2 MORE WEEKS...

REALLY!!??!!! WE LEAVE IN 2 WEEKS...THAT IS ONLY 14 DAYS!!!!
This week has not been a very productive one. After I was tested for allergies on Monday I started not feeling well. I don't know what it was but I was very tired and feeling a little overwhelmed along with it plus my stomach hurt a lot! The Dr wants me to make so many changes and most of them are not exactly cheap changes... normally it would be no big deal we would just do it...BUT we are getting ready to leave and are trying to keep our spending at a low so we will be able to travel comfortably and leave behind money for those with our kiddos so that they will have it when and if needed. So when you throw in having to buy several new prescriptions, plus have the pharmacist order body wash, shampoo and conditioner along with lotions, new bedding for our bed, and air purifiers...well it is all just a little much right now. On top of that we are supposed to be finding a home for our cat. (which I am allergic to also!) This cat is Em's cat and I am sure you can imagine how she feels about that. So...after 2 really bad days from her we have decided (unless some really good friends want her) the cat will stay in the basement for a few more months until things have settled around this house some.
OK...Now I still need to pack the last donation suitcase, pack our last clothing suitcase, get our carry ons packed and organized. I still need to organize the final pieces of paperwork and get a system prepared for taking pics for other families. I need to pack Emilie and get all of her meds and stuff together and written down. I have already prepared the family keeping her but a few things need to be adjusted. I need to pick up our last prescriptions to travel with, and more D batteries. I want to clean the house spotless before I leave... Do you think I can accomplish all
of this is 2 weeks...Really I only have 12 days to get it all done. YIKES...
Well...maybe I will be so exhausted from all of this that I will knock out on the plane instead of worrying about whether I will have enough space or air to survive the flights...Oh yes...that will have to be another post! :)

Have a wonderful weekend! We are going to have a family weekend...hoping to take Em to do something special that does not cost a lot of money!

Blessings~
Tina

IT'S A GREAT DAY...

When you wake up and see new photos of your precious little guy!! He is such a handsome little one...Yes, I am biased but I think I am allowed! :) Thank you so much Crouch family. We were told he was happy, friendly and not afraid as they visited with him.
**This smile may be the official downfall of our being in charge!

I keep thinking...a little over 2 weeks...can I survive that long!! :) I better get myself busy now...because once he has arrived...I am not sure I will have time for anything but loving, cuddling, and playing with my boy!! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Tina

**God is an awesome God!!!

ALLERGIES...

Today I went to an allergist for the first time. I had a scratch test done along with the needle stick tests done. They did not test for foods but other things. It was kind of creepy what they did test for...I understand trees, molds, weeds and such BUT rat, and cockroach...That freaked me out! AND I was highly allergic to roaches. ICK- I am also allergic to ragweed, molds different weeds, AND the cat. Yes the cat...so we are looking for a home for the cat. We are hoping we can get a home for her close. She has been with us for 7 years and is Emilie's cat. Emilie is not a happy girl. It breaks my heart to see her upset about it. Actually, poor Emilie is very angry right now about it.
I am also highly allergic to dust mites (ICK). He suggested special mattress coverings and pillow covers. I am going to check them out on line and see what the cost will be there.
I am going to have to take a lot of meds and hope they will help otherwise I will need to start taking weekly shots. He is also thinking my face splotching is maybe contact so I have to use special soaps and shampoo for awhile to see if that helps.
Isn't this the best time to have even more change to our lives!! I am feeling a little crazed about it right now. I know we will all adjust but I do really feel bad for Em. She has a lot of change coming her way and losing her pet is not going to help. The good thing is I was not allergic to her guinea pig!

