Let's play catch up!

Last week started with Haley's 4th grade graduation from West Morgan!



Our 1800a was overnighted to the USCIS on Tuesday. I immediately started applying for grants and working on our checklist of items for our dossier. We are almost finished with those items to mail to the agency. The only issue that we don't have yet is Natalee's passport. We are getting that processed this week and having it expedited will take approximately 3 weeks. I somehow dropped the ball on that and thought we had more time. Procrastinator here!

We ended the week with Natalee's end of the year ceremony at our church preschool. She didn't cry this time and she even sang for a couple of the songs. I was one proud mom!



Our yard sale is going to be HUGE! We filled our entire garage and moving it to my aunt and uncle's house and filling theirs too! We are so thankful for the donations. Jeremy, my parents, and I worked and worked all week and weekend sorting and preparing for the sale. Now on to pricing! Beyond blessed! Can you help us spread the word?

5/29 & 5/30
1404 Runnymead Ave SW
Decatur, AL 35603

Prayers for your week to be as abundant as mine!

Much love,
Sarah


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Through Prayer and Petition

This has become so apparent to me this week. I love how God shines on His time not just ours! We received the phone call on Monday! After several weeks going back and forth making changes to our Home Study, it is finalized and approved. We were so eager to get the next step (Immigration) in process so we had actually already filled out paperwork and compiled important documents. All we had to do was receive the call, sign and date the docs, write a check, and drop in the mail. And we did! So we are excited to say we are already in process for our dossier. Even though I was ahead of the game, the agency still has tedious work on their end so it takes time :)

Thank you for all of your yard sale donations! We are so blessed with amazing friends!! We have a packed garage. I mean floor to ceiling! It is still on schedule for 5/29 and 5/30 at my aunt and uncle's house. We also plan on having a Mellow Mushroom fundraising day in June. More details on that soon.

Much love!
Sarah


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Instilling Gratefulness

Gratefulness has not really been a problem for me. My parents were not rich but they were not poor. I honestly never knew what type of income we had growing up. They provided our needs and we didn't want excessively. They taught that gratefulness goes hand in hand with responsibility and respect.

We are trying our best to instill this trait in our home as well. We've had years of the constant prompting of "Thank You's" and sending cards. I must say it feels so good when we are in public and someone does something for NG and I hear her say the words! My insides scream "Yes, Yes, YES!!" You know the feeling!

It's been a bit more difficult with Haley. She has much prompting and still has difficulty convincing to be grateful. I haven't quite pin pointed the issue there but there is always the fact that she spent 10 years in different environments before our home.

I say all this to lead back to this...these are basic necessities for our children. I have learned the importance of this as a parent. I can only imagine if these simple traits are instilled to a higher standard AS toddlers and children, then would Baltimore be in quite the mess? Maybe, maybe not. It all starts with what we teach our children. Parents have to be involved! It may not always work but why not spend every minute you have with that child trying.

Keep God first!

Much love,
Sarah

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Struggles are real!

The past week has been TOUGH! We all have them. So I'm not going to dwell. I am going to say it means the world to cry your heart out and look up and see your friend crying with you.

How did Jesus do it? He healed sick. He made blind see. He cured those that had never walked before and watched them walk away. He made deaf hear. Yet people still harassed him, beat him, yelled at him, and treat him so unfair. He never stopped loving them all. He hung on the cross being tortured and taking his very last breath but still loved.

I am in NO comparison of Jesus. I do wish everyday to be more like Him. All of our decisions throughout these processes (caring for our niece and adopting again) have been faith based. We have not made a decision without praying and making sure it is God centered. So we know every decision is right at this time. For some reason we are struggling right now. God has His plan and will see us through but it sure hurts in the meantime. And I am having a very hard time loving on those hurting me. I'm easy to forgive but not as easy to love. I'm telling you Jesus is awesome.

I keep saying each day will get better but it hasn't quite yet. Please pray with our family.

This verse was one of my daily verses I received last week. Very appropriate!



Much love,
Sarah

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Listening to God

My little Nattie Grace comes to us with a new answer to every situation.

"God told me!"

