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! 

Home Study I

Today Matt and I had our first Home Study visit!  It was a great experience and we were able to ask  lots of questions and find out a lot of information on the China program.  Basically, for those interested in the process...we do a home study, which consists of an enormous amount of paperwork, as well as couple, individual and home visits.  This usually takes about 3-4 months.  I am pretty on the ball with the paperwork, so I am hoping to be on the 3 months side.  Next, we will move onto immigration. This is where we submit our Home Study, along with other citizenship, Visa, passport, etc...information and will add another 3 months of waiting to receive a "go" from Immigration.  Next, will be the compiling of 14 documents which make up our Dossier (pronounced, Dosseay).  Once I have all the documents ready for my Dossier, we can send it off to China. 

Matt and I are doing the China Special needs program, and the average time wait time from application to travel is 12-15 months. 
Today's meeting definitely brought more clarity to the program and we feel such an amazing peace from God about the whole process.  I could easily be overwhelmed by all the process entails, but I know that this is totally up to God and in His hands!  We feel confident that He will bring our little girl to us when the time is right!  We are expecting that our little girl will be anywhere from 9-15 months!  I am not saying this is written in stone, as this is what we envision would work best for our family, and we all know, God's ways are so much bigger and higher than our own.  The one word that best describes adoption would be FAITH! 
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
We cannot wait to "see" what we have been hoping for!


   

Tea Time and Work

This past week, Kate had a fun tea party with all the girls (all four of them) in her class.   Actually, only 3 could make it this time, so it was Tea for Three, but lots of fun.  I love to watch how different little girls are compared to boys.  I am convinced that boys are harder in the younger years, but girls are more of a challenge down the road, during adolescence.  OR maybe it is ALL hard just in different ways!   
But it is fun for me to see cute, sweet, little 4 year olds having tea parties and playing with dolls as opposed to wrestling each other on the floor and climbing the furniture...that is what I am talking about when I talk about the differences between boys and girls. With that said,  I am so excited that God is going to be equalling the Carrington family out a little when our new little girl graces our family!

This pictures shows how excited Kate is!

Tea for Three

Today, after constant begging from Owen, He got to go into work with Daddy.  You see, some time ago, although Matt and I cannot recall when, Owen told us that we promised him that when he turned 6 years old that he could go to work with Daddy!  Now, Owen has lots of great qualities, but patience and waiting is not one of them (he gets it honest).  Since this weekend was pretty low key, and I knew Matt had a few things up at the office he needed to get done, we decided today was the perfect day for Owen to "go to work with Dad".

Owen picked out his own tie, which he refused to wear the right way.  (See the picture for the newest style coming soon to runways everywhere).  Dad gave him his very own bag, which Owen packed with a ball and  his DS, they got in the car, and off they went.   Upon returning home 2 hours later, Owen's 6 year old dream had been fulfilled and Matt got ZERO work done. 

The glamorous life of a working dad!

Comic Relief

My sweet friend, the thoughtful, wonderful ,talented, and very creative Mandy Mann, sent me some fun moustaches she had made for her son's 3rd birthday party.  My kids loved it and it made for some hilarious picture taking.  

Thank you Mandy...we needed some comic relief here and I think my kids are all dreaming of the day they can sport a real "stache"...(hopefully this will not be Kate's dream!)

This actually makes him look even MORE mischevous.

A-U-B-U-R-N

Matt and I got to head to the plains this weekend to catch an Auburn Football game.  My wonderful parents kept all four of the kids for us, so we could enjoy a full Auburn weekend!  It was sort of a reunion trip for us and some friends, so it made it even more fun to hang out all weekend with college buddies. 

Confession:  I am not a HUGE football fan!  Okay, there I said it.  I actually do not really care to watch it on TV.  I will and I do, but I usually have a magazine handy or am folding laundry or on the computer.  There are always a million things I could be doing other than watching football. 

BUT.....

there is nothing like being at an AUBURN football game!!!  It is so much fun!  I loved every single second!  I love to watch the fans at these games too.  It is so fun to see everyone so pumped up about Auburn football.   The excitement and the energy was exhilarating! 

As I looked around that huge stadium with over 85,000 people in attendance, I wondered if this is a glimpse of what heaven will look like?  I don't mean cheering and worshipping football, but cheering and worshipping the King of Kings whole-hearted, with no inhibitions.  Just like we do at football games.  The pastor at our church has stated on several occasions, that here in the deep south, we will go to a football game and scream, cheer, shout, rejoice, and jump when we watch OUR team play football, but then we come to worship God with reservation and inhibitions.  I'm not saying we shouldn't cheer at football games!!!

I am only wondering and looking forward to the day that there are 85 million (plus) people standing together in worship, with nothing holding us back!



WOW!

