FFF-Summer Lovin'

This week's Favorite Foto Friday theme is Summer Lovin'.

This is me and IF in Antigua in May. The summer weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful time!

Here's IF in the garden of the home of her foster parents.

This is my sun-bathing gal on the Easter holiday.

My daughter's new trick!

Many of you have asked if Isabella Faye is walking yet. Well, I e-mailed with Nana Janeth today and she says although she is pulling up on the furniture and sometimes lets go to stand, she's not walking yet. Gosh I would love to see her first steps in person! But, I know that sweet Janeth with video her walking as soon as she starts and send it to us.
Nana Janeth also said that she has learned how to take off her pants! Hilarious! Poor Nana Janeth! I bet she is totally exhausted when she goes to bed at night!
Oh how I miss that silly stripping girl!!

If He wants us to...

This morning I added a song by Ginny Owens called "If you want me to"

The lyrics are:

The pathway is broken And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley If You want me to
Chorus: Cause I'm not who I was When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will go through the fire If You want me to
It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone
So When the whole world turns against me And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the darkness If You want me to
When I cross over Jordan, I'm gonna sing, gonna shout
Gonna look into your eyes and see you never let me down
So take me on the pathway that leads me home to you
And I will walk through the valley if you want me to
Yes, I will walk through the valley if you want me to

I don't know why God has asked us to wait these 10 1/2 months for our daughter. I don't know why there's no end (that we see) in sight. But we trust Him and we know that He didn't come down off the throne and get busy doing something else. He is still in control. We will trust Him and we will walk through this valley if He wants us to. And we will know that He's always been there and never let us down. It all leads us home to Him.

Thankful

You know, even though we began our process in December of 06 and have been waiting for Isabella Faye for over 10 months, their are processes that have taken far longer than ours. Hard to imagine, I know. My heart breaks for these families. When I begin to feel sorry for myself, I try to remember these familes and pray for them. Yes, our process has been excruciating, but it could be worse.

Isabella Faye is being so perfectly cared for. She is deeply loved. She is so healthy. Her wonderful foster family keeps us updated and sends pictures on a very regular basis. Our agency is full of loving, professionals who care for each child and pray for them. I have gained forever friends through this process that have become trully like family.

I don't ever want to seem ungrateful or shallow. I realise we are blessed and I thank God. And I always remember those who's process has been harder than ours, I pray for them and I ask that you will too!

If is practicing for her birthday and Happy birthday Jenifer!

Isabella Faye's foster sister Jenifer celebrated her birthday Saturday and Isabella Faye loved the birthday cake. Apperantly on Nana Janeth's birthday she had some cake too! She will be well prepared for her b-day! Here's a short video clip of sweet girl eating.

Her b-day will be here before you know it. If she is not home by then, I plan to visit and celebrate her birthday with her and her foster family. Please pray for financial blessings to help in my visit trip in the event the next trip is a visit instead of pick-up.

Also, a very happy birthday to Jenifer. She and her siblings love Isabella Faye like their very own sister and help take care of and spoil her. Her face lights up when she sees them! She loves them too!

Please pray this week...

Friends,

Please join us in fervent prayer-real heart-to-heart prayer that we receive some good news this week. Isabella Faye's birthday is August 14 and we desperately want her home by then. We've spent 10 months waiting for her and our hearts are hurting and tired. Our life stands still as we wait for her-not wanting to do things or plan things, without her. She grows older and we miss so many of her firsts.

We know that God is control and He loves Isabella Faye more than we can ever begin to understand. He loves us too and is so faithful! We are praying this week, passionately-with a one-track mind and heart that we receive news of Isabella Faye's homecoming this very week. Thank you all in advance.

We love you guys,

Beth

Fun in the sun!!

That Nana Janeth has done it again!! I e-mailed her last night and I was feeling pretty down becuase our birthmother interview hadn't taken place yet. Well, the incredible, kind woman that she is, she sent me these sweet pictures which cheered me right up!

Gosh I love this lady!

Other good news is that the CNA (PGN-the Guat. Gov) has put out the following statement:

II. That should contact their lawyers and instruct them to come to the Attorney General's Office, introducing the children and their biological mothers, to conduct verification in the shortest possible time, in the best interests of children. The purpose of this requirement is to verify the origin of children, to avoid the adoptive families, problems later. Do not need to wait a subpoena, you can request and ARE accommodated.