Why do you want to go to school during spring break? Why do you burp so rudely out loud? Why do you want to jump on the trampoline in the rain? Yep, same answer every time. "God told me to!"

As we drive past the yards that have burned away the grass and weeds for Spring, NG says "Mommy that grass is black because God makes all colors!" Yes!

As she's terrorizing Haley in every single possible way imaginable and then she's caught..."God wants me to" NO!!

If it were only easy peasy to hear God. Over the years it has become more natural for me as I grow in my Christian faith. I believe the stronger Christian you become the easier it is to recognize what God wants. We all know the basics that are expected of us as He tells us in the Bible. I'm talking about those life changing decisions that you have to make throughout your life. The most amazing part is that God initiates it and He sees it through. I tell my girls all the time. God is our one constant! We can always count on Him.

So when you feel the tugging at your ear and your heart just pray. God has some important news. Or you can always come ask my Nattie Grace, she and God are quite tight and he tells her to do everything!

Oh and for the important adoption stuff:
Our case worker's supervisor has been swamped but our Home Study will be approved by the end of the week. We jumped ahead and already began immigration paperwork. We are still working on yard sale but possibly moving it back to June. I spoke to mgr at Mellow Mushroom and we will have a fundraising day there! We are deciding the day and will let you know. He will give us a percentage of all the receipts turned in that day!

Have a fabulous Easter!

NG celebrating Chinese NY at church 2/15


Much love,

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Let It Go

Have you ever raised your hands praising Jesus? At church, home, mission trip, conference, just giving HIM all glory? It is the most amazing feeling. Let me just tell you!

I can remember as a 5 or 6 year old sitting in my grandfathers very small, very southern baptist church on the back pew. As he was preaching, very powerful and loud during sermons might I add, the older generation would yell out and raise their hands. I very quickly squirmed in Mom's lap nervously thinking something major was about to happen. Well major things were happening! Only I didn't start feeling it til much later in life. I am always so moved by our music at church. Week after week I lay my problems at His feet but Sunday mornings I have that opportunity to sing to Him about all He has done for me, us. When I close my eyes and feel that moment and hear those words naturally my arms raise. Arms raise and the tears flow uncontrollably every time! The weirdest thing. It reminds me of a Pez dispenser. You pull back the head and out shoots candy! :)

Next time you are at church, home, trip, anywhere giving Him praise try lifting your arms. It gives you a feeling like you are letting go of all and giving all to Him.

With that being said, we are constantly praying for patience. Please pray with us. I am really working on letting it go and giving it all to God. This is His plan and His timing so no need to be anxious.

I spoke with our case worker last Thursday and she said within the week our Home Study would be finalized and we begin the immigration process. We have already received lots of items for our yard sale. Thank you!!

I'll leave you with a picture of some anxious girls ready for a new little one :)

Much love,
Sarah


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Here we go again!

Last Sept we made the announcement that Natalee will be a big sister! Jeremy and I began the adoption process with Lifeline again and it has been busy ever since. The complete process will be very similar as Natalee's adoption. The only differences were a few easier steps (that we didn't have to duplicate) during our Home Study process. We have completed our HS and it is now being reviewed and approved by our case worker's supervisor. This could take up to 3 weeks. The timing is critical as China's requirements of us and our Home Study are detailed. The preparation of our dossier is next.

During this time our niece, Haley, came to live with us. It started out temporary for the month of December until her mother could find a home. She is now staying with us for an indefinite time. Haley is a very sweet, shy 10 year old girl. We are now in process of transforming Natalee's room to Haley's room and moving Natalee to share with her baby sister. The transition has been a challenge but I'm learning that it's not my way, it's God's way. I never quite understand why God chooses me to take on certain tasks/challenges but I learn that if I lean not on my own understanding and truly walk by faith...it all works out!

Soon we will be starting to apply for some grants and begin fundraising. Our first fundraiser is planned for May. We will be having a yard sale. If you'd like to help us by donating items, we would greatly appreciate it! The yard sale has always been successful for us in the past thanks to all of you! We have also discussed an online auction. If you have any other ideas, let us know!

(BTW-I made the decision to keep the blog name the same. After all, it is by grace we are here and given this opportunity!)

Much love,
Sarah

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