Perseverance, God's timing & Trust

Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. -James 1:3-4

Today in the Daily Bread devotional:

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. —Ecclesiastes 3:1

In an effort to face the challenges of life, we often turn to Solomon’s words: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). But we readily admit that we would rather laugh than weep, dance than mourn, and gain than lose (vv.4,6).

Yet we know that as we embrace the lessons and opportunities of every season that comes to us, we find that “God is our refuge and strength” (Ps. 46:1).

Whatever season we’re in, it’s always the season to trust in Him. — David C. McCasland

We're still here...still waiting...still trusting. Kevin emailed our attorney yesterday.

He is planning to make a phone call to her family today. We will most likely find out her intentions after that phone call and this will most likely be their last attempt at making contact with Jessica. Please pray specifically for God's divine timing for the phone call, for clear and honest answers to be communicated so that we can move on from here.

It has been comforting to get my thoughts out on the blog. Thanks for taking the time to read it.

Wow, are we ever blessed with so many who have shown so much love and support through this whole process of waiting!! So many emails, phone calls & hugs have come at just the right time. Thank you all! It has gotten us through the past couple of days and we thank you!

We've been staring at these bags sitting in our bedroom all week. These are the kids bags all ready to go. They keep adding this and that to their bags and according to them, we are going. It will break my heart if these bags don't have a place to go.

Last Friday night was spent at Kevin's parents for a half Christmas. We will have the other half later in Janurary. It was a bittersweet time. Kevin's brother and his wife will be flying out today, stopping in Florida for a few days then flying on to Costa Rica for a three year term in the mission field.

Christmas carols with Grandma and her harp

Caedmon with baby Jeremy

Kaiya and Karis

I will miss their family terribly!!! I love how our relationship has grown and blossomed these past couple of years. Krista is so much more than a sister-in-law to me...she's a very close friend! It's hard to let them go, but we are so excited to see what God has planned for them in Costa Rica.

Caedmon helped Uncle Lyndon tell the Christmas story and did a fabulous job!

The highlight of the evening was the wonderful prayertime we had as a family specifically for Lyndon & Krista and our baby situation....such a great memory.

In the meantime...someone very special in this house is turning 5 today! We're making some last minute birthday plans to make it a special day for him.

Happy New Year!!

The Waiting

"Time to let it go and just believe"

"The hardest part is waiting on You, when what I really want is just to see Your hand move"

"I want a peace beyond my understanding. I wanna feel it fall like rain, in the middle of my hurting."

"I wanna feel your arms as they surround me"

"And let me know that it's ok, to be here in this place....resting in the peace that only comes....in the waiting"

I heard this song on the radio yesterday. I haven't heard it for a long time. It was a song that meant a lot to me when we were waiting for our first child after going through so much heartache from infertility and a miscarriage. I felt like the Lord played it just for me yesterday.

We are still waiting and waiting. We were planning to leave for Florida yesterday or today. We're still here and still haven't heard anything from our birthmother. We will not leave until we hear something positive. It will take a miracle, but a miracle is what we are praying for!!

Thanks so much for all your support and prayers!!!! We can feel the peace that is a result of having many pray for us! Thank you.

Now today we will go to church and give praise and worship to our Lord!

The Wonder of Christmas

Part of the wonder of the first Christmas is that God had every detail of Jesus' birth planned long before it happened. Something else that fills us with wonder is that God had a special plan for our family, bringing each of our children into our family at just the right time...having it planned long before they were born. In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. Ephesians 1:11

Please keep our family in your prayers as we continue to wait for our miracle adoption coming up. We have not gotten much information this week other than the fact that the birthmother has not made contact with our attorney. Pray for Jessica specifically as she gets closer to delivery. Pray for her safety, her decision and the health and safety of the baby. Pray for us as we continue to trust and make preparations to leave even though we're not sure of the timing of everything. God certainly knows what He's doing even though we are sometimes uncertain of His timing... we're trusting in Him to work out everything that He has already planned for us.

We had a wonderful time of celebration with my family on Christmas Eve then with our immediate family on Christmas morning. Mom's special touches always make the evening extra memorable. We each had a candle at our place setting and right before dinner we said something that we appreciated about the person sitting to our right and then lit their candle. Emmi Klair - six months old

Christmas Morning



My favorite gifts this year:

1. Watching the joy on my kids' faces

2. this poem written to me by my niece, Maci

3. my very first Vera Bradley - a gift from my sister


Merry Christmas!

