Boys Breaking Stuff

(He was also in the middle of practicing with the children's musical...if you noticed the blue jeans and cowboy boots)

Daily Bread

Sometimes when I'm not able to have my quiet time in the morning (like today because little man came down with strep and threw up ALL night), I go here and see what they have for the verse of the day. SO many times, it is exactly what I need to be thinking about for the day. And today is just one of those days.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Arrrrrrgh...because we wanted shrimp and grits

We've decided to have our theme dinners twice a month instead of once a month. This theme dinner picked by Shanle.

On the menu:

Shrimp and Grits

Seaweed Salad

Golden Biscuits

Alligator Blood (to drink)

Our treasure chest dessert was stolen by the bad pirates, but pirate Jack found a treasure map that led to our golden cookies.

70 and still going

And Happy Birthday to one of my best friends, Kelly! So sorry you didn't get a pig-in-a-blanket with a candle. Maybe when you turn 70.

Some kind of record

Is it normal that a 5-year-old has lost 6 teeth already? I think I had my phone too close. Like when you look in the back of a spoon.

Praying BIG

We've been praying for some really big things lately. While adoption is a costly endeavor, the rewards will far outlast any sacrifices we're having to make right now. We're praying that God to work in some really big ways soon. Would you join us?

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly

above all that we ask or think,

according to the power that works in us,

to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus

to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

Delicious and Nutritious... kind of

This is just one of those recipes that I have to share. The original recipe is from my friend Cammy. (The original recipe was much more delicious, but I had cut out a little bit of butter and cream cheese.) She made it at her house a few months ago at a girl night and I've made it about 5 times since then.

Spinach Souffle

4 eggs

5T butter, softened

6 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. mozzarella cheese

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, drained

1t seasoning salt, plus a little more

Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer until fluffy. Pour into greased dish and sprinkle with a little extra seasoning salt. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Can be eaten as a dip with crackers or a side dish. Enjoy!

HOMESTUDY APPROVED!!!

Yesterday, we got the email saying our homestudy was approved! SO much quicker than we expected! Today, we have the eversoimportant I-600A filled out and ready to drop in the mail today. This form goes to the Department of Homeland Security and can take a REALLY long time to be returned. PLEASE pray that this will come back quickly.

We're so thankful to be in this place right now, but even good things can be a bit overwhelming at times. This morning, I woke up with this verse from Isaiah on my mind...

"You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, 'You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
'Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' "

What a sweet reminder.

Rainbows and Leprechauns

Theme Meal this month picked by Jack. And may I say, we ate A LOT of food coloring. :)

Stepping Out

"Being emotional about something will cause us to cry, but being compassionate will actually cause us to cross the street." -Perry Noble

This quote perfectly describes what's been going on in our house for the past 2 years. The difference between 2 years ago and today... we're putting our shoes on. We're adopting from Africa.

About 2 years ago, we felt that God had been laying on our hearts the issue of adoption. We attended a meeting at Bethany Christian Services here in Knoxville and coming out of that meeting, we felt sure that God was leading us to adopt internationally, specifically China. Since we did not meet the age requirements yet, we decided to pray and wait. About 5 months ago, we felt again like God was speaking to us again about adoption, this time with more of an urgency. So, after much prayer, we went back to Bethany. We looked into domestic, international, special needs, siblings, and foster care. Leaving that meeting, we still felt 100% called to international adoption. After filling out the preliminary application with the Bethany rep, the only country we qualified for to adopt from right now was Ethiopia. So that's what we're doing... adopting siblings from Ethiopia.

Some info about Ethiopia... Third-world country, approximately 4-6 million orphans in Ethiopia alone, HIV and AIDS galore, severe malnourishment. We have to help. How can we not take this opportunity adopt children that God loves and love them ourselves, clothe them, give them medical care, feed them, and teach them about Jesus. Out of obedience. Not obligation.

So we moved on to the next step which is the homestudy. A homestudy is A TON of paperwork about you, your family, your childhood, fingerprints, background checks, medical stuff, your call to adoption, and on and on and on. We've finished all that and turned it in right after Christmas. Then, a representative from the adoption agency took us through an interview process consisting of 4 interviews. She has written everything up and sent it off for the final approval. We're hoping to hear back REALLY soon so we can begin the immigration paperwork. We're not sure what all that includes. We do know that some of the official paperwork can take several weeks and even months to get back. Please pray that the turnaround is quick.

We'll keep you updated as the process continues. Right now, we need your prayers for our family, extended family, and two little ones over in Africa.

"Delight yourself in the LORD;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."

Psalm 37:4-6