YES!

Today was the day!  We have Illinois approval to bring the boys HOME!  Thanking God, doing the happy dance, and planning for our future!  More later, right now I am too excited to type!

And Still We Wait

Well, I cannot even remember what week we are on at this point, but we are still waiting.  So much for the requirement that we must have a denial or approval within 21 days.  No news from the state.  We were told that we are going to be approved, after an intense battle between our social worker and MD from the state.  But that was almost 2 weeks ago.  Last week, we were sent a pretty lengthy list of questions to answer, most of these were essay style.  I worked on it all afternoon Sunday, and then our worker had to put these answers into our home study and resubmit it.  This was all done by Monday morning.  MD legally has 7 days to review our information.  Surely we will hear something this coming week?!?!  This Is So Hard!  Knowing we have precious boys sitting there waiting.   Knowing we only have until the end of May to have our dossier submitted to China (they gave us a 6 month deadline).  Knowing this is just a silly matter of a signature.  Knowing that I personally feel this is a power/control issue.  But we are moving forward!  We are still believing that God will hear our request, and grant us FAVOR!  But, we would still appreciate your prayers!  And please pray for Wen and Wu.....as the longer they wait, we know the more delays and adjustment issues they will have.
Will update soon!

Happy Birthday Meng, Toby, and Grandpa Cecil!

March is the birthday month!
Happy Birthday to Meng who is now 9!
Happy Birthday to Toby, who is now 12!
And, happy birthday to my sweet father, Cecil, who is 79!
I love all three of these sweeties SO much!
But, we're not done.....
Happy Birthday to Wen and Wu who are now THREE!
And happy birthday (next week) to Brogan, my oldest daughter, who will be 23, and to my first and most amazing grandson, Landon, who will be 2!
Whew!
We are tired from partying and we are broke!
But aren't birthdays wonderful?!
God bless!
                                                Grandma Marcia with Meng!

                                                     This is Grandpa Cecil with Toby!

The whole gang (minus Patrick) at Hometown Buffet!  

Full bellies = happy kids!

And a few more!

Ok, my blogger will only publish 5 photos at a time!  So here are the last ones!

My basketball Sweeties!

We have one more week of Upwards basketball!  I love it.  I will miss it!  I have 7 kids playing this year, on 4 different teams.  So, it has been a little crazy, but well worth it.  Upwards is a fantastic program, and Justin is a fantastic director.  This was the first year Meng was cleared medically to play, and she did great!  All of the kids did great!

Other news:  Still no word from Illinois.  This is week 5.  We sent off more medical information on Friday, so I am hoping to hear something soon!  My family has designated every Monday as Wen and Wu day.  Several of us are fasting for the entire 30 hours, from Sun night to Tues morning.  Others are setting alarms on the devices, to remind them to pray for W and W each hour!  And for the state's decision.  Will post when I hear anything...good or bad!

In the meantime, please help me pray for 2 little sweeties who have also won my heart.  Silas and Hezekiah, who are both little Chinese cherubs, who have limb differences.  They need a family of their own!  If you are thinking about adopting, if God is speaking to you about adoption, or even if you just are curious about it.....PRAY for God's will in your life.  Listen to His words, and Obey His call on your life!  Statistics show that if 7% of all families who call themselves Christians would adopt a child.....there would be no more ORPHANS!  WOW~   Come on people, let's set that goal!

Enjoy these photos of my BBall kids!  Love them!

No News!

Well, I have absolutely no news from Illinois regarding Wen and Wu's adoption.  We thought for sure we would have an answer of some kind this week, and we do not.  We do know that we have an amazing social worker and an amazing agency fighting for us.  We do know that they plan to fight all the way to the top if they need to.  And most of all, we know that God is in control.  It has taken me a while to get that through my head this week.

I thought we would hear on Monday, so I was a nervous wreck all day.  Nothing.  Then Tuesday came and went, with still no news.  Yesterday, I hit the breaking point.  Thought I had found the answer, a legal loophole that I thought would get us through Illinois' scrutiny.  I was wrong.  I misinterpreted the regulation.  And I was so upset.  I took Daley for a run, and as I ran, I cried like a baby.  I came home and took a shower, and cried some more.  I went to church, tried to put on a smile, but it kept slipping.  And then it was time to teach my class. 16 of the sweetest kids ever.  I threw out my prepared Bible lesson, and we talked about worrying.  Basically, about how stupid it was.  We put our worries into our hands, lifted them up to Jesus, and gave them all to Him.  And then we made a plan for how to NOT take them back!  I lifted up Wen and Wu.  One child lifted up an injury.  Another, her unborn sibling!  Another, her fear, that something would happen to her mommy.  And I have PEACE.
Really.  I do.

I still wish I could peak into the future, and see if I have 13 children, instead of 11.  I still anxiously wait for the call from our social worker, with the decision.  But, I am ok.  I am not stressing and freaking anymore.  God has filled me with peace, and I am holding on!  See how my heart works......it is through kids.  I love them, and I love being a mom.  Greatest Job EVER!

God bless you, and grant you with His peace!!!

Daley's Doodles and a new pic of the twins!

    We have a wonderful nurse that comes for a few hours a day, to help care for Daley, while we do the bulk of our schooling.  Miss Sandy is such a blessing.  She is grandmotherly enough to be perfect, and resourceful enough to be creative, in finding ways to encourage Daley to play, learn and grow.

    A few months ago, Daley got a new stander, and she is slowly learning to love it.  Miss Sandy finds all kinds of things for her to do in it.....like play with her bead chain, her Christmas lights, or more recently....doodle!  Yes, she actually puts the little maker in Daley's hand, and Daley makes beautiful little scribbles!  It is actually so precious!  You can always tell when she sneezes (long straight line), or when she gets bored (dark blob).    We are going to frame some of her doodles, and offer them at silent auctions for adoption fundraisers.  She has so many fans, especially at church.  Perhaps some of them may want of her special doodles!  And support a great cause!

    In other news, there is an organization that is helping in the twin's orphanage.  The orphanage was SO bad, but this group, called Half the Sky, went in and bought them mattresses~  And toys!  And blankets!  Sounds crazy, but they did not have these things before!  Anyway, I have been following their blogs about the orphanage SO closely, hoping for a glimpse of the boys, and this week, there they were!  I have shared their photo below.  They look GREAT!  And so big!  We are still nervously awaiting Illinois' decision on our adoption.  Our caseworker is pleaded our case tomorrow, and forwarding all of the additional documents we have prepared for our battle.  Praying for good news!!!

    Lots of birthdays this month!  Meng turns NINE on the 8th, Twins Wen and Wu will be THREE on the 12th, Toby turns TWELVE on the 13th - same day Grandpa Cecil turns 79!  And Brogan and Landon share a Bday, on the 19th!  Brogan will be 23 and Landon will be 2!  Love my TREASURES!