Remember My Birthday????!!!!!!


As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.

It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration.

I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation.

The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face and I wanted to be with them and share their table.

In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me. Since I was not invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a great time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying : "Santa Claus, Santa Claus"... as if the party were in his honor!

At 12 midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and.... do you know.... no one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday, everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.

Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts, the parties and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want you to believe this with all you heart. I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party.

I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invitation, will be left outside.

Do you know how you can answer this invitation? It is by extending it to others whom you care for.... I'll be waiting for all of you to attend my party this year...

See you soon.... I love you!

- Jesus -

We Did It!

We did it!  We now wait for the "Placing Social Worker" to contact us! Thank you Lord for what you are doing in our lives and what children you will bless us with.  We love you and thank you and praise you for all that you are and all that have been and all that you will be in our lives!

Talking to the Paternal Family

Well, we got to update your Daddy's side of the family with all the latest info so everybody should be covered now.  There shouldn't be any surprises, just loving arms ready to welcome you all around...well, okay, lots of surprises, but we know we're getting SOMETHING.  Could be a girl, could be a boy, could be a baby, could be a toddler, could be in school already, could be alone or could be with a sibling...lots of surprises:)  We are still praying for you and for the situation in which we will meet you.  See you soon hopefully!  We are scheduled for our Final Home Inspection next week, once we get approved, we will be transferred from the licensing social worker to a placing social worker (who matches us up with YOU)!

Light at the End of the Tunnel!

I got my TB test read today and received my completed and signed Physical paper back for the Adoption Application Submission!  That is the LAST thing I have to do, woohoo.  Daddy gets his done this Friday and then we are DONE!  I am really excited right now because I want to meet you soooooo bad!  You are such a beautiful treat that we are awaiting and I long to play with you and teach you and hug you and watch you grow and OH to be together will be so awesome! Love you and hope to meet you sooner than I can imagine!

Oh We're Getting So Close!

Yesterday, we got certified for CPR and First Aid.  It was so fun to do this training together, we never do stuff like that together and I never realized how much I would enjoy doing something like that as a couple.  Now, the only thing left for us to complete is our Physical and TB Tests...I'm going to try to get us on a doctor's schedule this week!  Then..........................THAT'S IT, we've done all we can do, we just Wait for the Lord on High!  We've been praying for your situation to work itself out for us and our meeting.  We are praying for you as we are apart and for our joining!  I even heard your Daddy talking to a friend of his today...it was fun to hear him be proud and excited about our decisions.  I so look forward to the day we will hear about you!

Foster vs Adoption

I know at some point in your life, we'll want to share with you about our experiences and I thought this might be the best way to remember them.  I heard a story recently about a friend we know who was adopted at 18 mths old and he was always thankful for his adoptive parents and really wants to give back by adopting children some day as well.  That would be so beautiful to raise children with a heart like his, so in case that happens, I think it would be great to let you know what things might have crossed our minds along the way in all the decisions that must be made throughout the process. 

One topic right now is Foster vs Adoption because our dog Sadie was just diagnosed with Lymphomic Cancer, so it spreads very quickly throughout her entire body and we were told she only has a couple months to live.  This dog has been my child for the last 5 years of our marriage, I take her with me everywhere I go and have cried many times if there is a time where I have to leave her for an extended period (because of work usually) and I can't handle looking at her eyes when I do go.  She is my child and I love her soooooooooooo much, so with this sad news, I am heart-broken.  So it has brought me again to the question of whether I would be able to handle Fostering since I would get my heart broken over and over and over again possibly, when I am supposed to just be a care-taker of these precious children and I don't want to let them go.  When we last met with the social worker, she talked about a couple sibling sets that were at the top of our "preferred age range," but were ready to be adopted...so I am praying about these children and am knowing that God has the right situation being worked out for all of us and I have no idea what is in store in our lives in the "hopefully VERY near future:)"

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.  I have Faith that he is working my situation out for the good!
I love You Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You oh my soul rejoice
Take joy my King in what you hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound in Your ear

Thinking About You...but what's new!

Babies, babies, everywhere! Crying ones, laughing ones, fit-filled ones and dance-filled ones:)  All of it is so worth it to comfort and love a baby and know what it has the potential to become some day.  I don't long to have a baby, I long to make a difference in a life so that there is one more life out there that gets what TRUE LOVE and JOY are about...and so that there can be one more life out there to spread that TRUE LOVE and JOY around to those who need it.  I just want to love and be loved and love those who need it...every day there is someone we walk by and that someone just might be that one person who needed a smile or a hello so just give it away.  It's worth the chance of a slight bit of uncomfortableness to let them see that glimpse of Jesus that they may not have otherwise ever received in their entire lifetime!