I am overwhelmed by the response from all my friends over our news!  God is so good, but I want to tell you what is on my heart right now!!  This is not about US, this is only about what God is going to do, and He is merely using us to do it.  I'm going to be honest and real here, it is so easy to get caught up in the "look what WE are doing" mindset, and I never want us to forget that God gets all the glory!
I am so encouraged by so many of my friends whose hearts have been stirred by our announcement.  I have had many friends email me, or talk to me and say, God touched my heart through this email.  I pray, with all my heart, that those friends and acquaintances whom feel that stirring of :  "is this something God wants for us?", will fervently pray about it and step out in faith if God calls them to! 
For we walk by FAITH, not by SIGHT.  II Cor. 5:7
I am not saying all people are called to adopt, God may call you to do other things for His kingdom, but I do know that if the Lord touches and stirs your heart to seriously think about adoption, He is working!  I know this, because to care for the orphan is right in line with what God cares about.  Your heart is seeking what His heart seeks.   The Lord watches over the strangers.  He relieves the FATHERLESS and widows (Psalm 146:9)
Timing is different for everyone, but let me give you a statistic I found:
60 % of people THINK about adoption at some point in their life and less than 6% actually pursue adoption.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss the opportunities God has for me on this side of eternity!

Thank you to everyone for your encouragement and support and please keep me in check if this ever becomes more about me, than about the amazing God we serve!

Now for some updates because I do love my other children with all my heart!  ha! 
I will share a few pictures of happenings lately.
Well, we found a turtle, in our backyard.  Not some little thing, a big turtle!  We kept him in a box for about 2 hours as our pet, named him Bob, and then, with great pain and reluctance, my kids released him back into his habitat.  I for one, was happy to see Bob swim away! 

Wills had his first baseball game and that boy just loves it!  Wait....I mean he loves the dug out and hanging with friends and socializing, and laughing!  Every now a then, he has to go out on the field and catch a ball or go up to bat, but then he is right back in that dug out hanging with his team.  Go Pirates!!

Owen had his birthday...boy did that drag on.  It was like the never ending celebration!  He is finally REALLY 6, and now, is actually telling the truth when people ask him how old he is.  Please look at his hair. I need to take him to get a hair cut, ummm LIKE NOW!

Finally, we had some fun in the rain!  It poured last Saturday and my kids had a ball.  Matt and I were so tired last Saturday, that we just let them go wild.  It was so cute to watch, but not so cute to put in the bath.  They were pretty muddy!

Here we go!

Dear Friends of the Blog World and Beyond,

Some of you may know that, for over a year now, I have felt God's calling to adopt a child.  Part of me was excited at the thought of making a difference in the life of a child, (that might not otherwise have a mom and dad), the other part of me was scared that our family was not equipped to do something this big. 

Well, after a year of praying and seeking God's will for our family, Matt and I have decided to pursue the journey of adoption.  This week has already been a roller coaster of emotions for me, but God is so good to meet me there!  He has confirmed to me numerous times this week alone, that this is path we should take!  From, the fact that this week Wills' class is learning about China; to when Kate (she is 4) told me, out of nowhere, that "God loves the people in China"; to the precious Chinese toddler a few rows in front of us at church on Wednesday night, to my dear friend who is about to go get her daughter very soon from China, meeting with me twice this week to calm my fears!  I love when God allows for us to experience what the world might call coincidence!!  We, however, have no doubt He orchestrated these happenings!

Of course, it wasn't long after we filled out the application, that the enemy began putting those thoughts of inadequacy in my mind.  I battled with the fact that, "it really doesn't make sense financially or emotionally to do it".  But I am holding onto the steadfast promise that our God is not a God of confusion.  He planted this seed in our hearts and gave us the desire to seek out our child, who he has made just for us!  We are scared, but our God is not a God of fear!  We are taking the giant leap of faith and trusting Him with our family.  We know that this is what faith really is, stepping out to do something, and believing in God's promise that we are His sheep and He is our Shepherd.  He cares for this orphan all the way across the world.  He cares so much, that he will take an ordinary family from Birmingham Alabama and bring us to her. 
From the beginning of time, we were meant to be the parents of this little one, and we can't wait to begin the journey that God will unfold in His time.

Our children do not yet know, and it is so hard to NOT scream at the top of our lungs that "we're going to have a baby", but as you know, time frames for kids are so different than ours, and we don't have an answer for how long it will take. 

Matt and I are asking you to pray for us.  Pray for our daughter, who probably is not even born.  Pray for the birth mother.  We are aware that this journey will be difficult on so many levels, but so worth the reward at the end.   Please pray that God will calm our anxieties and that we will turn to Him in times of fear and need.  Most of all, we pray that God will receive all the glory for what He can only do in our lives.  We are trying to be obedient in His calling for us, but we can't see the big picture yet.  It is comforting to know that God sees the bigger picture and holds it in His hands!  I love the children's song, He's got the whole world in His hands.  He's got the little bitty baby in His hands...Thank you Lord, that you hold this special child in Your hands until the day we meet her.

