No Foolin'

I am not doing any blog-foolery, April 1 or not. We've been fairly busy since our last post, hence the quietness online.  I was able to get up to Lancaster for Temple's semi-annual family practice review. A week of 10 hr days, but you do walk away with over 52 credit hours. (53+ if you don't fail to correctly set your alarm and miss the first hour of Monday.) I was able to catch up with my friend Susanna and see how big Katie & Verity are getting first hand!! I managed to avoid all but the worst of the Friday afternoon commuter traffic (that would be 2.5 hrs to drive 75 miles of Quantico to Richmond...you can't appreciate how painfully slow the traffic waves are if you haven't tackled them personally.) But I arrived home in time for bedtime hugs, plunking in a load of laundry, & hitting the sack myself, so we could head out to VA beach the next day (life of suffering, let me tell you ;-p )  Mr. P. had a class to oversee out there, so we took a little home school spring break. Baby Grey enjoyed his first trip to the beach, we took in some swimming (the outdoor pool was heated more than the indoor one, like swimming in a moderately warm hot tub, sans bubbles), and hiked the better part of 40 blocks round trip for some Planet Pizza. Paul surprised us with a trip up to Chincoteague, where we went for our honeymoon and several anniversaries.  Our room was on the 8th floor and we saw multiple helicopters flying the length of the beach, seemingly on the level of our room. My boys quite convinced the the Navy did these purely for their enjoyment! Best of all, our USCIS biometrics (aka finger prints) appointment *just happened* to be scheduled that Monday and *just happened* to be at the Norfolk office, all of a half hour (no tunnels involved) from our hotel. And, if you think this all *just happened*, please email me, and we'll work on your doctrine, lol!!!  We made it home by 10:30 PM Thursday & I was back on my way to work by 5:30 AM Friday. I was just a tiny bit cross eyed tired. :-p We all trekked out Sunday morning to enjoy the early (but not the sunrise.....another bed at midnight, up at 4:45 night was not happening) service together, but opted to do "Easter dinner" tonight, rather than rush last night (or eat at 9 pm, the more likely scenario!)
Some photos:

Grey taking in the beach. World's largest sandbox, in his estimation. And *this* close to catching one of those crazy beach birdies...

 Sunrise from my balcony

 Cool man Josh, lounging at the pool side....

Cheers!!! 

This photo wins awards in that everyone is basically facing the camera, smiling, and no bunny ears. And the poor kids were facing into the 35* and 35 mph wind too. Apparently all family photos are easier to muster compliance in an Arctic environment....who knew??

Now for a couple of shout outs & prayer requests.

The Trio of Heroes auction is live today!!! Please, if you can, pop by and bid on some neat goodies to help support the Unroe Family bring their 3 precious children home (from Princess P's same locale.) Many thanks to Amy Rainey & crew for their tireless efforts to bring children home!

Another little one from Penny's location is being adopted by the Rosencrants' family, named Anna ("Marsha" if you saw her profile on Reece's Rainbow) and her family is there to pick her up. Unfortunately, she's not doing well and is admitted to a hospital in the capital city.  Please keep Lydia, Anna, and the rest of the family, as well as her caregivers in the hospital, lifted in prayer. You can follow the family's adoption journey here.

Finally, Patti over at A Perfect Lily plans to begin a fundraiser to help us bring Penny home in the next week or so. We are still stunned at this outpouring of generosity for our little girl!!

We officially have all of our documents for our dossier & are just waiting for our USCIS approval. Waiting on pins & needles.... :) In the meanwhile, I am just about ready to get out in the garden.....  Until next time.

"But he said to them, 'Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen!"  

(Mark 16:6, NKJV)

Storm Funnies

Much like the deer here in Virginia, it would appear the snowmen are also miniature.

Ups & downs

I think I hate March.

That sounds so harsh, but true for me. That's bad doctrine, but we can cover that later. I must admit though, I really think God is working to redeem this season, and build some new, precious memories for me, as you can not even begin to imagine.

In fairness to my readers, I guess I owe you an explaination of why I hate March. March 4th & March 28th are my sons' birthdays, and also our last day to hold them, as they were born into our Saviour's arms before they were born into mine. It's been 2 years since Ethan passed, and will be 3 since Gavin's death. And I am stuck...no longer am I blown away by grief....so instead, I am periodically wracked by guilt, when I don't feel bad enough. If you've lost a child, you know what I mean. If you haven't, I pray you never, ever, come to grasp what I mean. So March is basically a get through it, wet, miserable, very bad, lousy, no good sort of month. Bummer for Mr. P., whose birthday is tucked in there too. :(

God has done an amazing thing though...in tiny things and GREAT BIG THINGS this month...and we are only on day 5. In chronological order:

March 1-16 hrs after being dropped off at the local P.O., our I800-A landed safely in the Texas USCIS repository. And CHAD has a family!!!! http://reecesrainbow.org/?s=%2311+Chad This sweet love has been on our hearts for so long, as long as Penny has!!!

March 2- I was vomited on not once, but twice, all before 11 am....Oh wait, good list. This was good for a laugh at my expense, & some degree of relief by the intern who DIDN'T try to place the NGT (chicken...)

March 3-We were given the opportunity to formally present Princess Penny to our church family. Turns out, there's another family who has adoption experience in the same region, though not country, as us. And I have gone from zero to multiple potential travel buddies. This is a huge answer to prayer, Paul's in particular. To look out over the congregation and see the vast array of people who will rally around our girl as only a church family can is beyond uplifting (We worship here--> http://www.friendlychurch.org If you live in our neck fo the woods, and don't have a church home (no sheep stealin'), please join us some Sunday!)

