We have a date, we need to be in country on November 5th.  We have plane tickets and will be leaving on the 2nd.  Things are starting to fall into place. I never thought this day would come, it almost feels like a dream.  So much has been thrown at us, and it feels good to know we persevered, we made it through even when there was little to no chance that we would. The Lord held my hand down a road that was painful, and asked me to do nothing but to have faith in Him.  Yet, he opened the doors to allow us to go back down this road.   I am so completely blessed to be here now. One last thing standing in the way of me and the girls.   Please please share our need. I would be lying if  I suggested I wasn't concerned.  I'm concerned.  But while being concerned I know it will work itself out. I have no more fundraisers nothing, nothing left.  After readjusting what we need to be fully funded we still need 4475.00 in 15 days.  That is 298.00 a day.  I hold on to faith to get us through this as our tickets are here, our bags are packed and we are  so so ready to bring home the girls.  They have waited so long.  While in country I will be updating on a group on facebook.  If you would like to be included in that group let me know.  It will tell of our journey, and have photos.  I will leave you with recent pictures of them now.  I humbly ask you to please pray, share, and donate to help them come home.

My heart is heavy tonight with gratitude.  I don't even know if I have the words to express how I feel.  When I am overcome with emotion, my words always get twisted and I never seem to say adequately what I am thinking.  Tonight I am just so so thankful.  I know I have said it over and over again but really I am just astounded as to how others have helped us through this process.   It was a humbling experience before to have people, strangers hand us money because they wanted to help us get our girls. However humbling and unbelievable it was before, it is even more so now.  To think we were fully funded and almost traveled five months ago, to needing more to be able to travel again.  It was hard before but this time it is even harder to ask others to help out. I am just so shockingly amazed every time someone thinks of us, and blesses us with a donation.  Don't think your donations go unnoticed.  They are appreciated and we rejoice everytime.  I completely understand what our economy is like right now, and know that your gifts could be used somewhere else, yet you choose to help us, and everytime I think about it I get teary.  I so don't deserve all of you shouting out to the world for our little (well soon to be big) family. We are just one ordinary family, nothing special about us.  We don't live in a huge house, we don't drive fancy cars, we are even known to eat boxed macaroni and cheese a few too many times during the week.  We are just a family that listened to the whispers of  our God, who told us to go.  I know that there is at least 1 of you out there that wants to do the same.  Please don't wait any longer.  Please make the choice to save another life.  There are others that will support you, I will support you.  Please I am asking you to ask  yourself if you have room in your family to love just one more child. If the answer is yes, then adoption is doable, and so absolutely worth it.

I don't really have anything profound to say.  Today is a good day.  We are submitted again.  We will have a travel date soon.  Girlies we are on our way soon.  So blessed to be this far.  Please check out our current fundraiser.  If you have little girls, I have the coolest auction on facebook.  Please check it out.   So far there are 40 outfits new from Gymboree, all different sizes and I have made matching bows to go with each outfit. Come check it out here  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gymboree-AuctionHair-Bows-Help-Nellie-and-Katelyn-come-Home/376569449078999

Several months ago we bought headboards for the girls beds.  Today was the day to put them together and Noah was more than happy to help.

I forgot to mention yesterday that we are no longer fully funded.  This time around I am not fretting about this God provided once and I know He will again.  Because of needing new airline tickets, and redoing all our paperwork we are still 4500.00 short.  We have about 6 weeks before we travel.  I just wanted to put that need out there.  I have been making bows that so many of you guys have been buying like hotcakes.  So I decided to try my hand at tutu's and matching bows.  So hense, my newest fundraiser.  I have available this ice cream set, the cost is 30.00.  If you would like to buy it let me know.  If you would like to order any other theme let me know and I will get working.  My little model didn't want to take it off.  

or this set is up for bid at   https://www.facebook.com/events/262909950486010/  

This mini auction is up tomorrow.

I'm Back!

Coming back to write a post on my blog is a bit overwhelming.  I spent a good 8 months, with high and low emotions that go along with adoption, and to scroll through the posts I see how it ends abruptly right when we thought we were to be leaving to get the girls.  How devastating the last several months have been.  I can't even tell you how I longed to leave the country and bring those girls home.  I have debated with myself for the last month weather I should come back and blog at all.  The last few days I have been getting comments from different people  asking if they could have access to my blog.  I thought to  myself oh how disappointed would they be to get here and see nothing for the past several months.  There was no happy ending to our story.  (YET)  So as of now, my blog will be opened back up for the few readers that I have.  My ultimate goal for this blog is for others to see redemption in adoption.  I so badly want everyone I know to get it, and maybe my words will encourage someone down the road.  I am not the most elegant writer, I have several blogger friends that write, and my they write how I feel.  IT isn't about my writing skills but it is about my heart.

