aisles with him! It was a great reminder of how important it is to have those quality, one-on-one times with each child. It also served as a reminder that it doesn't have to be perfectly planned, exciting or expensive to be meaningful.

And finally, each week we receive a weekly email update from our pastor. In today's update, he included a quote that I just love. It's so true and so beautifully written. I just had to pass it along to you.

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." -Thornton Wilder

Catchin' up...

I haven't posted anything in two weeks which means we've got some catching up to do!

On the adoption front...

Good news! Our social worker received our background clearances and we have our first home study interview scheduled. On Saturday, December 4th, Kyle and I will meet with her together. At that time, we will also schedule the other required interviews...one for Kyle, one for me and one with the whole family at our home. We're very excited and eager to move forward!

And more good news! My precious mom is in the midst of her very own adoption fundraiser. She is baking her yummy peanut butter pies and selling them to friends, family, coworkers and church members. All of the money raised will go directly toward the cost of bringing our daughter...her granddaughter...home from Ethiopia. How sweet is that! Love that mom of mine!

And through it all, I continue to learn. More than ever before, God is teaching me to rely on Him and Him alone. There are times that I, in my flesh, worry and fret about the adoption...the cost, the timing. Each time, He reminds me that He is in control. He set our family on this journey of adoption. He will carry us through it and see us to the end.

I love how Jeremiah 29:11-14 is written in The Message. In these verses, God says...

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen.

When you come looking for me, you'll find me.

Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.

What a promise!

That's all for now. I've got more to share, but it'll have to wait. It's way past my bedtime. I promise...I won't let two weeks go by before my next post.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Orphan Sunday

Tomorrow is Orphan Sunday...a day for Christians to stand for the orphan.

While not everyone is called to adopt, God's word clearly commands believers to defend the fatherless (Isaiah 1:17) and look after the orphan (James 1:27).

There are more than 140 million orphans worldwide. There are many ways to look after them, defend them and care for them...

Adoption.

Foster Care.

Prayer.

Financial Contributions to organizations such as Show Hope or Lifesong for Orphans.

Support and/or encourage adoptive families.

Mission Trips.

Sponsor a child through an orphan care ministry.

Throughout the day, I will be praying for orphans. I will once again ask the Lord to break my heart for what breaks His. I will ask Him to show me what more I can do. I will commit to following His direction.

Will you join me?

Learn more at... http://www.orphansunday.org/

Just Treats!

The truth is...I'm just not a big fan of Halloween. 

Gruesome masks, scary decorations, blood and gore...I think I'll pass.

But fall, family, carving pumpkins and kiddos dressed up in cute costumes...those things definitely call for a celebration!

So last night we had our second annual "Halloween" party.

Grandparents, aunts and uncles and a precious cousin were our honored guests. 

We had yummy Cowboy Soup for dinner and Grandma's Warm Apple Crisp for dessert.

It was a wonderful night!

Olivia was Jessie from Toy Story.

Evan was a Ninja!

And cousin Kendall was Super Girl!

And my favorite thing about the evening? 

We were blessed with two tickets to Game 4 of the World Series.

Joshua got to go with his daddy...a very special night that he will never forget.

Happy Monday, y'all!

Unexpected Conversation...

I had an unexpected and sad conversation with my oldest son last night. 

While I was preparing dinner, I turned on the TV to watch the evening news. I don't normally watch the news with the little ones around. But since they were upstairs playing, I decided to catch up on my current events. After a few minutes, Joshua came downstairs with his library book and sat in his favorite chair to read. He looked at the television screen which was showing a clip of the president at a campaign rally. This is the conversation that followed:

J: Did you know that Barack Obama says it's okay for doctors to take a baby out of a mommy's tummy and kill it?

Me: [shocked, but trying to stay calm] Who told you that, honey?

J: My friend at school. It's true, Mommy. Doctors kill babies.

Me: What do you think about that?

J: [sadly] It's wrong.

Me: Why do you think it's wrong?

J: [shrug]

Me: What does the Bible say?

J: Thou shalt not murder.

Me: You're right. And who created us?

J: God.

Me: That's right. And the Bible tells us that God knew us even before we were in our mommy's tummy. He knows everything about us...every hair on our head and all the days of our life. From the moment a baby starts to grow in a mommy's tummy, it is a child of God. He gave it life and it's not for us to take away.

