NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it! Ken woke me up this morning at 5:00 and I felt like the pressure in my head and face was going to make my head explode!!! I feel like poop!! Ok, not sure why we use that phrase, LOL, cause I am certain that poop doesn't feel anything!! But I feel really yuckie and poop is really yuckie so I guess that is the connection! I am rambeling and can't even stop myself! Anyway, my sinuses are killing me, I have a runny nose, I can't stop sneezing and my eyes are puffy. Oh, and I can't stop whinning, can't you tell! :) The worst thing about it is that I can't take anything for it. Any type of medicine that would give me some relief makes me feel worse. I am not sure if any of you out there can relate, but when I take any kind of sinus medicine or cold medicine I get EXTREMELY aggitated, all I want to do is sleep but can't because my insides feel like they are going to vibrate out of my body and my mind races!! I am really not sure which is worse right now, that's how bad I feel!!!! I have so much laundry and housework to do before I leave tomorrow for the women's retreat and I am moving like a snail! Plus I am sitting here typing when I should be cleaning. OOOOPS!!!!! Well, I really should go and try to accomplish something before I take the girls to track! Thanks for letting me go on and on and on!! :)
Grace & Peace

P.S. If anyone gets the book I talked about below and reads it, would you let me know what your take on it is. I'm excited to hear how the Lord worked in the lives of those who do read it!!!

WHAT A DAY!!!

Today was a busy but really good day! The girls and I picked up JW and we went to lunch with my mother and father-in-law. Then we went to pick up our completed physicals that were noterized!!!! YAY!!! Then we took JW to his oral surgeon appointment. Poor guy has to have all 4 of his wisdom teeth surgically removed. I feel so bad for him! I told him that it is so much better to get them all done at once so you don't have to go through it ever again! Then we picked Ashley up from track, went to Target, then to Wallie World and finally home. We left the house at 10:30 am and didn't get home until around 7:45 pm. UNBELIEVABLE!!!! LOL!! I can't wait for our church women's reteat this Thursday!!! It's from Thursday to Saturday. I am sooooooo looking forward to time alone with the Lord. Some much needed, uninterupted, time with the Lord!! One a totally different subject, please keep the people in China in your prayers!! It is so heart breaking! My heart's prayer is that the hearts of the Chinese would be opened to God. That Christians would be able to share with the hurting the love of Jesus. I pray that many will be saved through this. Oh, I wanted to share an amazing book with you that I am reading, (for the 3rd time), 'Created To Be His Help Meet' by Debi Pearl. If you are married or prepairing to be married, PLEASE read this book. I wish I would have read it before I was I married! I have read so many books on marriage and heard many sermons about my role as a wife but I have NEVER heard it put the way Debi has. The Lord has blessed her with great wisdom and she is so kind to share it with us that want a "heavenly marriage". You can find her book at www.nogreaterjoy.org. I truely believe you and your family would be blessed if you read it!! Mine and so many other women that I have given the book to have been greatly blessed! Well, it is terribly late and I really need to go to bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless You!

God is so good!

Yes, I know it has been forever!! Sorry! :)

Hello everyone! I am so sorry it has taken me soooooooooooo long to do a post!! We have been so busy! At the beginning of our paper chase we had to do 4 classes for the Hague thing, and now that we are going on the waiting child list, we had to do 3 more classes, read a book and write a summary. Oh, and one of the 4 classes that we hadn't finished in the beginning had homework with it, about 45 pages of homework! So I haven't felt much like being on the computer to blog. Oh wait, did I mention that all this needed to be done before our social worker could finish writing our home study? She also can't finish it until she meets face to face with one of our references and she gets a copy of our physicals. We had our physicals done once but they are expired and now we have to do it all over again on the 30th. I pray we get our rough draft shortly after that!!!!!!!!!!!! After that is all said and done, all that will be left is our I-171H. I think! I went to several websites looking for packing lists the other night and kept coping and pasting things I wanted to remember and ended up with 17 pages of things. OOOPS!!!! :) So went through all of them and made out a list for us. If anyone has any good advise or a packing list they wouldn't mind sharing, please email me at firstsugarbear74@yahoo.com
For those of you that have my other email address, don't panic, you have the right one, I use this one for other things. Our agency has a list of babies they received from the CCAA on the waiting child list and I would really love it if Hope would be on that list but I am not getting my hopes up too high! I don't think that is very realistic to be thinking she is but God has worked bigger miracles than that in our lives so I wouldn't be completely shocked if she was! I just keep reminding myself that God sees the big picture that I have no clue of and that He knows the exact moment Hope will be placed in my arms. Wow, for the first time in a REALLY LONG time can I say that with complete peace! And also find joy in knowing that He is in control and not me!!!! Thank you Lord!!!! Ok, I think I have went on long enough. I don't think there is any other news. I would be grateful if you would keep us in your prayers about our family trusting the Lord COMPLETELY during this process. And that I would not be so easily distracted by the world and would keep my eyes on my Savior!!
Grace & Peace to you all!!

Our Friend's Website

I just recieved an email with our friend's website address that is answering the call to adopt their little girl from Ethiopia!! Please visit them and encourage them on their journey! Most importantly, please keep them in your prayers!!! www.bringmimihome.com Jason & Patti if you are reading this... I am so happy for you guys and can't wait to meet MiMi! Remember to let the Lord be your strength in the times that you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel! Love Ya!!

True So True!

Yes I am coping off of my dearest friend, Tonya!! I have seen this before when I didn't have a blog, but now I do. I had forgotten all about it. Thanks Tonya!! ;)

You know you're an adoptive parent (or should be) if:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.

