Nat left,and Jenny's moving.....

So many people have asked what Natalie thought about the sweet tea. I think the picture says it all. There was no posing for this. It was right after her first sip!

What a sad day at my house! I was in lala land pretending that Nat would be here forever. I am in lala land no more.....I am very sad, but I will write more about that later.

My sister, Jenny, is moving away tomorrow. I have also been in lalaland about this...trying to pretend that it isn't happening, but it is TOMORROW. My heart just hurts. Plain and simple. I know how blessed I am.....a little over a week until I have AP, but my heart still hurts. Oh, how I will miss Jenny........ and I miss Nat already too. I feel like posting a bad word!!!!!

Long time no post????

We know, and we're sorry. We've just been having SO much fun, and we're totally worn out at night. Nat and I have been shopping and visited Fairhope. We went out on the pier and hung out for a while. Yesterday we went and spent the day with Kerry, Becky, Cameron, and JP. Talk about thrilling! We couldn't believe that we were seeing Cameron in person. We got to know JP during our visit and fell in love with him too. Those 2 kiddos are amazing, and their mammas are ok too! :) JP is like a little man in action, you should see this 2 year old climb up slides and running everywhere. Cameron is more beautiful in person if you can imagine. Nat and I couldn't take our eyes off of him, and he liked us too (we think). He gave us plenty of smiles and even showed off his muscles for us. It was a long day of driving but so worth it to spend the day with them. We had a fabulous time! Today we are taking it easy.....we are going to head to Fairhope in a while and have lunch. Then we will be off for some shopping...No big plans today.....just doing what we feel like. The best part is just being together! We won't even think about tomorrow....You will probably hear us crying. We're already talking about our next trip. One of us is going to HAVE to relocate!!!! Now, here come some pics! Ginger, you asked for pics? You got 'em!!!!!

Lou and Nat on the pier- self-portrait

Nat and Andrew
Andrew trying to fix Nat's computer
Pier again

Look at Nat's hair on my forehead.
We love our public!


Cameron making muscles! How strong is this kid?

JP had to make his muscles too. Woud you mess with this?
Would you people please stop taking my picture non-stop?? Come on now!!!!!
All of us: Natalie had to sanitize her camera after these, because the man taking our pics was holding the camera RIGHT in front of his crotch! We were all dying!!!!

What can you say??? GORGEOUS! We just love him!
JP is instantly calmed by the miraculous Ring Pop! He loves them!
Cameron was looking at the "big dog" instead of the camera. I didn't care....I just wanted to hold him!

Nat, you're too funny!
You girls crack me up!
Mama, these ladies are nuts!
Sweet Kerry and Cameron

Can you say "Maw Maw"?

Let me point out that this video was made when Natalie and I were delirious from lack of sleep. We thought we were quite funny!!! I am still working on Nat's accent! Let's see what happens tomorrow after her first dose of sweet tea!

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2 peas in a pod......

We could not believe that this moment was happening!

YEAH!!!!!!!
Bloggin' Guatemamas!
Catching up on today's dirt!

YES, Natalie is actually here! We can't believe that we are finally together. It was very surreal at first. I cried and cried.....Nat was just in shock and shaking. Andrew captured the first moment, and you can tell how happy we were to see each other. We have said before that we were best friends in heaven, and now we know for sure. We are SOUL SISTAS! We have had the best time you can imagine. Things like going shopping with your friends that we normally take for granted have new meaning. We were just so happy to be doing normal things together. Natalie cannot say "Maw Maw". She says Moe Moe...It is too funny. Andrew is just about as excited as we are. We have to admit that we are just big dorks. We are both so excited about going to Target together. We both LOVE that place and will probably spend HOURS in there together. Tomorrow we are off to my mama's for lunch, and we are going to show Nat around Fairhope. We are hoping that most of the shops will be open......We will take tons of pics and share later. For now just know that these 2 bff's are in heaven!!!!

The sweetest sleep......

