interpretive.

Buddy's favorite song, right behind the Veggie Tales theme song, interpreted by two crazy kiddos.

trivia.

Comment with your best guess where she got this:  

dream

I woke up July 12th from a dream that I was holding my Sweet P.  It made me physically sick to my stomach and hung like a dark cloud over my head for a couple days.  I just long for her so much to be home with us!  It renewed my prayers for her paperwork to be sent soon.  

So far we have only seen her at two points of her little life:  a video of her a day after her 1st birthday and pictures of her in April when she was 1.5 years.  I look at those pictures every single day and wonder what she is doing, what she is eating, what she is saying.  

We recently got a letter from our agency letting us know about some new procedures to the adoption program.  It also mentioned a few families would go soon to pick up their children.  

Hmm.

Got me thinking that maybe, just maybe, one of those families would be going to the same orphanage where Sweet P lives.  When I asked, I was told one family would be going there!  We got an email today from that family, saying they'd be happy to look for our Sweet P and take pictures when they are at the orphanage.  

I'm beside myself thrilled.

I'm sharing in the excitement that another family is mere days away from holding their precious child, and I'm thrilled they may be able to share with us even small tidbits of what our Sweet P is like and take pictures of her.  I have tears just thinking about it.  

As much as I want to have pure and noble and right thoughts about this time of waiting, I do have moments when I feel so discouraged.  It seems downright pointless to have our Sweet P at an orphanage when our family is willing and ready to pick her up right this minute.  I've been encouraging my spirit with this promise...

"A father to the fatherless... is God in His holy dwelling" Psalm 68:5

I'm also continually blessed by the ways Sweet P is already part of our family.  The kids talk about her daily and pray for her.  Peanut depicts our family like this:

I'm encouraged.  Blessings, angela

on a roll.

May as well keep posting pictures while I'm in the mood.  It may not last long!

One of my favorite people on the planet came for a visit last week.  We had to take her to Rita's Water Ice, of course!

J is a precious gift from the Lord and I have walked many miles through unchartered territory with her.  It finally feels like that part of the journey is over, and it's exciting to see what the Lord has in store.  Friends like her are a rare and beautiful treasure.

On another hot day, we met for a playdate at the local fine arts center.  Buddy was ecstatic to use paintbrushes, since this momma hasn't been brave enough to try them at home.

It should be no surprise to many of you that Peanut drew herself with her cat into this VanGogh "painting."  She always says she wants to grow up and live in an apartment with her cats.  Once when I told her I won't be able to visit because I will scratch my eyes out, she said I will die when I get older and it will be okay for her to have cats.  

Thanks so much.  Glad she's thought that through so thoroughly.

Blessings, angela

whew!

It's been way longer than I intended since I last posted.  In the midst of the past month, we had major computer issues, our 8th anniversary, a visit from a dear friend, and many days of 100 degree heat.  Today is one of them.  ...and being the parents we are, we're following through with a visit tonight to Busch Gardens since we promised before we checked the weather forecast.  


Lesson learned.


Here's some pictures to catch up on the last month and I'm hopeful to be back posting about Sweet P in the next few days.  Don't bet on it, but I will do my best.


June and July were filled with moments like these...
a tea party with a princess

weekends with Daddy home

VBS (she went a few days to another church's and loved wearing her cowgirl get-up around the house while hollering "Giddy up!  Howdy partner!")

hands on hips (Buddy walked around like this for a full week straight)

playing any game I could think of like hide-n-go-seek so we didn't have to endure the heat 

the 4th of July

growing a giant sunflower

eating lots and lots of homegrown tomatoes (they are hidden in his chubby cheeks!)

celebrating another year of marriage to my man

Chick-fil-A Cow Appreciation Day

I have a few more to post but need to retrieve them from my camera... and I've got to get out the sunscreen for said outing tonight.  Be back soon.


Blessings, angela