more thoughts

I am so glad to be on this journey. I look back and reflect on this past year and all the things I have learned and how much I have been encouraged by so many of you. Some of you have had a heck of a year. I have seen sorrow, joy, elation,confusion. But I have also seen God glorified by so many of you in regards to your attitudes.

Thank you for being a part of our wait.

happy turkey day

happy thanksgiving my wonderful friend. for those who are celebrating the first holidays with their children, treasure these memories. I hope that everyone has a special moment with God today!!!!

19 months LID

An Orphan's Prayer

Got this from my new friend Renee at Life With Special K's


An Orphan's Prayer
I am waiting…somewhere far…far away
on the other side of the world.
I may not know who you are or what you look like
But some how deep in my heart I know you are out there.
That one day you will come and find me.
It’s a long journey, and it takes a lot of time…
I wish it could be easier.
But I know that the ones who come for me
will not count the cost.
They will only see the joy of finding me.
For now I abide in the fields of the fatherless.
Day by day wondering why I was born here
and not somewhere else?
Asking…why my life couldn’t have been different?
It is so lonely…Even though I am surrounded by
hundreds of other children,
I know that something is missing…
I know in my heart I need a place to call home.
My arms long to be wrapped in a father’s embrace…
I long to be saved by a mother’s love…
Gazing out the orphanage window I offer a
prayer of hope,“Oh God please help them
come quickly.”
Even as I lay in the darkness of each night
somehow I feel assured,
That no matter how lost I appear I am not alone.
Holy hands guard my steps; sacred fingers wipe
my tears, touching my lonely heart.
The one who made me,
The God that knew me before I was born
Hears me every time I call
He whispers His promises in my ear.
I listen with hope to His voice.
But what I worry about most is that no one wants to look for me.
The fields are vast and there are so many scattered all over the earth.
I wonder how one little child, so lost, can be found?
Yet He calms my heart and assures me that He will find you.
That He will make sure that you hear His voice clearly.
He has promised me that He will make a way through the fields,
That He will personally cut a path and lead you right to my orphanage door.
My prayer is…When He speaks…Please don’t forget to listen…
When He calls don’t be too afraid to go
For I am waiting…somewhere, far…far…away

Prayer for the week

So many families are just heart broken over this wait. My prayer for this week is that everyone finds the peace they are searching for and they continue to follow the paths God had chosen. It's hard.

It seems like such a simple prayer but I know how hard this wait can be. Those of us waiting for our first child wonder if we will ever have the family we have dreamed of. Some of you have shared that with me, its okay to be honest.

I am thankful for this journey. I am thankful for the doors that have opened. I am thankful for the seeds that were planted for this journey so many years ago, as I look back I am amazed.

What's on your heart this week?

wishes and dreams

How do you miss someone you have never met? I never understood this. Sometimes at the oddest moments, I long to hold LynnMarie. Michael found some wonderful gotcha day videos the other night and it had me pondering. I love that word, ponder.

Want to know what I was thinking the other day? The fact that there are babies in orphanages in China. Orphanages. Babies sleeping in cribs. Babies who do not get held enough. Babies that lie their crying. Babies who have not experienced the kind of love I long to give. I don't have a picture of LynnMarie yet. There is a great chance that she is born and I pray for her specifically every day.

The day that Michael and I meet her will be like no other. It will not be perfect. She will probably squirm and cry and we will totally be stressed out but there is nothing more that I wait for.

This holiday season will be different. I hope this is our last one without LynnMarie.

It will be filled with hope. It will be full of wishes and dreams and anticipation.

April 2007 we were logged in and before we were logged in I anticipated getting a match December 2008. Boy, was my head in the clouds?

This Christmas will be full of prayers. I pray that she touches the heart of a special someone. Someone that will give her an extra hug......

Family Day

Yesterday (Saturday) Amy and I spent the day together doing fun stuff. First we attended the Basset Hound Rescue of Georgia's (www.bhrg.org) Annual Basset Bash. We hung out in a park with about 100 other basset hounds and a number of other dogs. We had a potlluck lunch and many contests including Longest Hound, Widest wingspan (ears), Chow Hound (what WON'T a basset eat?) and a costume contest. The day was also a fund-raiser for the charity and a great social event.