I don't think I have slept all night since the day we accepted Anne Pearce's referral on Oct. 25. I know that has been part of my problem. My mind would spin, and I would just wonder about my daughter. What had she done that day? How much bigger was she? What all was I missing?? After I visited her it was so much harder. I could FEEL her! I knew what she smelled like....what sounds she made, and it made me hurt so much more for her. I wouldn't trade those visits for anything, but it was so difficult to come home. Fast forward to last night. When I laid down there was only excitement! I had such peace. I KNEW that she was ours and that I had nothing to worry about. I slept all night long, like a ROCK. I napped this afternoon for 3 hours. God gave me much needed rest! I am in awe of my Jesus. I thanked Him over and over. I fell asleep thanking Him. He gets all the glory. Not the lawyer, not the agency, not us......He has made this possible. He has used all of us to do His will. He led us to our agency, and He worked through our attorney. God orchestrated every step (even the difficult ones) of this journey. I look back over the last 13 months, and I see how God has changed ME. I am a new person, reborn in His love. I have found a new closeness to the Lord through this process that I have never experienced before. That is the greatest gift I have ever been given. I know now that I can do ANYTHING He asks me to do. It won't always be easy, but He can make anything happen. I completely trust Him, and I know He walks with me! How wonderful is that? God chose all of US to go to His children in a far away country. He is trusting us to lead them to Him! What a joyful job that is. I watch Maggie with her mommy and daddy. Daisy has devotion with her everynight, and Wyatt prays with her. She is only 2, but she knows the Lord. She knows how much He loves her! What better gift can we give a child? I can't wait to teach Anne Pearce about our Lord....to tell her what He has done for her! I know she will grow up to do His work, and I can' t wait to see what He has her do. Last night I dreamt of Anne Pearce, and she was laughing with me! We were playing and just being together. My dream will come true in just a few days. I am so thankful to God and can't wait to share her with you all! I am honored that you all are following this journey, and I can't wait to share the rest as we go along. Please pray for Carolina. I know it will be very difficult for her to give us Anne Pearce. She has been a wonderful mother to her for almost 8 months, and we will forever be thankful. My heart is just so full of love and peace right now. Please also join me in praying that the rest of my Guatemamas will get their babies home soon. This journey to AP isn't over until all her friends are home. I pray that we continually get good news on all of their cases. Let's focus all our prayers on the rest of these babies in Guatemala!

Thank you for being with me all these months and helping me through this. I really do love you all!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Dear Natalie, Happy Birthday to you!!!

Today is my sweet friend Natalie's birthday. She will be here the day after tomorrow, and I CANNOT wait. I will probably tackle her at the airport. Andrew will capture every moment with pics, and we will share.

OK, I know you all want to know about the famous "call". I was lying in my bed watching a little tv when the phone rang. I looked at the caller id and saw my agency's name. My stomach sank.....I knew either we were out or had another kick out. I vaguely remembering saying hello???? in question form. It was Terri saying those magic words. I thought I was going to pass out. I kept asking her if she was sure. She was so happy for us.....it was really a surreal moment. I need to ask her later what all I said! When we hung up I just sat for a second and thanked Jesus. I had prayed the night before that He would put AP's file in His hand and deliver it to that window! He answered our prayers. I still can't believe it......it doesn't seem real at all. I called Andrew immediately and we both cried. It's just unbelieveable. I started making phone calls, posted the blog, and the fun began. I got over 100 emails yesterday and over 1000 hits to the blog. I am so thankful for everyone's support and kind words. So much stress has just been lifted from my shoulders!!!! Our little girl is coming home, and I will have her in about 2 weeks NEVER to give her back! My agency has said it's fine for me to go early, so I booked the airline ticket and hotel. I am on my way June 11...... My prayers are now focused on releasing all the rest of these sweet babies. I will not stop until they are all home. I will write more later. Today I am just resting and basking in happiness!
love to you all.

What's next you ask??

