"Shout Out" at My Crazy Adoption

I just posted a "Shout Out" for our adoption t-shirts at My Crazy Adoption.  If you don't know what My Crazy Adoption is, follow it at http://mycrazyadoption.org/shoutout-for-your-crazy-adoption-fundraisers.

We still have many, many t-shirts for sale, if you would like to order one, they are $20 and shipping is $5.  You can order by clicking on the Paypal link on the right side of my blog.

Help us bring baby girl home!

Highest Honors

School ended yesterday! We are ready for summer! I don't know if Garrett or I am more tired of spelling and vocabulary tests, but needless to say we have a break! Yeah!!!!

Garrett got highest honors all year! We are so proud of him!

Preschool Graduation

Ryan graduated from preschool on Tuesday, May 25.  It is kind of silly that he graduated from preschool because he is going again next year and will graduate again.  Oh well, the graduation was super cute! The kids went through the entire alphabet with phonics and singing songs.  After that, each of them went to the front and recited a nursery rhyme into the microphone.  Ryan's was "Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick, Jack  Jumped Over the Candlestick!"  He did so well.

This is a typical Ryan face! He knew we were taking pictures so he thought he would give us this face!

Here is another picture we took.  He obviously didn't know we were snapping at this moment!

So until next year, when we do it all again......

Baseball

Baseball is finally over for 2010! Can I get a WHOOO HOOOO!!!!

Our team did great but I am so glad it is over.  We can have our week nights back!  Garrett improved so much over last year.  He was an awesome catcher, hit the ball super hard at each bat and rarely got out.  I am so proud of him.

We started the season with him saying he was not going to play again.  We ended the season with him wanting to play and already talking about next year!

Way to go Garrett - you will always be my favorite ball player!

Fundraising Success

Wow! Wow! Wow! That's about all I can say for what God did for us this past Saturday.  We had the Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on May 22 at the church.  We sold about 170 tickets for the dinner and raised $3600!!!!!!!! I am completely blown away by how God blessed us!

It was a great evening with awesome spaghetti (even if I do say so myself :0)! Mike and Mark played music for us and your daddy got up and thanked everyone for coming.  It was an awesome night!

Thanks so much to all who helped throughout the day! I could not have done it without Arlas, Tami, and Betsy!

Little girl - so many people are investing in your life right now! We can't wait to get you home so you can see everyone who helped!

Thanks again everyone! We love you!!!!

We are ON DECK!!!!!

Today we celebrated 5 months of waiting! We have been trying to celebrate by doing something fun.  It didn't happen tonight but today we got to celebrate with praise because we received our "on deck" email!  That means that we are so close to seeing your sweet face baby girl.  I was checking Facebook and noticed that the Fulmer family had received their "on deck" email today so I thought I would check our email to see if we happened to get one and WE DID!!!  I cried when I saw that email from Caitlin, our Family Coordinator, with the subject line, "On Deck!"  I immediately called dad to tell him.  He got chills! I came home from work to read the entire thing.  It was like music to my ears!  Daddy said he tries not to think about it too much because it makes him emotional.  I have a feeling that you are going to have him wrapped around your finger in no time!

Normally, we try to do something fun like have ice cream or cake on the monthly anniversary of waiting but daddy was working nights so after baseball practice the boys and I went to eat with Grandma.  It was fun but we sure did miss daddy.  Grandma and Grandpa are moving to Albuquerque tomorrow so that Grandpa can get better care in a new nursing home.  We pray that he continues to improve as he has been lately.  Praying that he doesn't miss the boys too much and that we can make frequent trips to Albuquerque.

After I talked to dad, I sent out text messages to our friends who have been praying for us and for you.  They are thrilled and cannot wait to meet you sweet girl.  Ryan and Garrett can't wait to see you.  They constantly tell anyone who will listen that their sister will be here soon and that they can't wait to see  your face.  Sweet girl, you are already so loved and we don't even know your name!

Mother's Day

Today it is Mother's Day and while I celebrate with your brothers and your daddy, I can't help but look forward to next year when you will be with us celebrating.  We had a great day today.  We worshipped our Father at church.  During church, I spoke about adoption and foster care.  It was hard for me to get up there but God gave me a message and I needed to share it.  People listened and I am encouraged and excited to see what God is going to do at West Main with adoption and foster care.  God tells us to take care of the orphans so that's what we are going to do.  We also sold Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser tickets.  People made donations who couldn't be there and some tickets were sold.  We are praying for a successful fundraiser.  After church, we took Grandma to lunch in Roswell.  We then went to the nursing home to see Grandpa too.  Dad and I rode the motorcycle to Roswell.  It was a windy ride on the way back but it was fun.  Daddy and I don't get to do that very often.  It will be less often when you get here, but that's okay.  We can't wait for you to be here.

Your church family is so excited for you to get here.  They tell Daddy and I that we will be meeting you soon so get our bags packed.  I can't wait until we know when that will be.  I would love to start getting ready now.

Last night, there was a Heart for Africa fundraiser event at the local coffee house.  Your brother Ryan and I went.  I spoke about orphans and the ministry for a few minutes.  It was good practice for me today.  Church was packed when I spoke and I know that it was no accident that I spoke today on Mother's Day about orphans who don't always get to spend such a day with their mothers.

Your dad and I were blessed today as donations were given to us.  A very unexpected donation was made to us.  You know who you are and we are truly blessed by you.  I am proud to call you my friends!

Baby girl, we can't wait to see your face.  I know the day when we will see your face is coming soon. Your brothers can't wait to see you.  They call you Ella and talk about you to anyone who will listen.  It is going to be even more crazy how they will talk about you when we see your sweet face.

Until then, we love you!

Your family

Three.....

We are number three on our agency's "unofficial" waiting list for our referral! I simply cannot believe it!iA week ago, we were number seven.  During the Africa team meeting at our church on Sunday, we were praying for a team member and Mike Spencer, our worship and discipleship pastor, prayed for orphans and specifically our child and for a fellow team member who had a spot on his liver surface and was having follow up testing the following day.  He prayed that we would move swiftly from number seven to number one and we are well on our way! Mike also prayed that our fellow team member would be healed.  He is healed, they couldn't find a spot and we are swiftly moving our way up.

I am so excited to see what next week brings! Here are some fun facts from our adoption group.  In the last week (4/30-5/7):
* 3 children came home!!
* 7 families are on their way to Ethiopia to bring their children home!
* 12 families were given a court date!!
* 7 families received a referral!!
* the Top 10 Waiting for referral list was completely decimated!  6 new families were added to the list!!  A new 'Queen' of the top 10 was also crowned.  May your regin be short, Tarr family!!
* 4 more families are DTE (or will be very very soon)!!

Praying that this movement keeps happening!

We are coming baby girl! I can't wait to see your face!!!