Time to Pack...

HI! I have been sorely negligent lately, haven't I? But life has been so exciting! We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas! Although it is always hard to be away from family during the holidays, we are so blessed with amazing friends who make it not only bearable, but truly joyful. We enjoyed a great Christmas Eve service and had close friends over on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas night, sharing food, laughter and great conversation. Karl, Matt and I were up until 1:30 am on Christmas morning, assembling Garin's train table, but it was all worth it for the look on his face when he woke up and saw it the next morning! After all of our gift-opening, I cooked a nice, big lunch for the four of us on Christmas Day and made my great-grandmother's rolls, which are a necessity for any family holiday celebration. Matt flew out on Saturday afternoon to meet his dad and head to Colorado for some skiing before school resumes. The rest of us had a really special morning at church. It's always iffy when we haven't had praise team rehearsal during the week, but it came together this morning in a big way, and worship was great. We had lunch with three other families, came home for a nap, and then met some other friends for dinner tonight. We're all exhausted, but happily so!

It's back to the office for Karl tomorrow, as he makes preparations for.....drumroll please....our upcoming move!!! We have known for quite some time that we were up for a new assignment, but it has taken so long to get the actual orders in hand. Orders arrived last week, and we don't have much time to prepare! This assignment is just what we've prayed for. It's great for Karl's career, and it's indescribably awesome for our family. We are choosing, for now, not to disclose the location here on the blog, simply because it is public, and we don't know everyone who is reading it. It's not a great secret, but I'm torn between being open (which I'd love to do in a perfect world) and protecting our family's privacy and security. If you haven't already heard where we're headed and want to know (Amy, Bethany, etc.), please let me know how to contact you off of the blog or find me on facebook, and I'm happy to share more.

We are told that the move should not adversely affect our adoption process. We are still waiting for our Trip 1 invitation, and all our updated paperwork has been submitted. I'm assuming at this point that it won't happen in January due to the Russian Orthodox Christmas season. I'll certainly let you all know when we hear something!

In the meantime, people are planning farewell parties for us (I know!...isn't that sweet?!), so we'll be busy saying goodbyes for the next several weeks! When we moved here, I was sure I'd be thrilled to leave as soon as we got the opportunity. But even though this new assignment is so perfect that I am thrilled to go, I am truly sad to leave Delaware. We have been blessed by some wonderful friends who are irreplaceable. Seriously, how do you say goodbye to a woman who, although she barely knew you, stepped in and spent ten hours in a hospital room with you, held your leg up during childbirth and witnessed the birth of your miracle baby because your own family couldn't be there? We will leave a huge part of our hearts here when we go, and I can honestly say that I hope the Air Force brings us back here. I won't know what to do with my summers when I can't run to the shore at a moment's notice on a hot, sunny day!

I'll write again soon(er). If I don't catch up to you before Thursday, let me wish you a very happy new year!!



Another family shot...

Garin with his train table...

Matt with his new book...

Karl got his long-desired dual-temperature wine refrigerator...
And as much as I hate posting pics of myself with bed head and without makeup, I figure I owe it to my family to do so, since they're all on here the same way...

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

We just took this after getting home from an awesome Christmas Eve service at church and dropping off cookies to several businesses where people were working late. Hopefully it made them a little more cheerful tonight! We have gumbo on the stove and several friends coming over to share it. We miss our family and want you all to know how much we love you! Merry Christmas!!! May you live in the reality of the blessing of Jesus every day of your life!

Lots Happening These Days!

It's been far too long since my last "real" post. Sorry. We've had a lot of curveballs thrown at us these last few weeks....some phenomenally wonderful and others slightly annoying. Unfortunately, I can't share everything with you YET. But soon I will tell all, when we are able to do so.

Our great news today is that our updated paperwork if FINALLY on its way to Russia!!!!! We are now hoping against the odds for a travel date in late December or early January, before the Russian people take their Orthodox Christmas holiday, which lasts most of the month of January. For those of you who do not already know, very little official business happens during January because of the Christmas season. If not, we hope to travel in February. I'll keep you posted! I can think of no greater gift (except bringing them home) than to finally meet our children just in time for their Christmas!

We have been so blessed to watch several friends travel to Taiwan, China and Russia in the last month to bring children home! It brings us such hope and joy!!! We are praying for you all!

Update****It would seem that my 2-year-old son wanted to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and therefore decided to hijack my blog and leave his message here (although we obviously need to work on spelling). He was playing a SesameStreet.com game tonight....I thought. And then I checked the blog and found this message. Sometimes the child's technological savvy terrifies me. He cannot yet grasp the concept of pooping on the potty, but he can maneuver the internet better than most adults....

Well, let me join him in wishing you all the happiest of Thanksgivings! Hope you are all feeling blessed and full of turkey!****


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Home By Another Way

This is the beautiful story of Yanet and her new parents, all of whom have been waiting so long to find each other: http://homebyanotherway-ethiopia.blogspot.com/

Something to consider...

Perhaps we need to look at giving differently. May I also suggest Buckner International (http://www.buckner.org/voice.shtml), to which we choose to donate? Every penny, 100% goes to help "the least of these" because administrative costs are paid through a separate fund.

Praying for Adoptive Families

So many of us are waiting, and most of us have no idea why it's taking so long! Amy, my sweet blog friend, posted a comment on my last entry, asking for prayer for their adoption process. They have already been on the first trip to meet their children but have been waiting months (like 4 or 5!) for a court date. Please pray with me that things will move forward for them and the two little ones who are waiting for Mama and Papa to come get them.

We, too, are feeling the pain of waiting. It's been 19 months since we began this process. We were told a month ago that we could travel this month, but our homestudy caseworker and adoption caseworker have taken a month to finally discuss the home study addendum (the last document needed for Russia to extend our travel invitation. They are not in agreement as to format and wording. Meanwhile, our children go to bed one more night without a family. Please pray that they will stop procrastinating, come to an agreement and get this thing finished quickly, so that we will be able to meet D & K.

So many families are waiting, and even more children are waiting. It's National Adoption Month, so it would be a great time to lift up all adoptive families in prayer and consider what role you might play in helping these children!

Just for You, Amy and Jill!

Okay, ladies....you asked for it! Here are a couple of yearbook photos for you. I have to tell you that I feel really silly for posting these on the blog, but I hope you enjoy them!

Urgent Prayer Request

***Y'all check the comments! God has answered our prayers!!!!!***

I received the following comment from my friend and adoptive mommy, Jill. I want to make sure it is seen, so I'm also posting it here. Please pray for this family, foster family and child!

"Lori, sending out an SOS. our friends are in china and foster family will not bring child in.. PRAY and send out an SOS. Mom's name is Kathy. She is here in US with other kids. Andy (the dad) is in China... "

Thank you! God answers prayer!

Let's Pray Over Our Children

I'm sure every Christian mother, like I, longs for God to make Himself known to our children in very real and powerful ways as they grow. We all want them to know God's love and His character as well as they know their own parents. In the picture perfect moments, this is an easy, almost romantic task: happy, fulfilled mother has completed all her daily chores and has just emerged from a relaxing bubble bath before sitting at the bedside of her peacefully sleeping little angel to pray over him or her. It's nice when it works, but it doesn't always...or even usually. Angie Smith over at Bring the Rain: The Story of Audrey Caroline has posted a great blog about how God prompted her to pray over her children seven times a day from Scripture. She explains it all and has posted the verses she is using. I am committing to pray this way for my children, and I would encourage all moms to consider it. The button above will take you to the post.

