We've moved!!!

Our blogging has moved!!!
I am combining my blogs into one!

Come visit us at Heads Up Seven Up!

LID!!!!

Yea!! We have our LID - July 24,2008!
The LID is our Log In Date - this means China has our paper work!
We were told that our Letter Of Acceptance could take 3 months.
We are hoping and praying that it wont take that long!!!
We are cleaning the house getting ready for our little girl to join
our family!

Thanks for all your prayers!
Jodi Sue :)

We are DTC!

Yea! Finally! Our paperwork in on the way to China! I got a call from our agency today and Karla said our paperwork is officially on the way! We are so relieved! Some of our paperwork was close to expiring, if the Chinese Consulate had returned that it could have been another month or more! Thank you Jesus!

Karla said that it is still 4-5 months before travel time. We are hoping this is an over exaggeration! Yea!!! Prayerfully our little girl will be home before Thanksgiving!

Thanks to all of you who are continually praying for our entire family!

We hope to get an update on Jorja soon!
I can't wait to sit and cuddle with her!

What???

Can you believe this! I'm not totally clear about this but for some reason FEDEX was unable to deliver our Dossier to the Chinese Consoltate in Houston (not sure if they wouldn't deliver it or the Consulate wouldn't accept it from FEDEX.) Anyway, our Dossier sat at FEDEX for over a week!
DHL has now delivered the papers safe and sound to the Chinese Consultate. Prayerfully we will have everything okay'd and our Dossier will be on the way to China next week.

Ohhhhh, I am so ready for this roller coaster to be over and to hold our little girl!

Please continue praying for all of our kids as we prepare to grow again!

Our little girl waits so patiently!

The Waiting Child
An Adoption Poem

By Debbie Bodie

I saw you meet your child today
You kissed your baby joyfully
And as you walked away with him
I played pretend you'd chosen me.

I'm happy for the baby, yet
Inside I'm aching miserably
I want to plead as you go by,
"Does no-one want a child of three?"

I saw you meet your child today
In love with her before you met
And as I watched you take her out
I knew it wasn't my turn yet.

I recognize you from last year!
I knew I'd seen your face before!
But you came for a second babe.
Does no-one want a child of four?

I saw you meet your child today
But this time there was something new
A nurse came in and took MY hand
And then she gave my hand to you.

Can this be true? I'm almost six!
And there are infants here, you see?
But then you kissed me and I knew
The child you picked this time was me.

Copyright 1997

5 Kids!

What am I thinking?
Yesterday was so peaceful! For a few hours I only had two kids playing in the house.
Brady was at soccer (working as a referee!), and Jailyn was napping. Even DH Bryan was gone - watching Brady and other teams. Kenzie and Conner were playing computer games together. I could hear them in the other room, but no one came to ask me anything! They were quiet happy that I leave them alone and I was happy to ablidge!
The TV was off and I actually had some quiet time! WOW!!! That doesn't happen around here very often!
I enjoyed it so much I thought - I am doing the right thing - wanting a big family? Adopting another child? Four is overwhelming at times, what are Bryan and I going to do with five!
When Bryan got home I had to go run some errands, and I went alone!!! When I was done picking up a few things, I ran by the soccer fields to see if Brady was done. He had just begun a game, which a friend of ours coaches and his son plays on. I went home and got the rest of the crew and we went back to the fields to watch the game. It was so fun to have all my kids there - hanging out! Running around the fields! Playing together, laughing. Does it get better then this? Not really!
As we were playing I couldn't help but get very sad that Jorja was not with us! I can't wait to see her running around, giggling, playing with her brothers,and sisters!
I guess I am made out for this big family thing!
I believe if God gives you a calling I need to heed His call!
Though money is tight at times, and we love hand-me-downs! And we have two cars that could really be put to pasture, we need new carpet, and a new couch. I hope and pray this is not what my kids remember about me. I hope they remember that their Dad and I followed God's call and went forward in faith to add to our family! I pray they learn to do the same!
A friend of mine in college would always tell me that I was going to be a missionary in Asia. I always knew I was called to adopt children, but never knew that two of my children would be from China. Rodney, I wish I could find you after all these years and tell you how right you were!

This has been one of my favorite songs since college - God will let us know where He wants us to go! We need to trust and follow Him! Lord of the Harvest I'll Go! (I have still not been able to figure out the whole you tube and blogspot so here is the link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WN7ezuRYpA

You know you are an adoptive parent when...

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's 'real' parents.
7. You have ever been 'pregnant' with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You know what the word 'Dossier' means, and you can actually pronounce it!
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.