expecting.

I must say how much it means to me to have so many ask when they see me if there's any update on our Sweet P.  Adopting is similar to being pregnant in many ways, yet sometimes completely different.  When I had a big belly, it was obvious our family was about to grow.  I got questions right and left about the baby, and so it is wonderfully comforting to have people ask about Sweet P because it shows me they remember we are expecting.  


So, I read a blog that sent me blog-hopping and came across a giveaway for a necklace from The Vintage Pearl.  For someone who considers herself super unlucky, especially when it comes to contests, I almost didn't believe it when I got the email saying I'd won this necklace.  ...and the artist was generous enough to give me three charms, for each of my kiddos!  We've already chosen a name for Sweet P and I had her name engraved on another flower charm.  I suppose if the Lord changes things, I can always order a different charm, right?  But for now I'm wearing her name around my neck most days to keep her close to my heart.  


It is music to my ears to hear Peanut talk about Sweet P by name and even Buddy once in a while.  Peanut still calls her "our adoption child" often, but more and more she uses her name.  Love it.  I keep conversing with them both about how Sweet P will actually come live with us in our home.  Not sure how much it's sinking in, but I want them to know she is already their sister!  


That's it for today.  We just returned from K's family reunion and had a great time with them!  More on that to come soon...  once I am fully unpacked and get groceries back in the fridge.  Blessings, angela

quotable.

"My friends, adoption is redemption. It's costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him." -- Derek Loux

adopted.

Today was another day when I was completed overwhelmed by the generosity of friends.  We literally have a garage FULL of furniture, toys, clothes, bikes, and more... all given to us to sell at our yard sale.  While pricing things I pondered over the three people who gave to us who were adopted as children.  Kevin ran back and forth to get van load after van load of things from a family from church, and when he returned a few minutes ago with the final load, he handed me a card.  In it were the most precious words of encouragement, even more so because they were penned by a woman twice adopted.  


Last month I was captivated by a book review of Russell Moore's Adopted for Life I read in Citizen. More specifically, C.J. Mahaney's foreword that was quoted:

I was adopted when I was eighteen years old. I wasn't an orphan, the way most people think of that term. I wasn't an abandoned child. But I was in a condi­tion far more serious: I was a stranger to the family of God, a slave to sin, and an object of the justified wrath of God.

   I too was adopted into the family of God at the age of 10.  Maybe you've never thought of yourself as such if you are a Christian, but the parallel is too beautiful to overlook!  Throughout the New Testament it says Christians are grafted into the Vine (John 15) and that we are adopted as sons (Ephesians 1:5).  The Bible is also full of adoption stories that I cannot wait to share with Sweet P... Moses, Esther, Jesus...  and the great purpose the Lord had for their lives!


   What makes us family is not blood but relationship.  I'm ever grateful the Lord chose to adopt me and am awed by the fact that He cares to know me intimately.  

sleepy.

I am looking through pictures from all our birthdays and found this video, taken on my birthday a couple weeks ago. It captures one of the moments I think I will miss most when my kids are grown up. Thankfully, I can go back and watch and laugh all over again when I am missing these crazy days of motherhood.

big day.

Actually yesterday was a big day too.  Most of note, I said goodbye to my twenties!  My family and friends made it so memorable and blessed.  Now, is it just me or do you remember being a little child and thinking you'd never be that old!?

Today the big news is we mailed off the final piece of paperwork for the adoption!  It goes to Texas and then someone from the local USCIS office calls us to make an appointment for fingerprints (yes, more fingerprints).  This time they are used to do an FBI background check, the final step of this process.  Once that's completed, we just wait.  And wait.  And wait a little more.  Until... one day... we get a phone call or an email and our agency says we need to purchase airline tickets.  The prescribed wait time is one year from now, but could we beg of you to be in prayer with us, that it would be much sooner?  It is so difficult knowing  our child is just waiting in an orphanage until that day.  My heart aches to think another year may pass until we can bring her home.  Please pray the papers would be approved at the embassy in D.C. in record time and that they would make the rounds in country speedily.  

Blessings, angela

p.s. Oh, and a picture to throw in for my mom who always asks for pictures.  Here were my little valentines last Sunday on her birthday.  

Sweet P.

There's a sweet new picture on the sidebar of the blog.  I was waiting to post a picture of Sweet P herself but decided she still needs her own "picture" until I can share the real deal.

I just got the best news I could possibly get today:  our homestudy is complete and it's in the mail!  I sort of want to scream "FINALLY!" but I'll contain myself so my kids will keep napping.

Blessings, angela

fishy.

My kiddos need no prodding to eat sugar.  I decided I wasn't going to stock the house with Valentine candy because I knew we'd be making our traditional heart cookies (in honor of my mom, a Valentine baby!), so the other day at Walmart I had an idea.  This is where the story should have stopped, a siren should have rung, a flag should have gone up... but alas,  I proceeded.  

We like to swing by the fish tanks during most Walmart trips, and this time I thought a 38 cent goldfish would make a mighty fine Valentine gift for Peanut and Buddy.  I figured if it didn't make it, no huge loss, and it would take the place of heart candy and chocolate.  The kids are good wheelers and dealers, and we left with three little fish... the gold one for Peanut, the greenish one for Buddy and spot for "our adoption child", as Peanut calls her.  So far so good.  

We made it a day before Peanut decided to feed the fish on her own, dumping a good pile of flakes into the bowl.  They lived, aside from residing in murky, nasty water.  I intended to change it but other to do list items won out.  Most importantly, we needed to make Valentine cookies.  My little helper joined me, along with my new double stacking cookie rack.  

All was well.  We rolled, cut, baked, cooled.  My Peanut is quite the sprinkler.  She firmly believes cookies are best when piled with a mountain of sprinkles, so I let her loose. She sprinkled and sprinkled until her little heart was content.  Time for a cute picture...

...then I snap another and notice through the viewfinder that my little helper (who must go wash her hands if she so much as licks a fingertip) is drinking the sprinkles straight from the jar.  Once I put a halt to it, I grab the dustbuster and go to work on the floors.

As I turn it off, I stand back up to see her blissfully throwing handfuls of sprinkles into the fishbowl!  Needless to say, I didn't stop to snap a picture.  I saw the fish already taste testing and rescued them from their death.  Below you will notice them all huddled together in the mixing bowl wondering what on earth just happened.

For all you PETA members, the fish survived and are happily swimming and eating fish flakes in their bowl as I type.  They are probably even happier because they got that aforementioned water change out of the whole ordeal.

...and I got my favorite Valentine treat of all, Mommy's sugar cookies!  

Happy birthday, Mom!

This one is my favorite cookie of all.  Peanut and I decided to make some crosses too, since Jesus' love is the best kind of love to have on Valentine's Day and every day.  She decided it needed one solo heart right in the middle.  Love it.  

Happy Valentine's Day to each of you!  Blessings, angela