Somewhere Across the World....

This past Christmas...we wondered if next year our bub will be home.

This Valentine's we wondered if next year our bub will be home.

But this is not a story about us and our family, but VERY MUCH a story about a woman......

Somewhere Across the World

Mark Schultz is one of my favorite Christian artists. I had no idea this is HIS story.

I promise, with all I have that we will do our best to bring our birth mother's dreams come true for her child. We will honor her and raise our child to know their mother gave them and us the greatest gift. I just cannot imagine what pain it must be to give a child to another family in hopes of a better life. If not in this life, in heaven, they will know their child will have been loved and cherished. And someday, in heaven, we'll all be together again where sickness and economics will not force families to have to make such a heart breaking decision.

 I pray God give us all we need to be the parents we need to be in effort to serve Him and raise our child in the arms of God.

Almost 4 months.....

Has it really been almost 4 months since being "official" in the process???

Dear Home Study...

If you would finalize this week.....that would be an AWESOME Valentine's gift!!

I know...we can't push the process and know God's got the timing figured out for us, but we've got our USCIS forms ready to go as soon as we have an approved Home Study. This waiting is TOUGH stuff!!! And to think we have many more months of waiting. 

In the meantime, I'm cherishing my time with the Husdando Del Sol!!! This is our time together before our baby comes home. 

Dichotomy

Meet my Grandpa 

Meet my Grandma

I just posted about the excitement of our Home Study...our step closer to bringing a young and new life home.

Today....I walked hand in hand with my Grandma through a Hospice facility. A beautiful facility. A place for Grandpa's final few days. He will be transferred if not tomorrow, the next day. Grandpa is 96 and has lived a long and wonderful life.

Interesting to be rushing one moment to bring our new life home and rushing the next to make sure I see Grandpa before this life passes. 

"No Guilt in Life,

No fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me; 

From life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell,

No scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Til He returns

Or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

(Found on a friend's FB wall after losing her sister last evening)

I pray for peace for my Grandpa and Grandma as they enter this season. I pray God give Grandma the strength to carry on. I thank God for HOPE.

Sniffle...Cough...Sneeze

Tim and I had one FANTASTIC weekend!

We've both missed work and have used so many kleenex tissues we really should have stock in the company. Nothing worse than fevers, congestion, coughing, sneezing, headaches and the list goes on......

BUT

We received a surprise today!

Our Home Study for review and news that my final clearance came in!!!

So...hopefully we will have approval of the home study this week and immediate submission of our USCIS form!!!

Another step closer and so thankful.

I raise a cup of gatorade and capful of Nyquil.....CHEERS!

Whatcha Reading?

I follow a fantastic blog, Domesticated Diva . I found her blog when we first started our journey of intl adoption. I honestly can't remember how I ended up landing on her page, but did and she's been really supportive in our journey. She's days away from a referral. Soooo exciting!

Recently she posted about what's she reading which you'll find if you go to her blog is linked to other blogs who are posting the same. So I am going to join in. 

Hey, you may find some new books to read or learn something new about your friends!

Now I am not sure about everyone else but my nightstand has a bunch of books I am in the process of reading. I actually finished one of them this week. Sigh, always sad to finish a really good book, BUT now I need to find a REALLY good book to replace it. haha!

Ok, so FIRST up:

One Year Chronological Bible...LOVE!

Our Sabbath School class started the new year with this Bible. This week...NOAH! Have you ever thought about the fact that there were many generations of people who lived 400-800 yrs old and ONLY 8 people were on the Arc??? And they lived in the Arc for almost a year!!! And that arc had three stories of animals. So 8 people to care for three stories of animals...WOW!

Seventh-Day....:

I feel like as each day passes, life gets even more CRAZY busy. One of my besties, Kera,  took me to a blog, Audrey Caroline  . Audrey is a wife to one of the singers of Selah (who doesn't love Selah???). She has a book club, The Bloom Book Club,  and this is one of their featured books. Wayne Muller brings us back to our roots and refocuses the reader. 

 "And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done." 

Genesis 2:2

We are reminded to find the peace and quiet in our weeks to reflect on God's love and master plan for what is best for us. This is a good one when in need of a "tune up"!

Dare to be moved. 

This book is insightful and sometimes difficult to read. You find yourself looking in a mirror and well, you just sometimes have a hard timing really seeing yourself. Flip side is...INSPIRED. You read through this book INSPIRED. This book is full of mustard seeds and realize we ARE LOVED by an AMAZING GOD. 

A little Fun:

Ask me how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!!!

I found this book on another site, Emily Jones Design Company.

I read this book and think of my FANCY friend Steph! The illustrations are insane! Every girl's MUST HAVE!!!

For the Creative Cat:

This is the PERFECT beginners book...AKA ME! Tons of fun projects you can do with just one yard of fabric. You can see some of the ones I did over at Threads of Fler . Um, pardon the blog format disaster. I have yet to clean that up....some day!

A Beautiful True Story:

Most of the books I read are true stories. I much prefer biographies or non-fiction. I love reading about people, their lives and experiences. I just finished this book....sigh...farewell good friend. It is TRULY one of THE MOST beautiful books I have ever written. Melissa Fay Greene teaches us about the crisis in Africa, Ethiopia's beautiful culture and history, and a woman's touching story to save one orphan at a time. 

You'll read this book and be changed.

Take a Medical Journey:

Leave American modern medicine behind as you follow Dr. Rick Hodes to Ethiopia. You'll learn of challenges seen daily that we in America never dream of thanks to easy access to modern healthcare. 

Again, you'll be changed after reading this one.

Coco, a woman of strength and creativity:

I'll never own any authentic Chanel, but Coco decorates my nightstand. Her story is self made. She worked her way to becoming an international icon. She has grace in simple fashion and design which at times went against the "norm". 

My Guilty Pleasures (DON'T JUDGE....LOL!!!):

  

YES, YES....Tori Spelling.

Oddly enough, I was one of A BIGILLION people who DID NOT watch the original 90210, but some how became fascinated with Tori Spelling. Her books make me laugh, sometimes feel sorry for her and often wonder how she can be soooo twitter-pated over her husband Dean McDermott?!?! Easy & light reading pool or beach side. Perfect!

So whatcha reading? What's in your library????

I'm curious AND I'm looking for a new book since I just finished one!

xoxo

fler