We're coming, Cole!

Got the most wonderful news this morning - Cole's passport is ready! We are going to India! Waiting to hear from the embassy regarding our scheduled appointment but then we can book our plane tickets and GO!

To God be the glory. After the cyclone, Tami let me know to expect the passport to be delayed at least a few days. (We had been expecting it this week.) We were continuing to trust God for His timing and could already see His hand at work since we originally hoped to be going this week and now see how awful that would have been with the aftermath of the storm. Mark had already pushed everything back at work and was beginning to get concerned about how to reschedule all those meetings yet again if the passport was delayed. I just began praying and specifically asked God for it to come this week. Yesterday I specifically asked for it to come Thursday. And sure enough, the most wonderful call this morning from Tami asking us if we're ready to go! Praise God for His faithfulness, goodness and willingness to act on our behalf!

Birthday Fun

We had so much fun celebrating Nate's 2nd birthday over a long weekend! Saturday we went to the Museum of Transportation which is a perfect outing for a boy of any age. :) We also went out to eat for Nate's birthday and since he is too young to pick his favorite restaurant, I picked for him! Sunday we enjoyed church and time to play outside (during one of the breaks from the rain). Monday we spent time at the park for our annual church picnic and then came home to have birthday dinner, cake and presents! (I know the Incredible Hulk is highly inappropriate for a 2 year old but it was one of the first things he imitated Mark on. "Hulk Smash - grrrr!"
Here are some pics!

My cup overflows!

More pictures of our sweet boy! It's amazing how different he looks yet again. Thanks to Greg & Colleen for these wonderful photos. I can't help but smile when I think it's my turn next to hold this boy! Soon, soon, soon!!!



Here are the comments Colleen had to say about him:

He was very observant and watched everything going on. The other two babies in the crib were very loud (in a happy way though) and reaching for the camera, he sat back and watched them before deciding to look up at us and smile (I don't think we caught it on video or picture though). I picked him up and gave him a little hug from you (but the sudden motion seemed to startle him a little so I put him back down quickly- didn't want to make him cry!). I told him his Mama is coming soon. He looked well and happy and like he liked his little cribmates. The ayahs were able to get him to look and hopefully we got some good pics. He is definitely the observant, watchful type of baby (or at least he was for the 30 or so minutes we were in there). The ayahs clearly loved him and knew him well.

Will he fit right into our family or what???? Both Lucy & Nate are the observant, watchful type as well. The Lord works in wonderful ways!

We are spending the holiday weekend celebrating Nate's birthday which is on Monday. Pictures of my other favorite little boy to come soon!

CF Walk

Last Saturday we got to participate in the Great Strides walk supporting and raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It was such an amazing experience to be surrounded by so many people affected by this disease. We were there to support Matteo, Lucy's sweet friend from church. His family is near & dear to our hearts and it was such a privilege to be there along side of them. Every dollar we raised goes to research in finding a cure. Progress is made every year with this disease but it currently still projects a life span of only 37 years old. We look forward to attending again year after year until the cure is found! Here's a picture of all the kiddos part of "Matteo's Mob":

11 months old and pictures too!

Cole is 11 months old today. I am praying that next month, on this day, he will be here with us! We're still hoping to go the first or second week in June but can not make any arrangements until that passport comes!

We got a copy of our guardianship/legals this morning and I was so humbled and feel so strange about it all. To see my husband's name and our address on this official Indian document saying Cole belongs to us! To see information about Cole's mom & dad, and to wonder about them. I opened the email in a rush this morning and that was a huge mistake. We had to get out the door and I got so emotional. I am so thankful this part of it all will be over soon!

We also got a ton of adorable pictures - thank you Amy & Clint!!! These are some of our best yet - seeing him standing and with some of his friends. Won't he just treasure these forever?

Hello Sunny Weather

It finally stopped raining enough for us to get to the park! We had some cold weeks in April so we're so happy spring is finally here to stay!





Also, I couldn't help but record this silly boy singing his heart out. Watch out American Idol!

Signature...check!

The judge signed our guardianship yesterday! Now to pray for that passport which has proved rather elusive for some families. We really have an ideal small window to travel in early June relating to Mark's job and so I'm hoping God will choose to arrange things just so. It is a time to trust, yet again!

I know many people have been following the Compassion International bloggers as they were in Calcutta last week. I read a few entries and everytime, immediately thought of all the birthmoms out there who chose to give their babies up. Those women (and men, too) who first chose life for their babies and second, chose hope for them. I can't imagine living in those circumstances but wonder if I did, would I be brave enough to give up my child? Would I be selfless enough?

Cole's birthmom will never know who we are or what happened to her son born almost a year ago. She'll never know how eagerly we have waited for him. How excited we have been to see a new picture, to anticipate holding him in our arms. She won't know how many people have been praying for this little boy they have never met. But I hope, even in her unawareness, that she has peace knowing her choices would lead to his good. I hope she has comfort in her actions to give him more than she could offer. It is a humbling privilege to pray for her.

Giveaway

I don't say it enough but I am so blessed to be able to stay home right now with our kiddos. It is now our goal to keep me home even as our kids get older through Arbonne. I am doing a big push right now since I'll obviously be preoccupied in just a little while with my new sweet boy coming home. :) I'm thankful to have a job with this kind of flexibility where I can always put my family first.

There is a giveway here where you can enter to win the Awaken Body Mist (which is also a natural bug repellant - just in time for summer) plus $30 in free products! Good Luck!

Case Approved!!!!

I am so excited to tell y'all that our case was approved!

I am in shock because I was really preparing myself for it not to happen, especially during our first court appearance. When I was first told of our court date, I waivered between telling people or keeping it to ourselves. My nature is to do the latter but I really felt God leading me to involve others, to ask for prayers, and to let everyone experience this with us.

So I did and as a result, grew so close to my God this past month. Trusting Him for His will, preparing to give Him glory no matter what happened, watching in awe and humility as He encouraged me again and again through friends & family praying for us and for Cole.

So what's next? As much as I'd love to say we were getting on a plane tomorrow, we wait for the judge's signature, Cole's passport & our travel visas. If all goes smoothly, we'd love to be able to leave May 30th and have Cole in our arms in plenty of time for his first birthday!!

Thank you again to everyone who has encouraged us and prayed for us. And thanks to God, the powerful almighty Creator of the universe who loves us so intimately to work on our behalf for His glory.