Nice Serve

Every 3 months our church serves the people of Orlando alongside organizations in our community. Today we teamed up with Greenup, an organization that helps keep the community parks and other public areas clean and usable. Almost 2,000 partners at our church went out and served this morning. Our kids loved helping and it was great to be able to serve together as a family.

So fun

Over the past couple weeks I have been able to go on 2 field trips with my kiddos :) I know this doesn't seem like a big deal but to this momma who has felt like I have missed out on my kids school life lately it is a very big deal!!
I went with Mason's class to the Orlando Science Center and had so much fun getting to know his little friends.

 Mason got so excited touching the snake that he almost walked off with it...until the lady used her stern I don't think so voice. The funniest part about it was that he was shocked she wouldn't let him actually carry it around.

 This week I went to Green Meadows farm with Lyla Grace's class.

 I was so surprised to see how much she loved the animals. She is usually such a girly girl and doesn't really like to get dirty. She was running around catching ducks, chickens and bunnies.

 Lyla Grace and her sweet friend holding a baby duck.

 Milking a cow

After working part time last Fall I am so appreciative of the time I do get to spend with my kiddos. Thankful God was able to teach me the lesson that every moment spent with them is a gift!!!!

Happy and Healthy

 We received an update from a friend in Ethiopia that Ada is happy and healthy :) Love hearing that she is being loved on and is feeling good!!
We were also notified by the US Embassy that they need more information from our agency. I guess this is what "they" do before her case is sent to Kenya for further review. Well at least that is what has been happening to most cases before being cleared for a visa. A little frustrating but also exciting that they are actually doing something. Each day I feel like we are getting a little closer to bringing her home :)

Happy Valentine's Day

I feel so thankful for all of my little Valentine's today!! I mean aren't they just the most precious things you have ever seen :) 

 Look at that mouth full of teeth!!

 So thankful for her and thanking God that we listened to his call...just think we could have missed this!!

Wanted to capture all of my Valentine's before we piled in the car for school (we were late because of this...oops) but well worth it because it is so hard to get all of them together. Lyla Grace wanted Ada in the picture so she held up the Valentine she made her.

Most of all today I am thankful for God's love for us!!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Teacher in Training

I love my sweet girl Lyla!!! When she comes home from school she counts down the minutes until Tate's nap time so she can play "baby class". She makes name tags to place on the carpet for "Circle time", she says the pledge, reads them a story and they sing songs...everyday for the last few months! Sometimes they even do art projects. I'm so thankful for her excitement and enthusiasm!!!

We were submitted to Embassy

We are praising the Lord today...our case was finally submitted to the US Embassy!!! So you are probably wondering when we can bring her home (we are too). We have been told by our agency that in the next 2 weeks we should here from the Embassy via email telling us that they have received our case and it is being reviewed. Once they have reviewed our case they will write us to tell us one of the following things:

• We clear immediately and can come pick her up.
• They need more information and will conduct interviews and investigate our case
• They determine our case is "not clearly approvable"and then forward our case to the USCIS office in Nairobi, Kenya for further review.

Once it is clear to the Embassy or USCIS that they have enough information they will issue her US visa and we will be able to bring Ada home. The time frame could be anywhere from 2 weeks to several months.
We are so thankful that we have made it to this point in the process to bring her home. I went to an adoption retreat over the weekend and one of the speakers talked about waiting. It was interesting to hear that the spanish word esperar not only means "to wait" but it means "to hope for" and "to expect". I found that so comforting and it gave me a new excitement about "the waiting". Yes every moment of her life that we are missing while she is in Ethiopia makes us sad but there is so much hope. I was reading my bible and looking for scripture on hope. "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength" Isaiah 40:31 So what does it mean to hope in the Lord? To hope means having trust and patience. Trust involves confidence in God's power to deliver and faith that he will keep his promises. Hoping in the Lord also implies the patience to wait for God's promises since God works according to his own timing. In a few months we are going to have our precious baby girl home with us and there is so much HOPE in that!!!!