Our agency director has made sure our attorney is aware of this so hopefully, Silvia will be interviewed this next week. Please pray for her, and for all concerned. Pray also that once the interview is done, it won't be long until we are out of PGN approved and IF can come home!

FFF-Daddy and Me

Okay, this week's Favorite Foto Friday theme is "Daddy and Me." Since my wonderful Hubby has stayed home to work and allow me to take both visit trips, he has not had the pleasure of meeting and spending any time with sweet girl. So, I don't have any pics of them together (unless you count the cropped in ones!!) So, I am posting a picture that we received on the day Guatemala celebrated Father's Day (this past Tuesday) and a picture of Hubby at my grandma's house at Christmas.

I love these two with all my heart! I can hardly wait for them to meet. Please pray they, and I, are together forever SOON!

Father's Day blessings!

Today, on Guatemalan Father's Day, John received some perfect pictures of Isabella Faye. I got them on my e-mail so I had them printed and then I got a Father's Day card and signed it from Isabella Faye. Then we went out for dinner and I gave the card to him. He loved it!
Our sweet Janeth and her family, there just aren't words to adequetly thank them for what they do for us.

Thank you Father God, for our wonderful foster family. They love Isabella Faye and treat her like thier very own. I know her placement with them was ordained by you. I know that you knew we'd have a long process and wanted her to safe and loved. We are so blessed with updates and pictures of her from Janeth and her family. Lord, these are a blessing that I can't begin to properly thank you for! Bless Fredy and Janeth and the kids. May thier reward for all they have done for our family be great!

Okay, there are more but I'm saving them for Favorite Foto Friday!

Happy Father's Day!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

A little more refining...

Pastor J preached on jealousy this AM. Apparently I wasn't totally done being refined. The Lord really hit me with the fact that I am jealous when I see a family have a seemingly easy process. I find myself checking time lines to see if the person posting is deserving of my sympathy. NOT GOOD! So, today I laid my jealously at the Lord's feet. Is it fair that some of us have to wait, wait, wait?!?! NO! But its not unfair that others got to come home. It's not their "fault." Praise God and hallelujah that their children are home! Is it fair that those running Guat. adoption are changing everything and causing these delays? NO!!!! But that's not the fault of the families that had an easy process. I have been learning that this whole thing isn't a contest (as Betsy has been trying to teach me) but I still hadn't let go of all the jealousy.

The point is that all the children come home-whether their parents are nice or mean or have had a hard or easy life.

I pray and cry and pour my heart out to God in petition that He will bring my daughter home soon-but I also must praise Him when others come home. I have to remember that God has a different timing for them based on their lives-what they've been through and who they are. I know that God is looking out for me and if I'm jealous and want someone else's timing, then I'm not really trusting God and letting go. Jealousy is me still holding on.

Lord, I lay this jealousy and entitlement at your feet. I trust that your timing for Isabella Faye is perfect for our family. Your timing for another family is perfect for them. I commit to praise you when children come home, no matter how soon or easy their process seemed. You see all, I see only this waiting. I trust you to see the whole, big picture...may your will and your timing for our family be done.

Happy Father's Day to Daddy and Foster-Papa!

Tomorrow is Father's Day and I want to wish a very happy Father's Day to Isabella's foster father and to my sweet husband John. I had the oppertunity to meet Isabella's foster dad on my first visit trip and his love for her was so evident. He held her and played with her and she just laughed and smiled at him! I know I say this all the time, but she is so loved and well taken care of! The whole family just loves her completely! We are so blessed!

I also want to brag on John. He can hardly wait to meet sweet girl. We talk about her everyday. He has so many plans for dad and daughter things for them to do...and boy does he hope she we love softball! I often imagine what it will be like when he meets Isabella Faye for the first time!

I feel so fortunate to have met and married a man who wanted to adopt long before he met me! Adoption was a calling for both of us, before we met. How blessed we are than God brought us together. He is full of common sense and humor. He'll be a great dad!

Tired...

Isabella Faye is 10 months old today. Sure didn't ever think she'd still be in Guat. on her ten month birthday. My heart is just breaking today as we wait for her. Oh how I hope and pray she is home by her 1st birthday on August 14. If not, I will make the best of it and go see her and celebrate with her and her foster family, but that will be yet another thing John misses. Just feeling extra sad today. Weekends are hard becuase you know there isn't anything happening-no new news. But then weeks are hard too, waiting and wondering everyday if you'll hear something. Plus, I battle a disease called Fybromyalgia. It leaves me in widespread pain and on days when it is worse, everything is worse!