Speaking of social events, Amy and I participated in a blog party last night. It was organized by Heather Whittaker (www.whittakerwoman.typepad.com) and her friend Stephanie Lee (wife of Third Day guitarist Mark Lee. Heather's husband Carlos has a pretty popular blog as well (www.ragamuffinsoul.com).

We met at a restaurant in historic Roswell, GA and there were about 40 of us there including guitarist/photographer Daley Hake (www.daleyhake.com), friends of Heather's from California and followers of her blog. The really weird connections were plentiful including these two. We learned a few days ago that the sister-in-law of one of Amy's friends from Florida was to be there (the sil lives in Atlanta). The other one came when Amy saw a nametag indicating a blogger from New Smyrna Beach, FL. It turns out it was two ladies from Edgewater, the town just South of NSB and not only do these ladies know Amy's grandparents from their church, they are in a small group with Amy's sister Kelly! It freaked us all out, so we took a picture of Amy with the ladies and sent it to Kelly's phone and nearly immediately got the response WHAT?!? Where are they all together?!?!

more to follow

I WOULD have to say that last week was one of the best of the year. Wednesday, I skipped Bible Study and my weight watchers meeting to spend several hours at the zoo with new friends with Chinese children including my friend Sheridan. Not only had I not been to the zoo in years, this was a perfect day and I had a blast even after being up 24 hours.

Friday was our adoption support group.

Saturday was a family day which is how this post is getting on this blog. Pics and details coming but we did the basset bash and a blog party yesterday which was awesome. Even met a family from our church who is waiting for their daughter from China.

and its time for christmas preparation.....rock on

Adoption Option

Tonight was great. Dinner and fellowship at Donna's. I was able to visit with old friends, get to know some older friends better and celebrate referrals with new friends.
, so m
Tonight's topic was traveling tips and although we will be not be traveling for quite a while, I was able to learn A LOT.


Next month will be at our house, so mark your you calendars now!!!


Thanks again Donna, and hope to see more of you guys next month. Remember, these gatherings are for those who have adopted, those who are waiting and those who are interested in adoption in general. Tonight we celebrated referrals from Vietnam and China!

adoption option support group this friday

For those who are in the area. this Friday ( TODAY)is our first Friday of the month adoption support group. potluck dinner at 630 at Donna's house followed by a short talk and some socializing.

Click on the yahoo group link located down on the right side of the screen ( ya gotta scroll down)

Let me know if you have any questions. hope to see you there!!!! anyone involved in or interested in adoption is welcome. domestic, international or if you just have questions....

monday meditations

NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH

Praises

Many people got their LOA's this week. Awesome. We look forward to more great news and seeing these babies coming home soon!!!!

i am so thankful that so many families have been united this year

prayer request
as the election is almost over, i am praying for our new president and the leaders around the world. i pray our president has a heart for adoption

i pray for the country of China.

i pray for those whose hearts are leaning toward adoption that they will continue to follow.

i pray for those babies with SN that will need medical treatment when they come home. i pray for healthy and a speedy recovery.

what are you praying for?

Bumping into a new friend

This afternoon I was asked to stay late a little at work. My relief was on time, but had about 10 minutes of training to catch up on before coming onto the sales floor. So I was out there, happily putting stock on the shelves (it was truck day) and I saw a woman pushing a shopping cart in which sat a little girl I thought might be Chinese (mom was not).

I walked over and asked how they were doing (as if I was just being a friendly sales guy) and then asked if the girl was from China. The lady confirmed it and I shared that Amy and I are waiting for a match. So the ice was broken and we wound up talking for about 10 minutes.

It turns out I met Georgia and Zoe. They live pretty close to Amy and me and it turns out we have them on our blogroll. Look under December 2005 and you'll find "Waiting for Zoe" (though they are no longer waiting.

We know a few of the same people in the North Atlanta adoption community and I had an exciting bit of news to share when I got home to Amy today. So here is a shout out to Zoe and her mommy. She's a cutie!

and the waiting continues

Let's be honest. I do want the waiting to be over but the again this waiting thing has been happening for over 18 months, I am comfortable with it. Isn't that sad? All I know is waiting.