Have a great week all!
Tina

A FUN DAY

Today Emilie and I headed out for a small shopping trip. We had a list of items we needed to pick up including a pair of gray or khaki pants for Elijah. I have a very cute little polo for his embassy appt but did not like the pants I had ordered from Children's Place. (too heavy and too wide legged) The bad thing is I had checked several stores and was unable to find any pants in gray, khaki, or black. Today I was headed to B.R.U. and a few other places in hopes of finding a pair and getting a few other things done. First stop was Gordmans and did not find any there. They did have a lot of cute summer things but the only pants I found were in an outfit. And he truly does not "need" any more clothing! SO...I was able to get my father in law a birthday gift there along with a donation for the orphanage so it was not a wasted stop. Then on to lunch...Em chose Olive Garden and it, as always, was YUMMY!
Our next stop was the "baby store" as we call it. You would have thought I had taken Em to the toy store. She was so funny. She kept wanting to get him everything! I let her pick out a couple of binky clips and a holder and she chose a bib for him. We headed over to the clothing...and she was nuts! A girl after my own heart for sure. She kept showing me cute things and wanting me to buy them. I had to keep telling her no. I did find a pair of gray pants here. I opted for the 12 months because there was only an inch difference in the length between 6-9 and 12. Then I was so excited to find crib toys without batteries and they were under $10 so I bought 4 of them to take with us. I also broke down and got him a pair of shoes and a pair of fuzzy slipper things. I promised Don I would keep the tags on them and if they are too small I can return them but 1. They are too cute 2. They were on clearance!
Our next stop was to Target and there I found gray and khaki courds for 2.00 each. I went ahead and got them but I think they may be too warm for the embassy appt, from what I have heard. Our last stop was to finish father in laws b-day gift from the bird store.
Emilie had a great time shopping and so did I. I love seeing how excited she is about getting her brother. She found some of the cutest things for him and maybe after he gets here we will have shop some more! Just can't let Dad know...HA.
We spent the rest of the day at home. Don finally was able to get almost all of the Christmas decorations down. The snow is now almost all melted. The funny thing is I have the blow up things in my garage. They are blown up and drying out. That was a pretty funny sight when I pulled in from our shopping trip.

Please keep praying for those referrals, court dates, travel dates...and safe travels! Your support is what keeps us going.

Have a blessed night,
Tina

3 MORE WEEKS!

REALLY!!!???!!! In three weeks from right now we will be on our first flight headed to get our baby boy. WOW- I still have quite a bit to do but have been able to cross several things off the lists.
Today...I got suitcase #2 completely packed and I still have 6.5 lbs to spare. WOOHOO I will hopefully, get started on suitcase #3 next week. It will hold mostly donations. I am not going to pack our last suitcase and the carry ons until the last week because we still need clothes and such until then. :) I will also have to get Emilie packed that last week and do some last minute errands. I just can't believe only 3 more weeks...AND in 3 weeks and 3 days we will have Elijah in our arms FOREVER!

Please say a special prayer that some referrals will come in soon. I know there are several out there waiting...but my special request is for a little guy 12-33 months (I think?)...Christy, I am praying for you!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Tina
***You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. Psalm 139:3

GOD IS IN CONTROL...

Well, apparently, I needed to be reminded once again that my plan is not always the right plan! Since we booked our tickets we had thought that we would arrive, spend the night in a Hotel, get picked up Sunday and be taken to our little guy. Well...found out today that was not how it was going to go. We will arrive, spend the night in a Hotel, get picked up on Sunday and be taken to our guest house. Apparently, there is no staff on Sundays to do the facilitating so we can not get him until Monday. I was not very happy with this news. I still can not imagine being minutes away from our boy and not get to see and hold and love on him! I have vented to family...and some great friends...and to my hubby (who is still pretty aggravated about it).
Then I began to calm down. I got some great advice from some who have been there. As I was still having my little pity party, I sent my son to get the mail. I got a card from my Aunt Carol, who has been such a source of help throughout this! It was a musical card...I teared up as I read it...then I opened it. The song...God is in Control by Twila Paris started playing. The tears came and I was clearly reminded that God IS in control and has been throughout this entire journey. It has been long...it has been hard...it has been frustrating...but we have not ever for one minute walked this alone or had control over it! And for that...I thank God! Because He brought us Elijah and OH MY GOODNESS...our lives are going to be so rich with this little guy! So...if I have to wait another day...I will not like it...but I will do it.
So...Aunt Carol, Thank you so much for the card and the "gift". You are such a wonderful person and I have been so blessed by you. I can not wait for Spring Break! When I can walk up to you and place my boy in your arms!! Thank you for praying and for being there to answer all of my questions.

Have a blessed night all,
Tina
***Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2Corinthians1:3-4

A PRODUCTIVE DAY...

