Yay!

We have our I-600 approval & are getting our dossier ready to send off to Ghana! :)

Santa?

Mark's Santa impersonation with a little help from the flour I was using to roll out sugar cookies.

Am I The Only One?

Is it just me, or is adoption scary? I mean, here we are planning to add one or two little ones to our family that come from another culture & continent. After all our hard work, prayers & tears, I am now feeling overwhelmed by what we are planning. Talk about an emotional roller coaster!

I have so many questions. Like...how do we discipline & yet bond at the same time, how do we balance the way we treat our bio. son with the way we will treat our new kid(s), because I know they'll have to be different in some ways, at least for awhile...how do we handle the fact that our son already has toys & the new little pumpkin will either have lots too (that will have to be new) & will make our bio. son jealous, or not have as many & that won't be good either...how will the attachment process go...how will I be strong enough physically to keep up, to handle the sleep deprivation ...and on and on...!

At the end of my current "Questioning/Panic Attack" I realize that I felt a bit like this the first time around - when I was pregnant with Mark. I just take my responsibilities seriously & get a little too conscientious/stressed sometimes. I also realize that yes, I am in way over my head and that it's OK. It's probably right where God wants me to be. I am very aware of my utter reliance on Him!

Anyone else gone through these feelings?

Christmas Without You

As we approach Christmas this year, I am thinking about the special family time we always have around the tree talking about the story of Jesus' birth. We all act it out using our fabric creche scene. I'm also thinking of how we open our advent calendars each morning and decorate cookies to deliver to neighbors and of our Jesus' birthday cake. It's fun and meaningful this year, as always, but I can't help but think of the missing family member(s) that aren't here with us yet.

How I long to hang more stockings than I am this year, and to tell the nativity story to more little ears ... to kiss more sets of chubby cheeks and to hold more small hands.

On the flip side, I am so thankful to everyone at Beacon House who lovingly takes care of the children there day by day. I know our child(ren) are in a good place there.

This is my Christmas to trust God more than ever with little one(s) I don't even know yet, but already love.

I Love My Crazy Family!

Me & My Sweetie At Greenbriar

True Confessions #2

If you're like me, when you visit a friend & see that her house is really messy, you feel strangely encouraged. It feels good to know someone else doesn't have a magazine cover home! Partly because of this, I recently decided to begin a "True Confessions" part to my blog, where I occasionally share some of my very human flaws. I hope they will be an encouragement! :)

Here's my confession for today:

I bought a bag of mint chocolates for a friend today. I got them for her since I love them & thought she would too. Well, you guessed it - they were opened up after being in my house less than an hour! At least I ate lunch first though, right? (Sorry Laura L. they were for you! I'll have to get you another bag right before I come see you and then hide them in the trunk so I'm not tempted to try them out for you! Ha!)

Conversation With My First Grader

The funniest part of this conversation was that it wasn't said in a "smarty pants" tone. My son was sincerely asking.

Me: "How was your home school class today honey?"

Mark: "Good."

Me: "What did you do?"

Mark: "...(pause)...Um...Mom...can I say 'None of your business?' "

Me: "No, that would be very rude."

Mark: "Oh, well it's a good thing I didn't say it then, eh Mom?"