3 Months Waiting

We have officially hit the three month mark of waiting. Depending on the time of day you may get two reactions to that news.  There are many days were I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and can completely not let my mind go there. Other days I want to scream because it seems as no movement is happening.  The whole process has certainly slowed down and while it is in the best interest of the children to have it this way , it really just sucks!!

I want to hold my baby girl and introduce her to her big brothers. I want to see her safe and secure, happy and hopeful. I know God's plan is perfect and that all things work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose but sometimes my sinful nature comes out and I want what I want. And I want her here now. But in those moments when I let myself go there I hear with certainty a hushed whisper that says I loved her first and I have this taken care of, be still my child and know that I am God!

First Family Photo with Kennedy

I was overwhelmed with happiness when Owen came home from Kindergarten with this art project that he had made. It shows our whole family, all five of us.

 It is the first time that one of the boys has drawn Kennedy in as part of our family. I am amazed at the heart of my boy. He really loves his sister already and it is a continual reminder to have the faith of a child. Our God is great and is still in the mist of building families from all over the world.

Playdates with Friends

Can you believe the summer is almost over? This summer has gone by faster than ones in the past it seems. I really have made a conscious effort to try and slow down and really take it in. My boys are growing so fast and I want to be present in the moment. We had fun playing with different friends this summer, mostly at the pool.

Owen & Rylee

Arden & Owen

Reid & Lucas

Owen & Rylee feeding the ducks

We also went to the park and fed the ducks. It is always fun to get outside and the boys are better behaved because they can get some of their energy out. I also feel better so really we all benefit from it.

DTE (Dossier to Ethiopia) 07-27-12

It's official we now have our DTE (Dossier To Ethiopia) date of 07-27-12. Our dossier left on it's trek to Africa on Friday. America World sent us the email that all families look forward to receiving once you have moved from the paper-chasing stage to the waiting stage.

 


We realize that with this step behind us comes the hardest part....waiting.  However, the Lord has a purpose in all things.

"Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work." - Peter Marshall

One Step Closer

It feels good to write this post. I am thrilled to say that we were able to send our Dossier off on Thursday afternoon and it was received at AWAA on Friday morning. It went through it's first staff check and was correct and in order. Bearing no foreseen issues it will be on its way to Africa with our official DTE date being July 27th, 2012. We are thrilled to be done with this monstrous step and know now the work that it takes to compile it all. Our official wait soon begins and we are excited. It brings us another step closer to our baby girl.

Getting weighed and ready to go

Owen had been my partner in our many trips to the post office while compiling our Dossier

His plan...not mine

I must admit that it has been a long process getting our documents together for our dossier. Not long in the scheme of things but long for me. I recall early in January saying to my assistant at work that my plan was to complete the paperwork for our dossier in about three months. I soon realized that this journey would not be about my plan and all about HIS plan. I have learned that this adoption journey has and will teach me about who really is in control. Those of you who know me personally know my story and understand why I am that way. However, that has been my crutch for years and I am slowly learning to release it. God has a plan and a purpose for everything and I believe that unconditionally. It has taken us a few months longer than the three months we planned for but we are finally ready to submit our dossier.  Praise God!!

Gathering documents for our Dossier

We needed more space for all the documents that we had to gather

In the state of North Carolina not only do you have to have all your documents notarized but also state authenticated by the Secretary of State. It has been a laborious process and one that I am glad to have done. I feel relatively sure of myself now when driving in downtown Raleigh and that in itself is a miracle since the offices of the Secretary of State is there. In truth we are thankful that we had the opportunity to be able to take our documents and drop them off. It reduced the time we had to wait since we could pick them up the next day. The perks of living in the Capital I guess.

Lucas, Rylee and Owen

We hope to send our dossier off to America World by Monday. It will be reviewed again to make sure there are no problems or issues that we need to correct and then it will be sent off to Ethiopia. It will be then that our wait truly begins and when we will be given our DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) date. We are thanking God tonight for his continued faithfulness and goodness.

I will climb my watchtower now, and wait to see what answer God will give to my complaint. But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! ~ Habakkuk 2:1-3

Hot Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

When we decided to put together our Summer Fun list two items we chose were to have dinner for dessert and to get hot Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. It there really any other worth having! It seemed fitting to complete both items at the same time so off we went to Krispy Kreme. The boys thought it was great and said we should have dessert for dinner all the time. Turns out Drew's grandmother was in town and joined us in the fun. Memories in the making and ones I will cherish forever. Sometimes you just have to let go and live a little.

More Granny enjoying her doughnut

Drew enjoying himself and his doughnut too.

