23 Weeks

We have no new news of our own...but lots of updates for other friends....

Our family has finally recovered from a yucky battle with the Flu. We are soooo very thankful for Tamiflu and the way it really helped the kids have very a mild case. I was not so blessed, got to the doc too late for the miraculous Tamiflu med....so I checked out of this world for 7 days. As I return to reality and computer blog world...I am thrilled to hear of fellow buddies and all the recent referrals. Congrats to the Thorne's, Roberts, and Farmboy and Buttercup.





Wishing I had my camera, we also recently had the awesome opportunity to have dinner with fellow DFW adoptive fams. We have the best, the best community of friends here in DFW. I got to hold the Frey's sweet Nathan....oh he is too cute! And we look forward to meeting the Lydick's beautiful new girl soon too. Check out their new families!!!





And as we welcome fellow bloggers and new friends back with their children, my favorite part is always to see the pictures. I love seeing how God has built their families and developed in each of them a love of Ethiopia. The pictures do a wonderful job telling each story of love. Below is I think my favorite picture so far (Amanda-is it OK that I post it here?) I love its simplicity and order. I love the closeness and innocence of these precious children. I love their uniforms...I think it is nap time at an orphanage Kindergarten age class. And I love to think of the love our Father has for each of these precious, precious lives. Thank you Jesus!

Our Journey

As we are on WEEK 21/5 MONTHS (WOW!!!) of this journey to our children...I am choosing to focus on another journey. Since we have had children, I have longed to make Easter as significant a holiday in my children's hearts as Christmas is. I want them to long for this holiday in ways that they do for Chistmas. I don't know if this is possible....lots of competition! So I pull out decorations, put up a small Easter tree, eat candy, and do have presents. All the same celebrations in spring colors...yet, it is a different journey. The story is a bit tougher to teach to young kids. It is a story of betrayal and death and sacrifice....and love and life and eternity. It is the most importnat story we can share with our kids. And we are having a blast diving into it. Here are our favorite Easter ideas.... We love the Veggietale's Easter Carol...it tells the whole story. We love Family Life's Ressurection Eggs....they are a must for young visual kids! And I love Helen Haidle's book about this journey....it is the love story of Christ's journey to the cross for me and you. (And I love children's books that teach me...and I actually learned so much form this book) Praying for us all on our journeys....

20 weeks and smiling:)

I understand the longing you first time Moms out there feel....to hold you child and do all the Mommy things you long for. I remember that feeling, how hard the wait was as we waited to see when the Lord would bring us our very longed for 1st child. And as I play Star Wars, tickle my children, give hugs and kisses, make PBJs, drive carpool, snuggle before bed, etc... I think of you all and really pray for you & your wait. I know it is hard and pray that it is not much longer!!!

And I pray for all of us...as we wait for the phone calls that give us some knowledge of our children....referrals, court dates, updates. It is never easy to wait....this longing reminds me of that longing we had for our first! We are just as excited and anxious...even more so I think! I am thankful that I get to do all these fun Mommy things while we wait. And I am thankful that the Lord continues to refine me as I wait.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremeiah 29:11

Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Jeremiah 49:11

Thank you Jesus for being in control and for loving these children more than we as Moms could ever imagine doing. Thank you for loving us as we wait, sometimes impatiently and with a bit of whining (OK, a lot of it).

And for a good laugh thanks to Lori....watch this video.....

Changes - Presidential Candidates feat. Bowie

MY TWO SECONDS OF FAME

Beau here. Yesterday at church, the message focused on how God is using our body to help do His work in Central Africa. Anyway, I had the privilege to share a bit of my testimony during the service with a specific focus on the blessing of adoption.

Go to the below link and click on "watch video." My part is about half way into the message (cream colored shirt), so if you are pressed for time, you can just scroll to that. Right after I speak, there is a really neat video showing some of what is going on in Northern Uganda in Gulu and Pader. If you have time, the whole message is pretty encouraging.

http://www.watermarkradio.com/index.php?id=153&series=72&message=4