The LD

I wanted to give you the LD (low down) on what we have been doing this week in between my FP (fingerprints) that are MIA at the FBI/ABI or the CSI, or the SBCN, or AL DHR.

Do you follow me?

Just so you know this is normal in adoption language.  Everything is an acronym and I am trying to find some sort of humor in the CS (I made that one up...crazy situation) of where my FP's are!

Lately, Owen never wants to wear a shirt, and Gray and Kate (yes, that would be my daughter) have jumped on the bandwagon too.  Owen actually almost went to school yesterday without his shirt on.

He was getting on his backpack and wasn't wearing a shirt.  I wish I could say he was joking.   

I took Kate and Gray on a new trail I found.  We probably only walked 500 yards in 1 hour, but they loved throwing rocks into the creek and finding walking sticks. 

Halloween in on the horizon, and my kids are pumped.  Kate got to wear her costume to school.

This is her new pose when she takes pictures.  She told me that this is how a Princess smiles.

Gray got to wear his PJ's to Mother's Day Out and apparently, he is practicing his princess smile too! 

Our plan for the weekend, is to do some pumpkin carving, a quick trip to Atlanta for my niece's birthday, and some trick or treating on Halloween. 

Happy Halloween to You!

Home Study Complete!

Today we finished our home study.  Thank you for your prayers.  It went wonderful.  The kids were so excited, (and I mean a little too excited--like jumping on the bed excited) to show Karla (our social worker) around the house.  I did spend part of the day cleaning, putting things away, mopping up dirt all over my kitchen floor, and basic tidying up the house.  I know she is not looking at how clean our house is, but I just couldn't help myself from getting it "presentable". 
We basically have a rough estimate of the time frame from now until we bring our little girl home.  We are looking at 9 months (if all goes smoothly)!  Wow....9 months!  So, I guess I have a pregnancy to look forward to, without the actual being pregnant.  I am now pregnant with paperwork, heart ache, uncertainty, waiting, longing, hoping, trusting, and love....did I mention waiting? 
9 months from now is August 2011.   We are praying that God will bring us to her in 8 months.  For our family, traveling in July would be easier.  August brings school schedules and all that goes with it.   Arranging people to care for my 4 kids would be easier in the Summer.  Between my mom and dad, and 4 sisters, and Matt's parents, I think we could pull it off a lot more smoothly.
But again, this is totally out of my hands...welcome to the world of Adoption.  There is nothing I can do to speed this up>   BUT as a believer, I do know that our God can make what seems impossible, possible.  A God that moves mountains, who tells the ocean where to stop, who orchestrates the seasons, and who made our baby girl all the way across the world, can do it!  We will lay our requests before Him and trust that He is in control, whatever the outcome might be.   
Prayer request #4...pray we travel in July!

My Three Sons

Second Day in a row to literally fall right on his face.

Scrape from yesterday on the right side.

Goose-egg from today in center.

 This is how old he thinks he is....

He is 2!

Poor little guy!  I feel like he falls every minute I turn around!

I am starting to question all that athleticism we have been bragging about!

It is actually quite humorous to see people's reactions when I am so calm when he falls. 

I've had good practice.

I have 3 boys.

We see lots of bruises, cuts, scrapes, accidents, etc....

Boys will be Boys and apparently, this little guy is one tough little boy.

This is what I fear for ME, him, in the future

I have yet to see a picture with a girl doing these things...not that she can't!

So, Do you see a big difference in your boy(s) and girl(s)?

I will check in later, I am off to color quietly with Kate.

O' where are my fingerprints?