Not so fun stuff! House Preparations & Paperwork

Well, I'm finding it funny that I am enjoying even the "Not so fun stuff like paperwork and making sure all is in order in the house."  Of course getting all the fun stuff like a crib, high chair, car seat, some clothes, are all great, but trying to remember all the things we need to make habits like cleaning supplies on top shelves or locked, medications locked, guns and ammo locked, are tough to get used to...I'm sure it won't take long, but we were just getting used to where everything goes:)  And WOW, we are sure organized because we got rid of about 3/4 of the pile of paperwork that I've had on my desk today...OH BOY!  We need to keep praying though because we've preparing our hearts for Foster-Care, knowing that when the right little soul comes along, we'll get to keep him/her, but today the Social Worker was telling us that there are several kids ready for adoption right now and they are slightly older than what we had/well, what I had in mind...LOL:) Uh oh, obviously the Lord might have something else in mind, there goes my well planned out agenda again!  So we need to think, talk and pray about if we want to skip all the Foster stuff and go with older kids.  It also made me bring up the thought of HomeSchooling with your Daddy and he seems to be on board with it, so we'll keep discussing the options as we wrap up our details.  Definitely sounds like there will be a pair of you, I think the Lord is definitely preparing us for that:)

Talking to the Maternal Family

I got to talk to your Grammie and Grandpa about you this weekend, in person!  They gave me a card with this picture on it:)  I know you are going to be this adorable and I am so looking forward to meeting you!  It was so fun to be with my whole family and share with them about how we are waiting for you!  Of course, the boys can't take too much detail, but I could still tell they are just as excited as the girls:)  It's been almost three years since we've had a new kid in the family, so you'll be eagerly greeted for sure.  I didn't get to share the weekend with your Daddy since he had to go down to So Cal to work.  I brought home a bunch of necessary stuff that will be awaiting your arrival, everybody is helping out it seems and I am so thankful.  Hopefully, we'll be able to talk with your Daddy's family soon too, I'd love to share our plans with them so they are aware too.

We are going to meet our Social Worker for the first time this Wednesday so that she can tell us what else we need to do to get the house ready so that we can be approved at the end of the application process.  I'm praying for you and your biological parents all the time, that the Lord will be with us all throughout the processes that are ahead.

About Us-Mommy & Daddy

As we begin this journey, here is some background info on how we have come to where we are...waiting for you, our hearts.

Your Daddy is so great with children, he has been ever since I've known him. I remember when we were first dating and he would call me, he'd be taking care of your cousin and she was only 2 years old at the time. He loved her so much and after a long, hard day at work, he'd take care of her while his sister was away. He thinks we'll have about 2 or 3 children total. You are going to love him!

I began babysitting when I was only 12 years old and always loved playing with the babies wherever I went. Ever since my first nephew was born 9 years ago, I began feeling a new kind of love for the babies born into my family. It was then that I began thinking about you and what and when and where and how I was going to have children. I am so excited that we are finally getting closer!

Your Daddy and I have been married for 5 years now and have finally reached a point in life when we are ready to plan for your arrival into our home. We have a few more things to do before you arrive, but it will all be as set as we can be in just a few short months:) WOW! Then we wait to hear about you, my stomach is churning right now just thinking about it...the crib or bed is ready, whatever you need and our warm arms are ready to hold you. The rest is just details:) We have plenty of time, family and friends to help us with all of that! I love you my Hearts. Also, we don't know if we are going to get 1 or 2 of you so there are all sorts of fun things to think about, I guess often times sets of two can be offered our direction so we'll see what the Lord has in store for us.

I love you, Mommy

A Blog Just For Our Hearts

I began praying for my husband long before I knew him and even began writing him letters before knowing him. I want to do the same for all the children who we do not know yet. We began the journey together 10 years ago as we started dating, always talking about the possibility of adoption and now it is becoming real. I want to use this blog as a place to cry out to the Lord during tough times that I will encounter and a place to remember my thoughts and precious memories of the children that will be brought into our home. We are well into the Foster/Adoption application process and should be on a list to begin accepting children by the New Year. We know this is going to be a rough journey, but are so thankful for the calling the Lord has put on our hearts to love every child unconditionally that is put before us AND be forever thankful when the children who get to remain with us for a lifetime are offered to us. Each child will FOREVER be a "Heart" in our life whether we will get to call them our own or return them to their biological family. Thank you for your prayers and support along this journey we are just beginning! It is our prayer that we remember EVERY "Heart" needs to be given to the Lord before, during and after our time together as a family.

This is my desire to honor You

Lord with all my heart, I worship You

All that is within me, I give You praise

All that I adore, is in You

Lord I give You my "heart"

I give You my soul

I live for You alone

Every breath that I take

Every moment I'm awake

Lord have Your way in me