It has been quite a while since I have had a chance to blog but that does not mean I haven't been keeping up with the rest of you. Through many joyous tears I have watched Sophie become a part of her forever family and journey home to America. I read all about Sawyer growing up over night and Jenna's awesome date with her dad. The Harris' have had a busy summer meeting up with various travel group friends from China. There are so many other blogs I follow but too many to mention! And even though I don't always comment I am often checking in!
We've been so busy traveling this summer! As a family we've traveled to three different states and my husband also had the opportunity to travel to Boston! At least he visited Mike's Pastry for me and brought home cannoli! Not long after we got back from Panama City our air conditioner went out. Here in Georgia, that's not good! Especially in the dog days of summer! Some days it was cooler outside than inside our home! After almost two weeks of staying with my mom we finally moved back in and started our school year! I can't believe the summer went by that quickly but Madilyn started Kindergarten and Gracie started 1st grade and a half - when you homeschool you can be a half! I am very excited about our year and I feel so blessed to have the privilege of teaching my own children in our home!
We have also been seriously praying about our adoption. The third anniversary of our LID will soon be upon us and we have been seeking the Lord for direction in this most important calling! Because the wait has stretched out so long I feel I have often lost sight that this is a calling upon our lives and that I should keep my eyes focused on Jesus! While I have enjoyed reading about other families and their journey home with their children from countries all over the world I am not always convinced it is real in our lives! The reality of it feels out of reach.
I recently read a devotional that was quite eye opening for me. We've all heard the story of Peter walking on the water and when he began to doubt Jesus he sank. I too have heard it over and over again. However, Oswald Chambers has it going on when it comes to the explanation of this passage of scripture! He says that although the wind was boisterous and the waves were high, Peter didn't see that at first. He only saw Jesus and stepped out in faith. It was when he began to take into account the things around him that he went down. Mr. Chambers says "We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus." "Let you actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him." "If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you." "Be reckless immediately – totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything – by casting your all upon him." "It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him."
Years ago the Lord called our family to homeschool, long before we had children and long before we knew anyone else who did it. But as things don't go as I planned and when I listen to the naysayers around me, I have taken my eyes off of Jesus and what he called me to do. It is the same with the adoption. I remember as clearly now as I did in 2004 when he called us to adopt this baby. YEARS have passed since then, and the Lord's calling hasn't changed; only my eyes have been taken off of him. As the costs escalate and the wait slows tremendously, I have begun to doubt if this is what we are supposed to be doing. It doesn't help when others question your motives and ask "why" and "couldn't you just birth another child if you want more"? But that isn't what the Lord asked of us, he asked us to adopt an orphan! James 1:27 says that "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." To look after orphans may mean different things to different people but God told us that it means for us to adopt!
So as we place our eyes back on Jesus and the calling that has been placed on our lives, we no longer doubt what He has asked of us, but instead we are asking "Is there more"? When we began this journey we just had two girls. We chose to adopt a girl because that is where we were told the need was. Along the way our precious son made his way into our family. I never knew how much I could love a boy, but he has shown me many times over! Lately, the Lord has impressed upon my heart to adopt a little boy. We also realize the little boy may have special needs. I always said I wouldn't adopt child with special needs. Not because I didn't want too or didn't consider it important, but because it didn't seem possible to care for that child in our current family environment. The Lord has apparently been working on our hearts because now it doesn't scare us so much. We have talked extensively with our pediatrician about what needs we as a family would be able to take on. So while we are in the process of refiling our I-797 for the second time and having another homestudy update, we are also looking to refile our intent to adopt petition and request a little boy. We are also submitting our medical checklist with great confidence, keeping our eyes on Jesus.
We are quite excited about these plans and the new paths the Lord is paving for our family. I can't wait to see how his plans continue to unfold for us and share those with my friends in blog land!
The easiest birthday party ever! And we just about had the entire pool to ourselves. I think some early morning clouds and a 30% chance of rain scared most people off!
Yeah, I was one of thousands of girls that had to have that cut! Turns out, it was NOT my best look.
What that boy will do for a popsicle! So we headed off to Mr. William to have him fix the damage and give the girls a trim as well. Called it our "back to school" haircuts! Everyone came out looking just precious. Fast forward a couple of weeks and I had to be gone all day for a meeting. Jeremiah had Eli and Madilyn this time. When I got home I thought something looked different about Madilyn's hair but couldn't quite put my finger on it! Just as she got in the tub that night I found a think strand of brown hair on her floor. Thinking (more like hoping) it might belong to a Barbie, I pushed the thought aside. Until I went to wash her hair and it began to fall out into my hands. As the night went on we found more hair. She totally denied anything at first, but after closer inspection, I discover she had cut the entire left side of her hair beginning with the front to behind her ear. Her story? It was a hot day and her hair was itching her face. So she found some scissors in the playhouse and just cut it off. Now it doesn't itch her face anymore, because it's NOT THERE! Turns out, she even cut off a curl or two off of Eli's hair! I couldn't get too angry. I mean as much of a scissor nazi as I am, somehow I did overlook a blue pair left on the loft of the playhouse that she had to climb up on the top of her play kitchen to even find them! So today, we went and saw Mr. William again and had him make his repairs! This was Madilyn before: 
