No Updates

I'm just writing to say that I have absolutely no updates. I wish I did, but we're still waiting....I think I'll email the family coordinator next week to see if the family ahead of us has received a referral yet.

Kate's Bday (a week later)

We celebrated Kate's 2nd birthday last Saturday (bday was on Sunday the 12th), and I'm just now getting around to posting about it. She had a blast!!! Both sets of grandparents came, her cousins Addison and Mckenna, and our friends, Neal and Ellie. She had fun opening presents, and loved eating her Dora ice cream cake on her Ariel plate/fork/spoon set. Dora and Ariel are our two favorite characters right now. She was so tired after all the partying, that she was just walking around bleary-eyed :) Her favorite items were her Ariel doll, dress up shoes, Dora boombox, outdoor slide and safari table and chairs. Here are some pics........

Quick Funny Story

We've been reading Kate's toddler Bible to her a lot lately, and on the page with Joseph it illustrates all his many brothers. I always ask her if she wants a brother, and she says "yeah." Well, this morning when I was changing her diaper she said "I wanna broter, I wanna broter" in her cute little toddler talk. It was SO cute.....don't think she totally understands what she's saying, but I think she might have a little clue :)

Encouragement

I've run across the same verse twice within the past week, so I thought I would share.

"For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3

The verse first appeared in my Streams in the Desert Bible study (it was on July 4 day, but I didn't read it until several days later). The second place this verse appeared to me was in an email I received from our family coordinator tonight. The email explained that she had taken a job at a local chuch and would be leaving our agency in a week. How sad and discouraging at the same time!!! This is the girl whom I've never met in person, but who has guided us through the entire adoption process so far. She has been very patient with me and all my many questions....she has been someone I have depended on this entire time. Of course, someone will be there to take her place when she leaves, but the uncertainty is still there.....

I decided to just go the the Bible and read Habakkuk (I would recommend this great short book...only 3 chapters) to get the full context of what the Lord wanted to teach me. Although his situation and discouragement stems from different context, he is asking God some tough questions as to why He is allowing certaing things to happen. The Lord answers him and lets him know that he is working behind the scenes and that He has a plan, He is in control and His timing is perfect (see verse above).

Once I read through the entire book, I also found this verse toward the end that was also a clear lesson:

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 17-18

Even though I can't see any current progress on the adoption, and even though I don't know when I'll hear anything, I can know that God is working and I should rejoice for the plan that He has for us as a family!!

July 4th Weekend

Ok, I don't have a single picture from this weekend, but we had a good one! Friday was pretty uneventful. Saturday I took Kate to the downtown Frankling 4th celebration and mainly went to look at the petting zoo. We didn't go in the fence to pet them, b/c I think she would have been a little overwhelmed. She enjoyed watching the baby cow the most, along with the ducks and llama. We then went for a late afternoon pool trip. We made improvements there, b/c she got to where she was wearing her foam swimsuit (the ones that help you learn to float) and and little intertube around her. Wearing these 2 items she would float all on her own....and was very excited about it.

Yesterday, the 5th we went to the Pennel farm for a fun-filled day with family. Kate had a BLAST! I think she had more fun than anyone. She kept runnning around with her cousins, calling their names and was on "go" nonstop. I didn't even try to put her down for a nap. The pics I've posted below are of her in her hula skirt that the Wanats sent her from their party the day before. She loves it!! She put it on yesterday and immediately started kicking her legs in front of her to look at it. She wanted to put it on again this morning, so this is her modeling her skirt.

Two months have passed since being registered into our region. It is typically not more than 2 months before families get a referral for a little boy in our region, but we know God's timing is perfect. We hope to hear something soon. As far as we know, the family "ahead" of us in line hasn't gotten a referral either. I'll post more when I know more :)

Beach Trip

Kate and I took a trip to the beach last week to meet my parents at their condo (already been home a week before posting this), and we had a blast! Wes couldn't come, b/c he was finishing up his big custom home for Psycho Lady. That's what I call her anyway....not very nice, but she's been horribly difficult through the entire process.

Anyway, Kate loved it all! The beach (loved the sand), pool and even the ocean on our last 2 days! It was a much needed get way from our normal schedule. Kate liked the crab dip at Dewey Destins even had a few bites of my grouper too. She had a coke float with "andaddy" one day while Mom and I were shopping and overall watched entirely too much t.v. But, hey, we were on vacation :) I kept saying she was going to have to go through t.v. detox when we got home, b/c I normally limit it so much (at least I try!).

Her new favorite thing to watch is Dora the Explorer. She is totally mesmorized when she watches it. So, to those of you who don't watch this lovely cartoon every day, there is a song at the end of each program that says, "We did it, we did it...do dah doh dah, we did it! Yeah!" Anyway, the funniest little video clip of Kate on this trip is the one posted below singing this Dora song. My Mom was putting on her makeup while Kate was performing for herself in the mirrored closet doors right behind my Mom. I had to be sneaky and get on the other side of their bed to get the video, b/c I had walked into the room just prior to this and she told me to "Go, Momma." (meaning, leave the room please) Obviously, this was a private concert.

I love the singing and dancing......it cracks me up.

New Adoption Info

I was emailing back and forth with my family coordinator today asking her a question about paperwork, and I did find out a bit of info. There is one family ahead of us on the "waiting list" for our region that has requested a little boy. So, once I see on our agency's blog that another family has accepted a referral for a little boy, I know we'll be next to receive one!

I asked for the update, b/c it's been almost the full 2 months that we expected to lapse before receiving a referral. She said that a lot of the officials take vacation in the summer, so that may be the reason for the slower time frame.

SO, I will post when I know that we're next in line!!!!! Yeah! Need to post beach pics and videos of our trip last week next.....