In the Hospital...

Michel has been in Isolation the whole time we have been in the hospital, b/c they were unsure of whether or not he was contagious!!! Yesterday, late afternoon we got the glorious news that he is no longer isolated, all of his viral panels came back negative!! So, we aren't contagious!!! We never were...it is isn't viral!!! YAY!!! So, I guess that doesn't explain the other kiddos illnesses, but their symptoms were all very different anyway!!! Of course, anyone who thinks that they can protect their child or themselves for that matter from all the bugs and virus' that are going around, better be living in a bubble!! Our Dr. here in the hospital, said if you don't want to ever be around sick people, then you need to never leave home, you can't go to Target without exposing your child!!!

Anyway, right after we got that news, we got our first visitors...other than my mom who brought Michel and I clean clothes...

Here he is with his visitors:

Quotes that I love...

"People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will forget tomorrow, Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God, It never was between you and them anyway..." - Mother Teresa


Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.
-John Maxwell

Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them.
-Richard L. Evans

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mother Teresa

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C.S. Lewis

Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours.
C. S. Lewis

Just a few...I am getting really bored, can you tell? Michel is sleeping now, finally. He has had a lot of pain this morning, so sleep is good!!!

Sick, Sick, Sick...

Well, we are at it again...Another sick Christmas for the Lott family. Last week, 3 days before Christmas, Mina came down with a bad case of pneumonia...which is pretty bad, b/c Mina is never, ever sick. Seriously, in the 3 years that we have had her, she has never been sick...she woke up the Tuesday before Christmas with a 106 temperature. We immediately called her pediatrician, they sent us straight over to the Children's hospital in Atlanta. They immediately got a chest x-ray and then started an IV for labs and also took urine samples, just to cover all of their bases. At the end of the day, they sent us home, with a diagnosis of...something viral. WOW, gotta love that technical diagnosis SO, we went home, it was after 9 pm at that point, so we put her straight in bed. The next morning, when she woke up, she was vomiting mucous, and couldn't stand up, she was so dizzy, she fell every time she tried. Again, seeing how Mina has never been sick, I got worried and took her back to the pediatrician. Best decision EVER. She had developed a pretty nasty pneumonia. They put her on lots of meds, and by Christmas Eve, she was feeling much better.



Here she is in the ER!!!

However, by Christmas Eve, Michel had spiked a fever. His symptoms were a little different with Mina, and because of his asthma, he develops pneumonia VERY VERY quickly. His poor little lungs can't stand any little bugs, they just give in!!! SO, he started with a very high temp, and late Christmas Eve we took him to the ER. They said there was nothing they could do, the fever was just his body fighting off something!! Just to keep an eye on him, and nebulize him every 3 hours, because he was really wheezy. So, we headed home, and started nebulizing. Christmas day he woke up feeling better, no fever, and felt good enough to open his presents...so that he did. After we opened all of Santa's presents, we went to Emory's family and then mine...I guess the long day started to get to him, by the time we got to my parents house he was soooo tired, still no fever, just worn out...Probably the 1st sign that he was developing a pneumonia. So, after a quick stop at my aunt's house we headed home and put him to bed...Saturday was great...he played, no fever, he played some more, he and Aidan shot each other with NERF guns and had a blast...but by 11pm his fever was back with a vengeance. His temp was 104.9 and it was obvious he was miserable. We gave him tylenol and motrin every 4 hours, nebulized him every 3 and by 11 pm the next night, he couldn't breathe. We rushed him to the nearest ER, his asthma was out of control. I was devastated when I walked in and the ER was packed, I mean packed. They walked us over to the peds ER dept, and there was only standing room. UGH!!! I knew we were in for a long night, b/c I had told them he was having difficulty breathing, they triaged us immediately...YAY!!! He had a 105.5 temp, 86 SPO2, and was very much out of it, he had no idea where we were, or really at one point who I was...that was very concerning. So they immediately found us a room, and got everything going, he had an IV with fluids and antibiotics and 4 liters of oxygen going within 20 minutes of us arriving, chest xray was next, it came back with a nasty picture of pneumonia...they transferred Michel by ambulance to the nearest pediatric hospital to continue being observed...they thought with a round or 2 of IV antibiotics that we might be able to go home by Monday morning. No such luck...the ER doctor immediately admitted Michel to the ACU floor, where we are still sitting. His new doctor on this floor told us to settle in for at least several days, we will see. We had many improvements overnight last night, he still has fever, but they are not near as high, PRAISE THE LORD!!! No more oxygen, he is breathing room air now!! YAY!!! No more fluids, he is adequately hydrated now. YAY!!! So, this is where we are: still very diminished lung sounds on his left, and still nasty crackly sounds on his right. That is not good, and is not improving as fast as they would have hoped!!! But, we are breathing room air, so something is getting better!! His asthma is still out of control, so he is still getting around the clock breathing treatments!!! UGH!!! Last night was the first night that we both got a decent amount of sleep. I had not slept in almost 72 hours, because I had been dealing with sick kids, and spending all my time in the ER, but last night helped a lot!! I feel much better today!!! YAY for that too!!!