J: Why do they do that?

Me: It happens when the baby is not wanted...when a mommy thinks she can't or doesn't want to have the baby.

J: [horrified] You mean the mommies tell the doctors to do it?

Me: Yes, honey. It's very sad...for the mommy and the baby.

J: Why can't they just have the baby and give it to someone else? Like Rachel?

Joshua innocently asked a few more questions. Questions with answers that he is not ready for. Together we agreed that he didn't need to know anything more about it. We agreed that he had enough information. We agreed to pray...for mothers making painful decisions, for babies, for doctors, for our nation.

I wasn't ready for a conversation like this. I wasn't prepared to talk about this with my six-year-old. And I was surprised by what bothered Joshua the most...that a mother would not want her own child. Based on his reaction, I could tell that never had occurred to him before.

I saw and felt Joshua's sadness. It was as if I was watching part of his innocence be stripped away.

I'm heart broken and I'm angry. Not angry at the little boy who shared this information, but angry...furious at the enemy. The enemy who lies, telling a woman in crisis that there is no other way. The enemy who delights in death and pain and grief. The enemy who attempts to corrupt the innocence of my of precious son.

But what the enemy used to inflict harm, God used to remind me of the responsibility He has given me as a parent. 

I must know why I believe what I believe. 

I must be able to explain those beliefs to my children. 

I must be able to open His Word and show my children the foundation of my beliefs. 

I must be prepared. 

And when something comes my way that catches me off guard, I must prayerfully ask the Lord to give me words.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 

S-I-C-K

The past week has been ROUGH for my little ones.

It started with Olivia...

fever
vomiting
other yucky stuff.

Then it was (and still is) Joshua's turn...
fever
strep throat
congestion
terrible cough.

And poor Evan...

He's healthy as can be,
but he's BOUNCING.OFF.THE.WALLS!

Little guy has a bad case of stir crazy!

I've been busy
cleaning up the messes,
 disinfecting EVERYTHING and
most of all...taking care of and loving on my precious patients!

And in the meantime...
I've totally forgotten about places I was supposed to be.
Put off dossier paperwork.
Let emails go unanswered.
Neglected my blog.

But that's okay because nothing is as important as getting these children well.

Have a happy, healthy week! I'll be back soon!

Special Delivery...

Look what I found in our mailbox this afternoon!

Our passports! 

We're not near ready for travel, but copies of our passports must be submitted with our dossier. It will be more than a year before they are ever stamped, but for now we can check one more thing off our list. We're so excited!

I've never had a passport before...this is my first. I thought I might need one eventually, but never did I imagine that it would be for this type of travel. Kyle always says he'd like to take me to Paris. I dream of tropical get-a-ways. God decided Ethiopia was our ideal destination. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I like His plans best!

While I've got you here...grab a box of tissues (trust me...you'll need them!) and check out this amazing video of the Dunlap family bringing their beautiful boy, Johannes, home from Ethiopia.




Now go enjoy the rest of your weekend, precious one!

Go Rangers!

Trust

I went to bed late the other night...very late. When my head hit the pillow, I was both physically and mentally exhausted. Yet, as much as I wanted to sleep, I could not. Thirty minutes passed...then an hour...then two hours.

My heart was heavy. I thought about our adoption. Questions and doubts and fears filled my head. I became overwhelmed and I cried. I cried out to God. I asked for His forgiveness and I asked Him to speak to me...to calm me, to comfort me.

Immediately a verse came to mind...

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

I said the first part of the verse over and over and over, putting emphasis on different words each time.

TRUST in the Lord...
Trust IN the Lord...
Trust in THE Lord...
Trust in the LORD...

I must have repeated these words a hundred times before I eventually fell asleep.

That command...trust in the Lord... has been on my mind ever since. I've also been thinking about my favorite scripture, Ephesians 3:20-21, which tells us that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can even think or imagine. I cannot tell you how much I love that verse. But the truth is...God's ability to do exceedingly abundantly is meaningless if I don't TRUST Him to do it!

What stops me from trusting Him? Sometimes I consider myself unworthy of His provision, His blessing.
Sometimes I get so busy doing the work that I forget about The One who called me to it. Sometimes I don't want to give up control.