Even as I've typed, the Lord has reminded me of a verse. Oh how I love that He hears us and speaks to our needs. I have typed it here from The Message translation of the Bible.

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind. Isaiah 40:31 The Message

Lord, I will wait on you today. I will trust in your timing-even when I don't understand it. I will accept your fresh strength and soar like an eagle.

FFF-Bloopers

Our favorite foto Friday theme this week is bloopers. Here are a few of my favorites. ..


Trying to take a picture with 3 tired kiddos...


I don't even know to say about this one! : )


FALLING...can't hang on...


When Mommy tries to take the picture herself and IF tries to "help."



For more info on Favorite Foto Fridays go to http://kissthefrog4me.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday Janeth!

Today is our wonderful Foster Mom's birthday. A very happy birthday Janeth-we love you!

Please pray

Our director updated us yesterday that PGN has still not scheduled our birthmother interview. I had secretly hoped that she would call and be told it had already taken place!

But, all things in God's timing...even when it doesn't make sense to us. God sees the big picture.

Please pray that:

~ PGN is quick to schedule our birthmother interview.
~ Our birthmother is able to attend without difficulty.
~ Our birthmother has the strength and courage to do as God would have her.
~ That God will give us the fortitude and grace to handle the outcome in a Godly
manner, no matter what it is.

Love you guys,

Beth

FFF-Messy Faces

Today's Favorite Foto Friday theme is Disorderly conduct/messy spaces. I don't have any real good pictures of the chaos that was our hotel rooms both times I visited, but I do have some pretty fummy pictures of my messy sweet girl and her bff Alex. So, my take on the FFF is not messy spaces but messy faces!!!

Prayer for Isabella Faye's birthmother

The Lord has been dealing with me for some time regaring Isabella Faye's birthmother. For those of you who don't know, the process of Guatemalan adoption has been recently changed and instead of birthmothers being interviewed by the child's attorney without the the child present, the birthmothers are being interviewed with the child present, by PGN officials. John and I have struggled, worrying that seeing Isabella Faye's beautiful perfect face and her precious personality, that her birthmother might change her mind. We have come to understand though our struggle and prayer and much reading of the scriptures, that Isabella Faye is GOD's child, not ours and that ultimately, only God knows what's best for her. So, we have begun to pray for what's best for Isabella Faye-regardless of what that is. We have prayed for her birthmother as well. But tonight, for me, was different.
I went to the altar at church and I "brought" Silvia, Isabella's birthmother with me. I told the Lord that is Silvia was praying about all this, to let her feel me praying right alongside with her. I envisioned my arm around her as we prayed and I asked the Lord to let her feel my presence and my love. And, I asked the Lord that if Silvia didn't pray, that he would accept my prayers on her behalf. I prayed for God to give Silvia disernment, peace, strength and courage. I prayed His arms around her shoulders and his love around her heart. And the amazing thing is-I meant it! I love Silvia and I owe her a debt of untold gratitude for Isabella Faye.
Please pray with us for Silvia.

The Best Birthday Gift!

Our incredible Foster Mother has outdone herself! Today is my birthday. And, let me tell you, John and I were feeling bummed last night. We were worried about Isabella Faye's birthmother's interview and just feeling plain hopeless. As I tried to sleep last night my night was filled with nightmares about losing her. This morning we put on brave faces and set out to celebrate my birthday (I have taken the morning off from work.) Well, after breakfast I checked my e-mail (free on my phone for 2 months, YEAH!) and sweet Nana Janeth had sent pictures and video of Isabella Faye in honor of my birthday!
Just amazing how God used this amazing woman to transform our day! I don't think my friends and family will be too insulted if I say that these pictures from Janeth are the very best birthday gift I have received!
Oh how we love this family!
Enjoy these pictures of Sweet Girl wishing her Mama a Happy Birthday!

Faux Aunt Beth

My dear friends Scott and Betsy and Mark and Stacy are in Guatemala right now picking up thier children. I am so very happy for them and thought I'd post a picture of thier adorable children...my honorary neice and nephew, Raelyn and Alex.


Alex sleeping


Raelyn and her daddy, Mark


Raelyn and her brothers Logan and Ethan


Raelyn and her Mom, Stacy and Alex

In Better Hands

Real rough day today...

I've posted a link to song over to the right of the page. Its called "In Better Hands." Its by Natalie Grant and it has brought me some comfort on this sad day. I hope it speaks to you, too!