2010 PROMISES TO BE A GREAT YEAR!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR...tomorrow I will be posting about a certain boy and his birthday...so today I will say Happy New Year to all!

I am anxiously awaiting 2010 and the wonders it will behold. A baby in our home again after 11 years!! One that we have dreamed of for many years and waited on for 3 years. We are so excited and are planning many activities in the coming months. BUT first we have to get the little guy home and we are praying that it will be happening in 4 more weeks!

I hope that God blesses your 2010 with lots of love and happiness!

Have a blessed night!
Tina

RANDOM CHRISTMAS PICS...

Our house Christmas morning before everyone opened the gifts. Elijah's picture was on the mantle and he had a stocking as well.
Emilie did her annual gingerbread house.

Emilie's Christmas program at Church. She was Mary in the Nativity.

She also played herself. Our program was taking a trip down memory lane. We took a trip back through 10 years of videos and programs. It was great! We took many pics of Christmas but most did not turn out very well. This was the highlight of our Christmas '09. We are very excited about what 2010 has in store for us.

Have a blessed day,

Tina

FINALLY GOT OUR SHOTS!

We had our appt to get our shots today at the health clinic. We just made it last week! I have procrastinated this one very thing for the adoption. WHY? Because I hate to get shots. I am a BIG baby! The idea of a needle going into my skin makes me sick to my stomach. Well...today I knew we had to go because PRAISE GOD we are getting very close to traveling to bring our little guy home. All morning I felt like I was going to throw up...I knew it was just nerves so I prayed and tried not to think about it. But my great Hubby decided to keep reminding me of it!! :) Anyway...I ended up getting 3 shots and one pill form and opting not to get the other 3 they wanted me to. The Nurse kept telling me to just think about getting them. I told her I would and guess what? I THINK I am NOT getting them! We had budgeted for the cost of the shots and we were under budget by $140...WOO HOO!
Now we are trying to get in contact with a few travel agents with experience in international adoption travels. We have heard from one but the other has not contacted us back yet.
Our plan is to stay at our agencies guest home that was recently done. I think we may be traveling with a large group so we will see if it is available. So much to plan and do in the next 5 weeks or so. I have started my lists so that makes me feel like I have some control...HA!

Blessings~
Tina
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Philippians 2:13

UPDATED PHOTOS!

We woke to some updated photos of our little guy today. (Thanks Salyers Family!) Isn't he just so cute! We sent this bib so we could have a record of his first Christmas even though he was not home with us! And we sent him a little photo album so he could look at Mommy, Daddy, Sissy, Bubby, and Emi. Yes, those are the names they want him to call them! Ha- They don't realize that sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. :) He is 7 months old in these photos. Such a beautiful little one!

This is my favorite of the ones sent! Just that sucking in the lower lip and those eyes! I can not wait to love on him!!!!

Hope you all had a safe and wonderful weekend! Please remember to keep those with court dates coming up in your prayers...along with those getting ready to travel!

Have blessed night,

Tina

SHARING MY THOUGHTS...(Extra long!)

I wanted to blog about my feeling on Christmas Day. Not those of pure joy, which I am sure you could read, but those of the pain of the unknown...
We had so many people praying for us on the 24th and I can not tell you how many told me they were up between 1am and 3 am praying for us! I still sit here in awe of it. I was CERTAIN we would pass and find out quickly! That was not to happen. I had a friend text me and say she had just prayed that we would get an email from our consultant to let us know something. I had just opened that email about 1 minute before I received the text. Sharon just let us know that she has not been able to contact them and had heard nothing but to be encouraged. When I read it...I cried! Poor Emilie thought we had not passed and began crying too. I looked at her and asked her why she was crying...she said we failed didn't we! Then I had to comfort her...poor girl! Anyway, I made the necessary phone calls to anxiously awaiting family and friends. I did call hubby first, he was at work. He took as hard as I did. Let me say, this three year journey has at times been rough for us!
I had planned on going to Christmas Eve service at our Church but Don said the roads were really icy and the ice was still coming down. SO...I told Em we were not going to be able to go and she was very sad about that. (Emotional Day!!) I was looking forward to it as well. I knew it would help me get in the mood I needed to be in...the real reason for Christmas! But a few minutes after I made the announcement, one of our elders called and informed us it had been cancelled due to the weather. SO...the guys made it home from work and we did our traditional tacos and watched A Christmas Story (You'll shoot your eye out!) Don then went and got our oldest at work and she stayed the night. We read the Nativity before we all headed to bed.
I woke up at 3 am Christmas morning and I walked through the house a few times...I prayed that God would give me peace for the day. I was so sad and I did not want to ruin the kids' Christmas. (This is the 3rd year I have done this!) After that I woke about every 30 minutes and laid in bed and prayed the same thing over and over again. Then at 6 am I decided to check the email before everyone got up. NOTHING-I laid back down and prayed and cried! I just knew we were going to see our Christmas miracle this year and yet...it sure did not look like it at this point. The kids were up at 7 and we began opening gifts. At one point a comment was made that I was too tired and shouldn't have been up all night! I lost and it and started really crying! My kids gathered around their "crazy" mom and just held me. I knew I had to get it together for their sakes if not for anyone else!
By 930 I had probably check our email 20 times. (in between fixing breakfast and cleaning up)Finally, I decided to shower get ready to head to my in laws. As I showered I prayed again and asked for peace and finally gave it all back over to HIM! I dressed and found my devotion book and found the perfect devotion and decided to put it in my blog along with my struggle for the day.
As I was pulling up my blog I saw that I had a few more emails and decided to check them. There it was...YOUR ADOPTION HAS BEEN APPROVED!...I started crying and yelling for everyone to come here. They all thought I had finally gone off the deep end, I think! But with tears of JOY I told them that we had indeed received our Christmas miracle and we all hugged and held on to each other!
We made lots of phone calls, emails, texts, and posted on facebook. You should have seen us all trying to post things and pics and everything!
Before we headed out for the day...I walked back into the office and looked at the devotion book still sitting there opened to the page I had chosen...I thanked God for our miracle...and for taking us on this long journey to our little guy. What a blessing we are getting from all of it...even the hard times. Elijah will know just how much he has been loved, even before he was conceived!
We are praying in about 5 weeks we will have our boy in our arms. That will be our biggest miracle of all!!
Now the devotion: "Endurance"
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
You long to scream "ENOUGH!" and turn your back on everything, but you don't. At times like this, God raises your spiritual eyes to Jesus, the one who not only walks with you but has gone before you to the end. Trust Him to take you to the finish. There you will thank Him for making it possible for you to endure present hardship and reap the eternal reward of achieving His purpose for your life.
I just wanted to share this with anyone who would read it. I have faith and I trust in God but I have those moments when I wonder WHY? And Christmas morning as tough as it was...was something I needed to help me to remember that as I prayed I was not fully handing it all over. I am sure in the coming weeks I will deal with things as well and I pray that I will give it over and leave it!!

Have a blessed Lord's Day!
Tina

MERRY CHRISTMAS...HE IS OURS!!!

Elijah Simon-Bereket is officially a Hubbard. We are praising God in the Hubbard house for this "gift" we have received today!

Updated pics @ 6 months (so happy!)

Referral (4 months)

****EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE... James 1:17

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

HAVE A VERY BLESSED DAY IN THE LORD!

The Hubbard Family

NO NEWS TODAY...

We just heard via email that we will most likely not be hearing about our court date today. And since tomorrow is a holiday and then the weekend we figure it will be Monday before we hear anything. Does this surprise me? Not really. We have had a journey like this all along and that is ok. A very sweet person reminded me of what today is really about and I am feeling ok. It will be a tough few days of not knowing but in the grand scheme of things...it will be nothing!
A devotion I found:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-7
What does it mean to "cast your care on God"? Start by opening your heart and telling Him about your fears, your worries, those things that make you feel anxious. Once you've done that , thank Him for taking all that worry off your hands. As you give up your anxious thoughts to Him. He gives you something back---His perfect peace.

SO...May you all have a very Merry Christmas. May feel God's perfect peace this season and have many wonderful blessings in the New Year!