The Hilarious Heart Patient

Thanks for your prayers for my nephew. Surgery lasted three hours and everything went great. We stopped by the hospital yesterday afternoon for a visit and Jake was his old self...cracking us up with his usual humor. Kevin was playing around with the latex gloves...blew one up...it popped loudly and Jake threw his head back and pretended the loud noise caused him to have a heart attack. If everything looks good today, he will be released this afternoon. We're so thankful that this is behind us now...Christmas is next, then on to working on getting our baby home.

Jake

Our family has needed a lot of prayers recently and I'm so thankful for our friends and family members that have interceded on our behalf. :) Today, my nephew is having surgery to repair an irregular heartbeat. The doctors need to find where the wrong impulse is coming from and fix it. My sister had a similar surgery three years ago. Pray for Jake's protection, and that the doctor can indeed locate the problem. Pray also for my sister and her family as they wait...that they would be free from worry. Thank you for your prayers!!

We had a full weekend. My dad turned 61. We were planning to celebrate at my mom's house, but after an ice storm went through on Friday over 120,000 people lost power...they were one of them. The report from the power company was that they wouldn't get their power back on until Christmas Eve. So we had the party at my sister's house. If you look real close, you'll see a rope being lowered down next to my dad's head. My niece sent down a birthday message for Grandpa from the loft. So cute. On Sunday morning, I woke up at my usual time these days...4:00. :) Two hours later, our power went off as well. I freaked a bit thinking we could possibly not have power all week. Kevin got the generator hooked up and I was able to use my curling iron. Well, after getting it half done, the generator stopped working. I had a feeling that would happen. So, off to church we went and I finished my hair in the church bathroom.

Thankfully our power, my sister's and my mom & dad's came back on Sunday afternoon. There are still over 50,000 people without power and it is bitter cold today. It's minus 20 degrees right now with the windchill. Caedmon's school is closed today because of the cold.

The song "Breathe of Heaven" has been my comfort and prayer this week as we continue to count down days and prepare quickly for this new little baby coming soon. "Lord, help me to stay focused on your Son amidst all the craziness this week. Amid the glitter and busyness of the season, help me not to lose sight of the miracle of that very first Christmas and the miracle that is happening right here in our family too."

"Breath of heaven, Hold me together,

Be forever near me, Breath of heaven.

Breath of heaven, Lighten my darkness,

Pour over me your holiness, For you are holy.

Breath of heaven."

December 29th

Here's a quick update...

Birthmother is having a C section on the 29th!!! We're planning to leave on Saturday or Sunday with our family and my mom.

I've been waking up between 3:30 and 4 every morning for the past week...just laying there with so much on my mind. I finally made a list (I thought of you, Krista).

Keep praying!

More updates to come.

A Baby Changes Everything

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes for my last post. We still have not heard anything from or about that birth mother and continue to pray for her as she makes her decision.

In the meantime...

We received another call on Thursday afternoon about another birth mother. It was from an agency we originally weren't planning to use. It's amazing to us how many details have already been taken care of in this situation and how we can see God's hand working. The baby is due on January 9th and if all goes according to how we would like it to, this baby will become a part of our family very soon!!!

As you can imagine, my mind is racing at full speed. I lay in bed thinking of all the things that need to be done. It's amazing though how quickly things can get done when you set your mind to it! On Saturday, Kevin repainted the changing table and I pulled out and washed baby clothes. The kids have been helping too.

Please pray with us. Pray for Jessica (birth mom) especially...for her decision, delivery and the health of the baby. There are still so many details to work out. Pray for our minds to be put at ease, worries to be calmed and that the process would continue to go smoothly. We should be hearing from our attorney again this week after he meets with Jessica. We'll keep you updated.

Oh, and... "IT'S A GIRL!!!"

HELP!!! We need some name ideas that flow nicely with our two kiddos...if anyone has any, please post them in the comments. :)

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Adoption Update

Many of our dear friends and family members have been asking us if there has been any progress on our adoption process. We've been waiting for around seven months and have had a few bumps along the way this time. At times it has felt like we were just going in circles and spinning our wheels...just not making much progress.