Halloween, Garin-Style

1. Have no fear.

2. Always remained focused on the goal.

3. Let no one and nothing stand in your way.

4. When you trip and fall, stop, pick up your candy (plus a few leaves) and move on.

5. When you trip and fall, stop, pick up your candy....see #4.

6. See #4 again and again.

7. If they don't answer quickly, check the door yourself.

8. Anyone who opens the door is inviting you for a visit. Feel free to barge right in and check out the living room.

9. When offered the chance to go home, always say, "More house! Tick-a-tick-a teet!"

10. When they do take you home, grab some candy and run! There's more tick-a-tick-a-teeting to do!

See below for examples:

Karl and I dressed up this year too. You'll notice his creepy costume in the video when he answers the door at the last house, which is ours. I was glad when he changed out of it!

NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH

November is National Adoption Month, and November 15 is National Adoption Day!!! Click here for some great ideas on ways to celebrate and advocate for children who are waiting for their forever families.

Garin never just says, "please." It always goes like this: "Say? I say pweez! THEEEETHE!" It's so funny, and he is quite sure that it will get him anything. Tonight he didn't want to go to bed, so we heard it several times.

Matt had a fun day! In his Trig class today, the teacher said that she had a couple of her juniors on the Math Team who couldn't make the meet today and asked if any juniors in the class would be interested in filling a space, so the team could compete. Matt volunteered. He had considered trying out for the team but decided his schedule was already full enough with band and cross country. He went to the meet and took 5th place out of 18 people on the individual test, and he received a ribbon. His team took 4th place, but he got every question correct on the team test, and was, therefore, the strongest member of his team. He was so pleased, as is his math-loving mama! He is going to be allowed to compete again in the last meet of the season and will be on the team next year. YAY MATTY!!!

Something for the Grandparents

I've been negligent in taking and posting photos. I thought the grandparents might need a fix, and Garin REALLY wanted a photo shoot yesterday. He brought the camera to me and said, "CHEEZ!" After each shot, he'd say, "Another one?" This and the previous post have the best photos of the bunch, plus one that Karl took when we got home Tuesday night. Overkill, probably, to post eight photos. Oh well.

Garin Pics

6 Random Things

My blogger-friend, Amy, tagged me about two weeks ago, and I'm just now getting around to posting! Sorry, Amy. Life just gets away from me sometimes! I've just returned from spending several days in Illinois and am doing the usual post-vacation catch up. So here are six random things about me and the six people I'm tagging:

1. I have undergone a 180-degree personality change as an adult. As a child and young adult, I was incredibly messy and unconcerned about neatness, and I spent all my time inside with my nose in a book. Now I cannot stand clutter or dirt, and I want everything in its place. And I get cabin fever very quickly...let me outside!

2. I used to be smart. I was a National Merit Scholar and actually qualified for MENSA membership, but I am too lazy to apply (plus it seems like the only real value of joining is to put it on a resume). These days, I can't even seem to remember where I was headed when I walked into the other room.

3. I still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up.

4. I went to junior high and high school with Matthew McConaughey. (We called him Matt back then!)

5. I always had the best time in my class on the "flexed arm hang," which was one of the requirements for the Presidential Physical Fitness Test in elementary school.

6. I had to take appetite pills before meals as a child because I didn't eat and was underweight and anemic. (Haha! Why can't I undereat now?!)

And, tag, you're it: Jill, Bethany, Nerissa, Kellie, Karen and Tricia. Love you guys!

We're Back in Business!!!

For those of you who haven't already heard me screaming and squealing with excitement, I am pleased to tell you that we are back on the road to our children! We spoke with our caseworker yesterday and learned that our dossier was accepted by the Adoption Committee. There were, however, three documents that need to be updated before they will issue our invitation to travel. We spent last night and today working on getting them done. The ones Karl and I are responsible are already notarized, and I will have them apostilled tomorrow. There are two documents that our home study agency will update for us, and we should be able to have them completed and apostilled next week. Hopefully everything will be in Russia two weeks from today. Then we will wait for them to be translated and submitted, so that we can get an invitation to go and finally see our kids! God is good!!!

If You're Happy and You Know It...Finally a Performance!

If You're Happy...Sneakier Take Two

If You're Happy and You Know It.....Take One

Hope and Longing

Emotions are strange things. It's confusing that so many of them can coexist in the same moment, infusing (or perhaps bombarding is a better word) the soul all at once and rendering one completely incapable of processing them in a dignified way.

This morning after set-up and rehearsal but just before worship, I was standing in the hallway talking with my husband and some friends. I glanced up at a family walking toward us, hand-in-hand, all six of them. In that instant, my mind began processing who they were and where they'd been and who that extra little beautiful Asian face was. A precious family in our church went to China three weeks ago to bring home their 10-year-old daughter. And there she was, with her older caucasian sister and two younger Asian sisters, all in a row holding hands. She had short hair, the front pulled back in colorful little barettes, and suddenly all I could see was K.

The joy, hope and love I felt at the sight of her were overwhelming enough, but there was also that heavy, aching longing from the deepest part of me that exploded again like a volcano. At times, I have felt guilty for not being able to fully give myself over to the joy, as if it is somehow sinful to long for something I do not have. After we lost two babies in a row, I felt it every time someone announced a pregnancy or birth. But I do not allow myself that guilt anymore. It is not jealousy or even envy, but simply longing. I quickly buried my head in Karl's chest to gain composure, but composure was nowhere to be found. Sobbing, I said, "I want my babies home!" I walked away to get it together. I did not want that family to feel that they were the source of my pain because they are not. Our friend Sarah, a young wife who does not yet know the joy of children herself, came and found me and prayed with me. Such a blessing. And then I went to the mother of that precious child who just finally came home after 10 years without a family. I shared with her what a blessing it was to see them and what hope it gives us. I know that she probably understands what I was feeling better than anyone.

I found myself wondering during worship if God had given us such encouragement today because we will be getting good news soon and will be able to go see our children or if He gave it to us because He knows we will need it to keep fighting some battle that stands before us. Only He knows, but either way, we will follow Him and hold on tight to the hope that is in Him.

God gave me hope today. He gave me new motivation. He always gives us what we need. I just hope that soon my children will be the hope-givers....

Look What I Did Today!!!

I had the incredible opportunity to take a flight in a C-5, the jet my husband flies! Our squadron allowed all of the spouses the opportunity to see a small part of what our loved ones do when they have to leave us behind. We had a blast! We behaved like a bunch of 13-year-old girls, laughing and being silly, but we also had very serious and awestricken moments when the reality of our husbands' work really hit us. It is something to watch these guys manage gazillions of buttons, knobs and gauges while manhandling a jet that is almost as long (and almost as wide) as the length of an entire football field and is filled with precious and expensive cargo. They carry anything from armored vehicles and helicopters to a load of porpoises trained to detect underwater mines. And, of course, their most somber duty is to return the remains of fallen soldiers to their families. It is a big job that these guys do, and they often do it for 24 hours at a time.


This was the most amazing moment of the day: watching through the cockpit window as our jet approached a KC-10 for refueling. What you see is the boom from the KC-10, which transfers the fuel into the C-5 once the connection is made. I kept thinking that I should be terrified to be 10 feet away from another jet full of fuel, but I was so enthralled and thrilled by it! I guess, too, that I just trust these guys so much because they are so well trained and focused.