2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.

3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.

4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.

5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.

6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's "real" parents.

7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)

8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.

9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.

10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.

11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.

12. You know what the word "Dossier" means, and you can actually pronounce it!

13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.

14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life

Wonderful News

I just recieved wonderful news from a dear sister in the Lord! Her and her family have been lead by the Lord to adopt from Ethiopia! I am sooooooo excited for them!!! It is so amazing to be able to witness the Lord's hand in people's lives! I am so blessed! So, they submitted their application to America World Adoption Agency and are waiting to hear if they are approved. They should hear something by the end of next week or the first of the following week. Please keep them in your prayers!! You know that the enemy is not going to like this at all and he is not going to stop trying to cloud their path.

NewSong-China Rescue

I know alot of you have already seen this, but if you haven't, please watch it! "Why China?", some of you have asked me. Because that is where the Lord lead our hearts!! That is where our little girl is!!!!

Lighthouse Everything Skit

This was a skit that was shown at our church during the youth lock-in. It is a great picture of our walk with the Lord. It was put together so well to show us what satan and his demons are doing to us. They will do anything to get our eyes off of Jesus and focused on this world. I challenge all of you that watch this, stand up and fight before all of these things take over. NEVER GIVE UP!!! Jesus never does!!! Praise the Lord!

In Defense of Home Schooling

This is from Focus on the Family's website. If this is of interest to you, listen online and PLEASE sign petition!

www.oneplace.com/Ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/Default.asp (to listen to today's message)

www.hslda.org (to sign petition)

In Defense of Home Schooling-

Friday March 07, 2008 A California state appellate court ruled last week that it is illegal for parents in the Golden State to home school their children without the appropriate state teaching credentials. If this ruling stands, home-schooling parents could, in effect, become guilty of a criminal offense. Find out how you can oppose this chilling decision, which Dr. Dobson calls "an unprecedented assault" on parental rights - one that could have nationwide consequences. Joining Dr. Dobson are public policy expert Carrie Gordon Earll, Michael Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Roy Hanson of Family Protection Ministries. You'll also hear from a California home-schooling mom whose right to make educational decisions for her children is now under attack. "At the heart of this case is a distrust of parents." - Michael Farris

Update....

Well, today we were supposed to have our last homestudy visit but it got cancelled. Because of the ice storm a few days ago, her meetings were cancelled and moved to today and it is mandatory for her to be there. We won't be able to get together until the 28th of this month. She is going on vacation next week and then I will be out of town the next so that is as soon as we could pull it together. My poor Ashley has been sick for two days. She is still sleeping and I don't dare to wake her up. I just pray she doesn't get the fever and body aches like I have heard others getting. Please keep her in your prayers. Just a little update from my last post, man was that a really hard day, but I am in a much better place now. Just really at peace knowing that the Lord is in control! I know with all of my heart that I have a little girl somewhere in China waiting for me or will be waiting for me. (she might not be born yet) I have to believe that the Lord knows when it is time to go get her and I just need to keep moving forward. Not sure if any of you have seen Facing the Giants, if you haven't, WATCH IT!!! I just watched again and the part where the gentleman comes to visit him in his office, the one that prays over the school, and he tells him the story about the two men and their fields. I keep asking myself which one have I been and I know that I want to be the one preparing for rain. I realized that I have to keep working towards the goal and prepare for the Lord to open the floodgates! Thank you to those of you that have been praying for me and my family, I am truly grateful!!!!!! And Tonya, thank you for being such an amazing friend that won't let me give up!!! :) And also for asking others you know to pray for our family. To me the greatest kind of friend you could have is a praying one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grace & Peace

Longing.....

Our church has an adoption meeting for families that are interested in adopting or have adopted. There was a meeting today so I went. My dearest friend Tonya and two other families were going to be sharing their testimony about their adoptions. Tonya and her husband adopted from China, another family adopted their baby in Michigan and the other family adopted their baby in California. I have to admit that it was terribly hard to be there!! I know that is very self-centered of me. I was soooooooooooooooooooo very happy for all of them but longing for my baby to be in my arms. I know that the Lord's timing is PERFECT! I know that He loves me and that He will bring us to her at just the right time and I trust Him COMPLETELY!!!! It is so very hard to put into words though how my heart is feeling right now. It is like there is a hole in my heart that only my little Hope can fill. It seems like some days the hole is more noticeable than others. Today, it feels soooooo big that it is hard to take a breath. It is so overwhelming that all I can do is cry out to God and ask Him to take the pain. It is so unbearable right now! I know that this will pass. I just pray it passed quickly!!! I apologize to anyone that is reading this!! I just needed to get this out! Thank you Tonya for being such a wonderful friend!! And thank you Noelle for letting me love all over you, it really made me feel better to hold you!!! :)

Welcome

Hello everyone! Welcome to our new website! I wanted something to represent our whole family and so this is what I came up with. I also wanted to let you all know that, yes, we are still adopting. I haven't wrote in awhile because it has really been hard for me to talk about things. We were at a stand still again and well, my heart was broken so I really didn't have anything to share. We are slowly starting again, praise the Lord! Please pray for the Lord to provide the finances and for us to stay focused and be good stewards of what He gives us!! Also, please pray for us to have faith through this process. Our faith has been streched, tested and streched some more and I know that this is only the beginning. Please also keep Hope and the other children that are in the orphanages in your prayers. The more stories I read and the more I learn about what it is like in those places, I feel like I'm going to be sick. I don't know if she is born yet but the love I feel for her is so powerful. I can't wait to put a face with the love I feel in my heart!!