Anyway, thought I would give a quick update on how things are going...it is miserable to have a sick child, but I am so thankful for my parents and in-laws who are watching the other 3 kiddos so that Emory can keep working while we are stuck here!! It's so wonderful to have family that is understanding and willing to help at the drop of a hat. My sister helped my mom so she could come see Michel and bring us some clothes, she has been calling and checking on him, even in the midst of having a pretty sick kiddo herself, my younger brother Parker, works here at the hospital, and has come by several times to love on his nephew, which Michel has LOOOVED!!! Parker has also sent by the child life specialist who brought by some toys for whenever Michel feels up to playing!!! Thanks to Parker, Michel and I are getting lots of special treatment, everyone knows Parker and they all LOOOOVE him!!! :) That is always GREAT!!!! My in-laws had the kiddos all day yesterday, and my parents kept them overnight and all day today, I feel so bad b/c they are juggling between my dads work and also a dr.'s appointment for my little bro JI!!! Again, we are so lucky to have lots of help from our family!!!



Here is Michel, disconnected from all of his wires, he is a happy, happy boy!!! A free man!!

Okay, I will update more as we have it!! I was hoping maybe we could go home today since we no longer needed the O2 and fluids, but they said probably not until tomorrow night at the earliest!! UGH!!!! Thanks for the prayers!!!

Christmas at the Lott's

I cannot believe that it is already the week of Christmas!! WOW!!! We have been so busy, I cannot believe how time flies!!! We spent this past weekend in Alabama, we went for my family Christmas. It was great...we got to spend a lot of time with my great grandmother, and my grand parents. My Great Grandmother has been really sick lately, and has taken several big spills. She is 95 years old, and this is the 1st time I have ever seen her, and thought she was starting to look old. She has never looked old, always been healthy as a horse. It was very hard to see her like that, very hard to know that at times she didn't have a clue who I was!! It broke my heart!!
Anyway, please just keep her in your prayers!!!

On a lighter note, we had a great time with our family, it is always nice to get together with our whole extended family, we always have a blast!!!

We are home now, and I feel like I have so much to do between now and Christmas day!!! But, I am sure that I will get it all done!!!

Okay...I will post more later!!!! Have a great week!!

Blog Auction....

So, one of our precious clients, has decided to have an online auction to support her upcoming adoption. They are trying to raise money, so that they can add a precious child to their family. Infertility is hard in so many ways, not only can we not have biological children, but we also have to come up with like $30k for each child we want to add to our families. Adoption is expensive, and adoptive families have to come up with creative ways to fund their adoptions. I thought this idea was GREAT!! She has many wonderful, talented friends that have donated these items to her, and now she can auction them off to you...so you are helping a family, and getting a really GREAT item all at the same time. She has all sorts of items listed...baby items, things for you, gift certificates, etc, etc, etc....

Please check out this online adoption auction!

Another day in the life of the Lott's...

Oh my...is there constant drama with this family or what!! So, Carr has cellulitis and MRSA. It is affecting a very important body part. We spent the morning at Scottish Rite, they put him on antibiotics, and if he doesn't have significant improvement by tomorrow, then we will be admitted for IV infused antibiotics. YUCK!!! So, we are praying that these abx, will knock the infection right out of him!! Poor baby, it is a very sensitive area, it hurts to walk, sit, be held, etc. In fact, I think he is most comfortable when he is sleeping, and I am not sure that he is even comfortable then! Poor guy!! Please pray for healing, pray that he will get some relief....I feel like it always one thing after another!! Other than that, we are GREAT!!!

We had 2 clients match last week, we are super excited about both of them. Each of these clients are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their little ones, both expected this month!! Both are little girls!! YAY!!! We have another 2 clients being presented today and tomorrow on situations!!! Please pray for them, we are so excited for these couples, and are anxious to know if these are the babies the Lord has planned for them!!! I will keep you posted!!!

Okay!! I hope all is well!!! More soon...

Trying to keep up...

So sorry, it is really hard to keep up with 2 blogs, a business, 3 dogs and most importantly 4 children and a hubby!!! HA!! We have had a crazy December so far. Mina turned 7 this past Saturday, pictures to come very soon!!! Emory is graduating, finally. This Wednesday is his last day of school!! YAY!!! Please pray that he can finish all of his finals quickly and painlessly!!! Carr and I have been sick for over a week, UGH!!! I cannot wait to officially feel better!! Last Wednesday, my sweet little nephew had his left ring finger CUT OFF. Yes, I said CUT OFF!!! We were at church, and another child slammed the door on his precious little finger, it actually amputated the tip of his finger. Praise the Lord they were able to sew it back on! Obviously he has been in a lot of pain, so please keep him in your prayers!! Bless his heart, he has had a rough start to December as well!!!

Work has kept me SUPER busy!! We have lots of new clients, but PRAISE THE LORD, we have also had a lot of matches!! I have gotten to know my clients so well, I adore them, it's amazing how close you can get to someone through the adoption journey!! I love my job, I feel like the Lord has blessed me with some incredible friends through this all!!! We have been able to meet several of the clients and babies that we have been able to help match, I love it!! That is the BEST part of this job, seeing these families come together!! I love to hear their stories and how they are impacting the lives of their birth mothers, and their families!!! GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

Okay, I will update pics tomorrow!!! Stay tuned!!!!

Carlos and his toilet paper adventures...

Pictures...

So thankful...

We are so thankful!! We are thankful for so many things, that it would be impossible to name them all!! We are blessed with 4 beautiful, healthy children. We have Michel and Carlos still. Who would have every thought last year at this time, we would still have them. We are so thankful, and still hoping that we will have them for every Thanksgiving from here on out. We are thankful that our company Faithful Adoption Consultants is doing so well. The Lord has blessed us tremendously, we have the BEST clients, and I have built some wonderful friendships through FAC. We have wonderful friends that live in our neighborhood, they are such a blessing. We are blessed with a phenomenal church and church family. WE are blessed with a wonderful Sunday School class!! Most importantly, we have wonderful families that live close by!! We are so thankful that our families play an active role in our lives, and in the lives of our children!