All I can say is our adoption is back on track, we had a problem and we couldn't travel to our first appointment.  In the long run we ended up having to redo our home study,  be re approved for immigration, and send in a new dossier to the girls country. All of these things are done, and we are back at the point of waiting to be submitted and then waiting for a travel date.  So here we wait for another 4 to 6 weeks until we travel.  So everything seems to be good.  There is one thing that has greatly changed in these months and it is me.  It is really hard to explain, but these months I have learned  more of a true dependence on my savior.     There were days of deep pain, yet there were days when I was in complete praise. I was crushed, heart broken and desperately I wanted to do whatever I could to get to my girls, but there was nothing that I physically could do to change the situation.  I had no power at all.  Here is the greatest difference you will see in me, I finally get it.  I have no power in anything by myself.  If this adoption is to occur, it is all the Lord's doing.  Did I get that before, yes sort of.  The difference is I fully have confidence and trust in the fact that if we are to adopt these girls then  the Lord will make the way, in His time, and in His way.  I am truly at peace with that.  He has the ultimate plan in work here.  Peace, I think I have learned that no matter what the circumstance I can have peace, and joy.

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4:6-9

I love the way God uses this verse in my life.  When I first started following Him, this verse was one that helped me start to break through the baggage of my past.  These months I have clung to this verse in a completely different way. One where Jesus has held me up and showed me how to have peace in my heart not matter what.  

I have been contemplating this post for months now.  I don't even know exactly what to say.  First, I am so sorry that I haven't  blogged about our circumstance.  Most of you have no idea what has happened but we have not yet traveled to go get the girls.  It has been a long 4 months and I will go more into detail of what has happened soon.  I will continue to keep my blog closed until after we travel.  Yes, Lord willing we will be traveling again soon.  Continue praying friends.
 A dear friend gave me a devotional book a while ago called Jesus Calling, and these words I often think about, somehow they put it all into perspective for me.   Four months of pain have also been four months that have really taught me how to joyously live for the Lord.

Do no resist or run from difficulties in your life.  These problems are not random mistakes, they are hand tailored blessings designed for your benefit and growth.  Embrace all the circumstances that I allow in your life, trusting Me to bring good out of them.  View problems as opportunities to rely more fully on Me.
When you start to feel stressed, let those feelings alert you to your need for Me.  Thus, your needs become doorways to deep dependence on Me and increasing intimacy between us.  Although self sufficiency is acclaimed in the world, reliance on Me produces abundant living in My kingdom.  Thank Me for the difficulties in your life since they provide protection from idolatry of self reliance.

2 Days!!!!!

Ok, I knew leaving my boys would be difficult, but tomorrow is the day and emotionally it is so so hard.  My 13 year old is expressing it the most that it is going to be hard for him to have us gone for so long.  He is concerned and very worried so please pray for Him.  My youngest isn't verbally saying how this is affecting him but I can see it loud and clear through his body language. He has been stuck to my hip for days.  The middle boys seem to be okay for the moment but I know a week or two and they are going to be wanting to go home.  So please keep us in your prayers this is a hard 6 week transition.  It pulls my heart into two directions, I want to be home with my boys yet I want to go get my girls.  I never knew how hard these days would be.  They are in good hands and I am so thankful for Grandparents.

Our bags are packed.  We leave in 2 days.  Today I am focusing on paperwork.  Paperwork to take, bills that need paid, schoolwork that will need to continue to need to be done.  It is a bit overwhelming, so I hope I can get through it all today.

I have waited and waited for this day. (Still learning patience) We can say today that we are fully funded!!!!  MY heart is over joyed today as I sit in amazement at how my God has provided for our adoption.  This has not been an easy 8 months,  but would I change any part of it, absolutely not.  Today is a good day and I come here today to say thank you  to all of you who felt led to help us through your prayers and by giving.  I am so humbled to say thank you as I know many many of you gave so sacrificially.  I write this with tears streaming down my face as I think about all of the people in this adoption.  This is one obstacle no longer in our way.  This barrier has been broken, my God is good all the time.  He always makes a way.  We were called to bring these girls home but without you it would have never have been possible.  Now we journey across the country in just 7 days to go hold the girls that were always in our hearts.  I am just over the moon excited to go.  God is in this, and He is continually paving the way though.  He continues to prove faithful, even when my head ponders the possibilities that this wasn't going to happen.  Praising God, today!!

