One Year Anniversary

It was 1 year ago on Friday, Dec. 4 that our Medical Conditions Checklist (MCC) was filed with our agency. Since then, they have matched 269 children in the waiting child program! We are anxiously awaiting the day will we get our call and told that they have matched us with our little girl. As the time gets closer, I can only imagine what is going on in her life. How old is she, where does she live, is she being cared for, is she being loved by someone....
All we can do and what we ask you all to join us in is praying for her. We pray that she is protected by God's hand during this time and that she comes to us with a heart that He has prepared in her for the love our family can't wait to shower on her. I pray that He reamins close to her during this time and that she comes to know Him in a divine way.

Halloween!

October Update

Total matches for October: 33 (wow)
Total matches since MCC: 238

The kids are looking forward to Halloween. Mason is going to be a Clone Trooper and Morgan is going to be a Polar Princess. I will post pictures next week.
We have some exciting news to share. We will be hosting a 10 year old boy from Latvia for 4 weeks over Christmas. He speaks very little, if any, English. He is currently in a foster home in his country. The kids are very excited and can't wait for him to come. What better time than Christmas to share our home and the love of Jesus with this boy. I am sure I will have a lot to share in the coming months. His name is Elvis. Please join us in praying for his safe arrival in mid December and a wonderful time while he is here.

September Update

Total matched this month: 21
Total since MCC: 205
Total in front of us: Who knows!?!?!

August Match Update

Total matches for August: 32
Total matches since MCC: 184
Total # of families in front of us: 16

Although the number 16 looks like we would be matched this month, the numbers don't always serve as an accurate determination of when we will be matched....more of a quess. This is because some families could have come in after us that were more open in their decision on what they would accept as far as disability, gender, and age. We are still hopeful that we will be matched really soon.
Thanks to all of you who contributed to the "100 good wishes quilt" for Lily. It is in the process of being put together and quilted right now. I can't wait to see it completed.
Morgan and Mason are back to school and doing well. Morgan loves middle school and Mason is loving 2nd grade. Morgan left for her first overnight trip with the 5th grade class this morning....bright and early!!! We got up at 4:45 and had to be at the school by 5:45. She was so excited.
Morgan has started taking dance (ballet, hip hop, and sacred). She had her first class yesterday and seems to really like it. She is also going to be playing volleyball. Mason is playing baseball and taking a tae- kwon- do class at school.
They both ask about Lily all the time and can't wait to bring her home. Having a name for the child that we have not met yet really helps with bonding with the kids as well as Fred and I. We talk about her as though we have already met her. She has been growing in our hearts for 3 years now. Know wonder we feel like we already know her.

July Update

Total matches for July: 22
Total matches since MCC: 151
Total left in front of us: 49

matches

Total for June 26
Total for July 1
Total since MCC: 130
Total in front of us: 70

Matches

Total for June - 20
total since MCC - 123
In front of us - 77

Match Update

7 matched so far in June
110 since MCC
90 in front of us

Match update

Total for May: 19
Total since MCC: 103
Total families in front of us: 97

Matches

Matches today:
Total for May: 16

Total since MCC: 100
Total families in front of us: 100

1/2 way there!
Nice to see numbers increasing.

Matches

Total for May: 6

Total since MCC: 88

# of families in front of us: 112

Matches!

5 more matches today....

Total for April: 23

Total since MCC: 82

Total families still in front of us: 118

Match Update

Received matches today! 6 more this week.

Total for April: 18

Total since MCC: 77

# of families still in front of us: 123

If we average 20 matches a month that would put us at expecting a match in about 6 months.....that would be around October.
Please keep Lily in your prayers and that she would come home to us really soon!!!!

Match update

There were 4 more matches this week. Therefore the breakdown is as follows:

12 so far for April
71 since MCC (I forgot to include Dec. #s in my last total)
Approx. 123 families still in front of us

Matche Update

They matched 15 children in January, 9 in February, 16 in March, and 1 so far in April.

So, that means there were 5 more matched this week for March and 1 this week for April.

Total since MCC: 41 matches
Approx total in front of us: 159 families

Matches

Only 1 match this week. FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matches

4 matches this week.
Total for 2009: 34

Matches

There were 4 more matches this week. Total so far for March - 6.
Total since MCC: 30

Not too much to update. We have received 19 quilt squares so far. Last week they matched 2 children in the WC program. I am hoping and praying for the numbers to start increasing. Please be in prayer with us, so that Lily can come home soon. I will have another update on numbers tomorrow.

Matches

Forgot to post last week on matches. Last Wednesday we were up to 6 matches and this week we were up to 9. So, that means a total of 9 matches for February. Seems to be moving slow this month. I am hopeful that next month things will pick up.