Seriously, I could go on and on!! I just wanted to take a minute and share how grateful we are for all we have been blessed with. We are so thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, bridged the gap for us, so that we can have eternal life!!! I am so thankful that Mina, Aidan and Michel accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior this year. As parents that is the moment we have been praying for!!

We are so excited, and they cannot wait to get baptized. I will let you know when that will be, probably sometime next month!!!

Okay, I know this was short and sweet, but I really just wanted to write out how thankful I am!!! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

A day at the park...

THese are some family photos we did, right before I left for Jordan!!! I would love for you to look at them!! They are so good!!

Halloween 2009

Just wanted to share some cute pics from Halloween!!! We had a great time. We went over to my mom and dad's house, it was great for all the kiddos to see each other dressed up! My kiddos trick-or-treat every year, but my parents and my sister let their kids do it for the first time ever this year!!! We had so much fun, despite the cold, rainy weather!! We only went to about 15 houses, but they are loaded up on candy!! After t-or-t we roasted marshmallows at my parents house!! It was great. I know the kiddos loved it!!! Carlos wouldn't let anyone touch his bucket of "googies" (aka..food, of any sort!!!). If you tried to hold it for him, he would flip out!! Sooo, funny!! We had a great time...here are a few pics...

Oh, and Happy Anniversary to me!!!

Look what my hubby got me for my anniversary!!!!




Now what do I name the little booger??? My mom says "Ditto" because he is tri-colored just like Winston and Thor.

Emory says Speck, b/c he is 1.5 lbs now, and will only be 4-5 at maturity!!!

I like Roscoe, Aidan likes Pumpkin, Mina like Pickle and Michel likes Taco!!!

Hmmmm, this poor animal is never gonna have a name!!

Suggestions, please!!!!

Charleston!!!

Well, we spent a short, but great weekend in Charleston with my best friend and her family. We had a great time. My best friend just moved last month, and my kiddos have been begging her for a map to get to her house. It was really cute, they really wanted a physical map, so they could see where she lived. We literally pulled out the globe to show them where she was in relation to us. You have to know, that Stacey has been in their lives forever. She was there for Aidan's birth, met Mina before any of our families did, she met the boys right off the bat as well! They don't know life without her being 4 houses up! We are very sad that they moved 5.5 hours away, but we are so happy we have a FREE place to stay at the beach!! Anyway, we got to spend time with Stace, Dede (her hubby, our kids call him DeDe), Ava and Landry Kate!!! We also got to visit with her sweet father-in-law!!! My kids love him, they also loving referred to him as "Grandpa". We had a great time, and cannot wait to go back!! Here are some of the pics from our fun weekend away!!!

Visit Faithful Adoption Consultants...

Please jump over to our Faithful Adoption Consultants page. I just put a new post about the Harman Family. They matched last week, and were able to go and get their sweet baby the same day!! Praise the Lord!!

www.faithfuladoptionconsultants.blogspot.com

NOTICE!!!

As you all know, Emory and I are foster parents and we have been told that we can no longer have pictures of our children on a public blog. So, my options are to remove MY children from my public blog or to make this blog private. Naturally, you cannot have a "family" blog without pictures of the WHOLE family. It is not an option to take their pictures off! So, I am going to set this blog to private on Oct. 23. That was the day that I was told I had to have the pictures removed by, so if you are a follower of this blog, and would like to continue viewing it, please send me an email: CSL3281@hotmail.com

I would love for you to keep up with my blog, so please email me as soon as you can! Oct.23rd this blog will be PRIVATE!!!!

Faithful Adoption Consultants

I just wanted to let all my readers know that I have another blog dedicated to adoption, and to to our company Faithful Adoption Consultants. If you haven't already, please visit and pass it on to friends. You never know who might be considering adoption, and they just aren't sure where to start!!!!

GREAT NEWS: We have had 2 matches in 2 days!! Stop by our blog or our FB page to get details!!! PRAISE THE LORD!! To God be the Glory. Every detail has fallen into place perfectly, only God could be at work in these matches! Thank you Lord for allowing us to be a part of your plan!!!!!!

www.faithfuladoptionconsultants.blogspot.com

Faithful Adoption Consultants: A Happy Beginning

If you are a fan on our Facebook Page, or if you read my FAC blog, then this will be quite redundant! But, if you haven't seen either of those, then I wanted to share this with you! This was written by a client, they just adopted their daughter through us, they are our 2nd match, and 1st placement!!! YAY!! Praise the Lord for this sweet baby girl! I'll have to share all the details of this match later, but God's hand was all over this! He lined up every detail, including a very creative financial plan to make this adoption happen!!! HE IS GOOD!!!!!




We feel so blessed to have found Courtney with Faithful Adoption Consultants. Our journey to our daughter was our second adoption and while we knew it would be different than our son’s adoption (international)…we did not anticipate the bumpy rollercoaster of emotions that it would be. We felt completely confident with the agency that we had chosen, and they represented us well…but after months of waiting we prayed about ‘branching out’ a bit.

