Pray for this week!

For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever. So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Thank you all for your prayers as we head into the home stretch of our adoption. I am humbled by the emails I receive of encouragement, scripture and love from you. God is working in all of this for His Glory - His Purpose. I don't understand why this has to take so long... but I do understand that I serve a God who's plan is not to harm us, but to give us HOPE and a FUTURE. Oh - I am believing it!

So - join me (again) in praying that this week is THE week we start our 30 day appeal.

and this is a beautiful thing...especially after the day the two of us had! Whew. My 2 year old cutie wore me out.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

This sweet treasure of mine is turning nine today! Oh- how it hurts my heart that I'm not there to celebrate with her. JT is totally in charge of this day... with good instruction I might add.

Olivia chose what she wanted to do today. JT is taking her - along with 3 girlfriends- to Kabutos for dinner. Afterwards, back to our house for a sleepover! What fun!

Happy Birthday sweet girl. I am so very proud of you. You have shown me what a strong, special little girl you are as our family has been on this journey to the DR this summer and now as we are apart from each other. God has asked something very BIG of you because he knew YOU could do it! Alex is so lucky to have you as a big sister.

I love you!


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Servant Hearts

Today Alex and I visited Pastor Mario's church in Villa Mella. I have loved going back to see our Dominican family. We are so loved on and prayed for by our friends there.

It was extra special, because I got to see the team that has been here all week from our church in Charlotte. Amber Eddings has led this trip for several years and she has such a heart for the DR. I was great seeing some familiar faces from home!

Seriously did my heart some good!

Alex most definitely has some new friends. He even decided to join them in front of the church as they talked about their week here doing construction on Pastor Mario's church. The congregation also prayed a blessing over the team. Alex decided he liked to be front and center. He is shy like that!

New friends

Old friends

We are hanging in there, would love to hear some good news from the Court this week. We are so ready to start our 30 day appeal. It looks like it will be October before we are all home together.

I am seriously missing the Thomas Girls!!! Their handsome, harmonica playing Dad too!

Like father- Like son

Lately...

Lots going on these past couple of weeks. JT traveled back to the DR to be with Alex, while the girls and I traveled back to the States to get them ready for school.

Our little guy was so happy to see his Daddy.

Bailey and Olivia's friends met them at the airport and were so happy to see them too!

School started for the girls on August 22nd. Olivia is in the 3rd grade this year and Bailey started the 6th grade! Middle School! Just can't believe she is in Middle school! Two days after school started the Middle Schoolers left for Windy Gap. Bailey had a blast....

First day of school. Gotta love those forced smiles for Mom!

End of Summer -Back to School chocolate cake.


Some very dear friends hosted a lovely shower for me while I was home. Bailey joined me in the festivities. It was such a beautiful day celebrating Alex.

I am so blessed by my sweet friends.

Bailey and my beautiful niece, Taylor.

Bailey enjoyed opening the gifts with me. We had fun telling stories about our Alex.

I am back in the DR with my guys. JT flies home on Sunday. Please pray for my family. Our Judge has FINALLY received the one document he was waiting on from Immigration. We are still waiting for our 30 day appeal to officiallly start. In the meantime I will stay here in the DR with Alex and JT will be in Charlotte with girls.

We are on the home-stretch and it is stretching me for sure!!!!!!!!

Jardin Botanica Nacional

Who knew there was such a lovely Botanical garden here in Santo Domingo!? It is absolutely beautiful. Just a little piece of paradise here in the Dominican Republic.

Mercy and I (along with her Mom) loaded up the kids and strollers for a long walk around the beautiful gardens. We also enjoyed a picnic lunch in the Japenese Garden.



It was a fun day.....but it was HOT! It may not look like we are in the DR, but trust me- WE ARE!



In some countries, adoptive families travel as a group. It becomes such a huge source of encouragement to each other as you go through your adoptions. Our agency did not connect our families. We did by chance, or really we feel like God brought us together. Just one of those details only he can do.




So meet our travel group (minus JT, Greg, Taryn and James)! We are on this last leg together.





...and I am so thankful.

Who's crazy child is that standing up in his stroller with just a diaper on?? Oh wait. He's mine.

Special friends

One of the many blessings we have experienced with our adoption is getting connected with the Tucker family. They received their referral for Daniela the same day we received ours for Alex. We have all been in the DR about the same amount of time. Today is 60 days.

We were in contact before we came to the DR and once we got here, we actually met for the first time. It was an easy - effortless beginning to a friendship. JT and I are so very thankful to walk this last leg of our adoption journey with them.

Our kids were in heaven when we moved into the house directly behind theirs. They have played together every single day - all day. Singing and dancing shows were performed and Friday night was "Movie" night. Their form of transportation from our house to theirs was by sliding down a palm tree. Seriously.

Gregg, Taryn and James flew back to Colorado today. School starts this week for them. We were all sad...especially the girls. Mercy, little Will (3 months) and Dani are still here waiting out the rest of this long process. Please pray for my friends. It is so hard to have your family spread out like this adoption has made us all have to do. They are a precious family with a strong faith.

We know God is in control and will see us through this time when our families have to be apart. This is the hard part. Plain and simple.

But when you look at these two sweet faces...we know it is all worth it.

Los Tres Ojos

This past weekend we visited the "Los Tres Ojos" (The Three Eyes) with the Darnells and their grandson, Noah. JT and I have both been here while on our mission trips, so I was glad to finally take the girls to see the caves.

Los Tres Ojos is complex of caves, lakes with a mini-lagoon. It is a steep walk down to the caves, but once you get there it is beautiful site of natural landscape and tropical vegetation. It is also said to be a Taino holy site.





Only one person is allowed to swim in the lakes. They call him "Spiderman" because he climbs up the side of the caves and dives down into the lake. We saw him as we were headed down, but did not get to see him dive.





Thought my girls needed to sandwich themselves between a few nuns. It's been a long 59 days here in the DR. I'm just saying....

The view looking down into the lagoon.

It was a fun day and I am so glad the girls and I got to spend some time together. You may be asking yourself, " Where is that little cutie pie Alex?" Well... he was happily napping at home while a sweet Dominican lady named Biemba watched over him. Best 500 pesos I ever spent. :-)

On another note- Thank you to all who have left comments on my blog. I can not tell you how much it encourages me to read them. You bless me.

Please pray our 30 day appeal process will begin Monday. I am ready for my family to be together again in our home. I operate better that way.

Love to all-