This week we wrap up our home study!  Everyone who has been through this adoption process told me there was a lot of paperwork and let me just say, "They weren't lyin". 
I have never signed so many papers, gathered so much information, and read so many articles in my life!
I have worked as fast as I could, to turn everything in!  We have had 3 interviews with our social worker, and the last one this week will conclude the "study".
The only thing I am waiting on is my fingerprint clerance.  For some reason, mine is still processing!  Matt has been cleared, but apparantly my prints are pending!    Humpf!  I was so nervous getting the prints done, that my hands were so sweaty that I am hoping it didn't make my prints unreadable!  Matt was so calm and cool, and I was over there freaking out that we were actually doing this adoption thing.
So, I am praying that my prints will be cleared this week and we can move on to more fun things, like Immigration Application stuff.
Our Social Worker makes her home visit this week.  Remember, my kids do not know that we are adopting, so this could be tricky!  She is coming on Wednesday at 5:00!
Yes, all you moms out there can feel my pain...the witching hour!  5:00 p.m.., when  everyone is tired and cranky and the house is destroyed because everyone has been home from school for hours at this point!
So, yet another prayer request, that my kids will be "normal".  My expectations are pretty low.  I mean my kids are not perfect!  My house is not spotless.  I am just praying we have no tantrums and that Owen filters a little lot of what comes out of his mouth! 
So, if you think about it on Wednesday, around 5:00 p.m. when you are trying to cook dinner, and the kids are tired and whiny , and the house is a mess, and there is a full moon (I'm sure) and your husband is about to get home (so everyone goes crazy again)...say a prayer for me too!   

What a Week

This week was very busy for our family.  Matt was out of town all week, and we had a lot going on outside of school.  It felt like every day was packed with activities and appointments, both fun and tedious.

It was a week of survival for me.  I REALLY hate when Matt is gone and  4 days is way too long.  I can handle 2 nights, but anything after that is not ideal.   It is pretty much exhausting being a single mom (kudos and grace to all you single mommies out there) , and I literally feel like I fall into bed every night so worn out, but then I can't sleep well because I know I am home alone! 

Our family works much better when we are both at home.

On a good note, the weather was amazing this week.  Nice and brisk in the morning and then 80's in the afternoon.  Ahhhh....Fall in Alabama.  It is great. 

On Thursday Kate, Gray and I decided to have a picnic in the yard. 

I have always been a big fan of a picnic. 

I recently bought a small picnic table to keep in my drive-way and I have loved to let the kids eat out there. 

The best part is that there is never any clean up when we eat outside,

 and THAT right there is reason enough for me to eat outside as much as the weather allows. 

Why China? Part 2

Last Wednesdays post was a sad article about the state of emergency in China.  I hope you had a chance to read it, and I pray that hearts were stirred.  
Today I decided to give some other reasons why our family is adopting from China.  When I first began to pray about adoption, my heart was set on Africa (Ethiopia).  I have always felt a strong connection with Africa, for reasons unknown to me.  I do not know anyone there or have never even been there, but I do know that the plight of the millions of orphans there is just heart breaking and really made me want to do something to help.  Who knows...maybe one day I will get to go to Africa, but as Matt and I came closer to obeying God's calling to adopt, our hearts were stirred towards China.  You can have your own heart set on something, and then God just completely changes YOUR plan!
There were so many things about the China program that made sense for our family.  First and foremost, as the article stated, the story behind these sweet innocent girls (and yes, some boys too), is just horrendous.  It was obvious that the need in China was great.  Matt and I were pretty open to wherever God would lead us and, after looking at all the countries and programs our agency offered, we felt that God confirmed  the call to China.
Here are some other things about the China program that made our decision to adopt easier.
1.  We wanted a sister for Kate.   Some programs you do not get to decide.
2.  The length of stay in China, once we travel to pick up our little girl is 2 weeks.  Other programs were much longer...like 4-6 wks in the country.  I just could not leave my kids that long, nor take them with me.
3.  The China program has little surprises.  It is a well oiled machine.  Other programs were unpredictable and always changing.  For example, just recently Ethiopia decided that parents would have to travel 2 times during the process.  I knew that I could not travel, meet my child, and then leave and have to wait  months before returning back to get her.
4.  China allowed for us, with 4 kids, to adopt.  Some programs have a limit on the number of children in the home.

So, those are 4 more reasons why China seemed best for our family.  God calls people to go different places and I am so thankful for that.  We know He cares about the plight of every orphan in every country.    God calls people to do different things for His Kingdom.  We are thankful that He has given us the privilege to adopt from China.
 