In August 2009, I ran across the blog for Faithful Adoption Consultants. I was immediately interested in learning more as they seemed to truly have a passion for adoption. We prayed and God gave us a clear sign that this was in His plan. Within a matter of a couple of days, Courtney presented a situation to us about a baby girl…due in a few short weeks. For the first time in months, I was at complete peace. We sent our profile and waited…and prayed. The events that happened over the next few weeks could only be explained by the fact that this was God’s plan for our family and this beautiful baby girl…our daughter. We met our daughter when she was discharged from the hospital to us! It was amazing! God has blessed us beyond measure!

We will be forever thankful to Courtney for all that she has done for us….for being a friend….for understanding the emotions and trials of adoption…and for being a prayer warrior for birth mothers and adoptive families. We truly believe that God placed Courtney in our path because she was in His plan for our family. Her compassion, understanding and knowledge of adoption is remarkable and I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone. I pray that God continues to use her to reach more mothers and families. Courtney…THANK YOU!

Jamey & Sabrina

These are hilarious!!

Make sure you pause my music at the bottom first! These are great!!!

Lots of Pictures!

Lots of pictures of the kiddos!

P.S. Darlene: I put some new ones of Mina on here, JUST FOR YOU!!! Enjoy!!

Jerash

These are the pictures from Jerash. THis is ruins from an ancient Roman city! It was very cool!!

Meet the kids from my trip!!

It's been an interesting day...

Day? Week! It's been an interesting week! When I got home on Monday, I literally hit the ground running. I am worn out. I have had several clients being presented to birth moms this week, and had to make a 100 agency and attorney calls. That is just work stuff, I also have 4 kids, 2 dogs and a hubby to take care of. Of course, I jumped right back into our daily activities, school, church, gymnastics, soccer, etc. So, I am very tired. I intend to catch up on sleep this weekend.

Anyway, we had visitation today. It went well, I think! M & C's birth mom was about 17 minutes late, which means we didn't have to wait any longer. After 15 minutes, we can leave per DFCS rules! So, we stayed an extra 2 minutes, and she showed up. She was excited to see the boys, and M was very happy to see her. C still isn't sure, he has been with us for the majority of his life, he doesn't remember her like M does. I know it disappoints her, but it's not his fault, he is still a baby! So, Emory and I were eating lunch, when we got a text that she would like to talk with us. So, I very quickly(I left Emory)made my way over to them. I sat down right next to her, she was holding M, and C was sitting with our social worker. She really just wanted to talk. IT went really well. Anyone who knows anything about this situation knows how UNUSUAL this is. She really hasn't had much to do with me, but what an answer to prayer. I am glad that the boys were able to see what looked like unification! We talked about how badly she wants them back, and I told her how badly we wanted to keep them, I told her that we loved them so much, and I wanted her to know that they are loved more than she could ever imagine. We cried together, and I think we BONDED! :) Seriously, I think we bonded. I told her that we are trusting God, trusting his perfect plan. I told her that I know that God will prepare my heart for His plan, no matter what that is, I told her that no matter what, God loves her, and that HE has a perfect plan for her life. It was the 1st time I was able to tell her about Jesus Christ. I told her that M has accepted Jesus has is personal Lord and Savior. I believe this was God opening a door to much, much more. For the first time in a year, I am more relaxed. I don't know what this means, I don't know if we will keep the boys, but for the first time today, I feel like God just really showed me the importance of one day at a time. I also feel like God reminded me that we are not promised tomorrow with our own biological or adopted children, you never know what tomorrow holds, and foster care is much the same way. I feel like we live court date to court date, that is silly. I am not doing myself or my family any good that way. Please continue to pray for me, pray that God will continue building this relationship between M and C's mom and Emory and I, pray that He would continue opening doors for me to witness to her, how great would it be to see her life transformed by Jesus Christ. That is my prayer, that she would come to know Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior!!!

I guess that is all for now. I feel so silly for being so worked up about this visitation today, I have stressed and stressed about it. God took care of it all, and gave me more peace than I could have ever hoped for! Today was good, very very GOOD!!!

My Trip!!!

Wow! I can't believe that I am already home. I had an incredible time, and I can't wait to go again! Jordan is amazing, so much biblical history there. I had no idea that the place we would be staying is the stomping ground of Elijah, and we crossed over the place where Jacob wrestled God. I stood in the Jordan River where Jesus Christ was baptized, I stood on top of Mt. Nebo where Moses looked out over the Promise Land, and then died, and is buried somewhere in that area. I swam, rather floated in the Dead Sea. Ahhhh, it was truly amazing, it was incredible! I am so blessed by all the family and friends that financially and prayerfully supported me while in Jordan. It was such an incredible time in the Lord. He used that trip in so many ways, ways that I can probably never explain. I met so many wonderful people, and the children, they were great! I am so blessed.

I left Jordan with a incredible new passion! A passion for the Muslim people. I learned so much more about their belief system, and their culture. I know there is so much more to learn, but I am so anxious to do so. I would love to learn the arabic language. I know that it would be really hard, especially since I am not over there hearing it everyday. But, I would love to try!

I will post pics later this evening from all of our excursions! It's been a crazy day!!

......

Having a great time here in the Middle East. I must admit, that nothing is what I expected. Everything is different than I thought it would be. We are in the mountains, and it is incredibly beautiful. We eat all of our meals in an open air pavilion, and I feel like you can see all of Jordan! It is fantastic. The sunsets are gorgeous. I will post pictures tomorrow! It takes a while to post things here, the internet is kinda slow!!! Just wanted to give you a quick update! I'll be back soon

Catch up time..