WHOOOO HOOOOO! I will be home soon! FINALLY!!!!

I will be leaving on June 11 to stay with Anne Pearce until she can come home. Our attny. is hoping she will be ready to come home in 5 weeks, so I should only be there 2 weeks by myself. I am honestly looking forward to some time alone for us to get to know each other. I wish Andrew could be there the entire time, but he and the boys will come a few days before the appt. I will be so happy to see them when they get there. Tomorrow I will write the entire story down, I promise. I know you guys want the details.....I am just so relieved and TIRED right now. I feel like the world's biggest burden is off my shoulders. Of course, it was never really on my shoulder anyway, it was on God's! Thank you my heavenly Father for this miracle! Please bless all these other babies. Show them your favor and send them home! I love all of you so much. I couldn't have asked for a greater group of people to take this journey to Anne Pearce with me.

More tomorrow....I'm gonna take a nap!!

I have had several people ask me what happens next. This was taken from Guatefam.org.

~PGN issues its approval for the adoption to proceed.
~The lawyer then meets the birth mother for the 4th and final sign-off.
~The adoption decree is then written and issued by the lawyer and the child is legally now the child of the adoptive family.
~A new birth certificate is then issued by the Civil Registry with the child’s first and middle names unchanged, but with the names of the adoptive parent(s).
~Lawyer takes new birth certificate and applies for a Guatemalan passport (although the child is adopted by US parents, he or she is still a Guatemalan citizen).
~All documents are translated into English by certified translators, as required by US INS regulations.

Visa Issuance and Travel Procedures

~ Passport is issued.

~Child gets a visa photo done.

~Lawyer takes all the paperwork back to the Embassy, including the passport, your dossier, the Family Court findings, the adoption decree, the DNA results, all translations, and the visa photos, and requests approval for an orphan visa to enter the US.
Embassy authorizes visa. This approval is on pink paper and is called the "pink slip". It is usually issued a day or two after submission of the documents.

~Child gets an exit physical by an Embassy-approved doctor (to make sure the child doesn?t have unrecognized handicapping conditions or infectious diseases). Note that this exam used to require prior embassy approval, but can now be done any time after the passport is issued, without prior approval of the embassy

~Embassy appt. is done one day, the visa is issued the next afternoon, and you can fly home the next day!!

OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!

OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!

We just got the call! Anne Pearce is offically OUT of PGN. I am shaking and shaking and sobbing and sobbing. Thank you, Jesus! I will write more later when I can focus!!! Thank you all for all your prayers!

Better day......

So far today....NO BAD NEWS! Boy, what an improvement that has been!

Hey you guys....remember me?? I'm STILL here in Guatemala! Will you please pray that my mommy and daddy get "the call" this week?

My hut is on fire!

Daisy's cousin actually sent this to her to send to me...... Unpleasant things continue to happen at my house. Long story short- My daddy freaked out about the DOS warning about traveling to GC, and the agency scared my mama to death last week with all their warnings. They have decided that she can't go. I don't want to go into anymore than that. It devastated me not so much that they're not going, but that they told me today when I was supposed to be getting my baby forever! Enough gloom and doom. Daisy prayed me through it, and I trust God that it's for the best. We are all praying about who should go with us to get AP and help with the boys. We think we know who it is, but we are waiting for God to tell us. Please pray for peace at my house....we need it.

WHEN YOUR HUT'S ON FIRE:
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Everyday he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames,with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?," asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives.... even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Broken dishes + ruined clothes = saved people.