Me (in hot pink, in case you don't know me well enough to pick me out) and the girls in the courier compartment (behind the cockpit).

Here we are in the cargo bay before climbing the ladder to the cockpit.

FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!

Thank you all for your prayers! We received news today that our documents have been submitted for registration in St. Petersburg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the next week or two, they will be reviewed by the Adoption Committee, which will either accept and register them or request changes or clarification. Obviously, we are hoping for the former, so we can get over there and see our kids! However, even if we have to redo some things, at least we're moving and our documents are now in Russian hands. Please continue to pray with us, as there is still a long way to go, but we do have something to celebrate today!

Waitin' on a Woman

This is the sweetest video by Brad Paisley and Andy Griffith! Just saw it this morning on CMT and had to share. YouTube won't let me embed it in the blog, but here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvKgnkIN8C8

Hurry! Hurry!

I try so hard to be patient and wait for God's timing. I really do. But when family after family who started the adoption process months after we did are traveling to meet kids and getting court dates, I rejoice with them, and then it sinks in again that we are still waiting. And I cry, and I get mad that we can't seem to get moving. I wonder if our agency is the problem, and then I wonder if we are the problem. And then I remember that God will make it happen when He is ready, and I try to calm back down.

I did learn today that one family we've followed since they began the adoption process this spring received their invitation this week to go to Russia and meet their little girl. Not only was I thrilled for them, I was also encouraged that they were registered on Sept. 10th and leave for Russia on Sept. 22nd.....only 12 days!!! PLEASE GOD! PLEASE DO THE SAME FOR US! AND SOON!

In the Swing...

Seems like lately I get around to updating here about the same time I hit the wall and run out of energy...or at least the will to write. It's not that there isn't anything to share, but I keep procrastinating. Imagine that...ME...procrastinating! (My family will appreciate the humor here.)

I am thankful to be able to report that our family members are accounted for and in good health, even the super-stubborn ones that decided to face down Ike at the shore rather than heading inland. Some of them had minor damage to their homes, schools and/or places of work, but there were no catastrophic losses. None of them have power, and most won't for days or weeks, but they are safe!

We had some friends over Friday night for a hurricane party, something we decided on about mid-afternoon. It turned out amazingly well considering no one had any plans to attend before 4 pm. Thank goodness for Sam's and their frozen appetizers, deli trays, etc.!

Saturday, we met an amazing and very special family that we look forward to getting to know better. Jim and Tonya have one biological son and a son and daughter, special-needs twins, whom they adopted. We all went to Chuck E. Cheese and enjoyed chatting for almost 3 hours while the kids played! They had some great insight into adoption, schools, etc. Sunday morning, they visited our church with us, too.

I've been planning a trip to Illinios in October. I am SOOOO looking forward to catching up with old friends to watching Matt run some cross country.

Garin has been so funny today. There has been a lot of LOUD singing going on, and he wore his dinosaur costume (see here and here) all afternoon, even though it's almost 90 degrees outside. He's a quirky little fellow, and I love that about him!

Things are kicking back into full swing around here, with OSC and squadron functions, bowling and other fun stuff. I'm so thankful to be back into the groove and seeing my friends more often! It's nice to rest now and then, but we need our girlfriends!

Another Evacuation

Well, folks, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm asking you to pray for the hurricane evacuees again. Late yesterday, when it became clear that Beaumont was not going to escape Hurricane Ike, my brother-in-law evacuated the children's home for the second time in two weeks. In doing so, he had to leave behind his own family: my sister and their three children. Marci decided late last night, when she learned that local officials would be having a 2am meeting to declare a mandatory evacuation today, that she would rather get on the road and get out before traffic got crazy this morning. She and the kids prepared and secured the house and drove to my parents' house. They arrived around 2:30am. Greg and his entourage arrived at Camp Buckner shortly thereafter. My aunt is safely in Northeast Texas in her childhood home, but her husband and children were not able to leave until after work today. They should be on the road now or very shortly, dealing with slow, heavy traffic and long gas lines. Please keep them all in your prayers. Other family members in the Houston area have decided not to heed the evacuation order and have chosen to stay. Although I admittedly question the wisdom of that decision, I also ask you to pray that they will be safe through the storm.

My heart has been particularly touched by the stories I've heard today of families who do not have the financial means to evacuate again, families who spent their small savings evacuating just two weeks ago and have no money to do so again. And there are those who have nowhere to go other than to try to find an open hotel room or shelter. I also pray that God will give them peace, comfort and shelter as Ike approaches.

I Know

We got some fresh information about our Russian children yesterday. It was encouraging, motivating and hope-building, but we are still waiting...hopefully not too much longer.

Sometimes in the course of moving forward and forgetting what is behind, our style of worship changes. Nothing wrong with that! I worship in ways I never knew I could as a child, thanks to Casting Crowns, Lincoln Brewster, Chris Tomlin, and the list goes on. But sometimes those old hymns from childhood now reach out to me in ways they didn't before. Perhaps it's because they aren't routine to me anymore, and I am actually hearing their messages more clearly. Whatever the reason, today as I was praying about D & K and begging God to bring them home soon, the following hymn came to mind and brought with it a great reassurance and reminder that I don't have to know. I can just trust.

These words were written in 1883 by Daniel Whittle, and they still speak to my soul today:

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain
But I know Whom I have believèd
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

Refrain

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

Refrain

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain

Harvey and Lille

True love!

The original plan was to keep them separated for several days, but they were each so interested in the other, and Miss Lille is not the timid soul we had the impression she would be. She was skittish at first, but she has quite the regal complex and carries herself with a great deal of self-assuredness. She has no fear of Harvey, and although he was not sure what to make of her at first, he is now very antsy to get past the introductions and into some (as Amy commented on a previous blog entry) "frisky" time. We have let them spend short periods of time together the last couple of days, but today they decided that they are ready to be together. Who are we to stand in the way??? She taunts him by prancing by him and then taking off in a leaping run. He obediently follows. They jump around and then flop down, rolling over to show each other their bellies and chins. It's so cute! They both seem to be having fun and show no signs of aggression or fear, so we're just tickled! Here we caught them in a brief rest period between their games.

Hurricane Gustav

**Update - 30 August**
Greg (maybe I'll start calling him Moses!) is leading his people out of Beaumont ahead of Gustav. He has a caravan of 41 children from Buckner Children's Home, as well as 30+ people who work with those children along with the workers' families. It is a grand total of 132 people heading to Camp Buckner in Marble Falls to wait out the storm. My sister and the kids (and pets of course) are safely at my parents' house. They moved everything they could, especially their most precious things, upstairs in case of flood. Marci emptied the freezer into ice chests and took their food along in case they lose power for awhile. I haven't heard whether my aunts, uncles and cousins are leaving or whether they'll stay with my parents, but Greg said they are beginning mandatory evacuations, so it is possible that they may have no choice before long. The highways are already backed up. I pray that there will be no lives lost during this storm and that people will make the wise decision to get out rather than staying to protect earthly possessions. I also pray that those emergency and hospital personnel who cannot leave will be under His protection.

