Please God . . .

Tonight, as in most nights, our youngest 2 kiddos -Meghan and Jacob - prayed that we could bring Katie (Wendy) home soon. Usually Meghan prays for us to "get more money so that we can get on the plane and go get her". I talked with her the other day about how it's not just a matter of money (we do still need that), but that we are waiting on the courts to release her paperwork, and then to process all of our paperwork. So tonight her prayer was "Please God, help the courts to say it's ok for us to adopt Wendy". I agree!!! AMEN!!!! Tomorrow will be 2 months from our wonderful phone call telling us about her, and yet we still haven't even been able to formally accept the referral as we are still waiting on that Certificate of Abandonment. This is not our agency's fault - I attribute it to me - asking God to show me who she is before our garage sale. :) So - I've been doing my best to patiently wait on God's timing with this - all the while still praying my heart out to see her papers released! In the meantime, I do feel like we got to connect with her in a way . . .

On December 26th, our friends - the Munleys and the Flicks - went to Casa Bernabe to visit Katie (Wendy) and bring her the gifts I sent to her. I am currently anxiously awaiting the pics and video that they took of their encounter!!! This is what they had to say in their email (hope you don't mind me sharing this guys):

Almarie, Hannah, the Flick Family, and I had the opportunity to go see Wendy yesterday. She looked great and very healthy. I don't think the pictures of her that you showed did justice to how adorable this child is. She has the cutest curls in her hair. She is so beautiful. Greg (Flick) took video of meeting her and taped me giving her the present that you sent. She loved the pink bunny and the card with the picture on it. In fact, she never put those two items down the entire time that we were there. I read the card to her and she smiled. She has a great personality.

The place itself was very clean. I was very impressed with the amount of space and land this place had. The kids there all were very clean and well taken care of. The house were Wendy was at had about 25 steps that we had to walked down to get to. Each step had a scripture verse engraved in the cement. I was very impressed with the whole place.

We took lots of pictures and video that I will send to you when I get back. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday.
Jack

It just tickles me pink to read this email! :) I can just envision her smiles and curls. I hope they got that smile on film! I had poured over many stuffed animals and had finally chosen a musical bunny (super-soft!), but then started doubting whether she would like it or not (it seemed kind of babyish . . . but then again - she's only 2 1/2!). I was soooo happy to hear she liked it! I picture her snuggling up to it in her crib at night. :) The card had a picture of our family on it, and inside I had explained the gifts we sent (they all represented each one of us in the family . . . did I already say all this in another post?). anyways . . .
I've heard that Jack is back in town, but I don't think we will get video or pics till the rest of the gang returns. At least that is what I have prepared my heart and mind for . . . . . . that way I won't be too disappointed if I don't get to see it this week.

Well folks - thanks for checking in on us! We value your friendship and support! Stay tuned for new pics and possible video! :)

Blessings!

Lori :)

ps - Oh - I had a dream back in Sept or Oct about a friend of mine being 7 - 7 1/2 months pregnant when my daughter comes home. She wasn't pregnant (in real life) at the time. However, I just found out that she is now about 10 weeks pregnant!! . . . . . . so . . . . . if my dream were to come true - we would be bringing Katie home in about 4 1/2 - 5 months! That would only happen through a miracle of God!! :) You never know! :) He DID create the world in 7 days . . . actually 6! :)

Merry Chrismas and Happy New Year!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope you all are enjoying time with family and friends! I know that some of you (like ourselves) are longing for that "missing" member of your family to be with you this year. What an exciting adventure we have to look forward to next year! :)

Blessings on you and your families today and the rest of 2006!

Lori, Jeremy, Tyler, Ryan, Meghan, Jacob (and Katie!)