I was talking to Donna yesterday. I am scared to death of that referral call. Seriously, I have no idea what we are going to do after the call. Really. No Idea. I am very glad LynnMarie has a name and a crib/bed. After that, I think I will be numb. Now I know we will be making phone calls but then what? Get the room finished? Buy clothes? Plan the China trip? Think about schools? babyproof the house? start a college fund? My brain is moving so fast right now that I have no idea. We are going to see that pic and get info that will change our lives forever. I love her already but I know that once we get that referral, my heart will start beating differently.

No, we have no idea when we are getting our referral, these are just thoughts going on in my head. I do know the first thing we will be doing is praying for for. Got that part covered. Blogging friends, you guys have taught me so much from your experiences, I am just totally confused at the moment.

Ya know, when you dream of your baby when you started this process, I started dreaming of her room.I had lots of ideas and wanted to start planning but we didn't. Now, I am beginning to realize if we wait until referral, we will not have much time at all which means we need to come up with something soon. OH I wish I were creative. We have to make a decision. I am hoping we do a "garden" theme so we can include all the ladybug stuff we have been given. I just don't want a total ladybug room or an all pink room.. Any and all ideas are welcome!!!!!

Holy cow, this is intimidating but I would not change these feelings for anything in the world

Monday Meditations

Ok, so I need to start by being selfish. Will you guys pray this week for those of us logged in April 2007? I am waiting to hear if we are officially in the review room. This is the last review before China allows us to adopt. Michael and I made the May 1 deadline, but you just never know. Please pray that review is smooth and if in fact we are questioned, we pray that it will be easy to answer the questions!! Thanks! I am praying for China and the world we live in. I am praying for our children, their birth moms, the care givers and everyone who touches our paperwork.

I'm praying for our friends who are already home. I have heard this journey never really ends. Thanks for giving us a sparkle of hope and making this wait just a little bit easier! I am also praying that LynnMarie comes home soon but then again I do know God's timing is far better than i could ever plan!

A Long Fun Long Awesome Day

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Well, no, I had no troubles yesterday.



9:30 ish - wake-up. Amy woke me up because her parents were on their way over from their hotel to say goodbye before they left back to Florida.



10:30 ish - loaded up the car and headed down to PetCo to hang out with BHRG, the Basset Hound Rescue of Georgia. We helped hang out and hold dogs after first making Autumn our officially adopted rescue Basset Hound. We'll do this as much as possible as they always need people to hold leashes at the adoption events and it's a lot of fun interacting with the people who stop by to look at and meet the dogs. Yesterday we had Pretzel, Hugh, Elijah, Dottie, and about 8 more hounds.



12:00 - we left PetCo and swung by Winston's to drop off the prize from the poker tournament we held two weeks ago (52 free Chick-fil-a sandwich coupons).



12:30 ish - back at the house to grab a blanket and bone and Amy, Autumn, and I loaded back into the car and headed North up to Octoberfest at Helen, GA. Helen is up in the mountains, the southern end of the Appalachians and pretty close to the gold rush town of Dahlonega. Helen was developed as a tourist attraction, where all buildings are required to fit a certain code so they all look like Bavarian Alpine buildings. Basically the town is full of shops selling t-shirts (beer, biker and party-oriented), German-looking nick-nacks, candy (mostly made in the shops), restaurants (mostly overproced but one excellent Mexican restaurant) and a lot of cabins for rent, mostly with hot tubs.



Autumn had a very over-stimulated day. She enjoyed meeting the other bassets at the adoption event, and she rides in the car very well, curled up and sleeping on the back seat. We walked her around Helen and she met other dogs, she got lots of attention from people and kids and she got a little scared by the horses pulling carraiges.


Up close with Autumn

Old barn

Red barn and Fall colors.

The Tomato House

Shopping with pumpkins and gourds

Fresh tomatoes in October!

A boy and his dog

Northbound into Helen

A walk before heading home.

Chattahoochee River in Helen.

Adirondack chairs for sale - very inviting.

Octoberfest always means live music at the International Cafe.