Let's pray for those who are being affected by Gustav. So many have lost lives and property already in Haiti, as there will likely be in Jamaica. There are now many people here in the U.S. preparing to close up their homes and head north to escape this storm that is forecast to reach as high as Category 5 over the weekend and make landfall somewhere on the Gulf Coast on Tuesday. I have many family members among them, including my sister and her family, aunts, uncles and cousins. My parents are preparing for a house full of family, as they did when Rita hit three years ago. That was a family reunion of sorts, with 15 or so houseguests staying with my parents and my grandparents who live next door! My brother-in-law will be evacuating with the children and faculty at Buckner Children's Home to another location. The senior citizens at Buckner Calder Woods will have to be evacuated as well, and this is difficult for them, as many are in ill health. My cousin who works at a children's hospital needs to care for her own family as well as her patients and is trying to decide the best way to do both.

Here is a note from my brother-in-law which explains well how we can pray specifically for the children in his care, whose lives have already been so disrupted and filled with loss:

I'm fascinated by the preparation for hurricanes. I grew up with tornadoes, so I'm used to frantic dives into the hallway or bathtub. I'm new to the days of uncertainty and stress, waiting for the chance to leave your home to the mercy of a storm that may or may not steamroll your neighborhood.Gustav's path is uncertain, but I'm pretty sure that we'll be evacuated this weekend, from what I'm hearing. I have heard that the state of Texas will begin an airlift evacuation of medically fragile individuals on Saturday morning, and the new 211 system (for people to call who need rides away from the coast) is overrun with calls. No one has said clearly, but I'm almost certain that Jefferson County will call for an evacuation this weekend - my guess is Sunday or Monday.So, I'll wish Marci and the kids goodbye tomorrow evening and they'll go spend the weekend in Longview. I'll stay back in Beaumont in order to evacuate with the 41 kids we have living on the campus of Buckner Children's Village, as well as our staff and a few of their family members.If we evacuate, we'll head towards the Austin area, where Buckner has a camp / retreat center. If not, I'll hold down the fort here to keep an eye on the campus. Please pray for these children, who have experienced enough anxiety already in their lives. They really don't need another 'escape to safety.' They really need stability, and I'm thankful to the employees of Buckner who will go with us and provide just that.Pray also for the senior adults Buckner serves here in Beaumont. They will likely evacuate as well, and they will be divided among other retirement communities and nursing homes across the state.I'll try to post pictures and keep you up to date. If we do evacuate, the computers (among other things) are most certainly coming with me. You can also check for updates at http://www.buckner.org/.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary, and look what we got! A new Ragdoll!!! She's a one-year-old blue point. The original plan was to breed her, but she never went into heat, so they decided to have her spayed and sell her as a pet. She is the sweetest little thing - lovey, purrs loudly, likes to play. Harvey (our 3-year-old seal point Ragdoll) is a little nervous about her, and vice versa, but neither has been mean, so I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. This photo is a few months old, but I'll try to get some good ones of her tomorrow.

I have been spending most of my spare time this last couple of weeks practicing on the keyboard (as in piano, not computer) to get ready for our Dover worship services to begin this weekend. Our church is starting a southern campus ("one church, many locations"), and I am going to be playing keyboards for the worship team. I've probably mentioned this before, but I'm nervous. God keeps reminding me that He equips those whom He calls and that all He requires of me is my best. I am struggling to remember that when I start my perfectionist obsession about not being good enough!

We had a commissioning service tonight. It was a wonderful time of worship and preparation, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Even after driving to Lancaster, PA, and back all day to pick up our cat, it was well worth the long drive to church tonight.

A Little Diversion...

As you can see, I've been having fun with worthless but fun celebrity comparisons today. The website scans your photo and spits out a list of people it thinks you look like. Let me tell you, it depends on the photo you choose! I was so unhappy with my first one (Wynona Judd and Hillary Clinton, among others!!!) that I started over with a new photo and got much more pleasant results.

Karl's Look-Alikes

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family tree research - Family history

I WISH!!!

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

I could not love my husband more...

....than I do in moments like these:

If Sesame Street ever needs to replace the fellow who does Elmo's voice, I know just the guy!

(Please pardon the playroom disaster area!)

Prayers Please

Please keep my cousin, Lisa, in your prayers tomorrow. She will be undergoing a biopsy of her thyroid. The doctors found three lumps on her thyroid and want to check them to be sure they are benign. I'll be sure to update when I hear a report, but please lift her and her family up in prayer. Thanks!

"In God We Trust"

Here's your chance to let the media know where the people stand on our faith in God, as a nation. NBC is taking a poll on "In God We Trust" to stay on our American currency. Please do it right away, before NBC takes this off the web page. Poll is still open so you can vote.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

Potpourri

It seems like I have been so busy for the last week or two. I have a bunch of video and photos that I want to post here, but I haven't had the time yet. Be prepared for an onslaught when they do come! Hopefully soon...

Karl was home for 6 days out of the past month, flying missions around the world. It looks like (fingers crossed) he will be home for awhile now. He's getting ready to start a new desk job, and there is often a learning period involved. We're supposed to find out today what that job will be. So exciting! I often want to complain about it here when he's gone, but I'm not comfortable announcing to the world when we are home alone. I could go private with the blog, but I don't want to make people ask for permission to read it. It's probably for the best, anyway, as this way you don't have to listen to me whine.

Since we have dwindled back down to the three of us, we are trying to settle into regular life again. With the exception of brief respites to check my Facebook account, I shamelessly admit that my free time has largely been spent on the sofa, watching Team U.S.A. in the Olympics. We, like the rest of America, have Michael Mania. I am in (sisterly) love with Dara Torres. I enjoyed the gymnastics too. But beach volleyball (followed closely by indoor volleyball) has me by the horns. We can't get enough in this volleyball-obsessed family!

We realized last night that Garin has watched far too many volleyball games in his lifetime, whether they be Daddy's intramurals or the pros on TV. The moment he saw the game, he assumed "the stance" - the hunched-over, readied position the players take prior to the serve. (Video coming someday) And he continued to do so with each serve. During the volleys, he ran around the living room as if he were chasing down the ball. And when the whistle blew, he'd stop, clap his hands and shout, "C'mon guys!" in his loudest coach voice. When the play was clearly bad, he'd pace back and forth in the living room, shaking his head! Once, when a player dove for the ball, he bent over as if he were going to touch his toes and then, in a flash, he was down - hands outstretched in front of himself, flat on his belly to reach the imaginary ball coming to him! It was precious!

Matt started school today. He has an ambitious schedule for this junior year of high school: Biology I, Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus, Band, College Chemistry, Spanish 3, Consumer Ed/Gov't and English 3. He is already knee-deep in Cross Country, and his knee is bothering him again this year. We are praying that he will stay healthy, work hard and excel in all of his endeavors this year!

Other than doing the usual fun Mom jobs, I have somehow found myself preparing to play keyboard for our church's new southern campus that we are starting here in Dover on September 7th! I guess all those years of piano lessons are going to be put to use, finally! I am terrified and thrilled about it all at the same time. I always enjoyed playing, but my only public performances consisted of two-a-year recitals, playing songs I had been practicing for months and had down so well that no thought was required when I took my seat, and still I was a nervous wreck.

I offered to play if they didn't have anyone else, simply because I knew we would need someone. It is one of those still-small-voice promptings where you say, "Okay God, I'll just offer because You told me to, but I KNOW that You know that there is no way You really want me for this job, and You're just testing me to see if I'll obey, so I will. But I KNOW You'll find someone better equipped because You want to be glorified in worship, and I'm not used to playing from chord charts, and I couldn't possibly be good enough." It was one of those things where I expected to be like Abraham and have the sacrificial goat walk up at the last minute, so I didn't have to follow through. Instead, I am like Moses, whom God equipped for the task in spite of his shortcomings. Interestingly, I like being Moses instead of Abraham. This is new territory for me, and I'm excited to see how God will use it to His glory (but I'm still scared to death!).

