Best Black Friday Deal Ever

December 1, 2009

The few days leading up to Thanksgiving were filled with a few events. Garrett and Ryan both had programs at school.

Thanksgiving came and went in a non-hurried way. The boys and I spent Thanksgiving together while Brent worked. We had a yummy dinner when Brent got off that evening. It was just the four of us and so nice.

I did some shopping Friday morning before the boys woke up and got some of the Black Friday deals at Wal-Mart and K-Mart. The boys and I then went to Roswell and met up with some friends for lunch and a trip to Hobby Lobby. When we got home, it was here! Our long awaited I-171H had arrived! The only thing that could have made Thanksgiving better was to have our daughter home with us. Since that wasn't quite possible, this was the next best thing. This was the last piece of documentation we needed. We could submit our dossier to our adoption agency on Monday.

Brent and Garrett left to go hunting on Friday night. Garrett got a 6 point deer Saturday morning. He was so excited.

While the boys were hunting, Ryan and I worked on teacher gifts and copied paperwork for the dossier. We had a great time just hanging out at the house.

On Monday, I sent our dossier. Our agency should have the paperwork by Wednesday, 12/2/09. Our Family Coordinator will take our dossier to the US State Dept and the Ethiopian Embassy next Thursday, 12/10/09. That is our DTE date and then the waiting begins. Please join us in praying that God would continue to prepare us and our daughter for this transition. We can't wait to hold her in our arms and show her what love is.

On Tuesday, the boys got a snow day from school. It snowed on Monday night and we woke up to a white world on Tuesday. The kids were very excited since this doesn't happen much and took advantage of the day by playing in the snow.

What a beautiful world we live in and we give thanks to God for it!

Waiting.....

November 16, 2009

This post finds us waiting. We are waiting for our I-171H to arrive from USCIS. This is the last piece of paperwork we need in order to submit our dossier to America World. It is hard waiting but I am learning that I can't control everything. I'm learning to depend on God for the small things as well as the big things. He continues to amaze me and knows just when I need something. The last few times we have heard from USCIS, I've told Brent the night before that we should hear from them any day. God delivered the next day. We did our fingerprints for our paperwork on 11/6/09. Today we heard from USCIS that they needed a copy of our social worker's license. I know that one day in the very near future, we will have our form in our hand. I remember that all things happen in His time.

Soccer and football seasons finished up a few weeks ago. I'm grateful for the chance the boys had to play but also grateful to have our Saturdays back. They both did well. Garrett is ready to play basketball in January. Ryan won't be playing anything until spring when they both will play baseball.

We are exploring starting an Orphans' Ministry at church. Our first meeting was great and I look forward to seeing what God is going to have us do.

I'm so thankful for so many things this Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for my Lord, my husband, Ryan and Garrett. I'm thankful for my experience I've had and how they have shaped me. I'm thankful for a great church family and friends who help me along the way.

I will continue to wait because waiting is all I can do. It's in His hands, not mine!