43 Months!

Here we are again, 43 months in. We wish you all a Happy New Year. I am praying for a wonderful year, we have had a tough year in our community. I am looking forward to 2010 and a year of happiness. Praying this year is the year we will recieve a referral.

42 Months!

I was really hoping for this to be the month of improvement. Looks like we are still in the same spot as before. 61 days of log in dates ahead of us, and a mile of them behind us. I was reading through Beth Moore's study on Daniel, and the time of waiting for him was 42 months, turns out there are many places in the bible pointing to 3.5 years as God's time of waiting. I was really hoping that would be true for us as well. I guess God has other plans for us and our little girl. *sigh*

On a brighter note Miss Jubilee Promise is not going to have to wait any more for her family. Run on over to http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/
and read about their God sized miracle to this sweet girl waiting for a home. They are such an inspiring family.

Where I am today...

Not going to lie, this was a tough week. Another month with out referrals, a change in the C2A2director, and uncertainty in Ch*na adopt*on. I allowed my self to get sucked back into the negativity and fearfullness once again. Why do I allow my self to do that? I know with my whole heart that God is in control and I am not. But, I continually try to make things happen instead of trusting the Lord that he will make it happen. I saw this prayer over at Bakers Sweets, I think I am going to type it out and pray it over this stubborn head of mine until I have it firmly in there. I think this is more of a head problem than a heart one.

"Lord, I praise You for Your sovereignty over the broad events of my life and over the details. With You, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted. You hold in Your own power my breath of life and all my destiny. And every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and to others looking on." – Author Unknown

41 Months and it's not about us...

As we were carving pumpkins last night, our adoption came up as it does whenever we are doing something as a family. J asked, do you think our daughter will be home next year for carving pumpkins. I said yes, which of course my girls have to add, you say that every year. But, you know it really got me thinking that it is not about us, it is about following Gods will and his timing.

Then about an hour later during dinner M made a comment that adoption is not as painful as giving birth. I had to argue with her on that one, it may not be a physical pain with delivery, but it is an emotional pain. I know that God will use it for his good, its just hard to go through.

I also wanted to share a great link go here http://blog.showhope.org/?p=217 and read why its so hard to adopt. And then pray for all that God has called to adopt and those he is still calling. One of J and I's biggest motivators early on to pursue our adoption was to be an example, a light, so that others may follow us. But, that is hard, because after watching us wait for 41 months, who would willingly go through this. I have even had someone come up to me and say, "we thought about adoption, but after watching how long this has taken you, we decided against it." That was a difficult to hear. We have tried really hard to remain optimistic and upbeat, but I think in our society of instant gratification the true meaning of waiting on God's timing is sometimes lost.

Anyway, we are now 41 months closer to our daughter.

Forty Months!

What a cute little positive number this is! What do you think? This month we are all about the positive and letting go of the negative. We are 40 months closer to our sweet girl, time to get to work. We still have the bedroom situation to work out, a one hundred good wishes quilt to make, a life book to start, and oh yeah we still need a name!

Lisa Leonard

Head on over to the Lisa Leonard jewlery give away from simple mom! You have to check out these great pieces from Lisa, I really want the sterling ring and the link bracelet. Hint, Hint!


http://simplemom.net/giveaway-time-score-handcrafted-jewelry-from-lisa-leonard/comment-page-15/#comment-60589

Thirty Nine Months

I thought I would switch things up a little for this month! Clever huh! Yeah well, how many things can you really add to a monthly count down... On a brighter note, we are 39 months closer to our daughter, we have approval for another 18 months, and fingerprint approval for 15 more months. Oh and there are only 6 more LID's left until March is completely matched. Come on CC*A, match some babies!

Last first day and more first day of school

A took her last first day of school photo, I have taken one each year since preschool. Maybe I will get inspired and post them.