You know how they say when it rains it pours???? IT DOES. This weekend has been a tough one for us. Daisy and Wyatt were gone, Natalie has been sick, and I was SUPPOSED to be getting ready to go get my baby. I had been looking at her suitcase all week, and I decided that I couldn't stand it anymore. I can't stand "mess", and I wanted everything put up where it was supposed to be. Remember that I had packed for a month, so there was tons of stuff everywhere. There's no way we would need 100 outfits for AP on pick-up, so I was trying to figure out the best place to put everything. Andrew was in there for moral support. He is so sweet...... he turned around, and his shoulder accidentally hit a shelf in AP's room. The shelf fell off the wall as did her precious dish set and piggy bank. Everything shattered as did my emotions. I had a fit! I mean a big fit!!! Not AT Andrew....just at the situation. Poor thing, he blamed himself. It was just an accident, but he felt horrible. He immediately went to Tiny Town and bought another set of dishes and a new piggy bank. We all know stuff isn't important, it's just symbolic of AP. It's HER stuff...you know what I mean??? Well, we got over that. Now for today......I went to the airport to pick up my Daisy and Wyatt. I couldn't wait... I know it's only been 2 days, but I missed them like crazy. I don't know how she stands it when we go to Guatemala. Anyway, we got them home safe! After they dropped me off I could tell something was wrong with Drew. He said, "I had another screw up". He was putting away cleaning supplies and knocked the Clorox off the top shelf. It exploded all over my laundry room and ruined some of my favorite clothes. Poor guy. I was sad for a minute, I have to admit. Nat called, and I cried to her for a minute or two before I headed back downstairs to console my hubby. The point of all this: NONE OF THIS MATTERS. NONE OF IT! NOT THE DISHES AND NOT THE CLOTHES. All that matters is that we have God, and He takes care of us all. When we are overwhelmed like we have been this last week is when God is His strongest. He is there to pick up the broken baby dishes. He is there to throw away ruined clothes. He is there to love and parent us. The dishes and clothes are symbolic of our lives, especially this week. We are all broken.... we all are ruined, but God takes the broken and ruined pieces of our lives and makes us new. He reminds me that He is always there for me through everything. I'm not proud of how I handled myself last night, but I think I did better today. God is putting my broken pieces back together right now, and when He sends AP home, He will be filling that broken piece in my heart. Until then, He is the "Super Glue" that will hold us all together. Corny????? Yes, but true.

" I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came opon me. I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: 'Oh Lord, save me!' The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 116: 1-7 NIV

I know you all probably read this on Nat's blog.....

But she is coming to visit! We both decided that it's just what we needed to get our minds off the PGN blues. We thought we would be meeting in GC with our girls, but there's no reason we can't meet here! We are so excited!!!!! We have actually squealed on the phone. So, for 5 days we are going to be just together hanging out. I am going to take her to do all my normal things. Sometimes well all take for granted spending time with those we love. God has sent me some amazing people during this journey. Nat and I bonded immediately, and it feels like we have been best friends forever. I don't throw the word best friend around. I have only had a few girls in my life that have ever been considered my "Best" friend. I also don't believe that you can only have one best......all my girls are the best. I am so blessed to have them all and what they have all brought to my life! Now I feel God smiling down as He sends Natalie to me in Alabama. IT IS SUCH A GIFT FROM HIM. He knows how badly we need something GOOD right now. There is no better gift that he could give me to take my mind off my sorrows...So, thank you, Father, for all you have given me. Thank you for sending my sweet Natalie to me, and please bless our time together!

I have had so many requests to stay public!

Really, I am amazed at the response! Now you lurkers have no business staying so quiet! I know who you are now! ;) The purpose of this blog is to show my love for the Lord through this adoption process and our daily life. It has touched so many people, and it breaks my heart to think that someone may NEED to read it and it not be here. I will be discreet and not be discussing every detail of the adoption. There are so many people involved, and I have to respect my agency, attorney, foster mom, and last but not least, Anne Pearce. I will fill you in on major happenings, don't worry, but there are some details that will just need to stay private. You don't know how theraputic this is for me. I want to have this put into book form for AP when she is finally home, so she can see how her adoption process touched so many. No news on the adoption front. We have just completed our 4th week back in PGN. The "typical" time in PGN after resubmit is 6-8 weeks according to our agency. Of course there are no guarantees, but we are praying for the short end of that range. Please continue to pray that AP's paperwork is blessed and shown favor. God continues to teach me lessons DAILY throughout this process. I am learning to give the control over and trust the process. I wish I could have done more of that early on. I'm afraid I annoyed many people with my "overzealousness". I am a very passionate person and like to be involved in everything....sometimes a little too involved. The bottom line is that God is always in control! I am giving it back to him AGAIN. There is nothing we can do except pray. Also, I am going to start focusing on my entire family in this blog.....not just Anne Pearce. Everyone in this house plays a very important role in my life. Get used to seeing more of these fabulous people! Thank you all so much for your support and prayers for our family. We appreciate them more than you all know.