I am so sorry that I have requested all these prayers, and then not updated you on God's perfect answers, and His perfect will!

Where to start....

Okay, I will start with my kiddos...

I have been praying fervently for health for each of the kids, and for Emory. Until THIS monring, everyone had an ailment...Michel has had the mumps, and b/c of this his asthma is out of control. He has been on steriods for over 1 week, and still wasn't improving. Carlos is teething, and his asthma isn't great, along with an ear infection, and who knows what else. He has been on antibiotics for 3 weeks. Aidan has been having increased seizures, and other samll issues. Mina has been complaining of a scratchy throat. Emory has been complaining of a sore throat, ane overall sorness in his mouth.

TODAY...EVERYONE IS FINE...NO PROBLEMS!! NO AILMENTS!! THE DAY BEFORE I LEAVE, GOD HAS HEALED THEM ALL. MY CONTINUED PRAYER IS THAT THEY ALL STAY HEALTHY, AND HAVE GREAT ATTITUDES WHILE I AM GONE TO THE MIDDLE EAST.

2nd- Faithful Adoption Consultants...

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! That is all I can say. I am in awe of how GOd has laid out the details for each of these clients. Some of these couples have been trying to adopt for months, a year, years and God is fulfilling their dream, their prayers and hopes through Faithful Adoption Consultants. It doesn't get anymore humbling than that. I have no idea why God would choose our company to work through in such a mighty way, but HE is. 3 clients matched with birth moms in 2 days last week. The match is great, but if you knew the small details within each story, you would see that their adoption stories are miracles. Their situations were fine tuned by God, HIMSELF. Details that no person could have known or orchestrated. It is incredible to sit back and watch, and just admire how great He is. My God is doing a work in me, through this business. He has brought me to a new place in my personal walk with HIM, through my sweet clients, their stories, their passions, through agencies, and birth moms. I have truly learned to sit back, and give over control. If you know me, you know how hard this is for me. I hold onto everything, b/c I am certain that God needs my help. He doesn't need my help! CLearly! All I did was make some profiles and phone calls! God did the rest. May He have ALL THE GLORY IN EACH OF THESE SITUATIONS. MAY EACH OF THESE ADOPTIVE COUPLES COME TO KNOW HIM IN A PERSONAL WALK, AND MAY EACH OF THESE BIRTH MOMS LEARN ABOUT THE UNFAILING LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST.


3rd...MY MISSION TRIP....

I leave tomorrow evening, and I have very mixed emotions. I have had mixed emotions since I was called to go. I was always excited about the opportunity, but I have never been on the same page with all my emotions. I truly feel that the Lord called me to short-term missions months ago, maybe even a year ago. However, just like in everything else, I like to stay in control. Leaving my kids with Emory for 10 days is NOT CONTROL!! It is sheer chaos! I said "YES" to the Lord, because I felt it was direct disobedience not to. In the recent weeks, GOd has confirmed and affirmed, and reaffirmed that I am to go on this trip. I have no doubt that I am doing what I was called to do. I also know that GOd WILL take care of all the details, He always does. It's just that when you are a mom, you feel like noone, not even their own dad, can take of your kids the way you do. So, I am just worried that he will forget some of the small details, I am trying to convince myself that is absolutely okay for him not to do it all MY Way. He can do it his way, and the kids will still survive. Anyway, please pray for Emory. Please pray that God will give him strength, organization, time management, patience, compassion, and anything else he will need to take care of our kids and our business while I am gone! Also, my grandmother (NANNIE) was put in the hospital this week, I know this is Satan attacking, trying to give me reasons no to be obedient to God, please pray for her, pray for the doctors that are working with her, pray for MIRACULOUS HEALING of every ailment she has, and pray that the Lord will just keep her safe.

Pray for me, that as I continue to pack and prepare physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually that I will give up control, and allow GOD to do what HE does best....TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING!!!! Pray that God will give me a peace about leaving, that my kids won't cry, that I won't cry!!! Thank you for all the prayers. Thank you for all your support. I will be updating my blog daily with information and pictures! Please leave me comments, I will enjot the encouragement as I am so far away from my family and friends!!

God is Good...

WOW! What an incredible weekend that this has been! God just keeps amazing me! I am very tired and will post more in detail tomorrow, but I wanted to tell you that Mina and Aidan accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior tonight. It was such a precious time, Emory and I were both there with them, very emotional. We are PRAISING THE LORD! We are thrilled that they understand and are so excited about their commitment and new life in Jesus Christ! Thank You, GOD!!!!

Another very exciting detail from our night..one of our very sweet clients is on the phone right now with a potential birth mom. The birth mom has it down to my client and one other family. Please pray for our clients and this precious birth mom.

Also, another one of our families will be talking to their potential birth mom tomorrow! Keep them in your prayers as well!!!


PRAISE THE LORD!! MAY HE BE GLORIFIED THROUGH EACH OF THESE ADOPTION SITUATIONS, AND IN THE SALVATION OF MY KIDDOS!

A little discouraged...

As I have said before, Satan loves to attack when you have committed yourself to the Lord. Since the moment, I put my YES on the table for Jordan, Satan has been attacking. It has literally been one thing after another. But, God is bigger than my situations, He is bigger than anything I will ever encounter. Praise God that I can give it all to Him and let Him show how MIGHTY He is.

