We got the long awaited call!!!!!!!! We have RA/LOA!!!!!!!!

The first picture we saw of Piper in March 2008

God had put her on my heart and I started praying.
Monday before Thanksgiving 2008 received

this picture from our agency with an update.
We sent her a birthday cake and necklace for her 13th birthday.

Your Love, O Lord,

reaches to the

heavens,

Your faithfulness

to the skies.

Psalm 36:5

Yes, after ninety-nine days of waiting. This morning we received

the long awaited phone call. We have our RA!!!! (referral acceptance)

Exactly one year ago to the day we received the phone call from our

agency letting us know the CCAA had given us permission to pursue

the adoption of Piper (because of China's new rules our agency

had to send a letter asking permission for us to adopt because DH

was going to hit the age limit) We were told that it would take

2 months for them to answer the request and it only took 2 weeks!!

We were also emailed a short video of her. God blessed us with a

wonderful wedding anniversary gift last year and again this year

with our RA!!!

What a beautiful reminder of God's restoring love in our marriage.

Little Fish

Jaden is swimming without floaties or vests!!!
Even underwater!!!
Click on this picture and you can see her holding her nose.

She even is jumping in on her own.

Those pictures weren't very good.... will try for more later.

I did it!!!!!!!!!

90 Days and Waiting

After receiving all kinds of paperwork to fill out (via email) to be

prepared for our RA/LOA (Referral Acceptance/Letter of Acceptance)

this past friday I thought for sure RA/LOA would be in the batch

that came yesterday. So when it wasn't I was a little discouraged

and sad. I just kept asking,"The Lord why?" "Please help me to keep

trusting in your perfect timing."

This was today's devotional from Streams In The Dessert

And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious

unto you . . . blessed are all they that wait for Him

(Isaiah 30:18)

We must not only think of our waiting upon God, but also of what is

more wonderful still, of God's waiting upon us. The vision of Him

waiting on us will give new impulse and inspiration to our waiting

upon Him. It will give us unspeakable confidence that our waiting

cannot be in vain. Let us seek even now, at this moment, in the spirit

of waiting on God, to find out something of what it means. He has

inconceivably glorious purposes concerning every one of His

children. And you ask, "How is it, if He waits to be gracious, that

even after I come and wait upon Him, He does not give the help

I seek, but waits on longer and longer?"

God is a wise husbandman, "who waiteth for the precious fruit of

the earth, and hath long patience for it." He cannot gather the fruit

till it is ripe. He knows when we are spiritually ready to receive the

blessing to our profit and His glory. Waiting in the sunshine of

His love is what will ripen the soul for His blessing. Waiting under

the cloud of trial, that breaks in showers of blessings, is as needful.

Be assured that if God waits longer than you could wish, it is only

to make the blessing doubly precious. God waited four thousand

years, till the fullness of time, ere He sent His Son. Our times are

in His hands; He will avenge His elect speedily; He will make haste

for our help, and not delay one hour too long.

Andrew Murray

Wow! When I think of how hard headed and stubborn I can

be it sure makes me thankful that my Father in heaven is

so gracious and merciful and that He waits patiently for

me. I will praise Him in the waiting.

Happy Independence Day!

A red white and blue cutie!
She was trying to get away so I couldn't get her picture!

She is such a tease!

The all American ring pop!

We went to spend the fourth with our oldest son and his precious family.

And we were blessed again with an awesome firework show! Do you see what I see? I didn't even notice until I posted the picture.

Delayed Blessings

This is from my devotional Streams In the Dessert I am a day

ahead since we are going out of town this weekend for the

fourth of July and I only want to take my bible. I wanted to

share this really quick before we leave.

July 4

For the vision is yet for an appointed time.... though it tarry, wait

for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry (Hab. 2:3)

In the charming little booklet Expectation Corner, Adam Slowman

was led into the Lord's treasure houses, and among many other

wonders there revealed to him was the "Delayed Blessing Office,"

where God kept certain things, prayed for, until the wise time

came to send them.

It takes a long time for some pensioners to learn that delays

are not denials. Ah, there are secrets of love and wisdom in the

"Delayed Blessings Department," which are little dreamt of!

Men would pluck their mercies green when the Lord would

have them ripe. "Therefore will the Lord WAIT, that He may

be gracious unto you"(Isa. 30:18). He is watching in the hard

places and will not allow one trial too many; He will let the dross

be consumed, and then He will come gloriously to your help

Do not grieve Him by doubting His love. Nay, lift up your

head, and begin to praise Him even now for the deliverance

which is on the way to you, and you will be abundantly rewarded

for the delay which has tried your faith.

O Thou of little faith,

God hath not failed thee yet!

When all looks dark and gloomy,

Thou dost so soon forget~

Forget that He has led thee,

And gently cleared thy way;

On clouds has poured His sunshine,

And turned thy night to day.

And if He's helped thee hitherto,

He will not fail thee now;

How it must wound His loving heart

To see thy anxious brow!

Oh! doubt not any longer,

To Him commit thy way,

Whom in the past thou trusted,

And is "just the same today."