Have a blessed Christmas Eve,
Tina

1 DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, that is right. There is only one more day til court. Actually, as we sleep tonight they will be holding court in Ethiopia. That is "IF" we sleep tonight! I was awake a lot last night and every time I was up I prayed. I do not yet have the butterflies in my stomach BUT ask me later... Today's devotion...PEACE:
You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you. Isaiah 26:3
Daily stress, nagging worries, and ceaseless squabbles make you long for a place--an hour--of peace. You don't need to look for a serene spot, however, and you don't need to arrange a special time to rest you heart in God's peace. He has it for you right now, right where you are. Give God all those things that drive out the peace--name them, hand them over, and don't grab them back again!! Then take comfort in the peace He has for you.

SO...if you think about us tonight please pray that we will have peace until we get our good news! I am hoping we will hear early tomorrow. But I am going to place it in God's hands and leave it!!! :) OK...I will do my very best to leave it!

Have a wonderful day,
Tina
***A heart at peace gives life to the body. Proverbs 14:30

2 MORE DAYS...

I enjoy being able to count down things. I like marking days off of the calendar and looking toward some exciting event for our family. It is hard to believe that we have almost gone through three calendars for this special event! Don told me one day that he didn't think we would need another big calendar as we are almost through counting the days! I looked at him and said...get me one...I will need to count to the very day we leave to pick up our precious little guy!! :)
Today the devotion I chose is on TRUST:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
You might have been taught to depend on yourself, and perhaps others admire you as a confident and self-determined woman. Eventually, however, you will reach the limits of your understanding, and that's where you will find either frustration--or God. Use fully the gifts of intellect and ability He has given you, but at the same time, put your heart's trust in God. He alone knows no limits.

As we inch closer to our court date I am trusting fully in God to see us through. He is the only one who can!! What a testimony this journey has been for us. Someday we will sit with little guy and tell him all of the wonderful things God did to bring us together. What a joy that will be.

Please continue to pray with us for our court date on Thur (Wed night for us) and for another family who's court date is Fri. God Bless all of you!

Have a blessed day,
Tina
***Father, we trust You!

SPLOTCHED...again!

SO...it all started Sat. night. We had dinner and then my face started to feel tight and itchy. I took some benadryl before bed but still woke up looking pretty bad. No time to deal with it, I did my best to cover it with make-up and headed to Church. As soon as I got home I took the make-up off and put lotion on and took more benadryl along with a nap! Then today it looks worse so I am headed to the Dr. I have a lot of allergy issues but this could also be stress related. Although, I am feeling very peaceful right now it may be coming out in other ways. I guess we will see what the Dr says.
Now on to today's devotion on Worry:
[Jesus said,] "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow." Matt 6:34
God considers worry a negative commodity in your life because it takes the place of trust in His willingness and ability to take care of you. When worry visits your heart, banish it by reminding yourself how completely God has taken care of you in the past. List the blessings in your life today that shout of His protection and love. Then entrust the future to the same God. See for yourself you have nothing to worry about.
It is now 3 days away from our court date. Last night I asked hubby if he was feeling nervous and he said no and he asked if I was and I told him surprisingly I was feeling calm right now. As I have said there is nothing more we can do but pray it is God's will for our little guy to be ours on Thurs. Other than that it is out of our hands. I trust in His timing as it has been perfect thus far...even when I could not see that! :)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO PASSED COURT TODAY...maybe we will be travel buddies?

Have a blessed Monday,
Tina
***"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matt. 6:27

WORRY...

I have been finding ways to keep myself busy and my mind occupied as our court date gets closer. My mother in law gave me a book for my birthday with comforting devotions in it and I think that is what I will use this week to help me make it to Thursday! Today I am reading about WORRY...
[Jesus said]: "Don't worry...Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs." Matt. 6:32
Worry will steal your life if you let it. And yet it is nothing more than the anticipation of trouble that most likely will never come your way. It has no substance and no power except in your mind. God asks you to replace your worry with a firm trust in His love and concern for you. He knows all that is in your future, all of your needs, and He is committed to caring for you. Surrender your mind to God and don't give worry a second thought.
SO...I am trusting that God is in control of all things and will see us through to getting our son home! 4 DAYS TIL COURT!

Tonight was Em's Christmas program at Church. I will try to get pics posted soon. She played herself and Mary this year. She did a great job! Actually, they all did a great job!!!!

Praying for those who have court dates tomorrow and the rest of this week!!

God Bless,
Tina
***Lord, grant me peace this week as we wait in anticipation to hear the good news!!

ANTICIPATION & NERVES...

We have been anxiously anticipating our little guy for the last 3 years...truly longer! When we made the final decision that we were ready to take the leap (of faith) we began anticipating our little guy's arrival. Along the way we saw our faith tested and we watched our faith grow. We knew it would not be easy and when things got tough (more times than I liked!) we continued the journey. Finally, there was a phone call and we saw our little guy. OH MY how the anticipation grew. I had no idea how much I could love a little one so far away and without even holding him! But it was there and I began anticipating the court date! Finally, the court date was issued and now...we are anticipating the court date and passing on the first try!! That is where the "nerves" come in. I know there is nothing I can do, except pray and give it all to God. Which I do a thousand times a day! There are still those nerves and with each day we get closer to the 24th my anticipation grows and the nerves get a little more jittery. I serve an awesome God, whether we pass or not, I will still serve Him.
SO...with that said...5 DAYS TIL COURT!!! :)

Keep those prayers coming! I know so many (along with us) appreciate your prayers for us.

Have a blessed night all,
Tina
***Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

FAITH VERSUS FEAR...

This morning I read something that immediately caused me to fear not passing court in 6 DAYS. As I read and re read this post and then an update I grew more and more fearful. Then I sat down and prayed...I prayed for peace and wisdom...and the strength to handle all of it. Then I emailed our consultant! Thanks to her timely response the fear did not last long and she settled any of my major concerns. After reading her email I sat back and thought...great job of handing it over to God, Tina!!! What I had done was allow Satan to get into my head, once again! So... I prayed again and asked for peace and calm as we wait to hear if we pass court in 6 DAY!!! I also found this devotion that seemed very fitting for the day...

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
A terrible storm rose quickly on the Sea of Galilee, and the disciples were afraid. Although they had witnessed many miracles, the disciples feared for their lives, so they turned to Jesus, and He calmed the waters and the wind.
The next time you find yourself facing a fear-provoking situation, remember that the One who calmed the wind and waves is also your personal Savior. Then ask yourself which is stronger; your faith or your fear? The answer should be obvious. So, when the storm clouds form overhead and you find yourself being tossed on the stormy seas of life, remember this: Wherever you are, God is there, too. And, because He cares for you, you are protected.
Only believe, don't fear. Our Master, Jesus, always watches over us, and no matter what the persecution, Jesus will surely overcome it. (Lottie Moon)

SO...once again today I am giving it all over to Him. There is truly nothing I can do except pray that it will all go our way. He is in control of all and if it is his will then we will get wonderful news in 6 DAYS!! Please join with us.
*Also, please pray for others who have been put on hold and are still waiting for their court dates! There are several families this coming week with court dates as well so please continue to keep them in your prayers as well. You all are the best!! THANK YOU!

Have a Christ-filled day!
Tina
***Heavenly Father, when I am fearful, keep me mindful that You are my protector and my salvation. Give me strength, Lord, to face the challenges of this day as I gain my courage from You. AMEN

12 WEEKS AND ONE WEEK TO GO TIL COURT...

12 weeks ago we looked into the incredible eyes of our Little Guy for the very first time...AMAZING!! I still could sit and stare for hours at his picture. We watch his video everyday and fall more in love each time. Now we are only 7 days away from our court date and prayerfully, only weeks away from holding him. I am so ready for that. This has been a tough journey at times but also so rewarding. We have seen God work throughout and I know we are about to see more of His handiwork in the coming weeks. My stomach flutters with anticipation right now.
Don is out of town for a few days with Guard but will be home Friday afternoon. We are hoping to have a date day on Sat. We don't get much alone time as it is and know things will change when Little Guy arrives. This Momma does not plan on letting him out of her sight for a while. :)Emilie also has her Christmas program Sunday evening so we have another busy weekend. Busy is good right now.
There were several court dates issued yesterday...Congratulations to all!! Please continue to pray for passing court dates...I know there are some on 12/21, 12/24, 12/25, 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6.
Thanks to all!!