March 4-I had a good cry, but also a good day. I love you, sweet boy of mine. I can't wait to hug you. I was told by a little Musser birdy to go check out this blog: http://babynumber10.blogspot.com and found a post entitled A Penny from Heaven. That someone is willing to rally around us, and they don't even know us, is so humbling, and so God.

March 5-Paul got a text message saying our I800-A has been formally received and routed for processing. I didn't expect this for a least another solid week.

And the month's just getting started. Thank you, Jesus. Your mercies are truly new each morning.

Somewhere o're the Wild Blue Yonder

Flying high in USPS truck/plane/vehicle of sorts.....

IS OUR I-800A EN ROUTE TO USCIS IN TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last two documents arrived today & the folder was back in the express mailer & to the local post office about 37.5 minutes later! In between all that drama, I changed out all the boys' clothing for size this afternoon & did some other mammoth organizing tasks that had been on the back burner (Thank you Stormy for all your help!)

*This* is what is referred to as paper pregnancy nesting....

A Shout Out for Friends

This is a re-post from over at Forty to Forever (www.fortytoforever.com). Today's family is the Mitchells', who are bringing home Adam (you'll recall from the Awesome Adam Hidden Treasures' auction & he's in Princess P.'s orphanage) and Mathias! You can follow the family's adoption blog at A Journey to Add 2 More (http://grumpyjax.blogspot.com) Jaclyn and her family are but 2 weeks from potentially traveling to meet their precious boys! Please GO check out these links, PRAY over these precious children and families, and GIVE as the Lord leads and you are able! Thank you so much!!!!

Day 11: Matthias for the Mitchell FamilyPosted on February 25, 2013 by fortytoforever
Our Goal is to raise $500 for Matthias and Lina… $476 to go!
I am so excited to share this wonderful family with you today! The Mitchell family first began their adoption for a little boy named Adam. They were almost fully funded and doing well in fundraising to bring their son home.

Adam is not in a good orphanage. He is almost 6 years old and weighs just 16 pounds. He has hydrocephalus and just received a shunt this past September, after over 5 years of agonizing pain. In the midst of trying to get their adoption expedited to get him the medical care and nutrition he desperately needs, they made the commitment to bring home a second son – Matthias. This means they are now crunched for time to finish their fundraising efforts.

Matthias was recently transferred to a group home at nearly six years of age… In the last two months since being there, he has learned to sit up, crawl and walk with assistance. Matthias does not have a medical diagnosis, but he is significantly delayed due to being in an orphanage. We are fundraising for this second boy, so the Mitchell family can continue to move quickly and bring both brothers home.

After knowing Jaclyn Mitchell for just a short time, let me tell you – this lady is an amazing advocate for orphans. She shouts so loudly for the adoptions of every other family she knows that she often forgets to remind people about her own fundraisers! Can we take a day and return the favor? Shout for this sweet mama and her two wonderful boys!

We also have an extra special giveaway today!! If you donate at least $10 you will be entered to win a $25 gift card or $25 to the Reece’s Rainbow child or family of your choice. We will be giving away two gift cards! One when we meet the first half of our goal ($250) and the second when we meet our fundraising goal for the day!

More milestones :D

Today we received word that our Hague oversight is completed! This is the final hurdle to complete our home study & will allow us to file our I-800a as soon as I have a hard copy in hand-should be this up comming week. My February 1 goal came & went, but March 1 is still more than do-able! I have all the forms and what-not for the I-800a, but am not entirely sure how to present it. Sort of want to stick it in some sort of binder, but I don't know as that would be helpful or not. I am open to suggestions on this one, lol!

I also (just now, like 5 minutes ago) wrapped up all of our education for the adoption. Both sets (long story....) But it's DONE!!!!! Hooray, hooray! My regular computer croaked, so I have been working on my very old, very cranky, likes to die rather than open PDF's desk top. That made the course work loads of fun ^_^ Upon the third or so crash in an hour, in between emails gone MIA, and other disasters inherent to the process, Mr. P., who seems to never tire of the cute paper pregnancy analogies, surmised that this is what's known as paper pregnancy 'Braxton-Hicks'.

Next stop....dossier!!!!!!!

It's the first day of Lent....

(No, our church doesn't historically observe the traditional church calender, however, 40 days of preparation seems especially meaningful this year...)

AND is the huge kick off to Forty to Forever! Today all funds raised go towards the guest of honour, Sweet lil Lina , and ROOF, a Russian orphan adoption ministry. There's a beautiful devotional as well, talking about the historical background of the Lenten season, a reading in Isaiah 64, and a challenge. You should do today's--it's pretty managable. :-)

But MOST OF ALL, please be challenged to PRAY. This is not the last thing, the thing we do when we feel we have nothing left to offer, but should be the first weapon we draw in this spiritual battle. Let's face it; to quote Voddie Baucham, we're decorated dust, we have NOTHING to offer a Holy & Merciful God. But we also have a Saviour, who has shown us the way, through His cross, to go boldly before the throne and petition the very God of the universe on behalf of these children. Please LOOK at their faces, choose just one, put their picture on your fridge with all the other treasures that accumulate there. PRAY for that child. There is a home & a family. I won't be naive; God is not a vending machine with a prayer in, petition out policy. Sometimes, He calls these sweet babies home to His forever family. And He's still GOOD. I can say that with some certainty, knowing my own two sweet boys are safely with Him. But we know we are not outside His will to pray for early families, because His Word assures us that he places the fatherless in homes. (Psalm 68 )

New International Version (NIV)

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
7 No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have given us over to[a] our sins.

8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
64:6-8

{Blogger's being a putz about hyperlinks, so y'all are going to have to copy & paste this one Forty to Forever www.fortytoforever.org }