Yard Sale!

Today and tomorrow is our massive yard sale!
We have SO much stuff!
NICE stuff!
Our friends have abundantly blessed us with beautiful, new or like-new money-worthy items!
Please pray for the donations to flow in.
Please pray for the rain to hold off until after noon tomorrow!
Please pray that we can nudge someone else towards adoption!
Please pray that we meet our financial needs!
I will update!

Dear babies,

I have to tell you something.
As your mommy, I feel that you need to know that I am not waiting well right now.

I can wait forever for one of you to learn to tie your shoes.

I can wait in line at the store, at amusement parks, and I can even wait in traffic without losing my cool.
I did a pretty good job of waiting when there was something I could do - gathering more paperwork, interviews, or making phone calls.

Today, however, I am not waiting well.

It's been long enough.

I have loved you since I first saw your pictures in December!
I have planned and dreamed, fought and advocated, rushed and pushed...
and now I can't fight, advocate or push to get you here any faster.

I want you to know that if it was up to me I would be there already.

We would be home together already.

I would make your favorite breakfasts, teach you the joy of afternoon snacks like "ants on a log", fix your hair, take you for a walk to see the signs of spring, teach you to jump on the trampoline, push you on the swings, tuck you in at night, teach you to pray, and watch you as you sleep.

I would love to know how you wake up in the mornings!
Joshua, do you jump out of bed like Sam - ready for the day, smiling and happy?
Evelyn, do you need some time in the mornings to wake up? Like Mom?
Lillian, do you like to cuddle on the couch for a few minutes before thinking about breakfast?

I want to know little things.
I want to know if you are right or left handed.
I want to know if you like to color or blow bubbles or if the slimey bubble goo on your hands makes you unhappy.
I want to know if you like fuzzy blankets or silky things better.
I want to know if you still take naps and when and for how long.

I am not waiting well today, sweet babies.

Mommy loves you VERY much!
Daddy and I will be there as fast as they will let us come get you.

Love,
Mommy

John 14:27  "Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Little things

Along the process of an adoption there are little things.

Little things that help you "pull yourself up by your boot straps"and 

get on with your day or week.

(and yes, that is one of those strange Southern phrases 

that even I am not sure of its meaning. 

How you would do that? 

What exactly are boot straps? 

If you pull on them... how would that help you up? 

Wouldn't that be kind of hard to do?)

Today some of those little things...

A final interview for my replacement at work

(helps me to know that even though I will be sad to leave, 

I must transition back to a stay-mostly-at-home mom to bring our babies home);

Immigration letter stating that our 1600A 

has been forwarded to the Embassy in Ethiopia

(not a huge deal, but a necessary step along the way!)

I bought hair care products for the babies

(somehow it makes me feel like I am 

DOING something for them while I wait)

Fruitless search ending in frustration and becoming 

subsequently agitated at the inability to find a 

brown baby doll -or two- for my girls when we travel. 

(Paul says we just have not looked in the right places. 

I think its ridiculous.

It does, however, help me feel closer to them to be 

able to search and advocate on their behalf

... to have the need for brown baby dolls.)

My friend Jamey is going to pick up her daughter! 

She's leaving in less than 24 hours!
Another bloggy friend Tamara is leaving today!

(even though it's not ME traveling, 

there is so much to learn from those who go before! 

Hopefully she will see my three and be able to 

give them a hug from their Mommy!)

Misery loves company.

(not that I am necessarily MISERABLE while waiting...I am doing pretty good today...

but it is nice to know others are waiting for their court dates and travel appointments right along with me! They are encouraging, funny, sad, sympathetic, empathetic, and right there with me on this ride. I don't know what I would do if I were going through this without the support and encouragement of my friends, family and those I don't know personally but who feel like old friends through the miracle of blogs and yahoo groups!)

Random thoughts for this morning

One of my favorite patients died early this morning.

He and his wife were such treasures in our office.

They always had a smile for us, some funny thing to say, 

and a positive outlook despite whatever medical stuff was going on.

I will really miss seeing them.

Life is short. 

We aren't guaranteed to make it to 82 years old.

Life is not fair, either.

In our house I call "fair" the "F-word".

People you love die before you are prepared.

People you love get sick.

Mean people live to be 100.

You watch family members suffer and you can't help.

You want to hold your babies, but paperwork keeps you apart.

This I know... 

Despite whatever hardships...

God is ALWAYS good.

It's easy to proclaim His goodness when something good happens.

It's easy to cheer "Yay God!" when we get our way.

But when things stink?

When things fall apart?

When life just happens?

He is still good.

Which reminds me of this, which always gives me goosebumps:

  " I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea.  Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts?  Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”              “Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
            “That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
             “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

             “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you?  Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe.  But he’s good.  He’s the King I tell you.”

C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

For my Granny!

For my Granny...

Who just discovered "Blogs"...

and wants to see pictures of my kids!

Here you go!

I love you, Granny!

Hope you like them!