Three Word Thursday...

Who me? Stressed???

Please pray that we get our LOA really soon! At the least, that we receive some words of encouragement from China...

Pictures at Last

Well... it's taken me a week to get pictures of Peanut's shower gifts, but they're finally here! I spoke with our agency on Friday (I'm not getting antsy or anything!) and they told me that 60 days is a pretty reasonable amount of time to wait for our LOA. We're on day #39 today! So... it looks more and more like we might be in China right before the Olympics. Hopefully everything will move a little quicker than anticipated! I know that whenever we go, it is in God's perfect timing. I'm just in the passenger seat... He's flying the plane!




In other news around the household, our oldest mouse received a scholarship for her school. What a blessing! "Brown-eyed Susie" graduated kindergarten on Thursday! I can't believe she is going to be a first grader.... and I'm the mom to a "middle schooler." Oh boy... the fun is just beginning! Here's "Susie" after she got her award.... all of the teachers were dressed as Storybook Characters. Don't they look excited?

Surprise!!!!

We have the greatest neighbors! Several weeks ago, one of our neighbors gave us an invitation to a block party. We don't have a very large neighborhood. On our street (the only street around) there are about twenty families and together, we have been through quite a bit. After our daughter died, it was our neighbors that made it possible for us to face our home again. They truly took care of us. Well... they've come through again!

Much to our surprise... they announced the REAL reason for our block party... It was a "welcome to the block" party for our little Peanut and another mom that is due in 8 weeks! Neither of our families knew anything about it! It was so wonderful being surrounded by such love. The kids had a great time playing in the backyard and the big sisters LOVED helping unwrap their soon-to-be brothers' presents.

I just can't express my gratitude for what they've done. We are so blessed!!! And, Adam... you are already SO loved! There are so many people who can't wait to meet you and give you hugs for themselves. But, they'll have to stand in line.... because Mama is first!!!

I will try to post pictures as soon as I get them!

Three Word Thursday

Thirteen days left!

(Seems like thirteen is my new lucky number.) I have never been so excited to see the end of the school year! The last few weeks are always the worst... packing, final grades, awards nights, and the "itch." I don't know who has Summer-itis more... me or my fifth graders! I'm really looking forward to having some time off to enjoy the girls and just being "mom" for a little while. Of course... they'll have a story to tell in the Fall after we bring home our little Peanut. (I sure hope it's before August!)

Prayers for Earthquake Victims

We've sat in both fear and pain after news on the earthquake in China. We've fielded calls from friends and family asking if Peanut was anywhere near the devastation. His orphanage is about 700 miles from the epicenter, so we're pretty confident that he is out of harm's way from this earthquake. When I talked to my mom this morning, her words were... "You need to get over there and get him!" I wish it were that easy.

I just pray for the thousands that are still missing and the thousands that have been lost as a result of this catastrophe. I've read blogs from adoptive families that are actually in the province and can't imagine the horror that they've experienced. I pray that they safely make it home with their families. And, please keep the waiting families whose sons and daughters are in the midst of all of this. How difficult the uncertainty must be for them...

Still waiting for our Letter Seeking Confirmation... day 27!!! We're ready when they are Peanut!!!

Happy Mother's Day

What a beautiful day it was! We did something that we haven't done in a LONG time... pack up a lunch and head to the beach! You would think that living on the ocean, we would go to the beach all of the time...wrong. It's been at least a year!!!

It was so nice... the water was crystal clear and absolutely flat. Just the way I like it! The girls had a great time playing in the water and collecting seashells (and sand) to bring home with them. Like my darling husband says... if only they'd made beaches with concrete instead of sand. Now, don't get me wrong... he loves the beach; he just hates getting wet and then getting sand stuck to him.



This Mother's Day I am so thankful for "Peanut's" mom. How much she loved her son to make such a hard decision. I am sure that she thinks of him every day... and I think of her every day. What a strong woman she is. The hardest thing a mother could face is to let her child go. I know that feeling all too well. In a dark hallway in the middle of the night on September 21, 2006... I made the most difficult decision I will probably ever have to make. It was that night that my husband and I signed a DNR order for our Katy. We knew that we only wanted what was best for her and spending her life attached to machines was selfish on our parts. We left the decision to our little girl if she wanted to stay on earth or fly home to heaven. We put our total faith in God that He would take care of her.... and He has.

Being a mom is such a blessing. You have been hand picked by God to be the parent of His children. I am so blessed to have been chosen to be Maddie's Mom, Lyvie's Mom, Katy's Mom and Peanut's Mom! What an honor it is to be trusted with these beautiful children who will grow up to be beautiful adults... both inside and out.

Ni hao...

Tonight was our third Mandarin Chinese class. Our family has been blessed with an intelligent, vibrant young woman that was willing to take on four students ranging in age from 5 to 39 years old! This is her second year as an exchange student in the US and we are SO glad that we have met her!!! She truly has shown that you can teach old dogs like my husband and I new tricks. Lyvie is showing us all up with the speed that she is catching on. She left a message for me on my board at school... written in Chinese characters! And, she does her math in Chinese!!!

Ying will be going back to China for the summer. Her family lives in Guangzhou... so, we hope that we'll be able to meet up with her before we return home with our little Peanut. :-) And, it will be SO nice to be able to speak some words of comfort to our little boy.

Through each step of our journey, we are reminded that God's hand is in all of it. This world is not nearly as large as we think it is! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Now, bring on our LSC!!!

World Travelers in the Making

When we began gathering our papers and documenting every aspect of our lives, it took us nearly three months to get our passports. We didn't get the girls' passports done at the time and thought we had years to do it.

Well... God had other plans and we found ourselves rushing to get their passports when we received our PA. So, I took a day off of work (awww...shucks...) and met Dad at the courthouse with the girls on April 22nd. We were told to expect their passports within 6 weeks... they came today! Not even two weeks!!!

I hope all of the "short waits" that we're experiencing are a sign. We'd love to be home in time to watch the Olympics in the comfort of our own living room!