Well, back to the other kind of keyboard for some practice....

TAG!

I've been tagged! I know I shouldn't be so excited about it, but I've been watching bloggers tag each other for months, even years, now, and somehow it never happened to me. At first, I was thankful I didn't have to take the time to complete the task of passing it along, but then I started wondering what made me so "untaggable." (Not that I cared of course, because I am completely secure and never, ever worry about what others think of me!)

Anyway, Jill tagged me with this fun little book tag. I was just hoping that the Lord would share some huge, significant nugget with the world when I opened the book beside me.....not so much. But here it is:

BOOK TAG

Get the book nearest to you, or one that you are currently reading that is over 123 pages.

Go to page 123.

Find the 5th sentence.

Post the 5th sentence.

Tag 5 people.

My nearest book was Birthright: Christian Do You Know Who You Are? Something profound should come out of that, right?

So here is the sentence: "Why?"

Yep, that's it. One word. A pretty profound word, I suppose. The chapter is titled, "God's Expectations for His Miracle Children." The paragraph is talking about Romans 7:14-25. The author was asking why we should anticipate total failure in our attempts to overcome sin. He follows by explaining that in the flesh, we will fail; however, in Christ, we are not in the flesh anymore.

Now it's your turn! I'm tagging Amy, Nerissa, Karen, Kellie and Bethany. Have fun!

Checking In

Hello, dear friends and family! I have been sorely negligent in updating the blog this past week. Instead, I have allowed myself to be completely immersed in the joy of time with my family. We had an amazing week with my sister, her husband and their three kids! We have been all over the place and still managed to share a couple of lazy days together. We sat on the deck in the cool, early morning hours, leisurely sipping coffee and catching up before breakfast, and we fought our way onto the subways of NYC during rush hour. I'm telling you, we really lived this week!

Now we are tired. And the week of indulgence has left me with an extra-long to-do list now. Not that I'm complaining! I have video to edit, so that I can share it here, and there are photos to post. But first, I have to get some songs together, so I can play keyboard at praise team rehearsal on Thursday (yikes!). I need to catch up on some laundry. I need to vacuum and dust and clean bathrooms. And, most importantly, I need to give an extra dose of attention to a toddler who doesn't yet understand the comings and goings of people he loves and cannot process it except through periodic meltdowns and tantrums.

So rest assured, I have not forgotten you. It may take a few days, but I'll get back to updating regularly in the near future. In the meantime, pour a cup of coffee and go sit on the back porch for a while. I highly recommend it!

Wii Like to Exercise Together!

Eli and Garin are getting Wii Fit together. There has been some competition for the board, so Uncle Greg created a new board for Garin - a Guinness Book of World Records. The boys have been getting into shape together, and it is so cute!

We're having a great time relaxing and laughing together today and are looking forward to the beach this afternoon, but we sure do miss Karl. We pray he will be home soon!!!

Remember me???

Hi stranger! It's been a while, I know. Life's been busy!

Last Wednesday, I had to put my Matthew on a plane back to Illinois to get ready for a new school year. Heartbreaking. But before he left, we had a couple more wonderful days together. We wrapped up some loose ends and then spent an afternoon and evening at the beach, just the three of us, playing, laughing and enjoying a gorgeous day. The goodbyes were so hard for all of us, but most of all for Garin. He doesn't quite understand why his Bubby must leave or that he will be back (do any of us really understand???). We said our goodbyes at security, but as Matt walked away, Garin fought to get out of my arms and tried to follow him, crying, "NOOO!" I scooped him up and tried to comfort him, and he began screaming, "Bubby, my Bubby!" It was horrible. Since then, he's been afraid to get out of my sight. Karl has been on a mission that has delayed him at every turn, and he has been gone for two weeks now. Missions are always hard on Garin, but with his Bubby leaving too, he has been struggling emotionally in a way I've never seen from him. Anything can bring a complete breakdown. My heart aches for him, and I pray that Karl will be home soon. I think this will make a huge difference for Garin. If you feel led to pray along those lines too, we'd appreciate it.

I spent Thursday cleaning house and washing all the sheets because....drum roll, please....my sister and her family arrived Friday morning for a whole week of family fun!!!!!!!! Marci, Greg, Sandra, Eli and Emma have now been here for two full days. We have really been enjoying some time together, and I am so thankful that they are here. (Marci asked me last night if I have blogged about how wonderful it is to have my precious sister and her family here and feigned to take offense that I haven't bragged on them yet. Marci, this is for you!) We have day trips planned to the beach, NYC, and DC (along with a few restful days). We should all be thoroughly exhausted, sunburned and cultured by week's end!

More Delays...

I spoke to our caseworker this morning and learned that our agency is having some issues getting cases registered for children who were hosted. They attempted registering two cases at the end of June, and they waited a long time for a response. The MOE has requested additional documents for those families before they can be registered and considered. This isn't great news. However, the fact that we follow them isn't a bad thing because our agency will know better what additional documentation will be necessary in our case, and hopefully we won't have to wait as long once our documents are submitted.

Please pray over this process...for all the waiting children in Russia and for the officials who are making decisions regarding their lives.

Please pray for our agency and specifically for our caseworker, Rebecca. She shared with me today that their agency is "streamlining." The economy is affecting even adoption agencies. The caseworkers are dealing with the same workload, but their hours have been cut in half. This makes for a stressful work environment and unhappy clients across the board. We pray that God will give them the energy to accomplish what must be done and will protect their hearts from bitterness, discouragement and disillusionment. We pray that they will continue to see great rewards in what they are doing.

Please pray also for patience in the waiting and protection from doubt and discouragement. We know that God brought us down this path with a purpose. His hand has been evident in miraculous ways throughout. We know that He has turned our hearts to these children, and we are committed to follow Him. If these are our kids, He will make it happen. If not, He is preparing us for something else in the future. I am at peace with this, but I still really want to bring these kids home!

"...as you love yourself."

***This blog did not go where I intended when I started. I thought it was going to be a run-down of our weekend activities. Funny how, when God starts talking, you find yourself on a road that wasn't even on the map. And when He says, "Okay, that's all for now," that road feels as familiar as the path that leads home.


So what happens when you find a great 75%-off sale on outdoor furniture and buy that dining set of your dreams that you've waited years to buy???

Why, it falls off the truck in the middle of the highway, of course! Narrowly missing the long line of cars behind you, the two huge boxes block two lanes of traffic, while you, in your grungy, scrubbing-all-day t-shirt, shorts and rubber flip-flops, frantically run into the busy street trying to drag them out of the way for the temporarily patient drivers who are waiting.

Now, change every "you" in the above paragraphs to "I," and you have a brief synopsis of my horrifying afternoon yesterday! The five minutes that felt like five hours.

But let's look at the bright side: Somehow (miraculously), it didn't hit the cars behind me. Somehow, it survived with very minor damage. Somehow, I got it loaded back in the truck and made it home. And somehow (this is a biggie), I came out of it NOT feeling like an idiot who had made a fool of herself and feeling more like someone who'd had a bit of unfortunate trouble, resolved her problem without tears or complete panic, and managed to move along with her day without beating herself up and being embarrassed all weekend. Did I mention that this is a biggie? Could it be that perhaps it is sinking in? Maybe I'm really starting to get it as God continues to impress upon me that He doesn't see me the way I see myself, as He's teaching me to love myself as I love others.