YES...today was a very productive day. I spent time cleaning the kids' bedrooms...they should be doing this themselves but...I wanted it done my way! :) I was able to mark that off the list early. Then I was able to get lots of my questions answered after talking with Missy for almost 2 hours on the phone! Yes...I talked on the phone...such a big girl I am. (HA) I am so appreciative to her for spending that time out of her day to help me better prepare for our trip. I took notes almost the whole time and Don came home for dinner and read over them. We both felt so much better about a lot of things. We are a lot alike on some things...we like to be prepared.
Then I tackled the "scary" crib full of things. I was able to get all of our donations, so far, packed in one suitcase with 2 lbs to spare. WOO-HOO I also was able to get another suitcase almost completely packed and still have 10 lbs to spare on that one. I still have things I need to put in it but still need to shop for those items. I think we are going to try and finish up the "to buy" list this weekend. I also was able to prepare dinner and get laundry done. I am finally starting to feel like myself again.
I have been on some meds due to several allergic reactions and I think that was kind of making me over tired plus I was allowing everything that was going to weigh me down. I do go next week to be tested for allergies and hopefully find out what is going on. I should have had this done years ago but have just put it off. So...please say a prayer for me next Monday...
Also, I wanted to say thank you to Tiffany ( I am mailing you a card as well!). I got this great surprise the other day when I got home. There was a box in front of my door...so I opened it to find some great treasures including the little bitty blue Bible (so sweet!). Emilie loved the bracelets...she said she is not going to take hers off until we get home...she said she's even going to shower with it on! I have the plastic pants packed already. THANK YOU...You are a great blessing to me and I appreciate your prayers and help!
We are getting closer...and are so very excited about it.
I am praying for everyone still waiting...

Have a blessed night,
Tina
***There is a right time and a right way for everything. Ecclesiastes 8:6
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY...

OVERWHELMED...

We have waited for what seems like forever to be here at this point of our journey. We are preparing to leave to get our little guy in a little over 3 weeks and the most I have done is make several lists and buy several things for our trip. I have sorted all his clothes and decided what I am taking for him. I have a crib full of stuff but every time I look at it I am so overwhelmed that I just stare at it all and then walk away. I just keep adding to the pile. Tomorrow my hope is to get some things packed and ready to go. I am going to make myself do this.
I am not sure if I am allowing fear to make me so unmotivated. It seems throughout this journey we get all prepared for something and then delays seem to come. We have had a close to complete nursery for about 2.5 years. I like to be prepared. :) And it has been used throughout those 2 years so I am glad it was there and available.
We do have our plane tickets purchased and lodging taken care of. We are getting there and I need to get myself in gear and get things done!
I keep praying for motivation...hopefully I will get it in full force tomorrow!

Please continue to pray for those families still waiting on something...I know it is hard to wait...but I do promise those still waiting...it is such a blessing and so worth it when it comes!

Have a blessed week and I will keep you informed on my progress!
Tina
***Fear thou not; for I am with thee. Isaiah 41:10

ELIJAH IS 8 MONTHS OLD!!

Our little guy is 8 months old today. In 4 weeks from today we will be preparing to board an airplane on our way to get our little guy. We are so very excited. We paid for the plane tickets yesterday (OUCH!) and have started picking up things for our trip. I was able to go to Walgreens and get some great deals on meds to take over and donate.
His crib is full of things we are collecting to pack. I have all of his clothes and other needed items ready but can't really pack anything for him until I prepare to pack for us. I am going to divide all of our stuff between 2 suitcases just in case one is lost on the way. PLEASE LORD...let us make it with all of our luggage! I am also packing an outfit a piece in our carry ons so we should be ok.
Hope you have all had a great week. Mine has ended much better than it began! I am feeling much more positive about everything and trying to keep myself focused on the positive and not the negative.
Please continue to pray for those waiting...referrals, court dates, travel dates...and other things!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Tina

HAPPY 8 MONTHS LITTLE GUY! WE LOVE YOU AND WILL SEE YOU IN A MONTH!!

GOD HEARD THIS MOMMY'S PRAYER!