Time-out for Me

Our weekend was fun.  We had baseball and soccer, camped out for half a night, rode bikes, and went to the playground.  Lots of good family time. 
On Sunday, I had one of those moments where I needed to leave the house, leave the kids, have some alone time.  I am a firm believer that all moms need time outs often!  I wish my kids knew how lucky they are to get a "time-out"....in their rooms, all alone!  Ha!
Anyway, it doesn't happen to often, but occasionally I need to just get away, alone!  Yesterday was one of those days.  I was only was gone for 1 1/2 hours, but it made the biggest difference in my attitude and my heart.
So, after explaining to the kids that mommy was going "somewhere" and disappointing them that "No, they could not go with me", I backed out of the driveway and I already could feel the tension lifting.
It was not anything in particular that happened, I just needed to not be needed for a while.
As I was driving wondering where the heck I was going to go, I decided to go trail running, which I love to do and don't get to very often.  The feeling of running in the woods on trails is so exhilarating to me.  I get to be outside and blow off steam and just run.  I know some people shop when they get stressed, others eat, and so on, but for me, I love to run.   I have a great playlist on my ipod with my favorite praise music intermixed with some Tao Cruz and Lady Gaga (yes, it is true) and I can just run and let go of everything!
As I pulled back into the driveway, and saw my family playing outside, and come running to me like I had been gone for a week, I immediately felt happy to be back where I belong...home!  With all my little children running around and my husband who amazingly "gets it"...he understands that I needed to just "get away"
So, what do you do when you get to that point where you just need to leave the house?  I am just curious to know!?  And  PLEASE do not respond to this if you never get to that point, because I don't want to hear it.~ 

I love this!

I love this song because I love the lyrics. 

All the emotions I feel, all the anxieties of my life, all the trials I face...the Lord never fails me  He is good!  He is good!

You are good, You are good

When there's nothing good in me

You are love, You are love

On display for all to see

You are light, You are light

When the darkness closes in

You are hope, You are hope

You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace

When my fear is crippling

You are true, You are true

Even in my wandering

You are joy, You are joy

You're the reason that I sing

You are life, You are life,

In You death has lost it's sting

Oh, I'm running to your arms,

I'm running to arms

The riches of your love

Will always be enough

Nothing compares to Your embrace

Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more

Than my words will ever say

You are Lord, You are Lord

All creation will proclaim

You are here, You are here

In your presence I'm made whole

You are God, You are God

Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I'm running to your arms

I'm running to arms

The riches of your love

Will always be enough

Nothing compares to Your embrace

Light of the world forever reign

Camp Night

I surprised the kids by putting up the tent today while they were in school.  The weather is perfect for camping, and since we probably won't have a chance to venture out on a weekend camping trip this year, the front yard will be our campsite. 

Actually, I think it may be the way to go for a few more years.  Poor Gray was in the house sleeping, so he missed out on the fun, but maybe next year.

So, if you drive by our house tonight,

right smack in the middle of our front yard is a 5 person tent with 3 excited little kids inside,

 and 2 thankful parents inside the house, nestled in our own little bed.

Perfect Pumpkins

I only rounded up 2 of my kids to accompany me on our yearly pumpkin patch outing.  Wills was entranced by his DS, (which he surprisingly doesn't play as much as I had thought he would), and Gray was taking a nap (which was much needed).  So, Owen, Kate and I headed out on a beautiful very HOT fall day! 
So many pumpkins to chose from....I think we touched almost every single one!  We changed our minds about 15 times before deciding on the perfect pumpkin.  I had my eye on the big round pumpkin that would look great on the front porch, but unfortunately, I told my kids that they could pick out the pumpkins.

These pumpkins looked perfect!

I was okay with this one.   A little small, but I love white pumpkins!

 And...drum roll please.....

these are the pumpkins we ended up with.

Why China?

Here is one of the many reasons:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-solis/chinas-one-child-policy-i_b_757252.html

Please pray for our daughter, that she will be well cared for, in utero, by her birth mother.  Please pray for protection from authorities to take this precious LIFE into their hands.   We pray that her birthmother will have the compassion to leave her at the gates of the orphanage, so that she will be found immediately and cared for right away.
This is WHY we all need to do something.  This is devastating!  We pray our little girl will make it to the orphanage unscathed and her birth mom will be healthy, and one day know the love of Jesus, just like her precious child will.  Pray for the people of China!