Have a Blessed day,
Tina
***Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

3 YEARS AND 7 MONTHS AND 9 DAYS!!!!

It has been 3 years since we began our adoption journey. I recently heard someone say that they would have given up by now. Actually, we have heard this several times. We did not give up because we knew our little guy was out there somewhere waiting for us. I have felt this for such a long time. I had no idea it would be almost 3 years before we knew who he was...or over 3 years before he was in our arms. The thing is God knew all along! He knew we would hit some bumps and He knew we would struggle (He never promised it would be easy!!). The one thing I am certain of is He has been in control the whole time and we have NEVER walked this journey alone. SO, as frustrating as it is to have waited 3 long years...I now know why. Our little guy was meant to be ours and God's plan was perfect for us. ( I can say this now but then...it was tough!!) :) This year I finally get to put up that 6th stocking! I was so excited to pull it out of the tub of Christmas stuff this year and to hang it up. It makes it more real and although now our mantle holds his pictures along with the decorations I thought I would share this picture.
Little Guy is also 7 months old today! I wonder what he is doing all the time. I can not wait to get him in my arms for good. We are hoping in another 6-7 weeks we will be there with him!!

9 DAYS UNTIL COURT DATE!!! I am keeping myself busy with lists here so that I don't think too much. I don't want to spend my time worrying...I just want to leave it in God's hands and let it go. Now...I shall confess...I am not good at this! I tend to worry about everything and let it all weigh me down. But I feel such a peace right now and so I am just going with it. I pray for peace all the time and I believe God has given me peace and I am allowing it to hold right now. God is in control and that is how it should be!

PLEASE continue to pray for Henry(1 yr old), he had heart surgery yesterday and is doing good right now. Heidi's Mommy is at home but will need to gain strength now. There was a referral yesterday...pray for more in the next few days! AND court dates and passing court dates along with those traveling and more travel dates! Thanks to all!!!

Have a blessed Tuesday,
Tina
***Let go and Let God!!!

A VERY BUSY WEEKEND...

(Randy, Tifanie, Emilie, and Heidi)

We had a very busy weekend. We took Heidi to see Santa on Friday at the mall. She was so very cute. She is 2 so we thought she might be a little afraid, but once she say he was going to give her a candy cane, he became her best friend! She told him she wanted Dora and Diego and they compared their boots. We had fun and are looking forward to taking Little Guy next year.

Saturday was our first family Christmas dinner to go to. There were a lot of people there. We took Miss Heidi along with us. She enjoyed everyone and all of the food. I have a few pictures I can post here from that. Randy was being a bit of a smarty pants when we were trying to get him to smile!! Can you tell?

Sunday was Church and play practice. Our program is next Sunday so they only have one week left and we are going to have 2 practices this week. I think it will turn out great. Emilie knows her lines already and just needs a little help with the songs. I hope to remember to take the camera.

Today we will be having our scout annual dinner and the boys will go caroling at one of the homes here. The boys enjoy this as much as the ladies do. Randy still talks about memories he has of going through the years.

Today marks 10 DAYS TIL COURT!! I am so excited and ready.

Don's Aunt Sandee has given us some great things for him. A Christmas ornament with his picture in it...a VERY cool handmade bag (she did) for him...and a BEAUTIFUL pooh bear quilt (made by her mother) that I am just in love with. I will try to take a picture and post it.

I am just so very thankful for ALL of our family and friends who are just as anxious to get our little guy here and cuddle and love on him.

***PLEASE...pray for Henry today as he is having heart surgery. Also, for Heidi's Mommy, who has been in the hospital since late last week. Please continue to pray for passing court dates, new referrals,& new court dates. Thanks to all!

Blessings this Monday~

Tina***Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above...with wisdom, power and love...Our God is an awesome God!!

11 WEEKS...

It has been 11 weeks since we saw our little guy's picture and fell head over heels in love with him. We are so excited that in 2 weeks we will have our court date. Our little Guy is so very cute and we can not wait to share his pictures with everyone.

We are looking forward to this phase of our journey. We have been looking forward to this phase of our journey for a very long time! :) God is so very good and we are so very thankful for the blessings this adoption journey has brought us.

There have been a few referrals this week and I am praying for many more before next Friday! (Our agency will close for 2 weeks during Christmas and New Years) Also, praying for court dates and passing court dates!!

Have a wonderful day!
Tina
***Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

SNOW DAY...

Today my alarm went off at 715 as usual. I looked outside to see Randy's car still sitting in the driveway. That meant he was going to be late to school for the second time in a week. UUGH- So, I headed downstairs to yell at him to get up and get going. He came to the stairs and said..."We don't have school!"...I didn't believe him so had to check for myself and sure enough they are out! SO...instead of school they got to do some manual labor! HA- They got their rooms cleaned AND a few other things done as well. Hubby fixed lunch for everyone and helped clean out our closet as well. I am trying to get everything organized before my mind turns to goo!

Which reminds me...15 days til court!! And my lists have started...

Praying for passing court dates...court dates to be issued...lots & lots of referrals AND peace for all!

Have a blessed Wednesday,
Tina
***We have this hope- like a sure and firm anchor of the soul- that enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Hebrews 6:19

A TERRIFIC TOMORROW...

**As we are getting close to the 3 yr mark of this adoption process...I have been reminded of how hard we planned out EVERY detail of it. We just "knew" things would fall according to our plans. **BIG LAUGH HERE** As many have said...we plan and God laughs! If you had asked me 3 years ago if we would still be waiting for Little Guy to arrive I would have said of course not! BUT...here we are...now we are so very close to him now and we are so excited about that. As I was reading through my devotions I found this one to share.

"For I know the plans I have for you"- [this is] the Lord's declaration-"plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and hope." Jeremiah 29:11

How bright do you believe your future to be? Well, if you're a faithful believer, God has plans for you that are so bright that you'd better pack several pairs of sunglasses and a lifetime supply of sunblock!
The way that you think about your future will play a powerful role in determining how things turn out (it's called the "self-fulfilling prophecy," and it applies to everybody, including you). So here's another question: Are you expecting a terrific tomorrow, or are you dreading a terrible one? The answer to that question will have a powerful impact on the way tomorrow unfolds.
Today, as you live in the present and look to the future, remember that God has an amazing plan for you. Act-and believe-accordingly. And one more thing: don't forget the sunblock!

Do not limit the limitless God! With Him, face the future unafraid because you are never alone.
Mrs. Charles E Cowman

I know that if our plans had played out 3 yrs ago then we would not be here now looking to the future with this adorable baby boy. I know God has great plans for this little guy and I am so thankful He chose us to parent him. SO...here's to a terrific tomorrow!!

Have a blessed night,
Tina
**Dear Lord, sometimes when I think about the future, I worry. Today, I will do a better job of trusting You. You are my Father, and I will place my hope and my faith in You. Amen

NEVER DOUBT THE POWER OF PRAYER!!

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!! About 5 minutes after I posted my last entry the phone rang. I looked up at the tv (has caller ID on it) and it said our agency name on it. I ran for the phone. It was our consultant and she said "I have good news"...I teared up. Then she said your court date is December 24th!! I started choking up!! GOD IS AMAZING!!

So...now we begin praying for a passing court date!

Have a blessed day ALL...I am still on cloud 9 here!!!
Tina
Nothing is impossible with God!

