Great week!

Having such a fun time watching Abigail's team improve this season!

 My little spiker!  Remember this time last year we were just praying she'd get her serve over!?!?

AA gets in on the action... my little helper making cheese strata for the brunch!

Great morning of food and fellowship with ladies from our Sunday School class at our house last Saturday morning.

Abigail's into "selfies" now...

and into mini coopers...oh my!  She keeps reminding me that it won't be too long before she IS actually driving (NOT a mini cooper though!!)!

Other great news:  CPK=162=NORMAL...again!  Woohoo!!

Dossier is in transit to Consulate in Houston as of today!

First official document (LOI) of ours is being translated in China right now!

Thankful for answered prayer...on so many levels! 

"If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;  though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."  Psalm 37:23-24

Big Weekend. Big Day.

Precious little hands at school writing

in Chinese. We also received some short video coverage of his cute self last week but need to wait to show him off until things are official. He's got such a cute smile!

Goodness, we had a shock of a question come to us about 10 days ago. We were ASKED by the "powers that be" in the other country if we had a preference whether to keep him in current living situation or move him to another situation prior to travel. Well, there are many many pros/cons to doing either/or for reasons I'll not get into right now. Loooong story, but my head has been spinning with all the communication/input I've received the past four days about it all. It's been very exciting, very hopeful, very emotional, very... Everything.

Late last night (ha- love how you expect things to come at random times in this process because of the time difference AND our agency is ON TOP OF THINGS!) our agency received his file and sent it our way. Flood of emotions came. Reminded me of receiving Audrey An's file 4 1/2 years ago. You get that little bit of information. That little peak into his past. That little bit of "oh, I wish I could have been there and oh bless that person who found him and took care of him".  That lotta bit of I cant even believe I'm blessed to be part of this process. That lotta bit of excitement. That lotta bit of sadness- all at the same time.

David's been flying like a madman lately and this last trip he barely had time to come up for air- seriously. It wasn't until today that we could debrief.  Actually, we still are. I sent ADB's file off to the International Adoption Clinic for their review (didn't even know that existed first adoption!  (Have I said our new agency rocks?!?). We are praying medical expertise/enlightenment, spiritual wisdom and that we'd continue to follow God's leading in all this.

It's so stinkin' cool to see God's handiwork in all this, and how He's preparing little guy with literally dozens of people already. Mind boggling.  Only God knows how this journey will continue to play out, but its awesome to be on the journey.

So this is what I've been stalking my mailbox for for two weeks. Long story short it came in mail today! Waited two months from our receipt date and a little mailing mix up on this!

How many times have I read the following passage...well, MANY!  I love that God's Word IS "living and active"...spoke to me in a different light today. 

Psalm 139:1-10, 13-18 "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain...For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven togetherin the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts,God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you."

My baby big girl's special day!

Abigail officially has curls thanks to Aunt Debs and her new "wand"!

Sister love!  Audrey An couldn't wait to surprise her with a bracelet and ring she had her eye on for awhile. 

Little fashionista- new outfit and purse

Dinner at the place of her choice- Olive Garden

Breakfast of her choice- cold pizza. Like father like daughter!

Nothing better than daddy coming home from a long trip and surprising her with flowers and chocolate- way to go, daddy-o!!!

The "Dum Dum Club" presented our friends a check from the monies ($400!!) they've been raising the past two months selling dum dum lollipops to help bring their soon to be adopted teenage son from the Ukraine. The girls were over the top excited about helping out and couldn't wait to bless them this morning at church. I see some great spiritual maturity and leadership rising from these girls. So thankful for their hearts!

Happy birthday, sweet gal!  Love you the! mostest!!!!

Big Week!

I apologize if you're on of my email subscribers and you're getting this twice...some reason this post got deleted over the weekend- arrgh!

Monday was Miracle Day!  I grew up water skiing, but I haven't skiied in several years due to my DM.  Well, guess what I did on Labor day!?!?!

Yeah, baby!!!!   Praise God from whom all blessings flow that He gave me the strength and encouragement to ski again.  I think the entire lake could hear my boatload of cheerleaders!!

It's been a few years, but I DID IT! All four of tried at once, but couldn't quite do it with Abigail being a new skiier, David holding AA, and ummm...the not-so-new-but-having to teach new dog old tricks -(or new dog old tricks)-skiier.  Maybe that will happen this weekend!
 

It's just been a great week I must say.   So thankful for the encouragement, time with friends, AND....THREE adoption updates!  Tuesday, we got an email stating that our agency's liaison in China got to meet our little guy and today we received three short videos of him!  She had a positive report and stated he's got "a cute personality".  She also stated the people from the orphanage (although he's not living there but they still oversee the foster program) are very pleased he's going to be with his foster sister.  He's just the cutest thing (little thing!).  He's got a smile that lights up a room...like his two sisters!  Yesterday I received word from USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services) that our i800a was approved last week- yay! For those reading not in the international adoption world this is the application of "determination of suitability to adopt a child from a (Hague) Convention country".  It's a major player that is part of one's dossier to be sent to China. Hopefully I will get the actual paper notice in the mail today.  I'll then send this to our agency where they'll begin to authenticate all of our documents, send to the US Consulate, translate, and then we'll be DTC (Dossier To China)!  ADB's file is being translated right now.  Kinda cool that our documents are about on the same path now. So...all that to say if things continue as planned we may have our little guy in 5-6 months (maybe sooner...only God knows!)!

Pray for wisdom in these next few days as David and I to make a pretty hefty decision in regards to a placement issue for him while he's still in China.  We so want what's best for him and what will be the least traumatic for him.  I'm so honored to even be asked what our desire is...wow!  "For the Lord gives wisdom." Proverbs 2:6

A common question to adoptive families from those who are considering adoption (or not)..."Can you love this child like your own?"  Ummm, YES.  Audrey An IS our child.  Lord willing, ADB, WILL BE our child.  The love in my heart for this little guy who lives 1/2 way around the world was just brought a little bit closer to us via video today.  When you pray for someone for years how can you not be drawn to him?  ADB, I can't wait to hug you in person and not have to look at you through a computer screen!  Love you, little tiger (one of our nicknames for him already)!

This life vest cracks me up...my man's got some ripped abs!

Audrey An gets her turn!  She's excited that our friend and David went in and bought a pair of trainer skiis this week for her and and her buddy, Hannah, to learn.  I have no doubt our little fearless Audrey An will pop up pretty quick with her determination!  Her motto is, "No child left behind" and/or "I can do it bigger and better than sister!"

 David's new favorite...wake surfing!

Mini-me!

 Sister fun!

 After my ski run, my man jumped in the water to congratulate me!

  Abigail is a professional now!  She was brave enough to go outside the wake already.  That's my girl!

swimmin' & skiin' buddies

 Good times with great friends!