pictures.

I'll admit, I'm not always in the mood to read a long blog post that has not one picture.  Here's a long post where the pictures will do most of the talking...

We survived the first Chuck E. Cheese visit and Peanut gave it a big thumbs up.  Buddy, on the other hand, quickly exited this ride.

He had an abundance of self control, seeing as the cupcakes were set withing six inches of his face.

Look who found the sandbox at a friend's house...

Be sure to note the red eyebrows in the background of this one... since day one with this little guy, it's no guesswork to tell he's upset.

Father's Day!

I never want to forget that my oldest loves to eat fresh herbs.  Many a day she'll come in from playing and has onion breath from eating chives in the backyard.  This year she's moved on to the mint, sage and basil too.

A fitting end... translation: 

By Alannah 

(written for Mommy about her and Buddy)

"my kids are silly"

Indeed.  

Blessings, angela

patience.

When you are waiting, it's easy to get bored or even get a little irritated.  Think back to your last doctor visit as you sat in the waiting room.  That's how I feel quite often.

It's all too easy to get bogged down in the irritation and the "hurry up already!" feelings.  Thankfully, I serve a Lord who knows a lot about waiting, and He's the model of patience.  He also knows the exact number of days we will be waiting to bring Sweet P home.  For that reason, I think He delights to give us little reminders that He cares... He cares more for Sweet P than we ever could.

On many of those bogged-down days, the sweetest little reminders have surprised us.  One day I sat sewing and thinking of Sweet P when the phone rang.  I picked it up to a lady named Heather calling.  Heather is the daughter of a couple who have lived across the street from my parents for nearly 30 years.  She was already out of the home by the time I would remember her, but her mom is like a grandma to me.  Heather has adopted two children from Sweet P's country!  She was full of helpful ideas and tips for our travel, and it was encouraging to be able to ask questions of someone who has walked this road before us.

Here's a sampling of what I was sewing that day, which leads me into my next story.

POCKET RUNWAY

POCKET ROADWAY

POCKET TRAIN STATION

POCKET PRINCESS

While K was on a work trip a month or so ago, I got on a sewing kick.  I made up one of the pocket roadways for Buddy out of fabric on hand.  A friend saw it and asked to buy one for her road trip.  That quickly led to more orders and soon I was in business -- accidental entrepreneurship!  

I heard Steven Curtis Chapman was coming to Busch Gardens to sing for the summer concerts and was aching to go.  He has an amazing voice and an amazing family.  If you don't know about his adoption story or sweet Maria, go here.  Inspiring, to say the least.  I asked K what he thought about buying summer passes if I could sell 12 pockets (to cover the passes and my costs) by that Friday.  I sold 12 exactly!  So, we bought tickets and were on our way to BG to hear Fransesca Battistelli, Building 429 and Steven Curtis Chapman.  I knew it was a God thing since I sold exactly 12 and because the guy who took our parking money was from Sweet P's country.  I'm sure he was super-duper excited to have some lady telling all about our adoption, when you're just supposed to hand money out the window and drive on, but oh well.  ...and just because I love details, I have to add that he checked our passes again the next week at the gate.  

I love my God.  I love that He is in control and He cares for even the smallest, most insignificant details.  He knows my heart aches to have Sweet P in our arms and He cares enough to give sweet reminders as we wait.      

I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for them.  

Blessings, angela

here.

Still here.  Still waiting.  Still praying.  

I know it's been a while since I posted news when some of you start asking about Sweet P.  Some of you know there was a - well, let's just say not-so-small - hiccup with our Immigration paperwork.  Good grief.  A man who loves the power of his position a little too much left a not-so-nice message on both our phones saying he would deny our paperwork if it wasn't cleared up that day.  Thankfully I was able to have our social worker here take care of it, so I assume everything is moving along again.  

If you haven't noticed from previous posts, I love an excuse to call our adoption agency.  It gives me the chance to ask questions that have been on my mind that don't warrant a call of their own.  That day I called to clear up the chaos with them and asked about some timing issues, as we're expecting to move within the year.  I'm not sure how to sort out the answer I was given, but I do know we may not have our Sweet P home by March as expected.  Originally we were told the timeline to pick her up would be a year after our dossier was sent.  However, there is currently a family who has been waiting since February of last year with no date in mind.  

The hold-up is paperwork called the Child History.  We'd be most grateful to have you pray along with us for Sweet P's Child History to arrive in record time.  Once it arrives, we sign an agreement to adopt her and then should be able to pick her up shortly after.  The country seems to have no system for sending out Child History paperwork... it arrives when it arrives.  Our hope is that Sweet P's will be simple to compile and send since she is so young and since she has been in their custody for about 16 of her 20 months of life.  We'll see if that's the case.

Thanking the Lord for our praying friends who hold us up during this waiting time.  Blessings, angela

love.

Peanut's first love note.  


K is to be the only  recipient of such letters for as long as I have a say!

Peanut: DO YOU LOVE ME (flirty, shy smile as she looks up at her Daddy)
K: YES!
Peanut:  ME TO (fluttering eyelashes and smile)
Peanut: Wi DO YOU LOVE Me
K: BECAUSE YOU ARE MY LITTLE GIRL!
Peanut: (big smile)