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!