I have been a bit bummed lately. We got updated photos on Monday and are so thankful for them. In the pics he looks kind of sad to me. I tried to tell myself that maybe he was not feeling well that day. But my heart kept saying something different. I am sure all other Mommy's would get this! Not everyone agreed with me and tried to cheer me up but it just wasn't working for me. My Mommy heart was so sad for him and just wanted to go get him then and there. Then yesterday we got updated stats on him and that did not help. If we were to go by the stats it looks as if he has not grown much at all, but looking at his updated pics tells me that somehow something is off, either at referral or now. I have been told he is good size and he obviously, looks healthy. So I started praying that God would give me peace about all of this and would please hold my little one tightly until I can get there.
Today we had to run and get a few things notarized so we could get them sent off and we returned home with about 15 minutes to spare before our travel conference call. While the call was taking place we realized we had forgotten to print off something so hubby got the laptop and clicked the email button. To our great surprise there was another pic of our little guy. We clicked on it and...

My Mommy's heart was full and happy again! How could it not be. Our little one is sitting up (even if it is just leaning) and SMILING! I just stared and whispered Thank you God! And I promise I did still pay attention to the conference call. I was just a lot happier about doing it.

We have new tickets on hold now and plan on ticketing them tomorrow probably. We will be headed to our little guy on Feb 12 and returning home on Feb 21. We are getting very excited. This Mommy wants to get a hold of her boy!

I hope you all have received a blessing today~

Have a great day,

Tina

***A heart at peace gives life to the body. Proverbs 14:30

UPDATED PHOTOS!

We got updated photos of Elijah tonight. He didn't seem quite as happy as we have seen him but he is still so beautiful. Those eyes just get me everytime!

TRAVEL DATE CONFIRMED...

Not exactly the date we were hoping and praying for...but a date none the less! Our embassy date is set for Feb 18th. We will be leaving around the 13th and returning on the 21st. My mother says she had planned to run and hide on her birthday but now she plans on running to the airport! Her birthday is the 21st and it is a BIG one for her this year!
SO...now we can book our tickets, which we are being told they may be more since we are traveling later. (that is how things seem to go for us) and we can begin packing and preparing. We are staying at our agency's guest house, which is what I wanted.
Although we are SO very excited about having an exact date, we are also a little bummed that it is the later date. We know there is a reason and I am praying it is the reason I am hoping for!
Now time to get to those lists!! I have cleaned some today and really need to get on the laundry. The crib is getting full of all the items I am gathering to pack so now I can actually start packing them.

Keep praying for travel dates, referrals, court dates, we all seem to be waiting on something!

Have a wonderful Monday,
Tina

CHILDREN...

Today has been a pretty good day. Good sermon at Church...I always seem to hear what I need to out of it, especially on days I really need it! What a blessing that is.
I have 2 extra kiddos for a day. Heidi we have quite a bit and her brother Matthew, we used to keep before he started school this year. Their Mommy is in the hospital again with pneumonia. Please say a prayer for her that she can get well and get home to her kiddos. Heidi slept in "Don's" bed with me last night(she calls our bed Don's bed???), we have transitioned her out of Elijah's crib. Matthew slept on a cot in the office. They both slept very well last night. I got all of us up and around for Church this morning, with the help of Randy (thanks son!). He installed car seats and loaded them up for me. Now Heidi is napping and Emilie and Matthew are playing on the wii.
I was thumbing through my devotions just seeing one that would fit my mood for today. **LOVE this book my in-laws gave me for my birthday.** I found this one and I hope you all enjoy it, too.

This is what the Lord says..."I will comfort you as a mother comforts her child." Isaiah 66:12-13
***Raising children is the most difficult, rewarding, exhausting, beautiful, chaotic, amazing job a woman can have. It's a mixed bag of dynamic emotions, pure affections, and unwavering devotion. When her children need comfort, a true mother instinctively provides it. God is the same way with His children. When you are hurting, He is there without fail, reaching out to you.

I hope you all are having a great Lord's day,
Tina

TRIALS...