I realize that I have this backwards. In Matthew 19:19, Jesus tells us to love others as we love ourselves. It's a good lesson on valuing other people. But for me, He has been turning it around lately, showing me that I have to give myself a break now and then. I've found it easy to love others in this life, but I cannot love others well if I cannot love myself well. This is not a license for self-indulgence or selfishness, nor is it about "self-esteem." This is about "God-esteem," about seeing myself as a valuable, beautiful creation of God, created in His image. It is freedom from the struggle to measure up to the expectations of others. It is freedom to be who God has called me to be without apology. It is the freedom to be comfortable in my own skin, the skin He Himself wrapped around my flesh...freckles and all, it is His artwork. It is the ability to accept His forgiveness and step away from my failures rather than tossing them into that burdensome sack I so often try to carry along with me.

I believe that many of us need to reverse the verse, so to speak. We tend to think of sinful selfishness as the result of an over-inflated ego, a sense of entitlement or an attitude of superiority. But when Satan succeeds at making us feel unattractive, unworthy, somehow less than we really are, we also succumb to selfishness of another kind. We take valuable time, talent, energy, money, __________ (Fill in your own blank here; the list could be endless.) that belongs to God. Instead we waste it worrying what others think of us, constantly striving to improve our appearances, trying to figure out what makes a person a "success" in this world and struggling to fit that image. It may be about appearance. It might be career or finances. It might be personality-type or social prowess. For some (myself included), it is often a crazy combination. Imagine allowing Christ to free us of all of those image issues! Imagine the joy of living the lives God created us to live and embracing the fact that it would look different for each of us! Imagine what we could really do for Him and for others if we cast off the selfishness of self-loathing and saw ourselves through the eyes of the One Who created us in His image!

And, perhaps a more exciting prospect for me: Imagine leaving a legacy of a God-image in our children! If my children hear me complain about my appearance, or even if I silently live a life of shame and dissatisfaction, they will learn what I model. It breaks my heart to think of passing such a burden to my children. I am choosing to allow my Heavenly Father to take my poor self-image and replace it with His God-image. It may not happen overnight, but it's a journey well worth taking, and it's a journey that will hopefully allow me to leave some substantial footprints....the footprints of Jesus...when I go Home.

His Royal Highness....

What do three bored fellas do during a Sunday afternoon thunderstorm???

They get out the Toobers and Zots, crown themselves kings, declare themselves knights, pretend to be dragon-cat, head to the opera and have a blast until the king's naptime!

"I crown thee King Garin."

Sir Matthew taking on the dragon.

His Majesty

Now off to the opera....

Mom is just enjoying the thunder and the pleasure of a lazy Sunday afternoon with almost all of her boys. We're hoping Daddy gets home from his mission soon!

HOPE FLOATS

I'm not a fan of living in the past. I tend to think it's better to leave it there, with the exception of some very special and meaningful moments. But sometimes it's good to take a trip back and remember where you've been and realize how far you've come. Ten years ago this month, I suddenly found myself starting over in a new life I didn't recognize. My marriage was ending...it was all over but the paperwork. Matt was at his dad's house, and I was spending a lonely Sunday afternoon by myself for the first time in years. How did I cope? I went to the movies alone, another first for me, and saw "Hope Floats."

Early in the movie, Birdee Calvert headed home to Texas from Illinois (I am a Texas girl who was living in Illinois at the time.), and as she crossed the Texas state line and drove past pine trees and longhorn cattle, my tears and longing took over. It was a perfect movie for me that day, and I discovered the pleasure of sobbing in front of the big screen with only a soda and popcorn and to learn that I enjoyed being in a theatre by myself.

The movie ended with these words: "That's what momma always says. She says that beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will... "

And suddenly I felt like there was a future out there for me. I forgot that moment innumerable times before the future found me, but there were many reminders along the way. Tonight, as Matt and I watched "Hope Floats" again, many of those old emotions resurfaced as I recalled how I'd felt that day, but the reality of how much my life has changed and how God has blessed me in these last ten years is truly overwhelming. If ever God's grace, mercy and provision is evident, it is in these last ten years of my life. For that I am incredibly thankful.

This has been a day of laughter. From this morning, when Garin in his jammies and Matt in his boxers were dancing in the playroom while playing cymbals and maracas (how I wish I'd had the camera handy) to this afternoon, when they were playing a new version of "Where'd he go?" that looked like an old movie. Do you remember the scenes where people are going in and out of the same room(s) and barely missing each other, each unaware that the other is there? Well, check out the video below, and you'll see what I mean.

Christian the Lion

If you haven't seen this before, get some Kleenex. THIS is why I love animals!

Adoption Talk and Potty (Non-) Training

I didn't get a response or the promised call from our caseworker this week (collective gasp or sigh would be appropriate here, except that we've all come to expect this, haven't we?). I did hear from our home study caseworker, however, who had been told that our dossier would not be registered in Russia this month after all. The St. Petersburg Adoption Committee is relocating offices, thus the delay. It was good to know. We have no doubt that the agency is working on our behalf; however, our caseworker's lack of communication is a real problem. As of today, we have not heard from her in 18 days, and as far as she knows, we still believe we are being registered, but she didn't bother to contact me this week as promised. If we thought she didn't care about our case, we would ask for a new caseworker, but she is very familiar with us and seems to really want to bring our kids home. So we continue to wait for calls that don't come and emails that aren't answered.

In happier news, our home study caseworker is expecting twins soon!!! We haven't seen her since we completed our home study last year...yes, last year, ugh...and were quite surprised by the news. We are so excited for her, as they had struggled with infertility issues and miscarriages too and were about ready to give up on more bio kids. Guess I need to get to work on a couple of quilts! And that leads me to wonder when I will ever get to make a pink quilt. Our friends and family keep having boys! But who am I to talk??? I am the only estrogen producer in this house, at least until K arrives.

Yesterday was an interesting one with Garin. At two and a half, we realize that potty training is looming on the horizon. He loves to go in the bathroom with us and "help" by supervising, unrolling and tearing off toilet paper, flushing and waving bye-bye to whatever we've deposited in there. He is just beginning to understand the process, but he has not showed much interest in sitting there himself. He seems to feel it is just wasting his time to sit anywhere, much less there.

So lately Garin has been removing his diapers at naptime and in the mornings before we come get him from his room. Then suddenly yesterday he took his diaper off five different times and kept running around bare-bottomed. I couldn't keep it on him, so we started thinking it was potty-training time. Big mistake. Garin's idea of potty training is picking something interesting and then aiming at it. He went in corners, on the carpet and even hosed down his bowling pins! Matt and I had a long, hearty laugh over that one!!! We got some pull-ups and are hoping they'll stay on better until he is willing to put a little effort into potty training! Matt trained later and in about a week, so this is quite new to me. And the fact that it's been fourteen years since then doesn't help either! Any suggestions are appreciated; I am acutely aware that it won't be long now.

Matt, Karl and I relaxed last night (after Garin's bedtime) with Haagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry's and Shrek 3. 'Twas a lovely, relaxing evening! Next week, we'll get the awesome sitter (see previous blog entry) if she's available, and Matt and I are going to spend a day, just the two of us, at the outlet malls and the beach.