10 WEEKS...and still waiting!

It has been 10 weeks since we saw our little guy. YES...10 WEEKS!!!! But I am holding my own in this never ending waiting game. This has been a great week but also a tough week. To explain...we received updated pictures of our precious little guy on Monday (THANK YOU ELISA AND BRANDON!!!). They were beautiful. His smile is priceless!! Oh my gosh...we are all so in love with him. We showed his new pics to family and friends and they all had the same reaction..." WE WANT TO GET OUR HANDS ON HIM!!" But then we heard of some court dates issued on Monday and we were not in that group. SO VERY HAPPY FOR THE FAMILIES WHO DID RECEIVE COURT DATES!! :) I was sad (and a little jealous) because a few of these received their referrals after us and sometimes that is just hard to digest. (then I start feeling guilty for feeling that way!) SO...here I was with beautiful new pics of our little guy and still feeling blue. THEN I go to check my email again. There was, in my inbox, an email from Elisa that was labeled SURPRISE. I thought it was another picture they had found BUT as I opened it there was my baby boy in a short video. I bawled like a big old baby!!! I was feeling so defeated until I saw that and I was reminded that no matter how long we need to wait...this little one is going to be our baby boy! He is so amazing!! I called Don and told him to come home that I had a surprise for him. (poor guy thought we had a court date) BUT this was just as great. We have watched it hundreds of times at least. He is beautiful for sure. We know God is in control and are praying we will hear something soon about a court date. After seeing him in the video...we are all quite anxious to get ahold of him.

Please join us in prayer for ours and many others court dates and travel dates and for many more referrals before the end of the year!

Have a blessed Thursday,
Tina
***Dear Lord, deliver me from the needless pain of envy. You have given me countless blessings. Let me be thankful for the gifts I have received, and let me NEVER be resentful of the gifts You have given others. AMEN

NEW PICTURES!!

We received new pictures of our little guy this morning. Oh my gosh is he cute!!! He has some hair now and the best smile. We were told he was one of the happiest babies there. That makes us feel very good. I have a feeling I will not be getting much done today, just staring at his photos!! :) He has changed a little bit but he is 2 months older now than when we received his referral.
Hoping and Praying we will hear news of a court date this week!! We are at 9 weeks now.
We had a crazy busy Thanksgiving break. We had dinner at my inlaws on Thurs and then I did some shopping with friends on Friday. It was actually a lot of fun. We were done with the big stuff For Christmas so it was much more relaxed and we didn't have to stand in line very long at all, at any store! BUT getting up at 430 am kicked my rear. Then no nap...and had a lot to do Fri afternoon preparing for my sister's house on Sat. I got up early and headed to her house (3 hr drive). Traveling with a 2 yr old was not a lot of fun! We survived the trip there and back but by Sun. night we were all cranky and tired!
My house is decorated for Christmas...we just need to finish the tree tonight with Tifanie here and put the lights around the deck.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I am praying for everyone who is waiting!

Blessings~
Tina
***Worry is a heavy load, but a kind word cheers you up. Proverbs 12:25

OFFERING THANKS...

I wanted to get this post up before I went to bed because I knew that in the morning I would be rushed to get things done and out the door early.

I read this devotion in my book a few weeks ago and have been saving it for Thanksgiving Day. I hope you all enjoy and get as much out of it as I did.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thess. 5:18

Sometimes, life-here-on-earth can be complicated, demanding, and frustrating (AMEN). When the demands of life leave us rushing from place to place with scarcely a moment to spare, we may fail to pause and thank our Creator for His gifts. But, whenever we neglect to give proper thanks to the Father, we suffer because of our misplaced priorities.
Today, begin making a list of your blessing. You most certainly will not be able to make a complete list, but take a few moments and jot down as many blessings as you can. Then, give thanks to the Giver of all good things; God. His love for you is eternal, as are His gifts. And it's never too soon- or too late-to offer Him thanks.

When you and I are related to Jesus Christ, our strength and wisdom and peace and joy and love and hope may run out, but His life rushes in to keep us filled to the brim. We are showered with blessings, not because of anything we have or have not done, but simply because of Him. *Anne Graham Lotz

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!
Tina
**Give thanks to the Holy One...Give thanks!

BEING THANKFUL EVEN ON THE TOUGH DAYS...

I am thankful for more things than I can count. I have certainly been blessed beyond measure and so much more than I deserve. There are many people who have it so much worse than I do. SO...if I complain about things then I begin to feel guilty because there is someone out there that has been through more or dealt with more and still survived. Today is a tough day. I was so hoping we would get a court date today but it did not come. We went out today and went to the "baby store" to make a return from the baby shower plus we had a gift card to use. We got the pak n play (very cute!) and some other odds and ends. We then headed to the "toy store" to pick up some things for our child that we adopted for Christmas. SO... I stayed away from the computer most of the morning...Got home praying we would come home to some good news and well...Nothing! But I am still thankful...I know that it will come and I know His timing will be perfect! I am sad but it will all go away the day we hold our son for the first time so for this alone I so very thankful. Until I hold my precious little guy...I know God will protect and keep him safe and I know He will continue to carry us through this long journey.

Blessings to all!
Tina
***Today, Lord, let me count my blessings with Thanksgiving in my heart. You have cared for me, Lord, and I will give You the glory and the praise. Amen

2 MONTHS & THANKFUL FOR...

It has been 2 months since we first learned of our little guy and saw his picture for the first time. It is a day I will never forget and still get so choked up when I talk about it or even just think about it. Still hoping and praying we will hear of our court date very soon!

Today I am thankful for my friends and family. My friends are always so willing to pray or just listen when I need an ear. I am sure they will be happy when little guy is here as well so that don't have to hear about it anymore! :) They have always done so much for us from the very smallest things to big huge things and we so appreciate each and every one of them! Our family has been such a great support to us always but never more than when we decided to adopt. They are so very excited for little guy to arrive so that they can love on him to. They have prayed for our little one for the last 3 years. We are really so blessed to have such great family and friends. I thank God for all of them each and every day!

Have a blessed Tuesday!
Tina

THANKFUL FOR CHILD #4 & MISS HEIDI...

I was so busy yesterday that I did not get a thankful post up! BAD TINA!!!!!
So, I have decided to do 2 in 1 here.

I am VERY thankful for our little guy. I love to just sit and stare at his picture and cannot wait for updated pictures of him in a week or so. Throughout this whole journey we have seen God's handy work and never more than the day we received that call. It was exactly 11 months to the day...his birth name is exactly what I had dreamed it would be (easy to say :) ). His name means "the gift" which is one of our favorite scriptures...Every good and perfect gift is from above...James 1:17. I am thankful for what this journey has and will teach us. And I am so thankful to be chosen to be the Mommy of our little guy. I am also thankful that he is safe and sound in the arms of Jesus until I can get him into mine!

I am also very thankful for Miss Heidi. She has been such a blessing to our family as we have waited for our little guy to arrive. She has filled our home with so much love and joy these past 2 years! We love her as if she were our very own little one and I believe she loves us as much. I am thankful that her Mommy and Daddy are so willing to share her with us. She will always have a special place in our hearts and in our home. Just to hear her call my name or watch her wait for my kids to play with her is a joy. God sent her to us to pass the time as we waited to see our little guy and bring him home. For that I will always be thankful! And my heart just melts when she comes to me tired and says..."Rock a baby". And we climb into the chair and do just that and sing...Jesus Loves Me!

I Hope you are enjoying your Monday!
Blessings~
Tina

I AM THANKFUL FOR CHILD #3!

We waited longer between Randy and Emilie but that was not our choice. Another God thing!! :) It took us over 2 years to get Em and we were so thrilled to be pregnant with her. She has been known to call herself the miracle child and she got that from her Daddy. We prayed and prayed to have a third child and once she arrived we were sad to find out that she might be our last. Emilie brings so much joy, silliness, love, frustration, craziness, & life to our home. With Em there is certainly never a dull moment. I know Emilie has made me a better Mom. She has taught me so much about how to deal with life and the hand you have been dealt. She can make me insanely crazy and frustrated and then turn around and say the sweetest thing and I know that is why she is mine! God knew I needed a child to teach me more about unconditional love, patience, and acceptance. I am so thankful for my sweet baby girl and all she brings to my life.

Thank you Emilie for making me a better Mom. God has truly blessed us with you. I know you will do great things in this life.

Happy Saturday All!
Tina

8 WEEKS

Two posts in one day...WOW. I thought about putting them together but decided Randy deserved a post to himself! SO...we are still waiting for a court date and we have no idea when it will be. I am trying to stay positive! Tomorrow is my birthday and our first baby shower. I am wishing for a little early birthday gift TODAY!! Wouldn't that be the best gift right now???
I am looking forward to our baby shower. We wanted to have one before we went to help collect donations and one after we got home so that family could meet our little guy and we would not feel the need to take our little guy around to several places. SO...this shower is for our friends and Church family. It's also on my birthday so that will make it even better!! :) I hopefully won't have to think about getting older!!