Treetop Trail

The kids had Columbus Day off from school, so I wanted to do something outdoors and different.  It was back up to 90 degrees, gotta love Alabama weather!  My mom came in town to spend the day with us, so we took the kids out to Oak Mountain State Park to go hiking on the treetop trail and Nature tour.  If you live in Birmingham, I hope you realize how lucky we are to live so close to a beautiful, huge state park that is so well taken care of.  I did a few triathlons there this summer and it is like a hidden gem!  There is really so much to do, and the colors are starting to change, so get out to Oak Mt. Park and make a day of it!

We started the trail up through the area where you can see rehabilitated birds along the way.  We got to see some cool owls pretty close up, along with vultures and hawks!   The kids really enjoyed seeing birds they might not normally get to see.

 Gray did pretty well on the way up, but I carried him the whole way down!

 We followed the Yellow Trail all the way up to the Wildlife Center.  Great hike for families.  It took us about 45 minutes and we walked SLOW!

 Wildlife along the trail

 Gymnastics along the trail

 At the top, we got to see more birds.  Not a big bird fan myself, but if you are.....GO HERE!  There are plenty. 

All I Want For Christmas....

....Is My 2 Front Teeth.

Gotta love this picture.

Finally, it is gone.

He has had 1 front tooth since he was 4, thanks to Kate's Iron Bed.

3 years later, he has finally lost it.

He is SO proud.

Mommy is a little sad.

You know what this means....Big boy teeth!

Growing Up.

Not looking as much like a little boy anymore.

Matt always puts things into perspective for me though. 

When I told him I was sad that Wills would now have big teeth, he said....

"With 4 kids, don't you think it is ok to have at least 1 kid with big teeth"

I wonder if Matt knew what he was getting into the day he married me!? 

Thank you Lord for a patient, loving man, who is after YOUR heart and obedient to YOUR calling on his life! 

Sweet Moments

Whenever you think about adding a new sibling to your family, you wonder how your older kids are going to "take it"?  We had a wonderful visit from my sister and my little 8 month old niece last week, and I am pretty sure my kids are going to love a new sister.

Kate is so motherly and sweet to younger kids.  Especially little girls.

There is no doubt in my mind that this little girl God has in mind for us will be loved by all!

Kate and Olivia

 Gray, being the baby of the family, could go either way.  But God is great!  He gave Gray such a sweet tender heart.  Now he is ALL BOY, for sure, but he loves babies. 

I love this picture of him holding O, who is about as big as he is.  His face just says it all. 

He is so proud and such a big boy!

Yes, I think #5 will fit in just fine!

After School Snack

I surprised the kids after school with some yummy caramel apples.

  Apples are SO good right now,

 and definitely my kids fave fruit, so I thought a caramel treat would be fun!

 They were very difficult for my kids to eat though....

Owen has a loose tooth on the top and the bottom

 Gray has a huge hole where his tooth once was and now he has a gigantic snaggle tooth--not exactly easy to eat an apple with.

And Wills has 1 top tooth missing and the other one hanging sideways from 1 root. 

 I thought this might do the trick to finally get that tooth O-U-T .

No L-U-C-K

The only one who didn't try to eat one was Kate, and she has the best chance of any of my kids to have been successful!  

They looked lovely and it was a great idea, but I think my family needs to stick to apple slices dipped in caramel! 



Kickin it!

Here she is...

Our Soccer Star.

From looking at the above pictures, one might think, "she is pretty good"  because she is actually interacting with the ball. 

Well, let me explain the program.  The first 30 minutes are practice and the last 30 minutes, is a scrimmage. 

So, of course, during practice she had a lot of ball time.

Here is a better picture of what Kate was doing during the actual game:

 Can you see her?  She is the one with her hands up to her face.

See the picture below and you can tell that she still had a lot of fun!

She stopped for a water break every few minutes and did a lot of standing around gazing up at the sky, but whenever she looked over at us all watching her....

 she would give a huge smile and a wave for the camera!