Just because we are getting closer to the end of this very long journey does not mean that there won't still be some bumps along the way or that we won't feel a little more disappointment when things do not go the way we want them to. Yes...once again we are there. This is nothing major! Just that we may travel a few weeks later than we thought. We will hopefully know for sure this coming week. NO BIG DEAL, right? As our daughter says...what is 2 more weeks compared to over three years! I am feeling ok with it. I am praying if that is God's will then that is what will be. Don, not so much! He is out of town and I called to tell him and he text me later..."I just want to go get him!" Now let me tell you...that broke my heart! This man has been my rock for three very long years. When I would break he would pick up the pieces. SO...to hear his sadness and then to see those words was almost more than this gal's heart could take. And what advice did I have for him. **PRAY** I know there is nothing I can do to change things...I would if I could.(as he has said to me many times over the 3 years!) There is only One that can make things change and that is what I am holding to. If it is 2 weeks later then there is a reason and it is part of the plan! Hey, I will get a trip to Ethiopia for Valentine's Day...and the sweetest gift EVER! SO...I will throw in some optimism and hang to the fact that God will continue to carry us through all of this and we will walk out with our beautiful boy in our arms! My God can move mountains and I have surely seen that in the last month.

When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need. James 1:2-4
God never discounts the pain you go through during life's difficult trials, but He always finds a way to use your pain for your advantage. Through trials, He reveals to you the quality of your faith, so you can see where your weaknesses are and take these things to Him in prayer. Without trials, you might never realize the deep comfort of His presence or the penetrating glow of His eternal love.

Have a great weekend!
Tina

AWE...THE LITTLE SOCKS....

YES...I have officially now lost my mind!!!! Ok...so maybe not quite. I have washed the first load of Elijah's things. (Not the ones I promised I wouldn't but the others) Those little socks are killing me! SO SWEET- I can not ever rememebr my kiddos having such small little feet. Oh, I know they did-really smaller- but oh my, I am lost in babyland right now just folding his laundry. I can not imagine how I will be when he is sitting her with me. I will never get my list done again! YIKES...
Today I did get to the store and have done some laundry and picked up the house some. I really need to clean the kitchen floor but I clean it and then the pups need to go outside and they track the snow right back in with them. Never ending cycle.
I am having a bit of a girls night tonight. Two of my best buds and my oldest daughter Tifanie (I think) are coming over for dinner and a movie! I will turn off my computer and enjoy their company! Now I MUST repeat this ten times!! So I will actually do it. :) By the way, Em will be here, also, but my hope is that she will want to be on the computer or playing her new PS2 games that she will be too busy for us. We shall see.

Please continue to pray for all of those waiting people! We all seem to be waiting on something, right.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings~
Tina
***On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.
Psalm 138:3

OUR TRAVEL CALL...

I got an email saying that our travel conference call will be next Wed (13th). When I saw the email my heart began to beat faster and I got butterflies in my stomach! I know this is one step closer to us actually getting on a plane to go get our baby boy! SO EXCITING!!
And yet...what have I gotten done today??? HMMMM...well...I have washed and folded two loads of laundry and started another load. I did get lunch done and cleaned up...AND well...that is just about it so far. OH YES...I made my bed (that is a must for me anyway!).
I have had no motivation AT ALL today! I sit my rear down and get on face book and check emails and blogs and...well, I am truly being pathetic! I have a growing list of things to do to prepare to travel, in what could be 3 weeks tomorrow, and here I sit! I think I am overwhelmed right now. I am trying not to get ahead of myself for fear of disappointment. If I have everything packed before we have actual confirmation of our embassy date then I will be so sad if we end up with a later date. So instead...I guess I am choosing to really stress myself out by waiting! :) I do have some things prepared to pack but have not actually packed it because of how I would like to pack it all. Make sense?? Well...it does to me! :)
Emilie has had 2 pretty great days so maybe spending this extra week here at home with Mom will help her. I do know she is getting bored and is ready to head back to school. We are praying for decent weather for Monday!!

Hope you are all staying warm and are having a wonderfully blessed day,
Tina
***My...sisters, be full of joy in the Lord. Philippians 3:1

WHAT SIZE TO TAKE????

