I Have Started a New Blog!!! :-)

Link on my side bar.

I have been wanting to do this for a while & the start of 2008 sounds like a good time to start.

PLEASE check it out, & put me on your prayer list!!!

A Few Thoughts from Friends

Check out my friend Angi's post on the passage of time .

Lord, help me to remember where my time is best spent.

Also, my friend Julie wrote a thought provoking post on the "costs" of adoption at "These are Days". She expressed much of what has been on my heart. Even though they are in the process of adopting an older child than us, much of it still applies.

Both of these posts made me REALLY think today. Check them out for yourself, & let them know what you think!

Proof is in the Pics, People!! :-)

This child of ours LOVES her "ba-ba."

LOVES it so much she wants it more than ANY FOOD I place on her tray.

Yes, you guessed it.

"Ba-ba" is her bottle.

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you see what is going in her mouth????

Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!

It is a spoonful of Scalloped Potatos & Ham!!!

And another bite!!!

And, we're still smiling!!!

After a full serving of supper & a small piece of Pumkin Pie, made by big sis Ana!

Up 'til now, she literally has only wanted bottles & maybe an occasional bannana here or there.

I offer her food almost every time we eat, but to no avail.

This is THE FIRST TIME I think she's eaten a whole meal, & she is a year & a half old.

A question for all my blogging friends: Have any of your kids done this?

How have/are you handling EXTREME pickiness?

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Playing dress-up.

A quiet evening together......ah, heaven on earth!

Christmas at the Movies......

.....Yes, the girls both have the makings of stars, don't you think? (insert winking smilie here....)

Goofy dancing penguin from Aunt Shannon-to Daddy!

The funny part of this video is at the begining, but if you can't LIVE w/ out hearing the PENGUIN'S whole song, here it is for your listening pleasure!!! :-)

I KNOW there are some of you out there! Come on, fess up!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Merry Christmas!

"But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart."

Luke 2:19

May we ponder Jesus, too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS,

from our family to yours!

I'm So Glad my Mommy has a Sling!

Especially when I'm sick!

Psalm 143:8

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,

For in You do I trust;

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,

For I lift up my soul to You.

God’s Waiting Room

(for those who want pics, see previous post!)

On the home school forums I frequent, one of my “pretend” friends remarked that it seemed to her that much of the Christian life was spent in God’s Waiting Room.

I am just emotionally/spiritually exhausted from this wait…..I don’t know why, because I’m CONVINCED beyond the shadow of a doubt that His timing is perfect. So why do I feel so TIRED? Just wiped out!!

Do you ever feel that way? I know you must, bec. I know my friend’s statement is true. Many people responded to her post that they agreed.

I realized, once again this morning, that the focus must be on Jesus Christ, & not on my circumstances. I HAVE been keying in on Nat not being home for Christmas, Dave missing out on his homecoming, missing Christmas in Guatemala…..etc.

But…..HERE is the key!!!

Set my mind on Christ-which I’m so thankful it is easier to do at this time of year.


1 Peter 1:13 (Amplified Bible)
"So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed."

Colossians 3:1-2 (New King James Version)
"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."


WHO IS HE IN YONDER STALL?
Benjamin R. Hanby (1833-1867)

Who is He in yonder stall

At Whose feet the shepherds fall?

Who is He in deep distress,

Fasting in the wilderness?

Who is He the people bless

For His words of gentleness?

Who is He to Whom they bring

All the sick and sorrowing?

Who is He that stands and weeps

At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?

Who is He the gathering throng

Greet with loud triumphant song?


Lo! at midnight, who is

HePrays in dark Gethsemane?

Who is He on yonder tree

Dies in grief and agony?

Who is He that from the grave

Comes to sccour, help and save?

Who is He Who from His throne

Rules through all the world alone?

Refrain:

’Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!
’Tis the Lord! the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!

While this isn’t truly a Christmas Hymn…..it is a song I love to sing at Christmas time….it has all the important facts about WHO Jesus is & WHY He came to earth. Singing songs like this help keep my mind from dwelling on things I can’t change.

Do you Know Him this Christmas? He has come to save, just like it says in the last stanza of this hymn. Oh my friends, how I pray it is so, & that if you don’t KNOW for sure, you will find Him in His Word this Christmastime. He is searching for you!


Psalm 27:14

"Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!"

My keys to going forward? Focus on Christ & Wait on Him-THEN I will find courage for my heart in this wait! And, remember, that I am on my way to heaven……that is the biggest blessing any of us could hope for at any time.

Thank you for reading this, friends. Just writing it out has helped my put my mind where it should be……

Thankful for Jesus,…… His death & resurrection for me!!

Another Christmas Ballet Recital & Zoo Lights

Yes, both in one day!!!

December 20……& the days march on!!!

Just like everyone's life at Christmastime.....our lives are BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!

But, we are so blest to have friends around......& our family gives us much to be thankful for!!!

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After dancing, we loaded up & headed to the west side of town, to enjoy the Christmas Lights at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

In the nippy night air, we wandered the zoo w/ our friends the Salves.

This absolutely hysterical video is of Ruth discovering the monkeys!

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We finished our evening together warming up & eating out!

Thank-you, Lord, for good friends!!

Well, We Have Our Answer....

But, unfortunately, it’s not the one we wanted…..

They will not sign off on our case, as he has grown too healthy for his case to be exepdited before the new year....or at least this is what they told our attorney.

So glad that he’s that healthy after being born at 3.5 lbs….

But, so sad that they they feel his case doesn't need expediting.