The kids have been faithfully praying everyday for their new baby brother or sister. We've had an incredible amount of peace, knowing that God is directing and redirecting us down the right path. His timing is of the utmost importance to us.

This week we had someone approach us about an opportunity and the details of the situation seem just perfect to us. The birthmother has not yet made a decision whether she wants to keep her baby or proceed with adoption yet. Our contact is hoping to meet with her this week.

Please pray with us....for God's will for our family and this little baby on the way. We'll keep you updated.

Love Notes

Keivn had an overnight last night at Pokagon for meetings today. I woke up yesterday not feeling the greatest and not looking forward to the day ahead knowing that he wouldn't be home that night.

We said our goodbyes to Daddy and then the kids and I left to take Caedmon to school. From there, Kaiya and I went straight to a dentist appointment for me.

When we got home mid morning, we noticed several sticky notes posted all over the house (written on free paper I received in the mail from Always LOL!!). on the refrigerator

on the phone

microwave

...and even one for each of the kids in their rooms

bathroom mirror

There were a few more scattered around too...

After baths were done, teeth brushed, devotions and prayers said, I tucked in two little kiddos tight in their beds. I crawled under a blanket in the living room exhausted form the day and began watching a movie. Caedmon came wondering out of his room and asked if he could sleep with me in my bed. "Sure" I said. "Go jump in and I'll be there is a little while." So Caedmon took daddy's side of the bed right under another little post-it note. I think Kevin put this note on his side of the bed so I wouldn't feel lonely in bed without him. :)


Kevin has always been great at writing love notes to me. I even still have love notes saved from our dating years. It's times like this...when he's gone, that I really appreciate what he means to me and all that he does for us!

Here's a homemade card he made for our 7 month dating anniversary. :)


I have a collection of more recent love notes pasted on the inside of one of our cabinet doors. He's a great encourager through these little notes and of course always throws in his funny sense of humor.

I call it my wall of fame. :)

Love you and miss you, Babe!! Can't wait to see you tonight!

Grateful for Family

Wow, what a weekend we had! So full of wonderful memories & moments with family. On Thanksgiving Day, we went to my Mom & Dad's in the afternoon. Lexi gave Kaiya & Caedmon a makeover. :) Caedmon's of course was a manly one...mustache included. He even has the look.

After meal clean up we played games.
Catch Phrase is a favorite...guys against girls...it got a little wild and loud!

And this little sweetie celebrated her very first Thanksgiving.

On Friday morning we drove North for the extended family Thanksgiving/Christmas on my husbands side. Grandpa & Grandma are sitting in the center and have passed on an amazing legacy to the three generations represented. Four part harmony singing is a big part of that legacy and always is a special part of our get-togethers. I'm SO grateful for that legacy and what it represents...what a blessing!!!

Aunt Krista, Grandma Ruby, Lincoln & Aunt Joyce
And another favorite part of getting together is watching our children play with all their cousins. When I asked Caedmon what his favorite part of the day was he said "I liked playing house with Isabella and JJ. Isabella was the mom, JJ was the dad and I was the son.

Kaiya, Jeremiah, Matthew, Owen & Sam at the kiddie table

Easton & Caedmon

Oh my goodness, there were so many new babies to hold. I'm holding my new nephew, Jeremy. Krista is holding my other new nephew, Jack from Alabama. I met him for the first time that day. I was overwhelmed trying to soak up as much holding time as I could!

And Kaiya's favorite part was the children's gift exchange. Not sure what she's trying to do here with her cousin Jack.??

And I had to post this picture of my niece, Karis. This is what she got from the gift exchange and she was enjoying every lick and really hammin' it up for the camera!

As I mentioned earlier, Kevin's sister came up from Alabama with her beautiful family and we wanted to spend as much time with them as we could. Here they are...

So we travelled back up to Middlebury on Sunday for the day. The kids are quickly beginning to outnumber the adults in our family and with nine of them age four and under it's a busy busy place when we're all together. Here they are all lined up in the order of their birth. Aren't they sweet?!!! I love them all so much and am grateful they have each other to grow up with!

Grandpa & Grandma with all their grandbabies

Easton, Owen & Kaiya