love love love,

;) lou,

andrew,

logan,

and hayden

I am going private in one week.

I have decided to go private with the blog. If you are a loyal reader and want to continue reading "Waiting for Anne Pearce" please send me your email address at lou0728@yahoo.com. I will leave this message up for one week to give everyone plenty of time to send me their address. If you miss the deadline just email me later, and I will add you. When Anne Pearce is home I will go back to public viewing. I love sharing my story with you all, but I feel the need to be more discreet until the adoption is final. I see from my locator that people from all over the world check the blog on a regular basis. Even if you don't comment just send me an email telling me who you are and where you are, and I will add you to the list.
Love and blessings!

Slight change of plans.....

After our meeting with our agency today Andrew and I have decided that it will be in everyone's best interest for me to wait and go after AP gets out of PGN. I prayed about this last night, and I have peace about our decision. There are many legalities and concerns that we had to discuss with our coordinators, and we all feel better about me waiting. Don't worry, I am fine. No crying and no hissy fits. I trust that God gave me the strength and peace to make this decision. It was making me sick thinking about being away from my boys and Andrew for so long. Now we will be just praying even harder that we get that magical "out" call soon.
Thanks for all your prayers and support,
lou

Hey Cameo.....6 days and counting....

Hey you guys, in 6 days my mommy and grandmama are coming to get me! Whoo hoo!!!

I couldn't let you down sista! We have been to New Orleans today to get my mom's passport. The Big Easy is about 2 and a half hours from our house. We had an 11:00 appointment, and we didn't get her passport until 4:30! We did have the chance to go eat a great lunch and go walk around Jackson Square. That was fun. I told Nat that I would have loved some pics, but I FORGOT MY CAMERA! What a dork. It was the first time I had been to N.O. since the storm, and the evidence of Katrina is still painfully visible. Downtown in the French Quarter wasn't bad, but the areas driving in still looked devastated. It is just so sad. For a while our area was in the news constantly, and now it's kind of been forgotten. At times like today I remember that not everyone is back to normal. There weren't very many vendors and almost no performers in the square and other areas. New Orleans is making a come back, and we will go down for the weekend soon to take the kids to the zoo and aquarium. SO, we are all exhausted, but Grandmama has her passport! We are almost on our way. Tomorrow morning I have a big meeting with my agency to sign waivers and "behavior conduct" forms. I am the first mother ever to go foster, so I am thankful that they are allowing me to go. I am the Guinea pig, and I wouldn't do anything to ruin anyone else's chance of going down. The rest of the week will be spent with my parents , family, and Daisy, Wyatt, and Maggie. We will be eating some of my favorite foods before I go. I am taking sweet Daisy to lunch. Today while I was gone she picked up my boys from school, had them do their homework, fed them supper, AND EVEN MADE SOUP FOR LOGAN'S CLASS PROJECT that is due tomorrow. She didn't want me to have to come home tired and do it myself. What did I EVER do to deserve my Daisy??? I love you girl! Please leave me a comment and let me know one thing you each think I should take....I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Don't let me down.....

Hugs and kisses...........