It looks like Karl's schedule is about to go crazy. He is scheduled for a mission this week, and this week is also the big inspection for which he's been in charge of preparation since he got home from his deployment last fall. Following the inspection, he'll be due for a new desk job. He has some ideas about what that will be, but nothing is decided yet. We'll let you know when he gets a new title. He's also scheduled for Instructor Pilot training this fall. He was an instructor before but has to requalify since he's flying a different jet now. Also, some have been asking about his promotion. After looking at the monthly promotion increments for his promotion group, we are fairly certain he'll pin on Major in January.

We're headed out in a few minutes to grab a meal out (woohoo!) and go play at the park for awhile. I've been shackled to the stove the last few days, so it will be nice to eat out! ;o) And believe it or not, there are no picnics, no VBS kick-off, no responsibilities this weekend other than family, so we intend to enjoy being together.

My blog friend, Amy, and her hubby are headed to Russia today to meet "Boo" and "Hoo", their third and fourth children (all from Russia). Keep them in your prayers!

Also, my AF friend (the one who is adopting #4 from China right now) has asked for prayer for her father, who is having a triple bypass on Tuesday.

Thanks for being such faithful prayer warriors!!!

Have a great weekend!

Get a Load of This!

Garin decided this evening that he can step right off the couch. The amazing thing about it is that he actually can! I had to put the brakes on his standing on the arm of the couch, though. He seemed to think that was perfectly safe too.

(The black blob of fur on the back of the couch is Matt's old Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde wig from several Halloweens ago. Seems Garin has found yet another Halloween costume he loves to play with.)

Baby's First Sushi

There is a great little sushi kiosk at the base commissary where they do made-do-order fresh sushi. In this family of sushi lovers, Garin was bound to want in on the action eventually. Although he had a burger, he wanted ours. Fortunately, I had cream cheese roll today, which has imitation crab and no raw fish, so I was able to share. HE LOVED IT! He ate it all, even the seaweed and cucumber. So proud of my healthy little man!

Spiritual Moments

Good morning, All! It's been a great (and busy) couple of days for us. Tuesday night turned out to be all we had hoped and more! The babysitter my friend recommended was AMAZING. She is so sweet with Garin. She is a lovely Christian young woman. AND she not only cleaned up after herself, but she loaded their dinner dishes into the almost-full dishwasher, ran the cycle and put away the dishes!!! Oh, she'll DEFINITELY be back!!!!! I haven't had a tidy babysitter in a long time....

But on to our evening...We had no major traffic issues and got to the theatre at 6:30, so we picked up our will-call tickets early (smart move, as the line was out the door later) and walked a couple of blocks looking for a restaurant. We happened upon a neat little place called the Marathon Grill. It had a loft atmosphere, very chic, but it was very reasonable. They had a phenomenal (no exaggeration) menu, and we had a delicious dinner before heading back to the theatre. We had great seats for the show, but after seeing the layout, I'm not sure there are any truly bad seats in the building. The show was wonderful! I never cease to be amazed at how well the writer expresses the power and beauty of God's grace and mercy for those who will accept it and the peril for those who insist on living under the weight of the Law! All of the actors were good. I wasn't terribly impressed by Fontine (but how could I be after seeing Lea Salonga in the role?!) and Javert, but they weren't bad. Jean Valjean was excellent. Only one disappoint there: he didn't sing "Bring Him Home" as powerfully as I'd have liked. But Cosette was wonderful, and Eponine was incredible. It was a very, very good performance, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone!

Yesterday, we were all tired, so there wasn't much going on except for my voice lesson. We did grill some brats and corn, warm some sauerkraut and have a delicious dinner before going to church. It was the last gathering of our Southern Campus Launch Team before we begin worship at the Dover Sheraton on September 7th. As it turned out, it wasn't a meeting at all, but a very moving individual experience with God that had been set up in the sanctuary. A large shape of the cross was taped on the floor, with a pathway taped around it. Along the walkway around the cross, there were interactive stations where we were to stop and spend intentional time listening to God. We were guided by instructions at each station. One by one, we entered and were greeted and instructed. At the first station, we heard the Scripture about the Moses and the burning bush. The other stations were these:

Noise (eliminating life's noise to hear God's voice)

Worry (we were provided with a stone to 'hold' our worries, which we cast into a pool of water)

Hurts (we were to draw or write about how we had been hurt and how we had hurt others and then throw them away)

Image (we had to sit before a mirror and read the verses about being created in God's image and being fearfully and wonderfully made and then look at ourselves with the intention of seeing what God sees rather than our flaws) -This was hard for me. I realized that when I think of these verses, I think of my children (or other people). It is very easy to see the God in others, not so easy in me. I began to think of my children and how I see them with such love that I don't see their mistakes or their sinful nature when I look at them. And then I realized that, as God's child, I am seen with an even greater love through His eyes.

Others (we had a chance to think about our relationships and to light a candle and pray for them) - This was very moving for me also.

Impression (we sat before a box of sand and made an impression of our hand, while thinking about the impression that we will leave on this world when we're gone and what kind of impression we want that to be) -Interestingly, for me, I didn't like the impression my hand made. I looked at it for a minute or two and thought about how I also don't like part of the impression I have left on this world. Then the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that because of what Jesus did for me at the cross, I am not bound by past mistakes or sins and that I don't have the right to carry them with me after He has forgiven me. So I bent over, smoothed the sand and made a new handprint. I liked it better....and I like ME better.

Holy Place was a station at the center of the cross where the communion table was set for us to share with Him. It was a place to read His word, talk with Him and share in his last supper.

Finally, we left with some verses about peace. I believe it was from John (maybe?) Sadly, I don't remember exactly. My thoughts were still on earlier stations. It was a special night.

Productivity...

Basically, what you see here are the most exciting moments of our day yesterday. I know, it's sad, but it was quite wonderful to be homebodies all day. I did manage to get four loads of laundry done, at least. We had chicken enchiladas and fruit salad for supper and then had a late night of Wii Sports (which is what kept me from posting this video last night). At some point after midnight, the three big kids (Karl, Matt and me) began brainstorming about what to do today. When we finally went to bed after 1:00 am, we were the proud owners of three tickets in the orchestra section of Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia (the oldest theatre in the U.S.!) for tonight's performance of Les Miserables!!!!! They were purchased in faith that we would be able to get an experienced babysitter this morning (I want someone with maturity when I will be that far from home.), and thankfully we did: a sweet girl who is home from college for the summer and comes highly recommended by another Air Force family. I was surprised when I mentioned the idea that Matt was very enthusiastic about it, as was Karl. I saw it on Broadway last year, but neither of them has seen it live before. I hope it will meet their expectations. I am guaranteed at least four good cries (maybe more if I'm particularly emotional tonight), so I will tote some Kleenex with me. I feel quite certain that my hubby may need them too.....

Productivity...

Basically, what you see here are the most exciting moments of our day yesterday

Not a Word

It is our assumption that there was no progress with the adoption today, as it is now after business hours, and we still have no word from our agency. We had dared to hope (only a wee bit) that maybe they would be registering our dossier today, but I would imagine that we would have been notified today if that had, in fact, actually happened.

I have spent much of the day with D & K in my thoughts and have dedicated a great deal of time to prayer on their behalf. We are not upset, just eager for some good news. We have learned in the last 15 months that there is no point in getting excited about any sort of schedule or timeline that we are told "might be." But I do feel almost guilty each time I have to report bad news or no news when I know that so many of you are on this emotional roller coaster with us and are also praying. We must always keep in mind that, as hard as it is to understand and although we cannot now see it, God has a purpose in the waiting. Like so many things in life, we will look back someday and be amazed by the intricate perfection of it all and give thanks that He worked it out just as He did. We wait on Him with Hope!

