Feliz cumpleaños a ti, Niño Precioso.

A Lot on My Mind

Tonight, I don’t think I’m going to be getting much sleep. Even if I do, my eyes are going to be red and puffy in the morning. There are so many things on my mind.

Today is Jose’s birthday (well it'll be the 29th in Guatemala in a couple hours). He’s turning 2. When we first started this process, we were pretty sure he would be home with us by this point. I know now that, even without the document issues, that would have been nigh impossible in the current atmosphere in Guatemala—especially since he has a Mixco birth certificate. But it still hurts thinking of what “should” have been. We didn’t send anything down, and I feel guilty about that. We haven’t heard anything about him in several months, so I’m not even sure if he is still with his foster mom or somewhere else. I think we might get a little birthday cake and sing to him. Of course, we’ll pray for him and all those involved in his life.

I know God is touching my heart with so many things right now…clean water, HIV, famine, orphans, widows, Red Letters, sacrificial giving, our adoption, friends' adoptions…I don’t know what to do with it all. But I’m praying He will not let me become complacent. He will stir my heart until I know and follow His lead.

Random Pictures

Our big girl after her last day of Three-year-old pre-school! She made the visor herself...can you tell? :-)




Elizabeth with some dolls we made. Yes, the faces need a little help (Grandma was a little button happy hehehe), but they were fun to make! We are going to TRY to make some more...eventually.




So proud of the Red, White, and Blue--and even more of the FAMILIES who make sacrifices every day to defend our land!




It is absolutely AMAZING to me that I have FOUR living blooming plants in my house! I have killed just about every other plant I have bought or been given. What's even more amazing is I've had the two orchids for over a year!!! (I thought they were supposed to be very picky) If they weren't on the shelf right above my kitchen sink, none of them would stand a chance, though ;-)

Yep we're still around...

Sorry it's been a while since I've blogged. It seemed like nothing was happening, but then all the sudden time had flown!

Elizabeth ended up being at my parents' house for two weeks. I was there for the last four days. I arrived for a late dinner Monday. Tuesday Elizabeth, Mom, and I went in to my Dad's work to join him for lunch. We went to a cute children's museum, and then my Dad took his three girls flying for about an hour (including two practice landings and take-offs). We were going to leave Wednesday, but I decided to stay another day. Wednesday we tried to go to another museum, but ended up lost downtown and just went to Chuck E. Cheese's.

Thursday Elizabeth and I left, but she still wasn't ready to come home. I don't think my parents were really ready to let her go, either. When I called my mom on the way home, she said that it felt weird not having Elizabeth there now. My trips up and back ended up both taking about 11 hours--up because of traffic, back because I ended up making 5 potty breaks with a pre-schooler and a beagle ;-)

Since we've been back, we've taken a trip to Richmond for dinner and shopping with my cousin, had church nursery, had dance/gymnastics, and today was Elizabeth's last day of pre-school for the year! My has she grown!

I just have to write a cute thing she said tonight during dinner...if only so I have it documented somewhere. She was playing with her pizza, and I told her no one would want to eat pizza she'd had her hands all over. She said, "'cause no one wants my germs because then they'd act like me, right?

I'll post some pics tomorrow; right now my camera is out in the car. (I haven't forgotten the pics of the dolls, Holly! :-))

A week ago Thursday, my mom came down to visit. It's been a little crazy since then ;-) She was going to leave Wednesday, but was able to stay until Friday...yeah! Here are a few highlights!

Friday: Elizabeth's pre-school bowling field trip. Then lunch and shopping because Grandma and Elizabeth wanted to buy new matching outfits. Daddy worked on building a fence for other Grandma.

Saturday: Ladies Tea and Fashion Show where Grandma and Elizabeth wear their new matching outfits :-) More shopping. Then Grandma and Mom go to a Tastefully Simple party and also pick up some Southern Living at Home items for great prices--Thanks Detra! More fence building for Daddy (Sorry, the picture from the fashion show isn't very clear)

Sunday: Church (late because we got stuck behind an accident), Cousin A.J.'s birthday party

Monday: Laundry and making dolls with Grandma (Grandma did the sewing. Elizabeth helped with the tracing. Mommy did tracing and cutting.)

Tuesday: Elizabeth has school. Go to movies to see Horton Hears a Who. Have dinner with Cousin Tashina and her boyfriend Josh. Yea for finding a YUMMMY Ethiopian restaurant! We were very impressed with the directions, T! :-)

Wednesday: Drive up to see the Air Force Memorial. Find Grandpa and Great Grandpa's names. Stop by IKEA on the way home. Buy a bench for kitchen table that is WAY too long...good thing it's safe to use for outdoor furniture because now it's on the front porch.

Thursday: Making more dolls. Elizabeth has dance and gymnastics. Decide during dinner that Elizabeth is going home with Grandma tomorrow without Mommy or Daddy! Hurry up to pack!