A Thank You to AP's foster mommy and birth mom

Anne Pearce is so blessed to have 3 mothers who all love her so much. Today I am thankful and in awe of the two women who have given so much to my daughter. AP's birthmother told our foster mom at the FC interviews how much she loves her and wanted a good future for her. She placed her for adoption out of pure love. She is the true defintion of mother: she put AP's needs above her own. Our entire family will always be thankful for the gift of Anne Pearce. How do you tell someone thank you for giving you your daughter? I pray that one day I get the opportunity to meet her and thank her in person.

Anne Pearce is also blessed to have the most wonderful foster family! Carolina, Oscar, Joshua, and ALL of their family members love Anne Pearce like she is one of their own. They have taken such good care of her, and she is truly loved by them. They show her our pictures everyday and talk to her about us. They tell her how much we love and miss her and how we will be there for her soon. Next Monday will be such a joyous day for my mom and me, but I know it will be a day of sadness for Carolina. She has to give a baby she loves as her own to me forever. I know that she will be happy for our family and the baby, but I know her heart will be broken. I will always love Carolina and her family for all they have done for my daughter. They will all be a part of our lives forever.

I am such a blessed woman......I have my heavenly Father, my darling Andrew, Logan, Hayden, and Anne Pearce. God has entrusted ME with all these precious little people, and I will do my very best to teach them about His love for them. I pray for all of us today who are without our children in Guatemala, and I pray for all the wonderful mothers there who are taking care of them until we can.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

As my time to get AP draws near, I am just feeling SO BLESSED! Blessed to have her, blessed to have my entire family and friends, and blessed to have all of you. Of course, I wish she was here with me, but Mother's Day is about the heart. She is my daughter, and she is always with me. I don't feel any less her mother just because we can't be together on the actual day. If you think about it, every day is really Mother's Day! Terri is the adoption coordinator for Guatemala at our agency. She wrote this poem and emailed it to all of her waiting families. I asked her permission to share it with you all. It is so beautiful, and I know you will enjoy it.

Happy Mother’s Day To My Special Mommy
As I Wait For You

A little angel came to me,
Fluttered to my bed.
She traveled straight from God’s own heart
And this is what she said.
“A love that knows no limits
Is just about to start.
Feelings you have never felt
Will surely fill your heart.
She said your name is Mommy
You’re as loving as can be.
Your hands are soft and gentle
Longing to hold me.
To watch me grow from day to day
To catch me when I fall.
To make me laugh and watch me play,
To answer when I call.”
I’m so glad God made you,
He knew right from the start.
Love for you, He has engraved
In the corners of my heart.
I cannot wait to see you,
And feel your loving touch.
This Mother’s Day is special
Because I love you very much.
Terri Lee Thompson

Happy 7 month birthday, Anne Pearce!

This is the LAST birthday we will be apart! Mommy will be there in 10 days! YES, that's right, 10 days!!! Wow! Can you guys believe it?? 10 days! Wouldn't the best birthday present be to get OUT of PGN today? Mommy is praying!!

11........

days until I get to kiss those cheeks! I had a dream last night that we were home, but that somebody took her from me. I was hysterical and couldn't find her anywhere. It ended up that she was fine, but I didn't want to let go of her. I can't wait to feel her in my arms, to kiss those little lips, and just BE with her. Everyday I am one day closer to Anne Pearce!

12.........

Days until I have Anne Pearce forever! It's slowly starting to become real for me, and I just can't wait. I am praying that God is preparing AP's heart and that she will have an easy transition. I pray that she remembers me and that she finds comfort in me. I pray for Carolina and her entire family as they prepare to give AP to me. I pray that God gets us out of PGN in record time, so I can be home with my family. I am praying for all of my blogging buddies, that all our children are home soon. I am so blessed to have all of you who share in every second of joy with me! Thank you for going on this journey to AP with me!

Now it's 13 days and counting!

