It's A New Week!

The Birth Mother Interview deadline has come and gone and the world is still spinning. The sun is still shining, and our hopes are still high. We continue to pray for that miracle!

Today was "Picture Day". I'm sure you know by now, we love picture day! Our little sweetie has had an obvious haircut.............I don't think she sat too still! She is still looking very healthy and happy.

And, can it be..........she's walking????????

If not, I think she's getting close!

Mark got me an early anniversary present (29 years on the 7th....Wow!). He's sending me down in a couple of weeks to spend Nola's first birthday with her. I can't wait! I wish we could go together, but we're hoping he is working by then.

We continue to pray and believe our prayers will be answered.

Still No News

Another week has gone by with no news. We're now two weeks away from the deadline. I've had a sick feeling all week and I'm afraid it's going to get worse. I've contacted an agency who does birth mother searches. All they want is $3,000 up front to assemble a team of; a Lawyer, a Social Worker, one or two investigators and a Psychologist. After assembling their team, they will decide on a plan of attack to search. After coming up with the plan, they would inform us of the plan, making sure we understand their intent and then they would begin the search. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't see all of that happening before the August 31st deadline with time left over to search. I respectfully declined the use of their services. We don't need a team of professionals. We just need a responsible Spanish speaking person who is willing to search. I may have a lead for someone to search through the woman who runs the front desk at the Hotel we stay in when we visit. I'll know more about that lead on Monday. Hopefully it will turn out to be something positive and affordable.

Mark is gone this weekend on his motorcycle. He and a friend have gone south to ride through the Smokey's and the surrounding areas. So far he's having a good time, enjoying good weather and he says he has lots of pictures I'll be impressed with when he gets home. I'm waiting for pictures of bears. He and I have taken several trips through the Smokey's and have yet to see a bear. I remember as a kid when we would take family trips down there, we would always see bears. For some reason, as an adult, I have not been so lucky. I hope he continues to have a safe trip and gets home soon. I miss him!

I'm praying the upcoming week brings lots of good news! We're still praying for that miracle.

WOW!!!

And the saga continues...........This week has not been one of our better ones as far as adoption news goes. The CNA has issued a time limit for the completion of birth mother interviews. August 31st is the deadline....only 3 short weeks away. Our birth mother has still not been located. We're just not sure what that means for us. No one is sure what will happen after that date. It could mean the children with missing birth mothers will go into abandonment, but the statement by the CNA says "the cases will be turned over to a competent judge". To me, that's not a very clear statement. Our attorney is assuring us that he will complete our adoption. I guess our question is...............when?

Such an uncertain time! I don't like to put time restrictions in my prayers because then I'm working on my time schedule, not God's, but in this instance, I'm praying for a miracle before August 31st.

Nola, Kinsey, Alex and Melany.

Those are the names of the four little ones that we are particularly aware of whose lives will be affected by what happens in the next three weeks. Please keep them, and all of the little ones in the same situation, in your prayers.
We need God to work in a BIG way!

Today Is Picture Day!!!!!!

Even though my life if full of so many things to be thankful for, the fact remains that one of my children is still living in another country. She is still being cared for by someone other than me and is bonding to someone other than me. Even though I am grateful to Ingrid for caring for our little Nola, I want her home with me........with us. I'm her momma and I should be caring for her. We're her family and we should be tickling that little tummy and kissing those chubby cheeks. I have been really struggling this week with the uncertainty of our adoption situation. Legally she isn't mine. She isn't ours, but in my heart she has been since the day I first heard her name. She is a part of our family that is missing and I want her home.

Today, just like so many times in the past, we received new pictures and again my heart is brightened. Of course, I have to share so you can see how much she's growing and changing too.

What a doll baby! We have received no news about the birth mother being located. Our agency has now had three cases approved without a birth mother interview but our lawyer has not yet been so lucky. Please keep our little one, and all of those waiting to come home, in your prayers. I need to see that light at the end of our tunnel again.

In all of my blog reading lately, I have came across the same scripture reference many different times:

Philippians 4:6&7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Miracle Of Life!

No news on the adoption front................but there is news on the "Granny front"! We're half way through the wait for our first grand baby. I went with Tim and Anna to their Dr. appointment today. It was sonogram day! Time to check and make sure the little peanut is developing well and hopefully find out the sex. We did find out the sex.........

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!

The Dr says everything looks good! The little guy was just kicking up a storm! Such an amazing thing to see! Mamma, Daddy and baby are doing great! Anna's ready to start shopping for nursery things now since they know for sure a little boy's on the way.

Happy Mamma showing off her baby "pooch".

The Dr says the little guy is 12oz right now.

And here he is in all his glory! What a miracle he is!

An absolute Blessing!

Could It Possibly Be....There's a Light At the End of Our Tunnel?

Today we have gotten a glimmer of hope. A family with our agency just received PGN approval without having a Birth Mother interview!!!!! Our agency doesn't know if it was a fluke or if PGN is finally ready to start letting some of these cases go. I'm praying PGN has not found just cause to continue the interviews. Please Lord, let that be the case! We are so ready for some forward movement in our case!

While I Wasn't Looking

I am sad to say, while I have been obsessing over getting our little Nola home, I have been missing some of the blessings I am usually in awe of. I love the flowers in my flower garden. I look forward to the green sprouts appearing every spring and the soon to follow buds and blossoms. This year has brought a first to our yard. Our Mimosa tree has finally bloomed! I think I planted this little thing about ten years ago. For the first few years, the branches always died in the winter and new growth came up from the roots in the spring. The fifth year it finally put out new growth on the branches that were there from the year before. The sixth year, my sweet hubby was mowing on a rather damp evening..............and you guessed it, the mower slipped down the hill and he mowed down my little Mimosa tree. I really had given up ever seeing those beautiful delicate pink blooms, but this year it has finally happened!

I don't know why, but I have always loved these trees! There aren't many around here, but they are very abundant in the south. They are just beautiful growing wild along the wooded roadsides in the early summer. Now I have that beauty in my own yard!

These are just a few of my favorite Day Lilies. They're beautiful and they can live through anything! Anything that can thrive in our hard as a rock clay soil is pretty amazing.

I'm reminding myself, and all who read, not to live life so blinded that we miss these beautiful gifts we have been given!