We hope that you will join us on our journey to China.  Thank you for been such a special part of our lives and we look forward to rejoicing with you as we bring our daughter home!

To God Be the Glory,

Mallory & Matt

And so the paper work begins....

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-6



Praying and a News Flash!

Okay, not blogging this week.  I am going to use this time to pray hard over something very exciting that I will fill you in on this Thursday or Friday!   

So, to my faithfuls, ones I know and those I don't, stayed tuned! 

Things are about to get exciting! 

Where were you 9 years ago?

I will never forget where I was that horrible day. 

I had just sent my sweet little 1st grade class off to P.E. 

As I was walking back from dropping them off, I noticed some other teachers gathered in the Media Center watching something.

I walked in and saw the horrific sight of the first tower burning.

As we watched it in flames, I saw, LIVE, the second plane crash into the 2nd tower.

Tears streamed down all our faces.

Disbelief.

Confusion.

I had to compose myself and finish the day with my kids, looking into the faces of 17 innocent children who would know of a different world now.

Some parents checked their children out of school, and I think I probably would have done the same. 

I remember wanting to be with Matt.

  Close to the ones I love.

Every year, it is hard to believe that this really did happened. 

It is sad to know that this kind of evil still exists and is present  in this world.

I cannot even begin to imagine how many lives were changed because of the loss of  loved ones.

I am encouraged by this verse, on days that seem difficult, in a world that so desperately needs to know a Savior who loves us!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Therefor put on the FULL ARMOR OF GOD, so that when the day of evil comes, you  may be able to stand your ground.

Ephesians 5:10-13a.

The belt of truth

The breastplate of righteousness

The shield of Faith

The helmet of salvation

Hurricane

Today you turn 6!  I will never forget the day I found out I was going to be your mommy!    Wills was only 4 months old, and I just knew you were another boy.   You were an easy baby, but have had a strong will from day 1.  I am so thankful for how God made you so unique and so wonderful.  You challenge me daily, but I wouldn't change who you are for anything.  You are the only one who can make me cry and laugh at the same time.  God has blessed you with the gift of a tender heart, and I love that, even on days when I have to ask you to forgive me for losing my temper, you want and need a hug as much as I do.  Thank you for being so forgiving, and for understanding that I am doing the best I can.  I think it is so cute that you love to "joke" or tease me, and you really do get me every time, because it is always very believable.  You are my little jokester!
I know you will do BIG things one day, for you never cease to amaze me!  I must admit, the questions you throw at mommy and daddy are at times difficult, but you are so inquisitive and such a deep thinker.
I wish I could tell you what God looks like.  I wish I could answer ALL your questions.  But...I hope you will never question how much God loves you and how much I do too and how wonderfully made you are!

Just so I will never forget, the other day you said, "Mommy, how come you never jump on the trampoline?  You always wanted one when you were a little kid".  You know what....you're right!  Let's go jump this weekend!

Aquarium: Part II

To wrap up our trip this weekend, on the way home we stopped at the Atlanta Aquarium.  This is where Owen wanted to go (yet again) for his birthday.  Not sure what the obsession is with Aquariums (we went to the Chattanooga one last year), but I figured this would be a nice break from planning a party.  I asked him many times if he was SURE he wanted to go to the Aquarium and not have a "friend" party and he was sure!
I was hating that it was a beautiful day outside and we were inside, but we did get to eat lunch in the fresh air! 
The kids had fun.  They were a little bummed out that we didn't buy anything for them at the over-priced gift shop.  Reasoning with them, that going to the aquarium was a gift  wasn't that effective, but oh well! 
My new favorite phrase when my kids ask me for something is...

"oh, you need to put that on your wish list". 

For now, that seems to work well.  Usually they have forgotten that very special thing they can't live without by the time we would ever get to some paper to write it down! 

Beluga Whales. 

So peaceful to look at.  I could have watched them swim for hours. 

 But, we were with kids so we watched them for...5 minutes, max!

Spider crabs!  They were HUGE!

Whale Sharks.  Again, HUGE!

3 out of 4 looking ain't bad!

The long drive home. 

 Here is the answer to the question in my last post, on which one of my kids fell coming down the mountain!

look at that black eye.

I can't believe Owen is almost 6!  Didn't I just bring him home?

View From the Top

Here we are at the highest point in Georiga, Brasstown Bald.  Matt and I have hiked to the top pre-kids and Matt did it with the 2 older boys a few years ago, so this is the first time as a family.  It was a crystal clear day and the mountains looked beautiful.  Some days from the South view, you can actually see Atlanta way way off in the distance.  The hike is not too long to the top because you drive most of the way up, but it is a steep mile to climb from your car and harder to come down.  I will let you guess which one of my kids fell on the way down!? 

