Merry Christmas! Krismasi Njema!

For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  

Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas!

Seasons like this are especially difficult without Mr. U.  Praying one day very soon I can tell him this in person but for the time being here is a little note for him to look back on some day....

Mr U.  - Mommy na daddy kupenda sanaa! Krismasi Njema!  Mommy and daddy love you so much! Merry Christmas!

The pics that didn't make this year's Christmas card

R took a lot of pictures before we got just the right two for our Christmas card.  Here are just a small sampling of those that didn't make the cut.

A's Thoughts on Thanksgiving

A's teachers asked her a bunch of questions a few days before Thanksgiving.  These are her answers.

Slow Motion Tubing

The most important interview of my life

I have been apart of thousands of interviews (thanks to my previous job as a recruiter) but no interview will stack up to the one that is set to take place this Sunday.  One of U's loved ones in DRC will be interviewed by the Congolese government.  There is so much that has to take place in order for this interview to actually happen and we pray that God's hand is over ever aspect of the process.  At the time that U was relinquished to the orphanage this part of the process did not exist so this interview will come as a shock to those involved.  I would imagine the emotions of being asked the questions will be heartbreaking and I'm physically drained knowing that this is about to take place.  Someone else's sorrow will be our joy.  That is not lost on me.  Not for this interview and not for the rest of U's life.

The date of this interview is also not lost on me.  It happens to be the one year anniversary of the death of another one of U's loved one.  One year ago this Sunday, this family was morning the loss of the person they love and cherish so deeply and now they are asked to revisit and share the details of that time in their life.  

This interview must take place in order for U to leave the country and so despite the painful timing of the interview our prayer is that it will still take place and that U's loved one will some how find great peace in the midst of the process.  

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." Matthew 11:28-30

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.  :)

Family Pics (minus one)

A's school asked for a picture of our family.  We used it as a good excuse to take some updated photos.

M cracked us up with this pose.  She wanted us to take a picture of herself.  She walked right up those stairs and without skipping a beat picked this as her pose.  

One Day

I remember a while back reading something online about how every moment of everyday is so important.  It said something along the lines of, tell an Olympic swimmer that a .05 seconds isn't important or a golf pro that a centimeter isn't important.  It was a long list of how short periods of time and space can make an impact that can last forever.  

This morning as our facilitator was going over all of our paper work to send back the evidence to USCIS she realized something pretty amazing.  One of the things that has changed since starting our process is that the region that U now lives has been shut down for adoptions.  You can be grandfathered into the law if a certain piece of paper is issued before June 12, 2013.  Our piece of paper was issued on June 11th!!!  One day later and our ability to bring our family of five together would be near impossible.  One. Day.  That blows my mind!!  Thank you God!

Praise the Lord.  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Evidence

Yesterday was 4 weeks exactly from the time we mailed in our binder to USCIS for approval.  They say it takes approx. 4 weeks to hear back from them and they held true to that estimate by the day.

Yesterday we received a letter in the mail from USCIS that our case has not YET been approved.  Without going into the details, we need to provide additional evidence to support that U is truly an orphan.  It is bitter sweet news....on the one hand R and I know that he is a true orphan based on other documents and information that we have been given.  On the other hand it is very encouraging to know that the government is going to great lengths to make sure all children leaving DRC are, without any reservation, truly an orphan needing a family.

After we sent in our binder, our facilitator was able to pull almost all of the remaining documents together.  This is such a HUGE blessing and surprise!!!  We recieved two of those documents last night which we are waiting to be translated into English so we can learn even more about our little Mr. Cute Face.  At this point, we need to wait for two specific people in Congo (I'll be vague since this is on the internet) to get to a place with internet and email our facilitator the remaining documents.  We hope for that to be this week.  From there we will get it translated to English, send in the remaining evidence and wait for final approval from USCIS which should take approximetly 2 weeks from the time they receive the additional evidence.  Then we move on to a bunch of steps that take place in Congo.

Today we are thankful for many things but mostly for continued evidence that God is working on behalf of U!

Jonah by A

A's favorite Bible story is about Jonah in the whale.  The little four-year-old artist that she is spent a great deal of time making this little masterpiece....

The three smiling people are the guys on the boat.  Then on the bottom you'll see Jonah yelling as he is falling into the water.  To the right is the whale with his big sharp teeth (and cute button nose) and above the whale is Jonah sad inside the whale waiting for God to help him.

Swinging Fun

Rhode Island Vacation

Watch out Rhode Island here we come!  

When R and I were semi-newly weds we took a little trip to this park/beach in RI.  It was beautiful, relaxing, fun and tourist free!  We always said we'd go back some day so when planning our first family vacation for just the four of us we decided this would be the perfect spot...and it was!!!  It has gorgeous views, lots of water, boats, grass and a seemingly endless bike trail along the water.   

After MANY unsuccessful attempts to fix R's bike, we decided to put the girls in the stroller and enjoyed a couple long walks along a beach bike path instead.  The girls relaxed with their frozen lemonade and we had a couple hours of (almost) uninterrupted adult conversation.  I'd take a broken bike any day for those kind of walks!

And to top off an already awesome family vacation we stopped at Mystic on our drive home for some more outdoor fun....

Longing for U

Dear my littlest man,

The level at which I am missing you today is off the charts ridiculous.  You are loved beyond measure little dude!

Mommy

Adoption Update: Binder is on its way

The binder has officially been sent to the USCIS today.  Thank you Lord!  The process is ever changing (and challenging) as we wait to bring our family of five together and so with each step completed it is a time of celebration in our home and hearts.  Our main prayer at this point is that the right person receives our binder and that everything is approved quickly and sent along without any stalls or hiccups.  

Family Fun at Lake Wallenpaupack

Most of our family took a trip to a lake house this summer (we missed you Uncle C and crew!).  Here are some pictures from our adventures....

Why take a bath when you have take a bubble shower outside on the deck?

We went in the "little cousins room" to find A and M sleeping in the same bed.  So cute!