Overwhelmed today.  I sit here in tears as I watch others step in and help us with the last of our funding.  A few weeks ago, I was like okay God, I have nothing left to do.  I have no more fundraisers, I have nothing left to do to make this happen, I was wiped and drained emotionally, financially and had to just turn it over to God.  When I let go and trust in Him I am in awe as he has turned others hearts towards us.  Not just one or two but several people, several families are in process of helping us come up with the rest of our funds. I truly am not worried, because God has provided everything so far and we are only short a measly 1000.00.  I humbly say thank you to all of you.  The last 8 months money has been slowly but steadily pouring in.  I look at the relationships I have made along the way, and others in my community that I will have lasting relationships with as they poured out love over our family.  God is doing so much more here than just providing the money for our adoption.  He has opened up my eyes, and my heart to people just like me.  8 days and counting, we are 8 days from boarding a plane to meet our daughters.  I am overjoyed even thinking about it.

Praying, Packing, Praying Packing!!!!

We are going to be boarding a plane in 10 days.  I am completely overwhelmed I have so much to do, as well as continue every day life.  Our newest plan is to stay in country for the whole 5 to 6 weeks to get our girls.  Unless something happens and we have an extra long wait.  It is hard to believe that we are 1000.00 dollars away from being fully funded.  I just can't believe it. So picture me frantically running around trying to get every last detail taken care of, I'm at the point where sitting on a plane for all those hours is actually looking like it might be relaxing.  So giddy, really cant believe we are going to be there soon.

We are on our way!!! 14 days and counting!!!!

We have our tickets, we leave from Omaha at around 12:00pm on Friday April 20th, we have two weeks.  Oh my goodness, I need to pack.  I'm still in shock and can't believe it.  We will be there soon!!!  We even have about a 4 hour layover in Munich, where we will meet another family that is traveling to go get there daughter so we will be able to travel together to Kiev.  How exciting is that!!! We will be in Kiev on April 21st about 4:30 pm.  It is still unknown as far as how long we will be there, when we will come home if the holiday will make our stay a lot longer, if we will come home before court or after court, or if we will stay the entire trip.  Oh my goodness I'm letting God take control, because I have no control over any of it.  This has been a reoccurring theme for me this week, let go let God.  It is all in His timing and for His purpose.

Winners of Prizes

Yeah!!!

Prize #1  100.00 giftcard to Walmart

Mom2many 

Prize # 2 100.00 giftcard to Target

Martinville's  cheerleaders

Prize #3  A Vera Bradley bag.
Carol M.

 Prize #4

There is one for each month and then one with a cupcake for birthday. 

Mandy

WE HAVE A DATE!!!!!

We need to be in country on April 23rd.   I feel like a kid waking up on Christmas morning, super excited.  Please be in prayer for our appointment is on the 23rd and the country closes for a holiday on the 30th through the 9th.  Were not sure yet how this is going to impact our stay, but I'm assuming right now that we are going to need to be there an extra 10 days.

Wanted to update you all on my bows.  I have had a lot of success making bows.  Check out my facebook event and come order bows if you haven't yet.   My bows cost 8.00 each, if you wouldn't mind please link my event to your facebook page.  These bows are keeping me sane while we wait for a travel date.

https://www.facebook.com/events/258852324203042/

Here are a few of the bows I have made.

Balloon Release Success.

I know it has been a long time since I have posted.  I keep thinking well in another few days we will have a travel date.  Nope not yet, praying again for tomorrow but I'm not very hopeful, could be this week, or possibly next week.  I have been saying this for many weeks now.  It will happen eventually.  I have been super busy trying to raise the last bit of money we need.  We are down to 2600.00, I really cant believe we are that close to fully funded, only God could have made this possible.  The fundraising part the part that I have been the most uncomfortable with, has brought me several new friends in my community, friends who have already traveled down the road we are headed.

