A Peek

Here is a quick look into our first few days through photos.

Saturday Night:

Our welcome poster.

There were SO many people at the airport to pick up their host children!

 

The first time we saw him.

Our first official picture together!

He liked all the textured stickers on his poster.

O was so tired--even if he didn't want to admit it.

Sunday:

We went swimming at the hotel after breakfast.

O LOVES swimming!!!

Swimming toward Drew.

Warming up after swimming.

He had Drew walk him around the whole room so he could check out everything from higher up.

Being silly

We took a picture before we left the hotel. A (on the left) is staying with us for one week.

We went for a walk to burn off some energy.

O found out that Texas is hot!

O likes Sherlock a lot. Sherlock is not quite as excited by his little boy roughness.

Drew had to run to work, so we went along and played basketball.

A came with us to check out the arena.

Well, I'm off! I'll post soon with more photos!

Big Night

So, we're a little delayed on the delivery, but we have some big news...

Tonight things are changing for our little family.

Today the two of us are headed to the airport. Yesterday the two of us prepared our house. This morning the two of us packed up the car.

But tonight.

Tonight the two of us will pick up one precious little boy at the airport.

Tonight the THREE of us will share a hotel room. Tonight the THREE of us will change into pajamas and say bedtime prayers. And tomorrow. Tomorrow ALL THREE of us will drive back home. Tomorrow night the littlest one will be tucked into a bed prepared just for him.

Tonight begins our summer of adventure, laughs and lots of love.

Here is a picture of the precious boy we are hosting for the summer.

O is from Eastern Europe. He is nine years old and will be living with us for about six weeks as part of a hosting program. We are so excited for all the ways we will see God's love through this experience. We have so much love for this sweet boy already.

And now for some more visual delight - here are some pictures of the boys' room!

For those of you wondering about Little Man's adoption, there have not been any improvements to the situation. Drew and I love that little boy with all of our hearts (and so do all of his grandparents, aunt and uncle). We will continue to fight and wait for him as long as it takes.

Prayer

We would love for you to keep our government officials and the officials from Little Man's country in your thoughts and prayers as they meet together today and tomorrow. We do not know what will come of the talks, but we can pray that relations will be improved and that everyone there will be filled with wisdom and grace.

Let's turn this:

Into this:

That smile just melts me.

Our House

So...we have been pretty quiet lately. How about a blog post about some of the things we've been doing to keep busy?!

Hooray! I knew you guys would like that idea!

The last time we wrote was in February, so we have quite a bit of ground to cover. Drew has been really busy with work this spring, but it has finally slowed down! This means that I can really get back to menu planning and making dinner again. And it also means that we're catching up on projects in and around the house.

Drew's mom brought us a sweet gift when they came through at the end of February. We now have the majority of Drew's childhood books and stuffed animals all set up in Little Man's room. We just love books and reading, so it was really fun to go through everything and see what we shared in common.

These photos don't even show all of the books!

The crates under the chair are filled with stuffed animals as well.

Drew was in a wedding at the very beginning of March. We were so happy to celebrate with our friends as they begin their marriage! It was a beautiful and fun evening!

I started nannying at our house. It has really been SO much fun! Plus, Drew likes how much cleaner the house is these days! This also means that I have more time for crafting and projects.

I finally started getting into my artisan bread book! I received the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, for Christmas. I really wanted to try it, but was intimidated by the process: Yeast. Rising Dough. Kneading. Rolling Pins. Once I started into the book though, I realized that I really can make bread! I decided to start with the Challah dough, and my friend Erica came over this past Friday and helped me turn it into Caramel Sticky Buns. We had fun, and the sticky buns were delicious! You should all get this book!

And now, for our most recent project. We found this fabric at Ikea and thought it was really fun. I cut it into strips, and Drew and I stabled the fabric over each drawer front on the unfinished dresser in Little Man's room. I am really glad it turned out so well! Now we just have to decide about painting or replacing the knobs...

That pretty much wraps up what you missed. No new news on our journey to bring Little Man home, and we're still praying about God's plan for this time of waiting. Our church is planning an adoption Sunday for the 21st, and Drew and I will be participating in a short video that will be played during the services. We've got our fingers crossed that we will come across much more eloquent than we actually are! Other than that, we're trying to take advantage of the sunny days, when they come, and working to get our yard ready for spring.

Sherlock is excited about the nicer weather ahead.

Although, he doesn't seem to mind the rainy days TOO much...

Keeping in Touch

I wish I had news for you all, but I don't. It is just as quiet on the adoption front over here as it is on the blog. But that is not to say that we're not still thinking and praying. We may not be considered parents by any government or society standards, but our hearts tell a different story.

We miss our Little Man every day and pray for him. We do not know how our future will play out, but we have been irrevocably changed through this journey. Through this time of hurt and confusion, we are learning to admit we have no control. Our eyes have been opened to new truths.

While we do not know what is coming, we are excited, and a little fearful, at all of the prospects. We can no longer live in ignorance, and we do not want to. Our boy may never have stepped foot in our house, but his life has already affected every corner of our home. Living through these trials has opened our minds to many other possibilities, and that is exciting.

Clinging to Hope

I have a song to share with you today. A friend told me to listen to this song several weeks ago as encouragement. Then it just so happened that they included this song in the worship set at our church yesterday. I'm not going to lie. I struggle with the lyrics of this song right now, but I also recognize the truth in it.

There is a lot of worry and fear in our house at this time. Our adoption is now plagued by the unknown. We have so many questions about the future of our little family, and there really are no answers right now. We are hurting. And we are clinging to hope.

We (and by "we" I mostly mean me) are a mess. My adopting friend and I were joking the other day about how our friends and family just don't quite know what to do with us right now. I can smile and cry in the same sentence. I think I tear up every Sunday during the music. I cry during all of the fake scenarios that are constantly playing out in my head. And I am not normally big on sharing my emotions outwardly.

Don't get me wrong. We HAVE been greatly blessed. Last year we were woken from our routine and called to a little boy in another country. We will never regret the 5 days we visited, played with, and loved on our Little Man. He has forever changed our lives. We will keep fighting for him, and for all of the other children without families (both domestic and international) for as long as we are able. And if God allows us to bring our Little Man home, we know you will all be rejoicing with us.

So, if you are wondering about all the silence, I hope this helps clear things up. The truth is that we have more questions than answers right now. And to be honest, we don't really know what to say. The only thing we can really do for the present time is to ask you to join us in prayer.

This song is called "Sovereign Over Us" by Aaron Keyes.

Here are the lyrics:
V1
There is strength within the sorrow, There is beauty in our tears
You meet us in our mourning, With a love that casts out fear
You are working in our waiting, Sanctifying us
When beyond our understanding, You're teaching us to trust

CHORUS
Your plans are still to prosper, You have not forgotten us
You're with us in the fire and the flood
Faithful forever, Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us

V2
You are wisdom unimagined, Who could understand your ways
Reigning high above the heavens, Reaching down in endless grace
Youʼre the Lifter of the lowly, Compassionate and kind
You surround and You uphold me, Your promises are my delight

BR
Even what the enemy means for evil
You turn it for our good, You turn it for our good and for your glory
Even in the valley You are faithful
Youʼre working for our good, Youʼre working for our good and for your glory

Merry Christmas, baby!

We miss you so much!

We think about you every day and can't wait to hear your laugh again!

Love,
Mama and Papa