So...there were several referrals this week which is great news! Just wishing, praying, and hoping for some court dates VERY soon!

Have a blessed weekend,
Tina
***God will strengthen you with His own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. Colossians 1:11

I AM THANKFUL FOR CHILD #2-

Although we were not quite expecting to have child #2 quite when we did, we are still very thankful for him. Randy was a bit of a surprise in more ways than one. We thought we were going to wait a little longer between our first two kiddos. God thought differently! There is only 2.5 years between the two. AND Randy arrived 3 weeks early on New Year's Day. YES...SURPRISE & HAPPY NEW YEAR! Randy will soon turn 17 and I am still trying to figure out where those 17 years went? He has always been my sensitive child...if he did something wrong he would always tell on himself and apologize. Tifanie had him playing whatever she wanted because she would tell him she didn't want to play with him and he would say...it's ok sissy I will do it your way. He was always giving in to her. My boy has plans to join the military this year when he turns 17. I have mixed emotions about this. I have known for several years this was his plan but the time got away from me and now...well...I am in denial that he is really old enough to make this choice! :) It is hard enough saying good-bye to my husband BUT I can not imagine saying good-bye to my son! I know God has great plans for him and I am thankful He has given me the chance to be Randy's Mom.

Thanks son for all you have done and will do!

Hope you are enjoying your Friday!
Tina

I AM THANKFUL FOR CHILD #1!

Tifanie made me a Mommy for the first time. Tifanie was born in Germany while Don was serving there. We spent the first 3+ years of our marriage in Germany. It was tough but great at the same time. Boy could I share stories...but not today! :) Tifanie was born almost 6 weeks early in a German hospital. What an experience! She spent the first week of her life in the hospital and I did not leave!! I never knew I could love something so much as I did this teeny tiny little baby! Tifanie has gotten us through a lot of firsts...and not all were fun...not all were easy but we have learned from each other and she has certainly taught me a lot about being a good Mom. I am so very proud of the young lady she is. She is a very giving person and I see it all the time. She is going to school to become a ....well she is unsure right now. BUT we are so proud of her for sticking with school!

SO...Thank you Tifanie for being such a great and fun daughter! And thank you God for blessing me with my first baby girl!

Have a great day,
Tina

I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR MY HUBBY!!!

My husband is a wonderful man. I could not have asked for a better man to spend my life with and for a better Daddy for my kiddos. He is a fixer and always has been. He feels very helpless if he can not fix things when we are upset. So you can imagine how hard the last 3 years have been for him. And I have not made it easy on him...poor guy! He will ask what he can do and I say...get me my baby boy...the look in his eyes is enough to know that if he could have, it would have been done!
He is a very hard worker in everything that he does. It drives me crazy sometimes but I know he is doing it for our family. He would do anything for his family, his friends, his soldiers, and even a complete stranger. I always say he doesn't know a stranger!!
God has truly blessed me with a perfect mate!
Thank you, Honey, for putting up with all of us and for making our lives better just by being here for us and taking care of us.

Happy Wednesday,
Tina

I AM THANKFUL FOR GOD'S LOVE FOR ME...

I am certainly not derserving of this love...but yet He gives it! I am constantly giving Him my worries, fears...and things I can not control. AND then I take them back. I have been in a constant begging state these past 3 years...and He is still there granting...watching...carrying me through. The day I saw our little guy for the first time...I was reminded that His hand has been in this all along. How do I know? His name...the meaning of his name...the day we received the call...and there are many other things.
SO...Thank you, God for loving me with an unconditional love...even though I am so not deserving!


*****CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SALYERS FAMILY!! They passed court today and will hopefully be on their way to get the beautiful baby girl very soon!!

Blessings to all today!
Tina
**Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1

THANKFUL POSTS...

I am going to try and post all the things I am thankful for up to Thanksgiving Day. I wanted to start with a devotion that I read a few days ago.

BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE...

The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you, And be gracious to you. Numbers 6:24-25

Have you counted you blessings lately? You should. Of course, God's gifts are too numerous to count, but as a grateful Christian,you should attempt to count then nonetheless. Your blessings include life, family, friends, talents, and possessions, for starters. And your greatest gift-a treasure that was paid for on the cross and is yours for the asking- is God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
As believing Christians, we have all been blessed beyond measure. Thus, thanksgiving should become a habit, a regular part of our daily routines. Today, let us pause and thank our Creator for His blessings. And let us demonstrate our gratitude to the Giver of all things good by using His gifts for the glory of His kingdom.

God is always far more willing to give us good things than we are anxious to have them.
Catherine Marshall

Have a blessed Monday!
**Congratulations for the referrals today!!
Tina
***Lord, You have given me so much, and I am thankful. I know that every good thing You give me is to be shared with others. I give thanks for Your gifts...and I will share them. AMEN

6 MONTHS...

Our little guy is 6 months old today. I can't believe he is already 6 months. Time sure flies when you are waiting...waiting...waiting! :) Sure hope it will not be much longer before we have him home. I know for sure it will be another few months...Please Lord...give me peace for the wait!

7 WEEKS...

It has been 7 weeks since we saw little guy and have been waiting for a court date. Today we hit a bump that could delay things. We are praying it will not delay it much if at all but we just don't know. It has been tough to take today. I am trying to be positive but it gets hard sometimes!

Today...after I heard about this bump...I prayed and cried and asked why??? We will be hitting 3 years in about a month...Yes...3 YEARS!!!!! I am still trying to figure out what I am to learn through all this...Please anyone want to weigh in here?? I do know that as I prayed I heard these words...TRUST IN ME...TINA...TRUST IN ME! So...

I came down to the living room and did my Bible Study lesson (yeah for me, done early and not at the last minute like last time! :)) I read the lesson and of all things it was on waiting. HMMM...

So...as hard as it is, and it is not like I have a choice... I will wait. I will pray for peace...I will trust in HIM and I will keep my eyes focused on where they should be. This has not been an easy journey but is so worth it. I am thankful that I have his picture to look at and it does help. He is the most beautiful little one EVER!

I hope you all have a blessed weekend,
Tina
***"With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

VETERAN'S DAY...

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!!

Today I want to thank all of the men & women of the military for all that you have done or are still doing for all us here! I know all too well the sacrifices that are made by you and your families and I am so proud of you who serve our country with pride!

Most of all I want to thank my Dad and Father in law for their service in Vietnam. I know it was not easy. I know this more now than I have ever before. Growing up I was not always aware of the sacrifices they made. But the older I get the more I am learning of it and the more I see. I am very proud of these two men!

I also want to thank my husband!! He has served now for 21+ years! He loves it...I can't always say I do. It is not easy to say good bye over and over again. But...I can do this knowing that He is doing it for me and for our children and even for all of you! He is a good man...and is willing to take the responsibility to fight for our freedom when he is called to do so.

Our children see this in him and he has passed it on to them. I am thankful for that. Our family has seen what going through a war is like first hand. We have lived in the land of the unknown...I think that has made us more aware of others who are dealing with this right now. I pray daily for the families who have lost their loved ones...and for the families who will spend the holidays apart...it is not easy but with A lot of support and prayer...and most of all God...you will survive it! We did...and will again when the time comes! I can't promise no complaining or tears...but I can promise that I will be proud of him when he goes!

SO...please say a prayer for those serving today. (Don has troops in Afghanistan and Iraq) AND say a prayer for those who have fought before! And remember those who have lost their lives for your freedom BUT please also remember the families here at home living the unknown!

Have a blessed day,
Tina
***Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called the sons of God. Matthew 5:9

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!!

Yes...the post is right! Last night hubby and I went Christmas shopping to try and finish up our list. I love having our Christmas Club account it makes it so much easier to do the shopping.
We still have a few things to get and then some stocking things but for the most part we are done...WOOHOO!!!!