I have some funny video (yes, moooore video) from this afternoon that I will post after Garin goes to bed tonight!

Here's a little video of our church picnic this afternoon. Garin was sound asleep in my lap, hugging his ball. He had all he could take at that point. He did rally later, though, and spend some time in the bouncy castle. We have such a great church family, and we really enjoyed the afternoon, but we were certainly tired when we got home.

Note to self-respecting women everywhere: If you ever wear an above-the-knee-length housedress (let's face it - never a great idea anyway), under no circumstances should you plop down in an adirondack chair on the front lawn, facing traffic, and wave your legs open and shut in order to "fan" your nether regions! This should be a no-brainer, but we got quite a show today in downtown Camden on our way home from dropping Evan off, and it was NOT pretty.

Belated Sweet (?) Sixteen

Saturday was set aside as Matt's pretend birthday, since he wasn't here for the real one last month. I made omelets at his request, and I am pleased to say that they met with huge compliments from my "birthday boy," which thrilled my soul. In the afternoon, we went bowling, the boys spent a few minutes in the play area at the lanes, and then we went out for some fresh seafood...YUM! When we got home, we enjoyed in ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Here are some highlights. I think Garin has watched us play Wii bowling too much, as evidenced by the way he raises his arms and says "yesss!" every time he rolls the ball.

My apologies for the cleavage shots. This is what happens when my husband mans the camera. ;0)

Beach Boys

Matt, Evan, Garin and I had a great time at the beach Friday. The weather was perfect, and the breeze off the ocean felt nice. As you can see, the boys had a great time digging, boogie boarding (not very successfully, as the waves were breaking too close to shore), doing cartwheels (of all things) while Garin did somersaults, and playing with a huge piece of wood that washed up. Garin also engaged in his favorite beach activity, eating sand.

Step Back, Jonas Brothers...

....There's a new band in town!

This was the scene in our living room this afternoon. Matt set up for some Rock Band on the Wii, and Garin HAD TO join in! As you can see in the video, the G-man is the lead singer and (left-handed) acoustic guitar. Big Bro backs him up on drums. Don't miss Garin's vocals mid-way through and his rapid-fire bowing after the song!

For some reason, Garin has insisted on playing his guitar left-handed since he got it on Christmas morning. We've tried to help him turn it around, but he doesn't like it. I guess it's just more comfortable this way. At this point, it's a no-brainer as to whether or not he'll play guitar when he's older. The only question is "Will he keep playing as a leftie?"

Matt felt that my filming was a major distraction, but he got his best score yet on that song. He's just going to have to get used to having an audience.

We've had a good week. Everything revolves around Vacation Bible School, but tonight is the last night. Because church is so far from home, meaning we have to leave about 5:00 to pick up Evan and get there, our normal schedule is topsy-turvy. We eat dinner at 4:30 and rush off, leaving Garin and Daddy here. Matt's getting lots of great driving practice! I've greatly enjoyed the VBS kids (and workers), and I'm so glad we did this, but I am ready for an evening at home with the family. Fortunately, Karl is taking a few days off next week, so we can just have some fun time together. Friday, I am making dinner for some friends who just had twin boys (their first, God bless 'em), and we are going to the home of some church friends for a small, casual dinner gathering tomorrow night. Saturday is Matt's alternate birthday. Since he was in IL on his special day, we let him pick his official birthday date for celebrating. We'll let him pick our daytime activities (still pending), and he wants to go to Medding's, an INCREDIBLE little fresh seafood restaurant on the way to the beach, followed by cake, of course! Sunday is our church picnic, which we're also looking forward to.

No news on the adoption front yet. I don't expect, in this case, that no news is good news, but let's not lose hope! I'll let you all know as soon as we hear anything. Keep praying!

I AM HAPPY

I just wanted to put that out there. I love standing at the back of the worship center during Vacation Bible School watching a roomful of children sing and dance for Jesus! I love spending time with friends, new and old, and feeling like they actually enjoy my company and are happy I'm there. I love when I take the time to look for the good in people even though it's much easier sometimes to find something not to like. I love when my husband comes home for lunch just to be with us, and I love it when he can't come home for lunch and calls three times because he misses that time with us. I love when my little one runs into my arms first thing in the morning like I'm the most wonderful sight he's ever laid eyes on, in spite of my crazy hair and the new zit shining on my forehead. I love sitting in the passenger seat, trying to act cool and unruffled, while my son chauffeurs me around town. I love when his friend gets out of the car, and he reaches over to quickly grab my hand and whisper, "I love you, Mom."

Maybe everything isn't perfect, and maybe I'm still waiting for some pretty big prayers to be answered, but life is good!

Rippin' Rocket Roller Coaster

Well, after five years (of partial construction followed by deconstruction necessitated by a move) and endless hours of labor, the Rippin' Rocket Roller Coaster finally reached completion!

We had a great morning at church! Matt's childhood friend, Evan, went with us. In one of those crazy, it's-a-small-world turn of events, Evan (whom we knew in Illinois as a kindergartner) had grandparents here in Dover, and he's here visiting them for a couple of weeks. We're enjoying some time with him while he's here, and he and Matt are enjoying it. This week is Vacation Bible School at our church, and both boys are helping with recreation. It will be so much fun!

We stopped for lunch after church, and as soon as we got home, Karl and Matt retreated to the basement while I (once again) folded laundry and tried to organize Matt's room a tad, as it's already getting out of control.

Below is a video of the fruits of their labor. Pretty cool, if you ask me!

P.S.

I just logged onto Facebook and saw that my 16-year-old son ranked me as bravest and most trustworthy in comparison to his other Facebook friends.

High praise, folks.....humbling.....incredibly moving.....really something....*sniff*

Come to think of it, I don't mind being invisible sometimes after all. I am loved (and trusted!), and that is more than enough for this mom.

HUGE Scientific Discovery!!!

I think I could be rich...famous..find my own place in the history books! If only someone would listen......

For all of you who would like to be a superhero, I know the secret of invisibility! It is quite simple really. I have discovered today that, in the absence of "The Big T" (as my cousin calls it), a person becomes immediately invisible. Not only that, people can no longer hear them at all. It is the secret to being the proverbial fly-on-the-wall. That's right, folks, testosterone is the key. If you don't have it, you can do anything or say anything you want, and (assuming you're the only estrogen-producing homosapien in the room) no one is the wiser.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I went to the basement to spend some time with my "big T"-laden spouse and offspring while they put together a K-nex roller coaster set that has spent most of the last five years in a box. I managed to have an entire conversation with myself, fold all the laundry and disappear to the computer without being detected. Amazing, isn't it?!?!

I'm sure I could get rich from this discovery.....if only someone would listen....

Jungle Gym

In all honesty, this video stuff is probably boring to most of you, but to far-away grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, it is a lifeline to the grandkids. Hopefully, all of our other friends won't disappear if I post a few too many of these in the coming days/weeks!

Garin loves climbing on his big brother, and Matt seems to thoroughly enjoy it as well. This was the tail end of a long session of "weightlifting" for Matt.

We are getting excited about the 4th of July!!! Some old friends contacted us today to say that they'll be in town for a visit, and we were already planning a barbecue on the patio, which we'll be happy to enjoy with them. I'm boiling ribs now, so they'll be ready for the grill. We're also planning to hit the firework show in town before spending the evening hanging out beside our firepit....at least that's the plan. You know how plans are!