A few of my reasons to be discouraged:

This has been a hard week for me. C-Baby is sick, AGAIN!!! WHen this child is sick, he screams bloody murder all day long, or walks around in circles saying "Ma-Me, Ma-Me", sound cute on this blog, but after 3 days straight you get kinda sick of it!

Aidan started a new medication last week, and it has caused MAJOR seizures! Poor little booger has a lot on his plate right now. In addition to seizures, and many other side effect (I'll spare you the details)he is not sleeping, therefore, I am not sleeping. I am so tired! In fact, I should be sleeping right now, while he is sleeping so soundly. The neurologist called today and told us if we have another night like last night to call 911. Ugh! I just want him to feel better, and be able to sleep soundly, without seizures.

Lastly, My very best friend is moving! We have been best friends since high school, we were sorority sisters, college roommates, and now we live 4 houses apart. I am so sad. She is moving to South Carolina. I know this is the best thing for her family, but I will miss her and her babies so much, and Brandon too I guess! HA! Anyway, she will be moved by the time I come back from Jordan so that also makes it hard! I know I will still talk to her everyday, but it's just not the same!

Some Praises:
My business has taken off...such a PRAISE. I love it. It is so rewarding to be a part of this, to be an instrument for God in the making of a family. I LOVE IT!! I have met such sweet couples, and gotten to know them, their families, their trials, and their heart for adoption. I love that God chose to use me in this ministry!! With a growing business comes a lot of work, so I need prayer in the time management department. But, overall I have no complaints in this area!!

Mina is doing fabulous with her new teacher. I can't remember if I blogged about the fact that she was moved to a new class 2 weeks in. She was switched to a new teacher due to 1st grade class being over capacity. At first, we were so upset, then slowly we tried to be positive and trust that God has it under control. Well, HE DID! Her teacher is fabulous. She emails me and lets me know what to work on with Mina, she just keeps in contact. Mina adores her! So, we are more than pleased!

Michel is also doing well. He is having a few asthma attacks here and there, but overall he is good.

The kids have their first soccer game this weekend, and they are so excited. I will post pics Saturday afternoon!

Okay! I guess I have spread enough cheer for one night! HA! If you think about it, please pray for my kiddos health, my best friends move, and my trip to Jordan.

ANOTHER HUGE PRAISE:

I ONLY LACK $600 FOR MY TRIP! I HAVE 8 DAYS LEFT TO COME UP WITH $600.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO MY TRIP! I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT!!

Jehovah Jireh- God our Provider

God is our provider, and He does just that. I just wanted to take a moment to Praise Him, for the incredible way He provides for us. He has provided us with a beautiful home, a wonderful family, jobs, a new business (that we love), health, and most of all He has provided us with salvation. He sent His only son, to die for my sins, so that I could go to heaven. He bridged the gap for my eternity! I am so grateful for a God that loves me so deeply. It is amazing to me, that anyone could believe that there is not a God. Look around you, God is everywhere, in every creation. God shows Himself to each of us daily, we have to choose to see Him. I have chosen to see Him, and to thank Him for everything He has given me! What about you?

War Eagle!!!

Some pictures of one of my favorite places on earth! AUBURN UNIVERSITY!! WAR EAGLE!!!

Aidan

Mina

Praise the Lord...

So, I got more answers about the panel review. THe panel has made the final recommendation to the court: Concurrent..Termination and Reunification. What the heck does this mean, you ask? Well, at any point this case could go either way. She has proved herself enough that their is a chance for reunification, but she has not proved enough, or provided enough to guarantee that the courts will reward her with her kids. SO, it is up in the air. What we do know, for now, is that they are not going back this month. PRAISE THE LORD. That was the resolution we have prayed for, that we would have an answer before I left for Jordan. God is so good. When He answers, He wants it to be LOUD AND CLEAR! Court has been postponed for now, they could resume court for the 24th, but it is highly unlikely as it was a termination hearing, and as of now we aren't going that route. So, for now we are keeping the boys! Thank you to everyone that has prayed for us, the boys and this situation. We are so grateful, and we are so happy to Praise Him for His answer. He is so faithful! We will keep you updated as this situation progresses!!!

Whew,,,,

I just got home from our meeting for the boys. Wow, I am emotionally and physically drained. Crying really takes it out of ya. Since I woke up this morning, God has really been announcing Psalm 46:10 to me. "Be still, and know that I am God." That was hard to do, but I tried my hardest. I gave it to Him. I can honestly say, while I was still VERY emotional, I am trusting Him, that he will prepare and protect all the hearts involved in this situation. I am trusting that my GOD is bigger than this situation, and that HE sees the bigger picture, and that HE will protect my heart. I am so thankful that I have a God that wants to and desires to have a personal relationship with me, and he wants to be the Lord over my details. Praise The Lord!

I am not happy because everything went my way. In fact, as of now there is no resolution to what I already knew to be true this morning. WE are still waiting on the final recommendation. But, I have peace. I asked God to please not allow my babies to be taken while I was in Jordan, I now have absolute peace that this will not happen. FOr many reasons, for 1...I recieved more financial support for my trip today, than I have recieved total in the past 2 weeks. That is God confirming that He has commanded me to go to Jordan, and that He will protect my heart and my kids. 2nd...the info I was given last night was not entirely accurate, I cannot go into detail due to confidentiality, but I will say I 100% believe that God intends for them to be with me when I return from JOrdan! Thank you for all the prayers, and I will update you with new information as I have it!

Trusting in Him...