We received an email with our I-800A, immigration paperwork, approval today! YAHOO. One step closer.

Getting ready to go to Prayer and Praise at church tonight. Really looking forward to it. Hoping God shows up in a mighty way and blows our socks off.

Match Update

Only 1 match today.......really disappointed to see that.

Total for January: 4

We will have our fingerprints done on Tuesday, the 17th. Hopefully we will receive our approved immigration paperwork within a few weeks after that.

Waiting on quilt squares to come in. I received our first one today....thanks Elizabeth! I am really excited to see what everyone picks.

Match Update

Total matches for December: 19

Total matches for January: 15

Total so far for Feburary: 3



Total since MCC was filed: 37

Photo - The Sky Tonight

This is what the color pink means:

Pink --- Right Relationship with God; Power; Healing; Innocence; Faith.
Messiah, Rose of Sharon
the Father's heavenly care over the lilies of the field-His children
Jesus loves me-this I know!
right relationships
compassion
heart of flesh
passion for Jesus
the Bridegroom's heart
koinonia (fellowship)
romance

This has a significant, personal meaning to me. Thank you Lord!

No Matches Today

Just checked the CCAI website and there were no additional matches this week....probably due to CCAA being closed.

Update

There have been a total of 15 children matched in January. So, since we submitted our MCC they have matched a total of 34 children. There should be another update on that number today. CCAA is closed this week for the Chinese New Year celebration.
We received our appointment for fingerprints yesterday. We will be having our fingerprints done on 02/17/2009, then we wait on our immigration approval. Hoping to have that by March. Then we wait on our match!!!
I received great news this week that one of our friends that is adopting from China as well received a match! I am extremely excited for her!

Father/Daughter Dance

I am finally through with the Father-Daughter Dance and can take a breath. It was a lot of fun to plan and I think everyone had a great time. I am attaching a couple pictures. We had a Sock Hop theme with the cafeteria being transformed into a diner. I think the kids liked the ice cream, pies, and floats. We also had a Jukebox in the cafeteria and a photobooth in the hallway for the kids to take pictures with their friends. The DJ was great in the gym and really got the kids into the 50's music. Everyone got into the mood with 50's attire and pictures taken of the fathers and daughers on a old motorcycle.

Snow Day!

Our first snow day for the winter season. The kids couldn't wait to go out and play. I held them off until 7:45 am and the couldn't stand it any longer. It is very icy with a little snow....and VERY cold.

Matches today!

This is a picture that I took over the weekend. Mason did not want me taking his picture, so he was hiding. I thought the picture came out cute!

There were more matches today in the waiting child program....a total of 13 so far for the month. When we filed our medical check list (MCC) on 12/4/08 we were told there were nearly 200 in front of us. There were a total of 19 matched in December. So, that is 32 down.....168 to go. Files are in order of MCC date and are matched accordingly, however if they receive a child's file and the child does not match the next family in line then they keep going until they find an MCC that matches that child. Therefore, timelines can vary. It is very exciting to see numbers coming in each week though. Not sure how the Chinese New Year will effect numbers this month....remaining hopeful!

I-800A Sent to USCIS

We finnally got all our paperwork together for our I800A and I just mailed it all off to USCIS. It will get there tomorrow morning around 10:00am. Now I can take a breath! Yeah.
Morgan starts guitar lessons today. I pray all will go smoothly. She is the type of child that wants to try everything, but doesn't stick to much of anything. I hope this is something that she really enjoys.

Back to School

After 2 weeks out of school, the kids go back tomorrow. Praying for no resistance tomorrow morning. Mason always has a hard time going back after he has been home for a break or out sick. Hoping Chick fil a in the morning might help!
I had to request a copy of our original homestudy done in 10/06, as the copy I had, had information cut off at the top. USCIS needs a copy of our original homestudy as well as our update sent along with our I-800A. We hope to receive that by Wednesday. Everything else is ready to go. This will be the final step, until we receive our date to get our fingerprints updated. Then we wait on the immigration approval. After that we won't have any more paperchasing until we get matched.
Next thing on the list is to send out letters so that we can start working on Lily's "100 good wishes quilt". All you family and friends out there, you will here about that soon!
Signing off for now.

New Years Day!

It's that time again. The beginning of a new year. I pray that this year brings us lots of new beginnings, a closer relationship with God and a new blessing (Lily) into our lives. Our lives have been blessed with great friends, a close knit family and wonderful children. Thanks to all that have blessed our lives this year with your kindness, prayers and support.

We love you all!

I am attaching a few pictures of some memories from this year.

Our Home

Pool

Mason's room

Morgan's room

Lily's room

Kitchen

Kitchen

Dining Room

Formal Living Room

Front of our house