Grateful

There are are so many things/people/situations that I am blessed with!  Today I am thankful for....

1. My two beautiful daughters
2. My chubby and healthy son
3. My ammmmaazzzing hubby
4. Flowers
5. A neighborhood to take walks and strolls in
6. Our new kitchen table that R made and the overlooking view of our backyard I have when I'm sitting at it.
7. Breyers chocolate reese's peanut butter cup ice cream -- yum!
8. That I can read the Bible whenever I want
9. Nebulizers
10. Occupational Therapists 
11. Snuggles my little ones freely give throughout the day
12. Coke and the lovely boult of energy it provides
13. Our Family in Africa and the 100+ volunteers associated with them that love through actions in immeasurable ways.
14. Health
15. The examples of Christ-centered and committed marriages that I have in my life...especially my parents!
16. Crafting with A
17. A husband that puts playing silly and crazy with his girls above almost anything else in the world
18. My big loving family of 22
19. My supportive in-laws
20. Big loud laughs
21. Vulnerability and the friendships that flow from it
22. Jesus' love and forgiveness-- this would for sure be at the top of the list if this was in order of importance!
23. KLove radio station
24. Washer and dryer
25. Email updates about Mr. U
26. My BFF, C, and our weekly phone calls
27. Clean water that comes out of my tap each and everyday time.
28. Christmas lights
29. Cozy PJs
30. Trees
31. People with a heart for children and youth
32. Unexpected notes in the mail
33. Plumbing
34. The awesome cousins my kiddos have
35. Homemade gifts from my girls
36. My 4th grade Sunday School teacher, Mr. McAllister, who had excitement for Jesus that was so real and contagious.
37. Mandisa's "Good Morning" song
38. That I will never know how it feels to give my children to the care of an orphanage or another family because of poverty or lack of medical care.
39. Children dancing around my house singing at the top of their lungs
40. My bed
41. Long walks
42. Perspective
43. Interracial couples who paved the way before R and myself
44. Little fingerprints on the car windows and front door
45. Friends and family and strangers who have come along side us through this adoption process
46. Kids prayers and songs
47. That I live in a place where I can easily walk into stores, churches and doctor offices that have a rainbows assortment of culture and diversity.
48. Dates with my hubster
49. That I get to have the only job I've always wanted...to be a mommy to 3 of the best out there.
50. That I have so many blessings in my life that I could very easily write another 50+++ things that I'm thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bunk Beds

R made the girls bunk beds for when we moved into our new home.  This is their first time on them.

The Unexpected Email

There is so much about the adoption process that I was not prepared for.  The amount of love we would have for our child we have never met.  The longing.  The missing.  The heartache.  The joys.  The waiting.  The waiting.  Oh and the waiting.  The people that would come into our lives that bless us at just the right time in a way that only God could plan.  The addiction to checking emails waiting for the next update, picture, approval.  And the miracles!

We received our approval from the USCIS last week (yay!).  From there we were to wait for a letter in the mail from NVC (National Visa Center) and then wait an additional 6 weeks (give or take) for our paper work to reach Congo.  This morning I woke up and, as any abscessed adoptive waiting parent does, immediately checked my email.  In my inbox I received word from Kinshasa (the capital of DRC) that our paperwork has been received and that an investigation process will begin.  Six or more weeks EARLY!  We didn't even know it had been sent to DRC yet!!

Waiting for our little man takes its toll and so this past week I prayed that if this was not going to happen.  If Mr. U was not going to be able to come and physically be apart of our family that he would let us know.  It seems as though He has done quite the opposite.

We have seen God's hand at work throughout this wait and are so thankful and blessed each and every time.  The next step is for our facilitator to try and have a scheduled interview between the embassy in Kashasa and those that love U.  That is no easy task with lots of variables that must line up but our prayer is that they line up and quickly. In the meantime, we will begin working on our next set of documents to send out.

The final exit letters needed for children to leave DRC are still at a stand still.  They say it could take a year but of course we are praying that it will be MUCH MUCH faster.

A attends a little social playgroup each week.  At the end of each session she is allowed to pick out one "treasure" (a tiny little toy from a treasure chest).  This week they let the kids pick 2 toys as a special treat.  A came out with 3 little toys.  I told her she had to pick one to put back and without skipping a beat she said, "but mommy I got one for U."  A LOVES spiders (clearly not a love she got from me!!!) and she picked out one plastic spider for her and one plastic spider for U.  I never thought my child's first toy would be a spider but how could I say no to that.  :)