We drove home, arriving right about 8:30pm which was going to be great so I could watch game 3 of the World Series. There was a rain delay, and the game did not begin until 10:06 pm. Taylor Swift performed the National Anthem, country style with her guitar. Tim McGraw read off the Phillies starting line-up. His father is the late Tug McGraw, the star Phillies relief pitcher from the 1980 World Series Championship team. Jamie Moyer, a Philadelphia-area native cut school to attned the 1980 series. He is the oldest pitcher in Major League Baseball and was the starting pitcher for the Phillies last night. His hero from 1980, Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton was there to throw out the first pitch of the game.

Jamie Moyer (45 y/o) reacting to a pitch that was almost hit out of the park.

Game 3 Victory

Hall of Fame Member Steve Carlton threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Peter and I saw him live at game 2 of the 1980 World Series.

It was an excellent game. Three Phillies hit home runs including slugger Ryan Howard who broke out of his month-long slump. A bad call by the 1st base umpire, coupled with a pair of stolen bases and a throwing error caused a tie game in the 8th inning. It remained tied into the 9th when the Phillies came to bat. A hit batter got a runner on first. When he stole second the throw was off and he advanced to third. The Rays then intentionally walked 2 batters to load the bases with no outs and they pulled their right fielder in to be a 5th infielder. The next batter tapped the ball down the third base line. The runner on third advanced to home plate and the 3rd baseman's throw was way off, so the Phillies scored a run, making it a 5-4 final, winning game 3 and taking a 2-1 lead in the best of 7 series. Games 4 and 5 are tonight and tomorrow night in Philadelphia. if the Phillies win both games, they will win the World Series, otherwise it is back to Tampa for one or two more games on Wednesday and Thursday.

18 months LID

We have been LID for 18 months now and its amazing all the things that have happened during this wait!! We can not wait to bring LynnMarie home!

This is our book for the month. It was actually given to us by special friends. A special little friend has reallly enjoyed this one!

Autumn's Forever Family

We have decided to open our home permanently to Autumn the Basset Hound. We have been blessed with her presence as she is as perfect a dog as we have ever met. A friend said no dog will take Lucy's place but may take her space. Well, this is that dog.

Monday Meditations

Recently, a lot of people have started discussions with me regarding adoption. No matter what type ( domestic or international), its a great conversation.

I pray that adoption continues to grow in the hearts of people and more children join their forever families.

I pray for those who are discouraged by the wait.

I pray for those who have referrals and are getting ready to bring their babies home

I ,pray for those who are waiting.

I pray for the birth families of our children's families that they will find peace.

What are you praying about today?

the fostering of Autumn

Warning; this is an odd post so do not assume I am crazy..Just some odd thoughts


So last Sunday, we decided to look at basset hounds.

For the last couple of weeks, we had been talking about getting another dog. Michael suggested fostering. I was not keen on the idea. I wanted a permanent friend. His rationale was lets go get a dog who needs some extra special attention because for whatever reason they were in a kennel and not a home.

I wanted a Basset. I wanted a young, healthy one that had been fostering home. This is what I wanted. I wanted to pick her out and I wanted things our way.But sometimes you dont get to pick out your family member.

Here is how it happened. We get there and the rescue group decides we should foster the dog that has been in the kennel the longest. So we did not get to pick. The group decided what dog we should have and brought her out to meet us.
Ok, I am so glad I did not get my way. Miss Autumn is one heck of an awesome dog. With Lucy she was always crated when we were asleep or away. Autumn has had very little crate time. I am looking forward to taking her to Fl with us next time!

I am shocked at how good this dog is.

So, does this story sound familiar? Not that I am comparing my dog to our China adoption but I have to say that this proves that not everything I want is what is best for us.

She makes a really good fit in the Christopher house!

A New Friend

On Sunday Amy and I became foster parents to a beautiful rescue basset hound. They think she is 3 years old and she is a perfect housepet. She is housebroken, uses the doggie door and loves to cuddle. She's a big girl, much bigger than our Lucy was. The Basset Hound Rescue of Georgia had named her Tulip, but we are calling her Autumn. We are caring for her until they find an adoptive home, but I have a suspicion she may have found one already.
And check this sout. On the way home from picking her up on Sunday, we stoped at a church pumpkin patch and met a local couple with their adoptive Chinese daughter. How cool is that?