November in Queen Creek

Bye, Bye 2011

Fall came and went, and winter is here in its usual Arizona fashion.  Our nights are downright cold, but when the sun is high in the sky we enjoy the beauty and warmth of living in the desert. We have been busy since July - a quick trip to Southern Cal, Rhyan turned 13, the start of a new season with our worship dance ministry, Ty's baptism, a bountiful Thanksgiving, very blessed Christmas and New Year's Holidays, the surprise purchase of a new home, and Ty turned 10!

We are patiently waiting to hear that our home study has been approved. We don't know if the papers are simply sitting on a judge's desk somewhere, or if the official notice is traveling through the Postal Service world. What is a "home study" you ask. It's an experience in exposure. It involves opening the doors, windows, and peep holes of our lives and home, but when all is said and done, its worth it to be closer to bringing our children home.

We had an amazing social worker who made three trips to interview each of the four of us and see our new home. Still, I have to throw this one out there, regardless of how amazing our social worker is. How does one answer, "So, why do you want to adopt?" Well. Let's see. "Because God told us to." Some people get that, but the majority of the population simply want to hear some sort of twilight zone explanation that involves lots of emotional babble. The crazy thing is that the emotional stuff is there too. And when questioned, "Do you think you will love these children like you do 'your own'?" My response was and is, "I already do."

God has shown favor on the process throughout. He has graciously provided just what we needed at the exact time we needed it, so we trust that He will continue to fund the journey. We now have a few papers to pull together and have notarized, and our CIS background check needs to be completed. It feels great to be this much closer to having our dossier ready to submit. Then the real crazy waiting begins. Yup. Definitely like a pregnancy... a real long one.

One of the myriad of "block heads" at Legoland posing with me and Rhyan.

The Star Wars Lego creations were amazing!

One of Rhyan's friends made her an Origami birthday card. Very Cool.

Sea World 2011

Dinner with Shamu. Definitely Rhyan's favorite.

Ty is baptized by Pastor Eric, Pastor Emmanuel from Ghana, Africa, and Daddy.

Thanksgiving 2011 at Mom and Dad's

Our new home! 

We're Approved!

I received a phone call today from the Director of the Ethiopia Program with Children's Hope International.  We're approved!  It's real and official.  Now the mountains of paperwork and hurrying up to wait begins.  I know God's hand is all over this.   

Summer Swim Team Time - Go Rhyan!

Gabrielle and Rhyan enjoying their first ribbons of the summer.

Rhyan missed practice the morning they learned their dive start.  Call me biased, but I think she looks pretty good considering.

Rhyan, Jenna, Gabrielle, Addi

Spring Baseball for Ty

This spring was exciting for Ty!  It was his first season playing kid-pitch ball and really learning many true baseball rules.  We think his favorite thing about the season was learning how to steal.  How is it that throwing oneself to the ground and eating dirt is so thrilling? 

Paul coached.  I learned how to keep score...and ended up with that task every game.  Rhyan made a great, new friend.  It was a blast!  We also celebrated when the boys won the play offs and earned the title of "Champions".  They worked so hard and were so humble the entire season.  They truly deserved the #1 spot.

The Armor of God

So...it appears to us that the enemy is on the prowl.  Many of our dear friends and family members have been struck hard this season with flu, sinus infections, bronchitis, RSV, croup and more.  Our pastors wife and my sweet friend (also the worship leader at church) is in the hospital with a nasty kidney infection and kidney stones.  There is even the possibility of surgery.

I returned home from dance rehearsal this Sunday and went about my usual "reminders of the week's events and daily prayer needs" with the family as I bustled around the kitchen clearing items.  My most urgent request was to be in prayer against the forces of darkness and the power of the enemy, which of course holds nothing but a twig in the face of our Lord.  I told my kids to remember to be praying for God's Kingdom to be here with our friends and family and for His almighty power to rest upon all of us.  I said, "We need to pray for miraculous healing and remember this is a battle and God will win, as He always does."  Not 10 seconds had passed as I finished my mini-sermon, when Ty headed into his bedroom, obviously on a mission.  He came back out shortly, looking like this...

Ty wearing his "Armor of God"

Ty was ready to wage battle!  No worries that his armor consists of his baseball helmet and the belt for his dress slacks.  It's a good thing he really does know what the true armor of God consists of!  This was pretty darn funny, though.

Still settling...

Well, we are blessed to be in a comfy rental home close to both sets of grandparents and good friends.  We don't even need to change our shopping locations!  As comforting as it is to sort and organize our belongings, that sense of chaos still creeps in when I think of doing this moving thing all over again in a couple years.  Part of me says, "Can I just keep everything in this box so it's ready to go when we move out?"  I know.  Not very practical or realistic, but it sure would make life a bit simpler.  Instead, I'll lean on God's peace which absolutely surpasses all my understanding.  Resting in Him makes me smile.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:7