"...So as your world crumbles around you, the call from Scripture is: don’t flinch in faith in God. Stand still — not because of a self-made confidence, not because you are the most composed person in the face of disaster, not because “you’ve seen it all.” Be still because of what you know about God.

It is “God’s past” that provides calm for “our future.” Know that he is God! Know it, not merely intellectually, but practically, spiritually, and emotionally. He is your God. He is the ruler of kingdoms of this earth and the all-powerful Creator of the Universe..." - Jason Jackson

I am not going to flinch in my faith in God. I am going to stand still in HIM, because I know HE is bigger than this! What an excellent verse for me this morning...

Psalm 46:10 "Be Still, and know that I am God." And an excellent essay on the verse, by Jason Jackson! Praise the Lord for such perfect scripture, and that it is as relevant today as it was back then!

Layin' it at His feet...

WOW! SO much easier said than done, RIGHT? It is so easy to say we are going to give it all to God, but that is so much harder to do. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a Type-A personality, and that I am a total control freak. It is so hard for me to just give it up, to give up control.
I was presented with a very tough situation tonight, one that will not come to fruition for a couple more weeks, but one that will cause grief, tears, sleepless nights, etc. until that day comes and then some. As most of you know, we are foster parents to 2 wonderful boys, and they have been with us for almost 1 full year. It's amazing how incredible GOD is, and that He can give us these 2 little boys from a different ethnic background, a different language and culture, and He can mesh them into our family, mesh us into 1 family. These boys are our kids, they are my sons, and I their mother. They are mine. Except they aren't. They have a birth mom. A mom who does want them back. Unfortunately, it was decided today that we would move to reunification. What that means is...they will go back to their biological mother. As I write this I am sobbing. If you have never gone through this, I don't imagine that you can possibly understand. This to me will be like losing a child, except I am losing 2. Once they are reunified, chances are we will never see them again. EVER! Let me say this again...THESE ARE MY CHILDREN, people. I love them just like if I birthed them. I cannot imagine not having them, and I am devastated.
As if that is not bad enough, I was told there is a chance that they could be leaving at the time of their next court date, Sept. 24. I will be in Amman, Jordan. I will be thousands of miles away when they are taken from me, from us. I will not be there to comfort them, and help them to understand. I know that GOD knew all this before He commanded me to go to Jordan, and I know that God has this whole situation, and my boys in the palm of His hand. I know all this. I just can't explain it to my heart, just yet.
So, with all this said. I need prayers, I need lots of prayers. I need God to give me a peace about this whole situation, and I need the strength to give it all to Him. PLease pray for me as I give this up, as I give it to God and trust Him completely. PLease pray for my boys, their birth mother, and for Aidan and Mina! Thanks!

Cute video!

This is super cute, if I do say so myself. C-baby, now known as Chomper, b/c he BIT 2 kids at school. Yes, I said BIT! I can't believe it either. My kids have always been the bitees, not the biters. UGH! I was so embarrassed. Anyway, I will now refer to him as Chomper. However, this video has nothing to do with that at all. He has just recently learned to raise his hand in agreement, and it is super cute, CHECK IT OUT!!!

God is so faithful...

I love to see God at work, to know that His fingerprints are all over everything. Emory and I started our adoption consulting company last August, and really got it off the ground in February of this year. When Emory and I started this company I also had 2 other full-time jobs, being a mother to my kids and also as a vet tech. I really felt God was leading me to quit my job back in February, I felt Him saying "Courtney, trust me, quit your vet job, and I will provide for you, I will take care of everything and grow your business." I was not obedient, I had such little faith. God worked on me until May, when I finally obeyed and quit my full-time job. It was the best decision I have ever made, I wish that I had been obedient to begin with. God has blessed us tremendously, and in so many ways. HE IS SO FAITHFUL!!! He has grown my business, just like He promised to do! I am so grateful, and in such AWE of HIM!!

God is good!

THis is going to be a very short post, but I just needed to get it out. I have had a very long week, and I am stressed beyond belief for a number of reasons! A few of those reasons are: Carlos' has been sick since Monday, screaming bloody murder day in a day out for 4 days; Jeep is having engine issues and we had to fix those for $330; I have to get my passport renewed and pics taken; we had 5 doctors appointments this week alone; plus all of my regular activities. Anyway, enough whining. I really felt Satan attcking this morning, I had to be at Emory hospital with Aidan at 11 am, on the way to take Michel to school my car starts acting really funny, not wanting to stop, pulling forward while i am braking, etc. Not good, this is my expedition by the way. So , I decide to not take Michel to school, but to take the car to the transmission place in Woodstock to get it looked at before I head to Atlanta. THe whole time my car is acting up, Carlos is screaming at the top of his lungs, and Michel and Aidan are throwing things all over my car. I seriously could've pulled my hair out. I started crying, just out of exhaustion and frustration. I haven't slept at all this week, as Carlos is keeping me up , and Aidan has had 2 seizures. I am EXHAUSTED! So, I get to the car place, long story short, they tell me I can drive it to Emory, but need to get it fixed as soon as possible. So, I make it there. The kids are acting like wild indians in the DR.'s office, I am OVERWHELMED, did I mention that? Then we leave with yet another diagnosis, YUCK! And a new medication, Aidan is already on 3 twice daily! So, I leave even more disapppointed than when I arrived.

