Hiking

We're working hard to get all our adoption paperwork done but we're also having some family fun. Last weekend we went hiking at one of our very favorite spots - Stone Mtn, NC. It's only a 40 minute drive from our house. Isn't the view cool?

Great News

Yesterday we got what we've been waiting for - official approval to adopt! Yay! Thank You Lord!
Now we can get back to work on all the things that have had to wait.

Here's a list (if you're interested in the steps):
*Home study (This is the next really BIG step.)
*Social Welfare medical reports
*Filing immigration documents
*Immigration fingerprinting
*Three on-line classes
*LOTS of paperwork, much of which must be notarized, multiple copies made etc.
Thanks a ton to those of you who are praying for us. We really appreciate your support. We're very excited to be on to the next step.

A Funny

My cute little son did another funny yesterday. He had been watching a cartoon about Transformers & he told me, "Mom, some transformers are in the skies." When I asked him how he knew that, (expert that I am on such things!Tee Hee!) he said, "Well, it's in the theme song...""robots in disguise"".... get it? He thought they were saying "robots in da skies" !
I giggled over that one all day!

Kindergarten Thoughts

My six year old son and I were recently discussing skin color. As we talked about it, I reminded him that his little brother or sister would have brown skin. He replied, "Well yeah, for awhile." I questioned him on this unusual comment, and it turned out that he was thinking that our new child would gradually change color to look more like us! I assured him that they would not, but that it would be just fine for us to look different in our family. I so enjoyed hearing his innocent thoughts and now I wonder what other things he is thinking about in his little boy way. It was a reminder for me that even though my son is getting older and considers himself quite an expert on most everything, he is still a very little boy with lots to learn. Perhaps that is how it is with all of us, really. We still have so much to learn! Thank you God for being such a patient teacher!

Mark & Chickens

We are still waiting on adoption news, but I wanted to post these shots of my cute little boy & a few of our chickens. They are Cochin hens and are very sweet & gentle.

Even "Small" Good News Counts

I got a small bit of encouraging news today. A friend emailed me to say that she had been called for a reference check on us. This may seem kind of insignificant, but at this point, I am thrilled to hear that something, anything is happening!

I found this beautiful portion of Psalm 22 in The Message:

"From the four corners of the earth

people are coming to their senses,

are running back to God.

Long lost families

are falling on their faces before Him.

God has taken charge;

from now on He has the last word.

All the power-mongers are before Him

- worshiping!

All the poor and powerless, too

- worshiping!

Along with those who never got it together

- worshiping!

Our children and their children

will get in on this

As the word is passed along

from parent to child.

Babies not yet conceived

will hear the good news -

that God does what He says."

Waiting

We're still......waiting! I think I'm going to have to get very used to that! We did get an email from Beacon House earlier this week explaining that they've had power outages in Accra recently and so that was part of the delay.


I loved this quote I found on a "The Purpose Driven Life" calendar:

"You were formed for God's family...God desired a family, so He devised a plan to create us, bring us into His family, and share with us all He has."

"His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family"

Ephesians 1:5 The Message

Lullaby Song

"Who will sing my lullaby?
Who will hold me when I cry?
When I awake and no one's there
Who will sing my lullaby?"