Merry Christmas

Here's another adoption song - about a little girl in China at C-mas and then the next year being with her family. I cried at this one too! (click on title above to hear a small portion)

It is from Third Day and is on their new Christmas CD called "Christmas Offerings".
"The title is "Merry Christmas"

There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn
Crying for mama's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
Where the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
So tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in His arms
And tell you from my heart
I wish you a Merry Christmas

As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights
I'm warmed by the fire's glow
Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white
And make angels in the snow

But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears
And hope that Heaven's Angels come to carry you here

Christmas is the time we celebrate the Holy Child
And we celebrate His perfect gift of love
He came to Earth to give His life and prepare a place for us
So we could have a home with him above

It's Christmas time again and now you're home
Your family is here so you will never be alone
So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms
And tell you from my heart
I wish you a Merry Christmas"


Feliz Navidad!
Lori :)

Everything to me

Ok all - I am sitting here wiping tears away from my eyes and trying not to sob too hard. I listend to KLOVE most everyday, and todaythey have Mark Shultz (Christian music artist) on. He startedtalking about how he was adopted at 2 weeks old and how thankful he is for his birth mom giving him life. Ok - so that almost made me cry - just thinking about that mom - choosing life (instead of abortion) and choosing adoption - and look what he has become and how many lives he has affected all over the world.
Well . . . then he got on the piano and sang the song "Everything to me" - which he wrote to say thanks to his birth mom. I will paste the lyrics below -though when he sang it today, he added another verse - similar to the second verse - but talking about him playing with his son and reading goodnight moon, etc. . . . . oh man. . . I just had to sit down at my kitchen table and just sob. I prayed for Wendy's(Katie's) mom right then and thanked God for her decision to give her life! As a mom myself - I know that the choice to give up your child has got to be one of the hardest! God bless these birth moms! and thank you Lord for leading us to our wonderful children!!Lori :)

Everything To Me(Mark Schultz / Cindy Morgan)

I must have felt your tears
When they took me from your arms
I'm sure I must have heard you say goodbye
Lonely and afraid had you made a big mistake
Could an ocean even hold the tears you cried

But you had dreams for me
You wanted the best for me
And you made the only choice you could that night

(Chorus)
You gave life to me
A brand new world to see
Like playing baseball in the yard with dad at night
Mom reading Goodnight Moon
And praying in my roomSo if you worry if your choice was right
You gave me up but you gave everything to me

And if I saw you on the street
Would you know that it was me
And would your eyes be blue or green like mine
Would we share a warm embrace
Would you know me in your heart
Or would you smile and let me walk on by
Knowing you had dreams for me
You wanted the best for me
And I hope that you'd be proud of who I am

(Chorus)
You gave life to me
A chance to find my dreams
And a chance to fall in love
You should have seen her shining face
On our wedding day
Oh is this the dream you had in mind
When you gave me up
You gave everything to me

And when I see you there
Watching from heaven's gates
Into your arms
I'm gonna run
And when you look in my eyes
You can see my whole life
See who I was
And who I've become

(Chorus)

© 2006 Crazy Romaine Music (Adm. by The Loving Company) / Word Music, LLC / Lola Max Music (ASCAP) (Adm. by Word Music, LLC)


*You can click on the title to hear a small portion of the song. It was much better - live and on the piano today!

ps - my friend Almarie is in Guatemala right now with a package for our little girl. She is hoping to go see her sometime next week and get some pics, etc. Yeah! Wish I could be there with her. One day. I sent down some PJ's, hairbows, and musical stuffed bunny, 4 books and a CD of me and Jeremy reading the books to her. 2 of the books were in English and Spanish and the other 2 I had Almarie help me translate them into Spanish. I read it both ways - though I am sure the houseparents and other native spanish speakers will get a good laugh at my Spanish pronunciations. :) I tried. :) I just wanted her to hear our voices. I was wanting to make a video too - but just ran out of time. Next time.

Adios!

I need my beauty rest!

Lucy didn't get to the orphanage till after 7:30pm - and Katie was already asleep. They woke the sweet sleeping beauty up for a few glamour shots. :) As you can see - it was challenging keeping her awake. She tried to smile for the camera!
The woman with the long dark hair is Lucy, our agency director. The other woman is Carmen, one of the houseparents. I am grateful for these pics - even if they are of a sleepy little girl. It just makes me want to go down and snuggle with her! What a sweetie!

Well - that's all the news for now. Please pray hard that the Court of Minors (I believe that's the right one) will issue Wendy's (Katie's) COA SOON!!!! LIKE - THIS WEEK! or maybe next! What a wonderful C-mas present that will be!

Blessings to you all!!

Lori :)