We will have to wait until the head guy gets back from his 2 week vacation.

Am I sad? Crushed is more like it. I thought I was ok w/ whatever-until I got this news. Dave is devastated. He now will be gone on his 6 week trip when Nathaniel comes home.


BUT…..

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present,

but painful; nevertheless, afterward,

it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness

to those who have been trained by it."

Heb. 12:11

Do I believe this or not? Are His ways good even when I can’t see them?

I think of that song that goes:


“When you can’t see His hand
Trust His heart.”

Of this I am persuaded….

1. He has been good to us.
2. His timing is perfect.
3. His love for all of us involved is perfect.
4. Our “afterward” is still coming, even if this is NOT joyous now!

Please remind me many times over the next few weeks, Father, that Your ways are higher than our ways & Your thoughts than our thoughts……in spite of how I feel right now, which is simply-just sad……



Now, I must trust You enough to say You are good.....& I will......just might take me a bit.

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On a much lighter note.....Ana had another ballet recital today!

It was a small performance-the big one is really tomorrow, but I got video of it, which usually is hard, but Ruth cooperated, PTL!!!

Ana is the first girl on the front row. I know it's kinda far away...sorry.

Ana, w/ her friend E., who performed in the recital today, & who you might recognize from the Sunday School program pics., as she is also a friend from church.

What a joy to watch today!!!

Thank for your continued & faithful prayers!

December 18th, 2006.....

Now, the promised pictures of our first anniversary!

Kissing her Guatemalan slippers, which she LOVES & wants to wear every day!

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness."

Psalm 107:8 & 9

One Year ago today…..

Ruth permenently found her place in my arms! Oh, how my heart had ached for her to be there!

Are there words to describe the relief/joy in my heart at that point? No. There are never words for those moments-“burdens lifted” moments that God graciously allows in everyone’s lives.

But, as most things in the Christian walk are, God used circumstances to teach us much about Himself.

Our “burdens lifted” account from last year:

Tuesday, Dec. 12th, 2006: We knew that we would be getting our Embassy appointment for Ruth’s visa any time. However, due to the Christmas Holiday, our Foster Mother was going on vacation. Our lawyer did not want Ruth to go w/ them, since we knew things were winding down, & that our case was almost done. She wanted us to get down there, or she was going to have to turn Ruth over to another foster family until things were finalized.

Thursday the 14th: We did not want that much upheaval in her little life, so, we started FRANTICALLY searching for airline tickets to Guatemala. To our horror, there were NO tickets available anywhere!! Hours were spent looking….to no avail.

Weakness literally took over my body as I realized there was likely no way to get at least me down there.

Late Friday night the 15th: Dave I finally hit the sac, having searched all day for tickets…& very sad that we would not have a way to get to her before the week after Christmas.

Sat. the 16th: Early in the morning, I had it out w/ God……& He gently reminded me that He was still in control, & I needed to trust…..clinging to His goodness, I finally let it go.

When Dave got up, he decided to call United, (he being one of their Frequent Flyers) & see what they could do.

After an hour or so of him on the phone, & me anxiously sitting next to him, & trying to decipher what the results of this phone call might be….

The Lord miraculously provided THE LAST TICKET ON UNITED THAT WHOLE WEEK!!! & true to His character-wouldn’t you know…..IT WAS 1st CLASS!!!!!

Dave & Ana flew into Guatemala City late Christmas Eve, while fireworks that Guatemalans shoot off any time they have an excuse to, exploded over the city!

Ana met her sister as she exited the airport w/ throngs of other Guatemalans flying home for Christmas. I will NEVER forget her eyes & the loving tones she spoke w/ as she met her sister for the first time-the sister she prayed for at least two years to have…..Ruth’s name means “Satisfied,” & she has filled all of our hearts completely.

Hasn’t God been good?

It is good to review how He has blessed us, especially as we wait for His blessing again!

He shall receive blessing from the LORD,

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Psalm 24:5

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Heb. 12:11

Our “afterward” is coming! God did it last year & He is going to do it again!!! Can’t wait to see the miracle He will perform in Nat’s case!

(just as a funny little aside, right now she has found a water bottle & is squirting herself in the face w/ it-these are the moments I waited years to enjoy again-watching her learn about her world-just like Ana did)

*tune in later today, too, as I hope to post pictures of our big day*

Small Update on our Case:

Here is an e-mail we got from our case worker today, who has been in contact w/ our lawyer in Guatemala.

"Here is the status:

1. The file is sitting on Barrios's desk for final signature. That's the good news. The other good news is that there is no problem with the file.

2. The bad news is that as of last Friday he is on vacation until the first of the year.

3. The next hopeful good news is that POSSIBLY one of the attorneys filling in for him will be able to sign the final approval and you may not have to wait until his return.

Your lawyer will be going to PGN to try and convince someone to sign it and get it out of there asap. She will be vigilant about it I can assure you. But we have no idea if they will comply or make it sit until Barrios returns. I'll be in touch with her nearly daily and of course you'll be the first to hear as soon as I hear!"


This "Barrios" character is the last guy who has to sign off on our case in Guatemala.

Once he (or hopefully one of his representatives) signs off on it, Nathaniel will be legally ours w/ just a few more hoops to jump through before we can bring him home.


If you can, would you please pray that the substitutes would find a way to sign off on a few more cases, including ours?

What a wonderful Christmas present that news would be!

Thanks, all you faithful blog readers!

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A few pics from Ana's Sunday School Class Christmas program today.