We've Got The Golden Ticket!

Today was an overall stinky day- but there was one majorly redeeming event- we got our golden ticket! We received THE I71H. The last piece of the paperwork puzzle. We are thrilled. It only took about 4 weeks and we are delighted! We made a beeline for the notary and the Fed-Ex place. Unfortunately, we missed the Fed-Ex man by about 10 minutes, so it won't go out until tomorrow- that's okay!

We are almost officially waitlisted! The dossier service has everything else ready and waiting, so once this last piece is authenticated, we're done. Hooray!

One of the other things that is heavy on our hearts right now is non-adoption related, but we would covet your prayers. We have a house we've been trying to sell for about 6 months- it's not the one we live in. We knew when we put it on the market that we would probably have to carry it for a while, and so we prepared financially for that. However, we have been struggling with some anxiety about the whole 2 mortgage thing lately. We know God clearly led us to purchase the house we're in and to step out into faith that he would handle the details. We feel very confident that we made the right choice, but we still wrestle with the "what-ifs" of never selling the extra house. Anyway, we have a serious looker right now- they're coming for the 3rd time tomorrow. We would love for this to be the one.

My prayer is just that whatever happens, Ryan and I would be willing to accept God's timing and that we would keep our mind fixed on Christ and put our trust in him. The scripture that God has given me concerning the whole house thing is Psalm 18- especially verse 30 which says, "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless." Everytime I start to panic, I simply tell myself that the way of the Lord is perfect.

Like I said, we would appreciate your prayers. Wouldn't that be something if we got our house contract and our I71-H all in one week?

Still waiting

All right, April 15th has come and gone and still no 171H. Now granted, it wasn't really very realistic to think that we would receive it by then, but in my deranged mind, that was the my target date. I am behaving myself very nicely though and I am waiting until the mail lady drives away from the mailbox before I make my mad dash down the driveway.

I know it won't be too much longer, and we're staying busy with life. I know you're dying to know what one does while awaiting the arrival of an 171H. I am so glad you asked. Here's just a sampling of what our first three weeks of waiting have included:

• We cheered Daddy on as he ran his first 1/2 marathon. His goal was to complete the Raleigh Rocks Half-Marathon in 2 hours and he made it in about 1 hour and 58 minutes. We are so proud of his determination. What's even more impressive is that 18 months ago, he weighed almost 300 pounds which makes this a truly amazing accomplishment!


• We acquired a "free" aquatic turtle from some friends who are moving away and were looking for a new home. So far the turtle has cost us $140.00 in various turtle needs. Our new pet, Shelly is settling in nicely to life in the Campbell Circus.


• We took an overnight trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. I got absolutely sopping wet on the Roman Rapids raft ride. Two hours later, I could still wring water out of my shirt. Daddy of course, stayed almost totally dry. Elizabeth (7) discovered a great passion for roller coasters. She had Daddy and I on the Loch Ness Monster for 3 consecutive rides.


• We hung our new window treatments for our bedroom. Covering all my naked windows is one of the items on my "Before Baby To-Do List." Thanks my mom for being such a talented seamstress!

I know you're absolutely thrilled to have had this little look into our world! Hopefully there won't be three more weeks to report on before the arrival of our golden ticket!

Deep thoughts

When I was in college I loved the "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey" segment that was frequently featured on Saturday Night Live. (That was when I had the energy and interest to stay up until midnight on Saturdays). One of my favorites deep thoughts was "The crows seem to be calling my name, thought Caw."
Anyway, my sweet son Isaac had a "deep thought" this week. He came walking into the laundry room as I was folding clothes (story of my life!) and he said, "Mom, I don't think that our Brother Baby is going to like watching television." So, of course I asked him why he would think that. He said, "Because all of the people on the little kids shows have white skin."
To this I responded, "Huh? (long pause) Well, what about Little Bill?"
He looked at me with great disdain and said, "Mom, they don't even make that show anymore." and walked away.
Once again I realize how totally unprepared I am for dealing with all of the potential issues ahead. I have lived my entire life in such a "white girl bubble" I had one black person in my entire graduating class of 270. What do I know about being a minority or dealing with prejudice? Why in the world would God choose ME for this journey? It's certainly not because I'm capable.
I don't know-will our baby feel that all of the people on the little kids shows have white skin? I know I am just thinking of this beautiful dark-skinned child that I can't wait to parent and love and cuddle with and how I want to be a forever mommy to him. It's hard for me to believe that in this day and age there will be those who see him as anything but my handsome son- no matter what his skin color may be.
Then I think about the reality of the fact that one day he is going to want to ask some pretty little girl out for ice cream. What if she's blond haired and blue-eyed and her parents aren't okay with that? Wow!?! What do I do then? What is this going to look like over the next 5- 10- 15 years?
I am so glad that God gives us enough light for our path today. I don't suppose milkshake dates are in the near future. So, I guess I'll keep trying to educate myself about these issues which will inevitably come, realizing that ultimately God will give me the wisdom to deal with the hurts and prejudices we'll face.
In the mean time-I'll deal with the more immediate issues like should I use cloth or disposable diapers this time? I'm so confused- nobody was "going green" the last time I had a baby. Baby gear has changed way too much in 4 years!