Here is Heidi and Emilie checking out the Toys**R**Us catalog when we got it! They laid there together for about 30 minutes checking it out and then Heidi began trying to tear it apart!! :)

This weekend I have a women's breakfast to attend and then we are going to my inlaws for the day (Sat). Sunday I am hoping we can go to the movies (mattinee) and see the new Christmas Carol movie.

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!
Tina
***For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all He does. Psalm 33:4

6 WEEKS...

It has been 6 weeks since we saw our little guy's face. I am so looking forward to updated pictures in the next month. I am sure he has changed some...they do that so much at this age.

This has been a great week in the adoption world. There have been several referrals...WOOHOO, and I hear that there were court dates given today as well...YEAH!!! Although, I sure wish it was ours, I am very happy for those who did receive their court dates I know so many have been waiting longer than we have. I am still praying we will get ours very soon. PLEASE!!!

We are going to go do some Christmas shopping tonight. I am usually about done with it by now. I do have some bought and put up but need to get it finished. We are going to visit family this weekend so we can pick up some of our Christmas stuff from the storage unit. It usually takes us 3 trips to get everything. Since Thanksgiving is so late in the month this year we may decorate a little earlier...but I may need to be motivated first!!

Hope you all have a blessed day!
Tina
***Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

PRAYING FOR THE MOUNTAIN TO MOVE...

Today my devotion was...WHEN MOUNTAINS MOVE.

I thought I would share.

You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2

God gives the gifts; we, as believers, should accept them- but oftentimes, we don't. Why? Because we fail to trust our Heavenly Father completely, and because we are, at times, surprisingly stubborn (AMEN!!!). Luke 11 teaches us that God does not withhold spiritual gifts from those who ask. Our obligation, quite simply, is to ask for them.
Are you a woman who asks God to move mountains in your life, or are you expecting Him to stumble over molehills? Whatever the size of your challenges, God is big enough to handle them. Ask for His help today, with faith and fervor, and then watch in amazement as your mountains begin to move.

God uses our most stumbling, faltering faith steps as the open door to His doing for us "more than we ask or think." Catherine Marshall

*After hearing last week that we most definitely would not be seeing our little guy before or by Christmas I struggled. To be honest...I thought I was doing a great job of keeping it together!! I kept telling everyone it would be the beginning of January...maybe the very end of Dec. BUT I was and AM still praying for a miracle. So after reading the update and seeing that others travel dates (still tentative) have been moved back I was so heavy hearted. I had a BIG cry...I prayed for peace...and now I am still working on being ok with all of it! We are still waiting for a court date, which I am hoping and praying it will be in early Dec!
This month I want to try and focus on the things I am thankful for in my life. I will start my thankful posts next week and work up to Thanksgiving Day.

Have a blessed evening!
Tina
***Dear Lord, the Bible tells me that when I ask for Your help, You will give it. I thank You, Lord, for Your help, for Your love, and for Your son! AMEN

5 WEEKS...

It has been 5 weeks since we first saw our little guy. We are still waiting on a court date and praying it will come soon. We know that God is in control and we have faith that in His time we will be with our baby boy. **still praying for a Christmas Miracle!**

There is not much going on this weekend. Don has Guard and we have a dinner at Church but not much else. We are going trick or treating on Saturday with Emilie and Heidi. That will be fun!!

CONGRATULATIONS...to those who passed court today! GOD IS GOOD!!

Have a blessed weekend,
Tina
***Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

REMINDER:

Nothing about your day is being wasted. You are in God's capable, loving, skillful hands, and you are living under His constant watch-care. He knows how to perfectly prepare you for what He has ahead.

The way my days have been lately...I am wondering what I am being prepared for!!???

Hope you have a very blessed day,
Tina

TRUSTING HIS TIMING-

My devotion for today...

HE told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business." Acts 1:7

If you sincerely seek to be a woman of faith, then you must learn to trust God's timing. You will be sorely tempted, however, to do otherwise. Because you are a fallible human being, you are impatient for things to happen. But, God knows better.
God has created a world that unfolds according to HIS own timetable, not ours...thank goodness! We mortals might make a terrible mess of things. God does not.
God's plan does not always happen in the way that we would like or at the time of our own choosing. Our task- as believing Christians who trust in a benevolent, all-knowing Father- is to wait patiently for God to reveal Himself. And reveal Himself He will. ALWAYS. But until God's perfect plan is made known, we must walk in faith and never lose hope. And we must continue to trust HIM. ALWAYS.

SO...as we continue to wait for a court date and then wait to travel to get our little guy, I will trust in God's perfect timing. It will not be easy. I look at his picture and I want him NOW...but I know that God has a perfect plan for when we meet our son face to face and it will be the most perfect memory!! That I am assured of.
I hope as you continue to wait you will be assured that God already knows when it will all unfold and it will bless you more than you ever thought it would.

Have a blessed Monday. I am praying for more court dates and referrals!
Tina
***Lord, my sense of timing is fallible and imperfect; YOURS is not. Let me trust in YOUR timetable for my life, and give me the patience and the wisdom to trust YOUR plans, not my own. AMEN

4 WEEKS...

4 Weeks ago we saw our little guy for the very first time. I can't believe it has been almost a month already. I still look at his picture and just thank God for him. The fun we are going to have with him...
We are still waiting for our court date...but good news...3 families got court dates the beginning of this week and one family's date is TOMORROW!! I am praying very hard for them to pass court...they have offered to take pictures of little guy for us. I can't wait to see how much he has grown or changed in the last month. SO EXCITED!!!
I feel like I have lost my groove, though. I had the flu bug last week and have had this lingering headache off and on since then. SO...I have gotten out of my routine and haven't gotten things done like I usually do. I dusted my living room this morning and was quite embarrassed at the dust!! I need to just make myself get back to normal!! I have kept up with the laundry but that is my big pet peeve so I usually don't let it get far behind.
This week we had to take Randy to the dentist...we were worried about the cost...as most of you know we are penny pinching right now! Thankfully, it did not cost much. They decided to pull it that day and now poor Randy is in pain but getting better. Also...we were a bit nervous about Don's job. They were doing some moving around and that would mean things would change for us financially as well. BUT God was gracious to us and he is staying put. We are very thankful that HE heard our prayers and answered them for us!
This weekend plans are...spend some time with our church family and hang out at home!! :)

I am praying for passing court dates...MORE court dates... & MORE referrals!!

Hope you all have a blessed weekend,
Tina
***Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1Timothy 4:12

EMILIE'S REFERRAL STORY...

Emilie is our 11 yr old daughter and this is what she wrote in her journal about her referral story...

AN ANSWERED PRAYER

Something just happened at my school, Kellybrook Elementary. It was math time. The class was doing math boxes when I hear a **DING**. I hear a voice that sounded like a woman saying, "Emilie Hubbard to the office please." As I ran in the hallway, very anxious and unaware of what was going to happen, all I could hear was my own two feet **click clack clickety clack**. When I got to the office I saw my parents. I didn't know if to think I wasn't in trouble OR maybe I was in SO much trouble they called my parents! My mom handed me a lime green bag. I didn't know what it was for until I looked inside. Then I started to cry. I saw my little brother. I prayed for him and there he was in the picture. I was so happy I cried. I bawled my eyes out.

My Mom explained that his real name was ******* but soon will be Elijah. Elijah the four month old. Elijah from Ethiopia. Elijah my little adopted brother with brown eyes and the cutest heart lips.

He will be with us soon. God bless his little heart. I will love him. He himself will be the biggest treasure of all. God will help you too. You just have to pray. Now I have an answered prayer.

***Could I have said this any better? I never asked the kids what they thought when we told them so I was quite surprised to read this in Emilie's writing journal for school.

Hope you all have had a blessed Sunday!

Tina

***If you BELIEVE you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matt. 21:22

LITTLE GUY IS 5 MONTHS!!

Our little guy is 5 months old today. Wow...so I wonder what he is doing?? What are the things they should be doing? Can he roll over...reach out and grasp at things...babble and coo??? I have been thinking a lot about that lately. I know, from others who have been there, that he is being well taken care of and loved. I guess I just feel like it should be Mommy love...so every night I ask God to give him a big hug for me and let him know that Mommy and Daddy are doing there best to get to him as soon as we are allowed!