Today I decided to figure out what we are going to take for Elijah. The crib is filled with all of it right now. My only concern is if he will be able to wear it all. I am taking mostly 6-9 months, 9 months and a few 12 months. All of the 6-9 are 2 pc so I am hoping they will work ok even if he only wears them one time they will serve a purpose and we can pass them along to someone else. I have compared most of them to all the sizes and I chose the ones with the longest pant legs to take. I am not washing them so I don't have to worry about them shrinking. ***You must know that I am making myself not wash them!***I always wash before we wear! Some of these clothes have been hanging in his closet for almost 3 years! I have bought most of it on clearance so they all have tags of like 3.00 and 5.00! Gotta love clearance!
I asked another adoptive Mommy (Missy) what size he was compared to her little one and she said about maybe 9 months. Then I emailed our consultant and asked if we would get updated stats soon. She said it should be coming soon. :) YAH!!!
SO...this is today's stress! Wonder what it will be tomorrow??? :)

Hope you are all staying warm! My kiddos will be out of school again today and tomorrow AND Friday. An extra week of Christmas vacation will now take a week away from their summer vacation.

Have a blessed night all,
Tina

ANOTHER DAY AT HOME...

SO...today was an inclement weather day...tomorrow will be the same...and it looks like the rest of the week will be the same! UUGH- Please, I do love my kiddos...BUT I am ready for some normal to begin again.
I believe Em is struggling with the idea of Mom and Dad leaving her for a week+. She has been acting out a bit more than usual. We are trying to hang out with her a little extra and do some extra fun things with her. She has gone to camp for 10 days before and gone to camp for 7 days for 2 years in a row. We are keeping her in as much of her routine as possible while we are gone. She will ride the bus to and from school and go to her normal lessons. She is a routine child which is part of the problem right now as well. We got her prepared to go back to school and now she is still at home and getting a little bored. Anyway, that is what we are dealing with right now.
Don got his upgrade on his cell phone a little early so we would have better contact while we are traveling. He has been trying to figure it out all night. We should be able to text and do facebook a little while we are gone and call home.
We are hoping to hear confirmation of our embassy date within the coming week. We have tickets on hold right now but we can change them if need be. We just wanted to get the better rate while we could.

**Some families did not pass court today for paperwork reasons, please pray for them. I know they have heavy hearts right now.

Have a warm and blessed night!
Tina

AND SO THE LISTS BEGIN...

I am a HUGE list person. As my hubby says...I probably have lists for my lists...and sometimes I do! :) I am a pro at vacation packing and I love being the one to pack the car because I WILL make it all fit plus the kiddos! BUT this preparing to travel overseas to bring home Elijah is different. I know there is a packing list to follow and I have tried to keep emails and posts of those BTDT families to help but... when you are unsure of sizes and all it is hard to pack for the little one. We were told in the beginning he was a big boy, BUT as we see updated photos he does not look that big. I do not want to over pack and have things we do not need BUT I really do not want to be without something that we will most definitely will need! SEE...I could and probably will drive myself crazy over the next 3weeks! Not only do I need to prepare us to travel BUT...Em will be staying with friends of the family so I need to have her packed and all of her stuff that goes with her. I need to make lists for my Dad who will be here with Randy and putting Em on the bus each day and taking care of our pets. UUGH- OK...I just need to breathe! I am also doing the whole nesting thing. I am trying to start out the year by de-cluttering some things. I think I got a lot of it done today. My house is clean and that makes me a happy person and a nicer person to be around! :)
We are also working on trying to book a flight but so far the one that is on hold, we discovered, will not work. SO...back to the drawing board tomorrow. SO much fun!! I am getting very excited about going to get our little guy. We are finally so close...
The kids are out of school again tomorrow. I believe because of the very low temps. I was ready for them to go back TODAY! I know I love having the home most of the time BUT today was rough day and I was SO ready for them to go back. Then when I found out they were out...I figured it was God reminding me to enjoy my children...even if they drive me crazy sometimes!

Hope you all are staying warm and have a blessed week! Please pray for the families with court dates this week, plus for those waiting on court dates, referrals, and travel dates! CONGRATULATIONS to the families who received referrals today!

Blessings~
Tina

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RANDY!

NEW YEARS DAY 1993...started with a new baby boy. 2010 begins with us headed to get a new baby boy! How excited we were 17 years ago to start our lives as a family of 4 and now soon we will be a family of 6!

We have many changes headed our way this month. Randy is now 17 and wants to enlist in the military delayed program. He will not leave until after he graduates in 2011. This has been his goal since he was a vry small boy and I am glad to see him follow through. I am nervous about it but it is his life and to see his goal reached makes my heart sing.

SO...HAPPY BIRTHDAY RANDY!!

LOVE,

Mom