Still counting...

The past few months have flown by in a bit of a blur... packed schedules, finishing up the school year, planning a baby shower...
...and navigating the adoption drama. A few of us caught in the adoption crisis have intentionally sought each other out and made a little group on Facebook to share prayer requests, encouragement, and tidbits of news... that community has really sustained me on days when I felt like we might never get to bring Baby Sister home. I'm so thankful for these ladies that God has put in my life, and for Joe, and for my boys who faithfully pray for their little sister every day, and for the ladies in my Bible study group right now... so many people have been faithful to pray for us and check in on us. I love you all! And yes, I'm still counting my "Reasons", so those were numbers #57-60 :)

I am reminded that

61. God is in control of it all. Government red tape is nothing to Him.

62. He loves me

63. He loves her

64. The One who calls us is faithful and He will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

65. No matter what, His plans are better than my plans. Isaiah 55:8-9⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord.⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

So... with assurances like that, we keep on truckin'... and what a wonderful world it is.

 

66. Concentration: Levi's first season of flag football draws to a close. He has had fun and been a great team player!

 

67. Brother love is so sweet, especially when they still fit in one chair. Oh, clinging to these days!

68. Mason stepped out of his comfort zone for these games. Growing from a boy to a man is often very uncomfortable but pretty amazing to watch! His confidence continues to increase. 

69&70. Mom and Joe cleaning up after a delicious Mother's Day breakfast. We had such a fun weekend in Flagler!

71. Joanie, my godmother or "other mother" ;)

72. Have I mentioned CASSIE IS PREGNANT?!? Oh, maybe once or twice ;) The baby shower was a success (phew!) despite Mom's dog eating two bags of chocolate candy and the decorations we ordered from Etsy never arriving in the mail. Who needs party favors and decorations when you have a BIG belly to rub, a sister who happily (and sometimes nearly forcefully) shares her belly to be rubbed, and a healthy, active baby to celebrate? This baby is very much appreciated. And quite a soccer player!

 

Things that have cracked me up lately:

73. I told Mason I loved him tonight, and he replied with his sideways wink and a thumbs up. Oh, my big little boy!

74. Listening to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in the car today and Edmund said something like, "Oh, everyone knows that." Micah asked, "Do we, mom? Do we know that too?"

75. Levi with his Olan Mills pose on the tube behind the boat, taunting. Oh, man, he is going to be a hilarious teenager. We are so in trouble.

76. Mason steamrolling Levi off the tube and just being a pesty big brother in general. And Levi loving it (usually). This maybe shouldn't be a praise but sometimes it really is just funny.

 

Two more very wonderful praises:

77. Joe made me the mack-daddy of all Mother's Day gifts. He put these two 8x10's in a long frame, one on top of the other just like this:

 

 

 

78. Adoption news!!! Our case apparently was submitted to court sometime within the past few weeks. The Ethiopia side of our agency is apparently working so hard that the US side can't keep up and only today got this news. I'm ok with that, as long as someone is moving us forward. We hadn't heard anything for about 2 weeks, and this morning I was journaling and just told God, "I know you are working, can You please just show us how?" And so He did. So things are moving and that's very very welcome news!

 



I am not a regular blogger (have I mentioned we have three kids and we homeschool?) so there are so many more "reasons" I see and appreciate as our days pass (and SO many more that I'm sure I fail to see!). I don't get to log them all. But they are there.