Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours!

Merry Christmas from Olivia!

Thankful Thursday!

Hip, Hip - (you say, Hurraaaay!) Hip, Hip - Hurraaaay! Mama is STILL cancer-free. Our Miracle Mama is living up to her nickname!! Thank you, Lord, for this gift! What a fun Christmas we will have with Olivia and my Miracle Mama!

We are also very grateful to Sherri, who is in Haiti for her court appointment. She sent us this picture and note: "She (Patricia) REALLY wanted to make sure that I told you she loves and misses you so much. Even as we were getting ready to drive away she was in the window asking me to tell you :-)"
This of course brought tears of joy and sadness. It is bittersweet to be having another Christmas without them, but let me tell you, when these kids are home, what a celebration that will be!!! Love to get new pictures!!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thankful Thursday!

Two Years Ago Today...

I saw this face for the first time. I would have NEVER imagined that she would not be home yet, nor that we would not have any idea at all when she would be home. Adoption is hard. It downright stinks sometimes. But for those adopting from Haiti, you know that it is different than other countries...it is indescribable. I heard one woman, who was adopting from Ethiopia, state that she was very eager for her kids to come home because they had been at their orphanage for almost six months (her kids were coming home within a month of her saying that). I know that any amount of time in an orphanage is too long, and I know that any wait for any child or any adoptive parent is too long, but there are kids who have been in institutions for years. Some perhaps have spent their entire lives there. Patricia has been at her orphanage since March 2006 and Philippe has been there since March 2008. Too long. They have been matched with us since January 2008 (Patricia) and March 2008 (Philippe). It is crazy to me that the entire time Philippe has been there he has been matched. Lord have mercy on all the children MATCHED with families and still languishing in orphanages and even more, bless the children waiting for a match.

Lord, we plead with you to move the paperwork mountains for all the kids who are waiting for their mommies and daddies to tuck them in. It is hard to even pray to ask to bring these kids home because it feels like the prayers fall on deaf ears. But we ask anyway. Even though it feels impossible. Even though we sound like broken records. Even though our faith is small. Even though...

Kissing Cousins

Olivia just LOVES her cousin, Isaac. When she sees him she practically leaps out of my arms to get down to hug and kiss him. We are so happy that they have a special friendship and can grow up together! Here they are at church.