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| If you return to the Main Page, we hope that you will sign our guestbook. We hope to share the encouragement and kind words with Maria someday. |
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| 8/4/2006
Hello! I want to say thank you to "Meme" who happens to be Mark's mom. Today in the guestbook (thanks for signing!) she provided the perfect verse for us as we wait and wait and wait for that phone call... Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! We had a good day yesterday. It was kind of a "rest in the arms of Jesus" kind of day. You know when you were a child. Sometimes the world seemed to be ending because you couldn't have ice cream after dinner or your brother hit you over the head. And you would sob those unrelenting tears. Remember how tired you felt afterwards, almost numb? I think that was yesterday for me. I had kind of a temper tantrum (internally) the day before. We have waited one long year for Maria (a year today) and we just want her home. It seems like at least this one part could go smoothly. (Others who got out of PGN AFTER us are getting pink already.) I do know that the Lord has a plan and perfect timing. Just remember that it isn't always to see that when you are IN the moment. Anyway, yesterday was just a day of rest, sitting in Jesus' lap, and nursing the wounds. I don't know what kind of day today is yet. We just want our baby HOME. Since I seem to have all kinds of free time to think (haha), I thought, "I need to be more positive...why not think of the positives of Maria not being home yet?" Now, realize, most of this is tongue in cheek. And I would give any of it up in a second to go get my daughter. But it made me feel better for a while. :) Here are just a few positives I can glean from this situation: 1. The fence we had promised in our homestudy WILL be complete after all. 2. Airline tickets are probably going to fall as summer ends. 3. I can hang on to our Embassy money a little while longer and make a little interest. 4. I have more time to find �crisp� new bills for the Embassy appointment. 5. Maria may end up being potty trained before coming home�no diapers! 6. I can get caught up on thank you notes for gifts we have received. 7. I will get to finish all of those little �organizational� tasks I had hoped to finish this summer but couldn�t when I was distracted by the adoption. 8. One less bed to change sheets on for a little while longer 9. More time for Maria to move up on the waiting list at daycare. 10. I can put off mole surgery for a while longer 11. I can get out of anything I don�t want to do by saying, �I cannot commit�we may be traveling then.� :) 12. I might win a prize at the teacher�s breakfast I was SO sure I would not be at this year. 13. I will probably get to assist in the class/student selection, which is always a fun event! 14. More time alone with Maria since the kids will be in school. 15. I will probably get to send Lauren to her first day of kindergarten�oh, wait, I will be there. 16. Lauren will graduate to a booster soon which might make the car seat situation in my little car easier. 17. I can donate (and get a tax write off) all of those cute, unworn summer clothes. 18. I can make the others on the boards feel good who are out of PGN and waiting for pink. 19. I have found that the pain in my left side is DIRECTLY related to the stress I am under. 20. I can use my creative juices more often to develop stuff like these�that will keep me young. :) Anyway, off to work in my classroom. My bright spot tonight is Catfish Hole birthday dinner...I have been craving it all week! Hope you have a good weekend! Thank you for waiting (and waiting and waiting) with us |
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| 8/5/2006
Genesis 9:16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Okay, I have to admit, I will still a little down yesterday�I really thought we would be on our way next week. But we still do not have that �pink� call. However, last night, after my �birthday dinner� at Catfish Hole, we decided to go for some ice cream. As we were driving along in Fayetteville, I noticed a beautiful rainbow in the sky. It was a full rainbow. There was even a partial �double� rainbow. All I could do is remember how God is faithful. I realize that the covenant for the rainbow was to not flood the entire earth again, but I also believe it was just a sign for me that God is faithful. That doesn�t mean we will get a �pink� call on Monday or that He has even promised it will happen. It just means that I remember that He is there even when nothing else makes sense. You would think that would be my automatic thought/inclination, but I sometimes get too caught up in the storms and the rains around me. I forget to look up at the beautiful colors in the sky. (We did think about driving to the end of it and seeing if there was a sweet Maria at the end, but it was getting close to bedtime for our other children :) Today was a good day, just a typical Saturday. The kids got to go �swimming� with their cousins. I think we were all picturing what little Miss Maria would be doing if she had been there. (I am pretty sure she would NOT have been in that pool of splashing children�) Our fence for our backyard was finished today. It was not fun writing yet another check, but we had promised in our homestudy that we would do it. Plus it will make us feel much more secure with a toddler in the yard. (especially since they are starting to build homes behind us) Oh, and I got to watch Hunter play his last football game. This kid, who I have prayed for perseverance and dedication from, is one tough kid on the football field. He is not the biggest in size, but he has a lot of spirit and an inner toughness I had never seen. It was just a nice, laidback kind of family day. Thank you for waiting with us! |