Our balloon release was a huge success and we raised a lot of money.  The Mosley's and our family each raiser 2400.00.  You guys were such a huge part of this.  Thank you so much for buying balloons to support us.  It was a beautiful day, and I can't wait to do it again next year.  I will draw for winners for the giftcards and prizes hopefully tonight.

Still no date, praying for Monday.  We should be part of the next group, there are only 5 of us left that need dates.

Today is World Down Syndrome Day.  I find it interesting that even though special needs has been on my heart for years, that I have a degree in special education, that we have Sherry who has down syndrome living with us,I have never heard of this day before.  About a month ago a lady that I have become friends with, she is the head of the Down Syndrome Support group in our community she told me about this day.  In fact our fundraiser on Sunday is to help celebrate this day.  This day forever more will not go unnoticed in our home.  It is so amazing to see the support for those who have children with Down Syndrome in our community.  I am so blessed to see that 104 people have signed up to come walk in our Step Up For Down Syndrome Walk.  Even though I continue to say how hard this process has been for us, there is no way I could have made it without all of the new people the Lord has brought into my life, they have helped so much.
I long to hold those girls in my arms.  I know the day is coming but the wait is getting hard, the financial part is getting close to being needed and we are still short 6500.  My blog has to be closed until we are home with our newest members of our family and I am at a loss for what I am supposed to do.  So here it is I have finally given it up, ok God you are in control here there is nothing else that I can physically do to raise the last amount that keeps us from getting to the girls.  It is all up to Him and I am weary yet excited to see how He will provide.  My faith I tell you has grown leaps and bounds over the last 8 months, I have done thing that I never could have done before to get these girls.  A few days ago I was ready to jump off from mountain tops all by myself if obstacles stood in our way.  Then I remember again that every single moment of this has a purpose.  I have to continue to know that the Lord can carry me through those obstacles and in the end I find myself drawn closer to Him.   I think in one of my first blog posts I suggested that God would stretch me in ways I had no clue about.  Yes friends he has done that in so many ways.

So here I am with a handful of reader, I an asking you to please shout from the rooftops about our adoption.  I have nothing left to entice you to help except my profound plea that these girls are worth having a family.   They are worth having someone to love them.  They are worth so much more than what they have been given which  is a ticket to a mental institution which is coming very soon.  Please continue to pray, for the last leg of this process.  I am expectantly praying that next year when we have our step up for Down Syndrome walk that two special little girls will be right by my side as we proudly show the world how worth it they really are.

Quick Update

Several of you have asked why we went private on our blog.  We were asked to by the people who help us with our adoption.  After we get the girls home we can open it up again.  This makes me a bit uneasy as we are still in the fundraising process so, when you want to link to our blog and cant the next best thing to do is link us to Reeces Rainbow  http://reecesrainbow.org/22870/sponsorcole

Today has been an emotional day for me. Today March 17th, St. Patrick's Day will forever be a day of reflection and remembrance for a loved one in our family. Dan's Grandma recently past away and her birthday was on St. Patrick's Day. I love how she embraced the fact that her birthday was on this day. So much so that her nickname was Pat. I only had the privilege of knowing this great woman for a short part of her life. She had and continues to have a great impact on those that were around her. When I think of her I think of how I want to be more like her. She had a great love for her family, and all those that were in her life. She reminds me daily of what a wife and mother can look like. God puts people in our lifes for a reason, and she taught me so much. I don't think she knew what kind of impact that she had on me.

I remember traveling to Ogallala for the first time to meet Dan's family, and I remember the love that met me at the door the day I walked into Dan's grandparents home. I pray that someday I may have the same kind of impact on someone else.

Here she is when my youngest Noah was a baby.  He is now almost 6 and I can't help but wonder what she would have though about my girls.  Sometimes I think she might be a bit shocked at first, I can almost see her eyes getting really big.  But I know she would have lovingly embraced Bella and Gracie as part of our family.  It is so hard to think about the fact that she won't be able too.

Balloon Baby Wall. Can we add some more kiddos today??

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVBl4sN0fTP32KWTO2tue_x1Tt3gEU_HoVkl_wH3BcUJtu4Tqo-nIGIL8iFhJsp8XouWkdlDVXXwcGkT-rZ90_ytEanZva2PutcIzUHjuaKzLVp_mpwvk9KJH30XyPx9MxLF-xFyAC7C_/s215/Valia.Jan2007.cr_1-300x300.jpg