We did get some news...after making an appt to see why we still have not heard about our fingerprints, we found out they had been sent Sept 18th. HMMM...so we never got anything. They printed off a copy for us and so we have a new exp. date and I will check in another week or so to make sure they were cabled to Ethiopia. SO...one more thing checked. PTL!!!!

Also...I have the flu!! YUCK- Yesterday was tough...today is a little better. So far the oatmeal has stayed down... My question is...I am the one who is home most every day all day and I am the first one in our household to get it!!! UUGH-

Hope we get some good news today or tomorrow for all of those who are waiting on something!! Or even for those who just need some good news- :)

Blessings~
Tina
***Lord, You have promised to protect me, and I will trust You. Today, I will live courageously as I place my hopes, my faith, and my life in Your hands. Let my life be a testimony to the transforming power of Your love, Your grace, Your Son. AMEN

WE ARE IN LINE FOR A COURT DATE...

but...it could take some time. We know we are in line for a court date and we know that there are about 18 total waiting on court dates. We know there are several in front of us and are hoping they are willing to take pics of our little guy for us as we continue our wait. We are still praying for a date soon but know that most likely we will not be traveling until after Christmas. We are still praying for a Christmas miracle but are trying to leave it in God' hands where it belongs.
Saturday hubby decided to surprise me with a date night. Randy was here to watch Emilie and so it was very nice. We just went to a early evening matinee but it has been a long time since we have been to the movies. It is much cheaper to just do Netflix or order on pay-per-view!! SO...we skipped dinner and just did a movie. It was nice just the two of us and only 3 other people in the theatre as well.
Sunday was Church and then home. I was not feeling 100% so I took a nap after feeding the kids and ironing Randy's uniform for work. I did feel better when I woke up. Sometimes life just gets to you and you need to sleep it off! I think it was just some anxiety the night before and I did not sleep well so...
I am praying this is a good week for many!

Blessings~
Tina
***Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philipians 4:6-7

THE CHALLENGE...

Well...Hubby and I have decided to get healthier. Last year we both did the "biggest loser" challenge with a group of friends. We both lost some weight but I lost quite a bit and have now gained all but 5 of it back!! UUUGH--. SO...we are just doing a short challenge between the two of us. The goal that has been set is he must lose 15 pounds by Thanksgiving and I am supposed to lose 10. NOW...we all know that men lose weight easier and it took me almost 7 months to lose 20 pounds so this is going to be a bit tough for me!! I am a stress (boredom) eater. I am going to have to get more active...NO FUN!!! Time for me to dust off the treadmill and get out the 3lb weights. Now...the prize...I am sure this will be hilarious to most BUT...the winner will be who gets to get there hands on Little Guy first when we meet him. :) TOO FUNNY!!! But for the last 3 years we have been discussing this... and having fun teasing each other about it. SO... we shall see how this goes. I would just love to fit comfortably into my winter clothes!!

Hope you are having a great weekend!
Blessings~
Tina

2 WEEKS...

It has been 2 weeks since we have seen our little guy. I still stop and stare at his picture. I feel so blessed that he was chosen by God to be our little one. He is what we have been dreaming of for the last 2+ years! Looking forward to the day he is in our arms!!
Today Don and I spent part of the day together doing some shopping. First we headed to the bookstore for a book on bonding and attachment.**Must be prepared as best as I can!** :) Also, came across an adoptive baby book and a few other things we got to put back for Christmas! Then we headed to Children's Place (LOVE this store!!!). I wanted to return a pair of pants I had ordered for Little guy that I decided I didn't like. BUT...while I was going through my purse...I found a coupon for $20 off a $40 purchase. WOOHOO!!! We picked up 3 sleepers and 2 shirts for Emilie and 2 shirts for Miss Heidi. Spent $35 for all of that! YEAH!! Then we were still looking for a pair of brown fleece or jersey material pants for little guy (to match onsies I already have) so we went to Old Navy. Found them plus picked up a pr of black ones since it was 2 for 10. Then also got a few Christmas gifts that were 2/15!! Can't beat that! :) We went out to lunch together and then stopped at Lowe's and then to the Bible book store for a book for me to read. While there hubby saw they had Bibles on sale and knew I needed one that was LARGE print because I am going blind!!:) My eyesight is not the best and even worse if I don't wear my reading glasses, which I rarely do! SO...he got me a Bible and I picked up something for my secret sister! We are now home and resting!! It was a very fun day and now I have promised I will buy no more for the baby until after our baby shower the end of Nov.
We have most of the clothing we will need for travel for him. I had been buying things on clearance and we are sure he will be able to wear it at least for when we travel but probably not much after that if he has gotten too much bigger! I want him to have comfy clothes while we are there so it is mostly onsies and jersey or fleece pants and sleepers. We can do the cute stuff when we get home! :)
Still praying for our fingerprints to get here soon, along with some much anticipated court dates for several families! We could use some more referrals for those waiting as well!!

Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed weekend!
Tina
***"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matt. 6:27

MORE ON LITTLE GUY'S ROOM...

Yes...little guy does have a name. We have had this name for him for 6 years. I have not allowed myself to post his name because of the wait. But now I think it is ok...SO...Elijah is his "little guy's" name.
The afghan was made by a friend. We have had this rocker since our first child was born 19 years ago. I am thankful we will be using it for our 4th little one.

We each chose a scripture or saying that we wanted to put on his wall. That is what is above the doorways, windows, and on the mural wall. The beezzzz...are wood and I got them at he craft shop!

I got this throw on ebay (WOOHOO). I love how the above shelf turned out. BUT my favorite part of the room??? The mural wall... :)

Praying very hard for some court dates!! AND baby girl referrals...

Have a blessed day!

Tina

***For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. Psalm 33:4

MORE NURSERY PICS...

OK...so yesterday I planned on posting more of the furniture that the proud Daddy had made for our little guy. Then I realized that I almost posted a picture of our little guy!! AHHHHH--- SO...quickly I took that down and decided to leave the post as is for the day. :) After some cropping today I can post the other pictures. Here they are...

Don made the coat rack for him and I picked out drawer knobs as the hooks. I love the way it turned out. The cross hanging above it was given to me by Don for Christmas the first year we had been waiting! The antique looking pooh pics I got from ebay...Gotta love ebay! :) There is also a scripture card on one that recalls the scripture about faith as small as a mustard seed!

Here is the bookshelf. We are a huge reading family. Emilie donated some of these books plus when I quit teaching pre-K I took a lot of my books with me so he will have those as well. We also had to get him all of the Dr. Suess books. Gotta love Dr. Seuss!!:) Oh yes...Do you see the flannel shirt? We wanted to make him a quilt with different pieces of cloth that were given along with prayers, scriptures, and good wishes. I have yet to get it all together and find someone to do it for us! I need to get that done. Anyway...the flannel shirt is from my father in law.

I will post more on the mural tomorrow. I am having fun talking about his room!

Have a blessed day!!

Tina

***HIS words resound in our hearts, When the mountains look big and our faith seems small.

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matt. 17:20

MORE ON THE NURSERY...

SO...I told Don that I wanted some shelves in his room and I gave him ideas of what I wanted. This is what he built for our little guy...

Isn't it beautiful!! He has a great cubby. I was so impressed that I also asked him to make him a coat rack and bookshelf. I will post a picture of those later.

Hope you are all having a blessed Monday. I am praying for great news on court dates to those who have been waiting SO LONG!!! More referrals would be wonderful too!!!

Have a blessed day,

Tina

***Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

THE MURAL...

When I began deciding what to do in this nursery this time around I had 2 things I wanted to choose from. I either wanted a jungle theme or I wanted an antique "classic" winnie the pooh theme. I knew I wanted to do a mural on the wall as well. Well...Almost 3 years ago I was having a hard time finding Jungle theme bedding. YES...I know it is everywhere now...but Don refuses to let me change the room now! Anyway...so I went with the "classic" pooh bear.
The room is now complete minus some paint touch ups. I thought I would post one of the first pictures I took. I had just finished the mural minus putting the word hunny (supposed to be mispelled) on the honey pot. Disclaimer: I am NOT an artist...I just enjoy doing this for my kiddos. If you gave me a piece of paper and asked me to draw something...I would look at you like you were nuts! I can look at a picture and usually try to create it on my own. That is what I had done here. SO...Here it is!!
After I finished it and showed it to my hubby, he said...I hope it doesn't scare him! UUGH- I had really not thought about that. A huge bear on the wall...could be a bit scary.
I will take and post more pics of his room later. It really did turn out pretty cool.