Because of my sin nature, to trust is not my first inclination. That means that if I am going to trust Him, I have to be intentional. I have to intentionally and purposefully put off distrust and put on trust. I have to commit daily...sometimes hourly depending on the situation...to trust in my Heavenly Father.

And you know what's great? God knows. He knows my heart and He knows how I struggle. He wants to help me conquer this issue of trust. And He has given me tools...His Word and the Holy Spirit...to help me do just that. Just this morning, I found this verse in my inbox...

Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. 
Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)


Dear Heavenly Father, I trust you. I trust your plans for my life. And I trust that with your plans I will also find your protection and your provision. Help me be all that you have called me to be...a wife, a mother, a friend, a witness, an advocate for the orphan. Help me be all of those things not in my own strength or confidence, but in complete and total trust in You. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Good stuff...Gotta Share!

I read an AMAZING post this morning. 

I'm so excited to share it with you!

Click on the link below. 

Read Missy's post from this morning titled "The Theology of Adoption".

www.itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com

Have a blessed Tuesday, my friend!

All patched up...

Friday morning, Evan had surgery to repair a hole in his left eardrum. (Just before his first birthday, Evan had tubes put in his ears. The tube in his right ear fell out and left a hole. Usually the hole grows back together, but Evan's did not. It had to be repaired in order to prevent hearing loss.) It was a good morning...he was in such good spirits when we got to the hospital. My sweet boy loved his hospital issued pj's and school bus tote bag. He also thought the TV mounted at eye level above his bed was super cool. The hour and a  half procedure went well...that little eardrum is all patched up and should be as good as new in a couple of months.

Once we got our precious patient home and settled in, my in-laws came over to watch (and love on) Evan. Kyle and I were able to sneak out for a few hours to take care of some adoption business. We got so much done! Once we get a medical exam form back from Kyle's doctor, we will be ready to submit our home study packet! Our prayer is to have that done by the end of this week.

Another update...20 more puzzle pieces were sponsored this weekend. That brings us to a total of 104 pieces. That's more than 20% of the puzzle! To our sweet friends and family "sponsors"...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

And remember back when I introduced our fundraiser...I told you about a family from our church that was expecting a referral soon. They got their referral last week! You can read about it and see pictures of their precious baby girl, Gracie Lou, here. We're so excited for them!

Yesterday Olivia and I visited my friend Julia and her boys, Drew and Cole. It was such a nice afternoon. I've known Julia since sixth grade. We don't see each other very often now, but when we do it's as if no time has passed. Don't you just love friends like that?!

One last thing...my Aunt Sue stopped by this evening and gave us an incredible gift! A canvas painting of a young African girl...so beautiful! She painted it herself. I cried when she handed it to me. Someday we will display it in Rachel's room. Until then...we're going to find a place where the whole family can enjoy it. I know it will bring us great encouragement throughout our adoption process. Thanks so much, Aunt Sue!

Tonight I'm praising God for a successful surgery, generous friends and family, a sweet baby girl from China and the precious gift of friendship! God is good!

One Less...a great song with a great message!

One Less by Matthew West (The Story Behind The Song) from emicmg on Vimeo.

Parade, Puzzle Pieces, Books and a Birthday!

The kids and I had fun at our town's homecoming parade this afternoon! Here they are waiting for the parade to start...

While we were there, I was introduced to my friend's neighbor, Sarah. Sarah looked familiar to me and we soon realized that I taught her son at VBS in July. As we were getting acquainted, she asked me how many children I have. I answered, "Three and we're in the process of adopting our fourth". Sarah went on to share that her oldest son is adopted. It was hot and humid outside this afternoon. Sweat was running down my back, but I got chills as I listened to this beautiful story of adoption!  It was so sweet to hear how God formed their family!

When we got home, I walked out to the mailbox and found a check for $100! I immediately came inside and wrote the sponsors' names on the back of 10 puzzle pieces. There they are below...all 69 sponsored pieces. I believe the back of this puzzle will be prettier than the front!

And we also got these in the mail...three of the books on the required reading list for our home study. There are six more books that need to be ordered (three for me and three for Kyle). It's a good thing I've pretty much given up TV because I have a lot of reading to do!

Finally...my sweet mother-in-law celebrated her birthday today. This woman is so dear to me. She is a wonderful mother, grandmother and friend. I just couldn't blog today without saying...
Happy Birthday, Carolyn! I love you!!