It was fun to get to hang with the cousins this weekend.  Between my sister and I, we had 8 little kids hiking up the mountain.  We started with a picnic lunch and then we were off!

The view from the top!   God's beauty is amazing!

At the top of the mountain, there is a museum with some American history that brought back some memories of middle school....remember learning about the "trail of tears?"

Please look at Gray's new way to smile for pictures.

And We're Back!

Back home....glad to be here, but I sure do hate pulling in the driveway knowing that there is SO much to unpack and put away.  I know some people can come back from trips and just live out of a suitcase for a few days, but that is so not me.  I have to unpack everything!  Even the times that I have come home really late and should just get in the bed, something in my OCD personality won't let me! 
We had a fabulous time at the lake...and beyond!  It got quite chilly up in the North Georgia Mountains!  I LOVED it!  Fall was in the air!  Finally!  On Saturday morning it was 55 outside!  I went on a jog that morning and felt like I could have run forever.  The weather was amazing.
We had some really great family time and it was much needed.  Work has been so busy for Matt lately and he has been traveling a lot, so it was nice to get away and not hear his blackberry vibrating non-stop, like it does at home (the phone service is not great there)! 
Matt and I had a great talk on our trip about something we are both praying about and I was so thankful for the quiet time and the atmosphere that allowed for it.  It has been so heavy on my heart and Matt's as well.  We are just praying right now for God to reveal himself to us both and praying we will have faith to step out and trust him with the details.  It is such a comfort to know that God does not need our help to make this happen...and at the perfect time, if its in His plan, He will show us the way and provide in ways we could never imagine!
Now for some pictures of Labor Day weekend 2010.  Here is a taste of the lake fun, but there was so much more than that....those pictures to come later!

Here is a boy who is fearless and loves the boat, jet skis, the tube, the water!  He is talking so much lately.  He woke up one day from his nap and the first thing he said was, "Mommy, jet skis are fun!"

Kate loves to just hang out!

My sweet Wills.  Just happy to be with his family!

Owen!  We call him "hurricane".  Wild and unpredictable!

Owen and Gray on the tube!

Look at the sky.  It was beautiful.

Boys in the water.  kate and I thought it was a little too cold for us.

I love this picture.  The kids love to build in Pop's garage at the Lake.

  They were working on a rocket.

hint hint

Heading out today for one last trip to the lake.  One more chance to ski, tube, etc.. before the water is too cold...and too cold for me is like 80 degrees!  Up in the mountains, this happens earlier than later.

I decided to be that nice servant wife and load the car for Matt, so when he gets home we can hit the road... pronto. 

okay, so I packed up 4 kids and 2 adults for 4 days.   Granted, we are going to the lake--not much you need and nothing nice.   Those who are the proud owners of mini-vans (Swagger wagons) know the cargo space is lacking.  I mean, if you have so many kids you need to purchase a mini-van, you probably have a lot of luggage when you travel.  So, here is a picture of how I packed the car, hoping that Matt will get the not so settle hint.....

That is A LOT of wasted space in there....I so need a bike rack!!!

RX

We have had an eventful week this week and I have had too much on my plate to even think of posting.  But, for now, all is quiet and I have found some time to blog.  Over the weekend Owen got some sort of respiratory infection (which we now know was bronchitis), so after a Dr. visit on Sunday, a full blown asthma attack on Monday morning ,(that about put us both in the hospital), we he is recovering.
That incident is probably up there with one of the scariest things I have had to deal with as a parent.  He woke up Monday morning and literally could not get his breath.  All that mucus clogging up his airways and he could not get it out.  The bad thing is, Owen is old enough to PANIC, and that he did.  It scared him.  The panic made it worse!  I tried his inhaler, that we have had from years back, but that did not work.  Thank you Lord that we happen to have a Neubulizer machine, complete with a steroid and albuterall (from Gray Gray's breathing issues as awhile back).  I strapped that thing around his face and it immediately opened up his airways.  So, here we sit, on the floor in the middle of the kitchen and it is 6:30 in the morning and I am pretty shaken up. 
To make a long story shorter, we went to the allergist and asthma doctor on Monday and Owen was diagnosed with Asthma.  We went to Children's Hospital on Tuesday for a chest X-ray and praise the Lord that everything looks normal. 
So, for now we are treating him daily for allergies that trigger his asthma, as well as trying to keep him from getting colds, infections, which will also compromise his breathing. 
It has been a lot of paper work to the Dr, the school, the pharmacy, etc...but I think I will be ready the next time it happens. 
Take a look at all the gear I have now to keep up with!
Did I mention in this story that, it never fails, Matt is ALWAYS out of town, when anything major happens in the family!  God sure does trust me a lot! ha!