LL & M also started their first day of school, even with homeschooling I think it is important to mark a first and last day. We dress up and enjoy getting back into our school routine, we have switched things up this year and all in all it went pretty well. M was under the weather and slept most of the afternoon, but L was able to get through every thing. I am hoping to start a homeschooling blog soon, I think it will be a fun way to mark our progress and achievements throughout the year.

We have approval! Again!!!

We just received our 3rd immigration approval today! I didn't even recognized the form, I thought maybe we had to supply more information! We have approval until February 20, 2011, yikes! That would be a 57 month wait, I can't even imagine. Hopefully I won't have to.

Get your verse on giveaway!!

How cute are these new kids shirts? Go on over and give them a look-see, my wish list is getting longer and longer!

http://www.wildolivetees.com/

Third times a charm???

J and I trecked to Helena for our 3rd (yes 3rd) fingerprinting appointment. We were in an out in 15 minutes and back on the road home. Hopefully this third 171 will be the charm.

Our 3 year LIDversary

'nuff said.....

The loss...

I have been guilty of being a blog stalker, I have a google reader list that is embarrassingly long. I have laughed and cried when children are united with their forever family, grieved with these families, and hoped for our turn one day. The closer we come to a referral I find myself getting more excited and also more apprehensive. What if I did not prepare myself and my family well enough for this momentous occasion? What happens if I fail in reading all the signs of grief and attachment this precious child gives us? Do we have the patience, love, and compassion this child will need? While I have wasted plenty of time on the Internet, I have learned valuable lessons from those who have gone ahead of us. Moms who love their children with a fierce and determined love, educated in how to best work their child through these tremendous losses. I hope that I too will have the strength and knowledge to teach my daughter about love, faithfulness, and security.

Why we are doing this....

Every once in awhile someone will stop John or I and ask, why are you adopting? Why China? Aren't there easier, quicker, cheaper ways to add to your family? This video cuts to the heart of why J & I feel called to adopt. While we can't help all the orphan children in the world, we can bring home one to love. Our greatest hope is that if we bring home the "one" we were called to bring home, that others will be called to bring home the "one" they were called to bring home, and so on. Do we think we are solving the orphan problem? No, just doing as God has called us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJmRPdogf7U&feature=player_embedded

Drum roll please.....34 months!

Here we are sailing into 34 months. I must say the wait is cooking right along. I am finally seeing a tiny pin hole of light at the end of a very long tunnel.

1000 DAYS!!!!

Holy Hannah!!! I never expected this when I signed up!!! Who ever would have thought that adding one little person to our house could take this long..... The really sad fact is I don't even know where we are in all this. Are we half way, two thirds, seven eighths?

I am such a bad blogger!!!!

I really have good intentions to blog more. I can manage to follow all my bloggy friends on google reader, yet writing in my pathetic blog is more than I can handle. I did not even post at the 32 month anniversary of our login. However I plan on posting for the grand 1000 LID anniversary coming up in 4 days...sigh...

The other resolutions have not gone well either. I have lost a couple of pounds and have been working out faithfully. I have also stayed on top of my house better, I love the iroomba. I have it set to come on in the morning while we do school. I just need something to dust and do laundry...hmmm.

This is where the good news ends....

The Project 365 thing has been pathetic at best. I did well the first couple of weeks but after that it went down hill. I would like to resurrect that one but we will have to see. I don't necessarily need a photo every day of part of our life, but I need something to get me back to taking photos regularly. There is something about getting paid to take pictures that takes alot of the fun and spontaneity out of photography. This is something I did not take into consideration when I started my photography business. I really want to get back to a point where I can be creative and take the photos I want to take, not the ones I have to take. I also don't want to worry so much if they are good. KWIM?

The scrapbooking goal has also not gone as well as I had hoped, I did sign up for a crop next weekend so hopefully that will help. I have been busy working on a quilt for an auction, so that has eaten up alot of time.

Hmm this post was not as bad as I had feared maybe I will even be back.