There was another sibling referral this week! YAH--for all the recent good news...Now bring on some court dates...PLEASE...I know of many who have been waiting for a long time! Plus they could take pics for us.(selfish reason, I know!)

Hope you all have a wonderful and blessed weekend.
Tina
***Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

1 WEEK...

It has been one week since we received the referral of our little guy. We now will wait for our court date. I think the courts are still closed and don't expect we will hear anything until the end of Oct. We are trying to keep ourselves busy by preparing for our little guy. Oh...YES...and stop a lot just to stare at his photo! He is the cutest thing EVER!! :)

We went yesterday and registered at Babies r Us. That was fun! We had fun just checking out all of the new things since we had our last baby. We had already researched car seats and strollers so that was an easy pick. Other things we just selected.

We also did some Christmas pricing! The kids have already given us their lists and so we wanted to try and get a jump on that as well. We like getting it done as early as possible. We are not sure what the end of the year will bring so we want to be prepared.

Hope you all are enjoying your week!
Blessings~
Tina
***Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you. Deut. 31:8

GETTING BACK TO ROUTINE...

I think I am finally getting back to my normal routine. I got everything marked off my to do list yesterday and have a pretty good start to today. I just wish this cough I have had will go away! Then last night I had an allergic reaction to something and that gave me another set back. It seems I am finding more and more things I can not eat! This was just Italian bratwurst with 4 cheeses in it...so who knows what it could have been!
I can't make phone calls because I feel like it is rude to cough through the conversation. That and I am NOT good at making phone calls anyway! I have always been that way...Just weird I guess. Don't mind people calling me just not good at making the calls. Anyway...
We are still waiting for our fingerprint renewal to come in the mail. We had them done on Sept 8 so hopefully they will be here this week. If they are not I will make Don start calling them. Don't want any unnecessary delays when our time comes!
I am still in AWE...every time I see his photo. As long as we have waited and hoped and prayed and dreamed...I was thinking we would never be at this point! Yesterday I was changing my devotional calendar over and this is what it said:

God says: I care for you...I will supply all your needs...I have loved you with an everlasting love...I will never fail you...Do not be afraid...Trust me...Your times are in MY hands...I rule over all...I am for you...When needed, I will discipline you as your loving FATHER...Call upon ME and I will answer you...I know the plans for you.

What a wonderful reminder!! I think I need to make it into a poster and recite it daily. :)

Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Tina
**Be joyful always; Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thes. 5:16-18

IT IS OFFICIAL!!!

We have officially accepted the referral for our little guy. I am SO very excited. I will try and post a few pics later.

I have heard others say that it took a few days to come out of the fog and I thought that was odd. BUT...now I understand. I have not been able to accomplish much the past 2 days. That is really not normal for me. I like everything organized and together and well...that has not been the case the last few days. Today I am hoping to get some things done and re focus myself on what needs to be done!!! :)

We have his picture everywhere in the house and I just walk past and I have to stop and stare!! He is SO beautiful!! My heart is so full right now and I am just so happy!

There is a lot to do in the next 3-4 months to prepare for his arrival. His nursery is all together and ready for him. We do need to start looking into getting a carseat. We were waiting to see his size and age before we started looking. SO...if you have a favorite or one that you don't like let us know. It has been 11 years since we had a baby so things change a lot in that time!!

Thanks to all for praying for us. We still need prayers for court date and travel and would so appreciate them from all of you!

Have a blessed weekend!
Tina
***I am always praising YOU; all day long I honor YOU. Psalm 71:8

AND GOD SAYS...IS TODAY SOON ENOUGH???

YES...THAT IS RIGHT!! Today at 1035 am we received one of the most precious "gifts" we could ever receive! He is absolutely amazing. He is only 4 months old and we are just speechless. He is quite healthy looking. I wish I could share more but...that will have to wait until after we pass court. For now...We feel so blessed!

The referral story:

Well...I was busy cleaning out cabinets and repapering them. I was trying to keep myself busy so as not to think about the fact that we have been "waiting" so long! Don came in from work and we were talking and playing with Heidi. His cell phone rang and we were standing close together and Heidi was in his arms. I could hear a woman's voice and he responded no when she asked if he was at work...then she asked if I was there...I lost it!! I heard her say "this is your day" and all I said was OOOOH- Then she began giving details and I said oh wait I need a pen. We were both crying and laughing and shaking. Poor Heidi did not know what to think. We hung up and got on the computer. We fell in love with our little guy immediately. He is adorable!
We then quickly packed up and headed to Walgreens to make copies of the photo. Before we went into Walgreens we had to gain our composure. Then we headed first to Em's school (she was promised first dibs on seeing him) and then to Randy's school. Then we called Tifanie and she met us for a picture as well. We have called lots of people.

Now we wait for the court date. But I think for now I will just enjoy this day!!

Thanks so much if you have been praying for us! Please keep it up...we still have about 3-4 months of waiting to get through.

Blessings~
Tina
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!

11 MONTHS...PLEASE LET IT BE SOON??!!

OK...so as you can see by the ticker we are now at 11 months of waiting (in the Ethiopia program). We are inching ever closer to the three year mark!! YUCK-- I was talking to my mother in law on the phone yesterday and I told her what was going on and all. I told her this Christmas I planned on just getting through it. I may not be a very happy person...but I will not let that take away from the Holiday or my other kiddos. It will be hard but I will get through just as I have the last few years! I will put on my best bravest face and just make it through!! She reminded me that there is a reason for all of this. I know this...REALLY...I do know this. BUT it does not make the waiting any easier but it does at times make it bearable. I am hoping and praying that if we at least have our referral and I have a picture of our little guy that it will not seem so difficult. I know we have to be getting close...but so far nothing this week.

SO...here's wishing for some good news TODAY!!

Have a blessed day!
Tina
***If all things are possible with God, then all things are possible to him who believes in HIM.
Corrie ten Boom

WE ARE BACK...

We had a good time at Branson in spite of the rain. We walked on the Landing on Friday night and that was fun. Heidi got spooked by the boat horn...(very funny!) and it took a while for her to get back down and walk.
Whenever we would go to our room she would run to the door and say bye-bye! Emilie enjoyed shopping and going to build a bear for her 6th animal!!
I am now trying to get caught up on laundry and NOT feel as sick as I do!! My voice is going and my head hurts and I have a horrible cough!! UUGH- I hate coughing because if I don't cross my legs...OOPS!!! :) It is wonderful.

Praying this is a great week for many people!!(us too PLEASE!!)

Blessings~
Tina

WEEK #47...

Nothing new to report this week. We are still here and we are still waiting for our phone call... It is kind of hard because you get so pumped up when you here good news and you just want it to keep coming and then...nothing for a week...such a let down!

I am starting to keep the phone around me now. I am so hoping we are very close. It is tough when you don't know exactly where you are sitting at. We know overall but are pretty much guessing on the other because we do not know if anyone else has changed their request? Very hard for this list person!!

***Please keep my sister, Cindy, in your prayers this next week. She heads to Mayo clinic after a few years of illness and no diagnosis. We are praying she will finally get answers and be on the mend. She is leaving three boys in the care of my Dad during the week and my mom will join them on the weekends. Pray for them all as the boys will surely miss their Mom and are very concerned about her. My sister has been a great source of support for me, especially these past few months of waiting. I was reading my devotion today and this was the verse...I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. 1Kings 20:5

We are headed to Branson today. Don has a Guard conference to attend. We are taking Emilie and little Heidi. I am sure us girls will find something to keep us entertained while Don is in meetings.

Hope you all have a blessed weekend.
Tina
**Heavenly Father, Your Word promises the YOU will not give us more than we can bear; YOU promised to lift us out of our grief and despair. Today, LORD, I pray for those who mourn, and I thank YOU for sustaining all of us in our dark days. AMEN