I promise I won't do that every day, but it is starting to hit me. Sometimes Andrew and I just don't really get that Anne Pearce is actually coming home with us this time! It's indescribable. Our entire family is thrilled. My friends are beside themselves. Everyone is just so ready for AP to be home. We have been blessed with so much love and support during this entire adoption. It blows my mind. I have also learned that when God is doing His work nothing can hold you down. I have had bad moments, bad days, and even bad weeks, but God's grace and peace always prevails. Sometimes we lose sight and think that the babies are the reward. The true reward is how God brings us closer to Him through this process. I know that I am a different person for all the pain I have been through, and I thank my heavenly Father for it. I will never again doubt the power of the Lord. He can do anything, and He wants to do it for us. We just have to truly believe without wavering. I don't know exactly how long I will be away from my family and home, but I know that God will give me enough grace every morning to make it through. I still firmly believe that God is going to do something HUGE with AP's adoption. Maybe this will be the week that we see His work. I for one am one the edge of my seat to see what He does for all of us!

Happy Monday, and I love you guys!

14 days and counting!

Yes, I know that I have a countdown on the side, but I wanted to keep you guys informed. I cannot BELIEVE that it is almost time! I don't really have anything else to say, but I'll keep you posted if I get ANY news this week.

lovelovelove

Spiderman stunk big time!

For rizzle, it sucked. They wanted Spidey to look like "bad Spidey" in parts of the movie. He looked like Clay Aiken! That's scary in its own way. Anyhow, I sat through 2 hours and 20 minutes of horrible filmaking. I loved the first two, but this one really let me down. Even Logan thought it sucked. The little boys all loved it though, so that's what counts. Today we have Maggie's birthday at 2:30. I can't wait for her to see her playhouse. Daisy's mom was making the curtains and sink skirt last night. It's going to be so cute! I hope everyone has a great weekend.
lovelovelove

I am off to Spiderman 3........

with three 11 year old boys and one 12 year old. It's also opening day. Pray for me!!!!

Tomorrow is Hayden's birthday.

I love this kid!

My littlest boy will be 11 years old. Where has the time gone? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was having that beautiful little boy? Time just goes too quickly. He has turned into one fantastic funny little man....FULL of personality! I am so proud to be his mama. I was just telling Andrew that as excited as I am about getting Miss Anne Pearce I still can't believe that I am going to be seperated from the rest of my family. People, I have a wonderful husband and 2 spectacular sons. Just thinking about being away from all of them for a month or more makes me want to cry. Wow. I just wish that they could all go with me.......We know that AP NEEDS me to come. The older she gets the more difficult it will be for her. I WANT to go, but it's just so hard. I am praying for strength and guidance as I prepare to leave part of my family to be with the other....

Mama's fried chicken....

Not my mama's but Mama's restaurant in Mobile. They have the best home cooked dinners in the world. Since I am going to be in Guatemala for an extended period of time I have decided to make sure I eat all of my favorite things before I go. So today mama, Jenny, and I headed to Mama's in Mobile. It was fantastic. I won't go on and on, but their fried chicken is to DIE for. We all had empty plates! I also went and had a pedicure. It was very relaxing, I did start packing AP's suitcase last night. The stuff is taking up much more space than I remembered. It's not easy packing around a Bumbo seat! Baby clothes don't take up as much space as grown-up clothes, unless of course you are packing 100 baby outfits!!!! I still have bottles, wipes, and SO many other things to pack!!! I need a packing intervention. I also need another suitcase!!! I'll keep you posted..........

Mama and I took care of business today!

Sharon and I hit the town today. We took off to our county health department and got a certified copy of her birth certificate. Then we went to have lunch with my daddy and drew at my favorite Mary Ann's. They make Mississippi Mud Cake to die for!!! After my scrumptous quiche and tomato bisque we headed to have her pictures made and to pick up all the necessary paperwork. Now she's ready to go get the passport whenever we get the appointment. I can't call to make the appointment until next Monday, so we don't know for sure when she goes to get it. I will be glad when all that is set up and we are ready to go! I'll keep you guys posted on the progress. Please pray for Natalie. I really want her to be there with me and AP!!