Saturday, January 30, 2010

Trying a video

I thought I would try to post a video. Since it is a test, it is just one that I already had recorded. The kids play "mini-van" all the time, although this is the first time with steering wheels. We do not have a minivan, but Elliana asks to ride in one every change she gets.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Before I knew you...

On Sundays, our community class just started studying Jeremiah. Such amazing little nuggets of wisdom God has spoken through our teacher in just two weeks! This week, along with the fact that it was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, we looked at some pretty great verses:

Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Psalms 139:13-16
You make all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! you workmanship is marvelous- and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. every day of my life was recorded in your book. every moment was laid out before a single day passed.

Isaiah 49:1,5
Listen to me, all of you in far-off lands! The LORD called me before my birth; form within the womb he called me by name... and Now the LORD speaks- he who formed me in my mother's womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring his people of Israel back to him. The LORD has honored me, and my God has given me strength.

John 15:16,19
You did not choose me; I chose you. And I gave you this work: to go and produce fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name...If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it loves it own. But I have chosen you out of the world, so you don't belong to it.

Galatians 1:15
But God had a special plans for me and set me apart for his work even before I was born.

I cannot help but praise God that He knew Micah before his birthmom knew of him and has called him to be part of me!

We have finished our acceptance paperwork and sent it off to our agency. From there it will head to Taiwan and hopefully get a fast court date. You can pray for one of Micah's roommate, his first court date is tomorrow morning (tonight in our time zone.)

Saturday, January 16, 2010

THE BEST NEWS-baby boy

We are happy to introduce Micah, born January 9! Of course you want the story, so here it is. On Thursday at 5:00, the phone rang and I saw the area code. I knew it was Kate which made me a little nervous and excited. She shared that she had a referral for us and was emailing us his information. Chris was not home from work yet, but I could not wait so I opened the email just to take a peek:) Once Chris got home we rushed through the information and had to leave for Bible Study. Chris is the leader so we could not easily skip. I texted my parents on the way, so they would be the first to know of their 16th grandchild. Then we shared with our group that we were going to be parents to a newborn boy.



Friday, Kate called to hear what we had decided. We had no name picked out so we asked her to wait before emailing out to our pilot group. (Sorry group, she will email on Monday and send a picture.) We wanted to wait to tell everyone until we had a name, but I could not contain myself and told everyone we saw. I had planned a playdate on Friday so anyone who came heard.



Back to his name, we still had not had time to talk much about it. Well, Saturday morning we both said Micah it will be. Meanings of names are very important to Chris. Micah means "he who is like God".



Elliana and I went shopping and she picked out some pajamas for Micah. She loves jammies and usually wears them all day, every day. She was convinced that he had to have them. Everyone we passed on the way to checkout she told them that the pjs were for Micah. I can not wait for her to tell people tomorrow at church. She said that she was a baby brother, Micah, but he is far away. Andy has been extra clingy to me so I think he knows something is going on.



I will not be able to post a picture so if you would like, just send me an email and I will send you a peak too. Funny thing is, I have been mistake as Chinese (more than once). I don't know if you noticed, but I do not look Chinese. Several people have commented that he looks like Chris, who is not Chinese either.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

First meeting AGCI

Tomorrow will mark the one year date to our first meeting with All God's Children International. We went to an informational meeting in our area. Deb, the area coordinator, had just started working with the agency. She was very sweet and we were able to meet a family that had previous adopted and hear their story.

It was also at this meeting that we learned that AGCI was going to be doing a pilot program with Taiwan. We knew we would not be considered for the program at that time, but we still left feeling excited and that God was definitely leading our journey. I have already shared how we ended up being able to join the pilot program so I will not bore you with it again.

It is hard to believe a a year has already past. God has been faithful and drawn me closer to Him as I learn how great His love is for His children. I do hope that we do not have a wait another year, but if we do, God will still be faithful!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Still a little girl

We moved Elliana to a big bed when she had just turned two. That was the end of her great sleeping skills. She would get up several times a night and no longer go to sleep by herself. Well, now she is three and half and I was ready to break the habit of having to lie down with her until she fell asleep each night. We talked it up how she was going to turn into a big girl on Dec 27 and she would go to sleep by herself. We made up a bedtime list and hung it on her door to practice. She liked the list and but for the couple of weeks leading up to the big night, she would say, I am a little girl, please lay down with me.
When the night finally came, she said, all day, "Me little girl, not big girl." I told her she could stay a little girl, but she would still have to follow the new rules and I was not going to lay down with her. The first three nights, she only got up once before falling asleep. Then it was about three times. She is only getting up once in the middle of the night, but going right back to sleep when I return her to her bed.
Today after reading her stories for her nap, I thought I would take a five minute nap with her. She asked me to say a prayer with her and when we were done, she looked at me and said, "Me can't sleep with you in here, please leave." So I guess that is the end of that. I am a little sad to see it go, but happy she is sleeping better.
Andy, who has sleep through the night since 8 weeks, as started to wake during the night now. He usually goes back to sleep himself. He is still in the crib and hopefully stay there a long time! My guess is he still has his ear infection.