Friday: Elizabeth and Grandma pick up a friend and head to Grandma and Grandpa's house, get a flat on the way, and deal with pouring rain. Elizabeth learns how to get trucks to honk. They finally arrive after 13 hours, though the drive is normally only 9 hours.

I don't have pics of the dolls because Elizabeth took them with her, but we used the pattern shown HERE and modified it for our preferences.

Some of you already know, but...

Our Dossier is on it's way to Ethiopia! We still have quite a wait ahead of us, but we're moving forward! Praise God!

Plans

Proverbs 16:
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. 4 The LORD works out everything to its proper end—even the wicked for a day of disaster

I have to admit; I have not been doing this very well. This is a concept I know and believe, yet I keep wanting to hold onto my plans. The waiting and the unknown seem so difficult. But GOD Himself, the Creator of heaven and earth, is in control. HE will work everything out to its proper end.

When I grow up...

Lately Elizabeth has been into making wishes. She was sure she was a shooting star the other day, never mind that it was early in the evening and still very bright outside. She hurried to make a wish saying, "I wish that I can be anything I want to be!" That's her answer right now when asked what she wants to be when she grows up, too.

I'm proud to know she's listening to something we're saying, and has taken that to heart! This is something we've been telling her for a while, especially when someone mentions that only boys or only girls can do certain things. We tell her that if she works hard and keeps trying, she can be whatever she wants (obviously with a few definite limitations). We've also been trying to explain to her that when we believe in Jesus, we want to make our own desires match with what Jesus wants for us. This concept is taking a little more time.

I am SO proud that she sees unlimited possibilities for herself. I pray that it will continue, that whatever other children we have also grow to have this view, and that we can give them all the support and encouragement they need.

By the way, when she does pick something, she's been saying she would like to be a veterinarian. So, Cousin Megan, we may have a little helper for you in a few years!

Long Day...VERY Long Post

Today was a rough day.

Elizabeth had her 4 year check-up today, which shouldn't have been a big deal. However, lately she has been getting herself very worked-up about every little thing--hence throwing up whenever she tastes her antibiotic. She knew she was going to get shots today (she asked and I had to tell her the truth), and she started crying and carrying on the moment we walked into the exam room. I got her to calm down, and we had a GREAT visit with the doctor. But when the doctor left, she knew it was time to get shots and she wound up again. She started crying and SCREAMING like I have NEVER heard her scream before. (This is the girl who didn't even cry for shots as an infant, and who amazed the techs with her excellent behavior a few months ago when she had to get painful antibiotic shots two days in a row.) We got her on the table kicking and screaming, and the moment they actually started giving the shots she stilled and was silent. She was great and happy again the moment they were done.

Silly me, I figured that since she realized she had made such a fuss over nothing, we were in the clear. I casually mentioned that the doctor wanted her to have some blood tests done. She started crying and whining again. I debated whether to add to the stress of the day by going ahead and getting the blood tests. I figured it was better to get it all over with and not totally ruin another day. Besides, we were already 35 miles from home, and I didn't want to have to drive back up.

Well, you can probably guess how this went. She was calm and happy until we started walking back in the lab. She was supposed to pee in a cup (at 4 years old? Are they serious?), but she was already so worked up that she was screaming and yelling at me for the whole 15 minutes I attempted to get her to cooperate. She screamed the loudest yet when we sat down do have her blood drawn. Mommy was crying by this point, too. Thankfully the ladies were well-seasoned and very patient with us! Again, the moment they started actually doing anything, she was silent and completely still. She just sat and watched her blood go into the vials. Then she was happy and actually wanted to try to pee in the cup for me. Go figure!

Mommy was totally exhausted by this point. So, after all that, we didn't get to go to Chuck E. Cheese like we had planned. I didn't want to take that away from her after all she had been through, but it was late, and I just couldn't do it. We'll go tomorrow.

Looking back over the day, I feel horrible about how some of the things went. I'm not sure how I could have made it any better for her, but I regret some of the things I said. I got so frustrated because I couldn't reason with her or control her that I told her she was being silly, and "STOP IT NOW!" so many times. I don't know if she is in delayed terrible twos/threes. She really hasn't had serious tantrums before. But I do know her feelings and fears are absolutely real to her, and not just silly.

Thank you, God, for giving me such a loving and forgiving child!

Simple Solution

I wish things were as simple in real life as they are in Elizabeth's sweet mind.

Out of the blue, she mentioned that she wishes Jose could come to our house. (Jose is the little boy in Guatemala we were previously matched with.) I told her that I wish Jose could come to our house, too, but that the government will not let him. She asked why. I said that there are some things with his paperwork that the government in Guatemala does not like, and so they won't let him be adopted. She smiled and said, "Well, we could get his papers and draw funny faces on the back. The man in the government would like it and laugh and laugh. Then he would let Jose come!"

Why didn't I think of that! All this worry about proper notorization, state seals, and all we had to do was draw funny faces! ;-)