Happy 4th Of July!!

Happy Belated Birthday America! We had a fun day celebrating here at Kiawah Island. We relaxed at the pool and did what most Americans do well, we ate and munched all day. We finished the night off at the annual Kiawah Independence day shin-dig complete with more food,watermelon eating contests,and lots of other fun activities for the kids. The night was complete after we saw the fireworks.

Surfside Beach with the Family

At the beginning of June we took a family vacation to the beach with Drew's Dad and his side of the family. We did this last year as well and we had a nice time. It is a great way to connect with our family since we live in another state and seldom have time to see everyone when we are home in Tennessee. The kids love it because they get to spend a whole week with their cousins.

 

We did lots of fun things from hanging out at the beach and the pool, going to Broadway at the Beach, going to a kids carnival and of course lots of eating.

Lucas has been lucky in that the past two years we have been at the beach for his birthday. This year my big boy turned 8 and we let him choose how he wanted to celebrate. He choose his birthday dinner of homemade pizzas and IBC root beer. He also requested we do Tye-Dye shirts for all the cousins and finish off with a water balloon battle. We finished the night off with a yummy ice cream cake.

We love you Lucas and couldn't be more proud of you! 

Haiti Love

I had the privilege of returning to Haiti this year with a team to share God's love. This year was very different for me in that I knew what to expect and had a vision of what our time would look like. I was part of a team of twenty-four and it was as you would expect crazy at times. Keeping up with each other, making sure supplies were were they needed to be and just the general logistics that comes with that many people in a third world county. I will say that we all had different talents and skills that we used to share God's love. There were many components to our days, such as Bible Time, Recreation, Crafts and Hygiene teaching. Thank you Lord for using us and allowing us to complete your work.

I was sad to leave this year and could have spent more time with the wonderful people in Haiti. I have had to really pray about my attitude since returning to the states and I find myself bitter and angry at the entitlement that I see in this country. As we were traveling in our tap-tap and I looked into the faces of those who have so little, I was overwhelmed with emotion as I thought this could be my life. There is no difference in God's love for his people just where he chooses to start your life that changes the circumstances of how you grow up.

 


I leave you with a benediction that was used as part of  devotion time by our team leader. It spoke to me in ways I still cannot put words to.

May God bless you with a restless discomfort
About easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships,
So that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice,oppression,
And exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for
Justice, freedom and peace among all people.

May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer
From pain, rejection,starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you
May reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that
You REALLY can make a difference in this world, so that you are able,
with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen

1 of 34- Summer of Fun List

Sun, Sand and Sea. See ya in a week!!

Summer of Fun

We are geared up and ready for our "Summer of Fun" over at the Douglass house. I love my job and consider it a blessing to do what I do but I really am looking forward to this summer with my family. We came up with a summer bucket list and the kids are biting at the bit to get started on it. We'll document as we go along and Lucas will be journaling our fun as well. Hope you'll tag along on our summer adventures!

Everybody Likes Cupcakes.... Right?

One way that Sixty Feet is raising money to help children in Uganda is through Cupcake Kids.  Cupcake Kids is a program where volunteers bake and sell cupcakes in their local communities.  These Cupcake sales are know occurring in 38 states and 3 counties around the world. Last year they were able to raise $150,000 through the sales.

Here are Cindy and her friends contributing to the Cupcake Kids sale this past weekend at North Hills Farmers Market.

If you or someone you know would like to help support Sixty Feet please email me or visit sixtyfeet.org.

Sixty Feet

Thanks to one of Cindy's many friends our family was introduced to a great organization called Sixty Feet.  Sixty Feet's mission is to help bring hope and restoration to the imprisoned children of Africa, in Jesus name.   The facilities as designed for maybe a 100 kids and more than 500 are there at any given time. The Ugandan government picks up kids from the streets of the city for loitering or committing petty crimes and takes them to these prisons on a weekly basis. Many of these children have families who wonder what has happened to them.

Checkout the site at sixtyfeet.org and watch the video below to see some of the hope that is brought to these young people through individuals who go in the name of Jesus. 

Snug as a Bug in Rug

 I often check on the boys multiple times after putting them to bed. There are many reasons for this. One is fear and I know I need to let go of it but its hard. Secondly, I just love seeing them clean and smelling yummy all tucked in their beds. It warms my heart to see them content and without a care in the world.

It also reminds me to pray for my sweet girl and the many others that tonight may go to sleep without someone telling them they are valued and loved, without a warm bed to tuck them into. Will you say a prayer for the many tonight that will experience this and ask God to show his love mightily as only he can through circumstances such as these?