Heading home, my car shuts off while driving, TWICE!! SO, naturally I freak out. I call the transmission place to inform them that I am on my way. They inform me that I am looking at about $750 or more for all the repairs! Seriously? So, I call Emory to tell him. (Let me add this side note: Em and I are doing an Intimate Encounters class at church, and we are working on those things that made you fall in love in the first place, and remembering to let the other help you.) OKay, so knowing that, I must tell you that I am Type A! I like to be in control and need comfort from noone, especially Emory. Well, not true. God is teaching me that comforting me is something Emory wants and likes to do. So for the first time since we dated I allowed Emory to comfort and encourage me. I realized how much I need that, and how much better I felt knowing we were on the same page and that he cares about all the things I am dealing with at home. God totally worked big time in our marriage through the car repairs! WOW! The day continued to look up from there. Satan's grip on my day was lost. I did not let him win! Our repairs were under $150! Can you believe that, $600 less than they thought, coincidence, I think not! I just wanted to share how Satan tried to steal my joy and peace today, and I almost let him, in fact for a couple of hours, he DID! But my GOD is bigger than Satan and bigger than those small obstacles I faced today. I am so grateful for a God that cares about the small things, and about my joy and peace.

This verse was shared with me through a comment on my blog:

"...now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...to Him be the glory..." Eph 3:20-21


So, true! He can do so much more than we can imagine. He is such a big God, and I often try to put Him in a very small box. God is doing a work in my life and in my heart right now, and I have more joy than I have ever had!

Update Blog...

I have also updated the Faithful Adoption Consultants Blog! PLease check it out! I have several new posts, and ONE HUGE PRAYER REQUEST!!! Thanks!!!

Go to: www.faithfuladoptionconsultants.blogspot.com

God is in the business of miracles...

I had a not so great day today. I woke up to find that Michel was not feeling well, and had a temp of 102. SO, I get everyone off the school and then take him to the Doctor. Oh, by the way, I had a passport appointment that had to be rescheduled from 11, until 1:30. No big deal, I could still fit it in. Sooo, I get to the doctor. They do a strep test, it's negative, but they are treating him for it anyway, because he has all the symptoms. While I am waiting on the DR. to come back in, my phone rings. It is the school. C-baby is running a temp of 103. YIKES!! Really. For those of you who know me, you know it's usually bad when C-baby is sick. He usually gets admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. SO, there went my 1:30 appointment. So, I'll try that again tomorrow. Okay, Okay on to the miracle.

I have a new prospective client with Faithful Adoption Consultants. A very sweet couple so far. They have wanted to adopt for many years, and have been unsuccessful. So they came to us, with little hope that we can help them through this process. Easy to understand why. Anyway, they have had many rejections for a number of SILLY reasons. I don't want to be too descriptive, b/c their info is confidential. However, I want to share how AWESOME GOD is. HOW HE IS IN THE BUSINESS OF MIRACLES. He cares about the smallest details! Anyway, her hubby had some health concerns 8-9 years ago. YEARS, PEOPLE! YEARS!! Not yesterday! So, agencies have been reluctant to work with, or have flat out told them NO! I was shocked. Unfortunately, that is not the only stumbling block that they face. They also face the fact of living abroad. They are US citizens that are currently living in another country for work reasons. They are only their temporarily. SO, now we have to get around this little problem.

Well, I called the prospective client (PC) at 10 am this morning. I discussed with her their situation, preferences, and history. They have through so much, and she still has a great, positive attitude. Hopeful, without being overly excited! SO, I told her that I wanted to talk to some agencies, look over different state laws, and talk to some home study agencies about living abroad. I literally called 25 people from 10-2. It was very discouraging. The agencies were great, but everyone I talked to about a home study said NO, it can't be done. IT can't be done, that is impossible. Well, nothing is impossible for my GOD!!!

I prayed. I prayed for this couple, for their journey, for their past hurt, for their future, for their future child, and for the birth mom that would so generously give them their child. I prayed, I prayed fervently. I begged God to work a miracle, to show me a way to work this out for them. To provide an agency that could do a home study abroad, to help us know which states we can work with. I prayed, and prayed. I know MY GOD IS BIGGER THAN THIS, I know if HE chooses to, HE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

I finished up my prayer, just being thankful for so much, thankful that our business is growing by leaps and bounds, and that GOD is blessing us each and every day! We are in awe of HIM. He is reminding me everyday of HIS GLORY, HIS STRENGTH and HIS MAGNIFICENCE. I ended my prayer, AMEN. LITERALLY, 1 SECOND LATER....my phone rang. It was an agency that will/can do this. They can provide this couple with the home study that they need to adopt here in the US. I was thrilled, overwhelmed. Words cannot express how I felt at that moment. To see your prayers answered instantaneously is AWESOME, INCREDIBLE, and a reminder of HIS POWER!!

SO, I called the PC to let her know the GREAT news. I don't know what this couple will decide to do, maybe they won't decide to work with us. THAT IS OKAY! GOd's demonstration was what HE wanted me to have, to see, if I gain their business, what a bonus! But, I have already had the BEST OUTCOME EVER!!!!!

Faithful Adoption Consultants...Available Situations

If you or someone you know is interested in adoption, please visit our website: www.faithfuladoptionconsultants.com

I just recently posted more available situations. There are situations daily that still need to be matched with adoptive parents. If you are already in the process of adopting, and tired of waiting, please give us a call, we may be able to help speed up the process.

Okay...Update....

I am officially going to North Africa in mid-september. Now, I have to work like crazy to get my passport renewed, and get all my shots and such! Pray that I get everything done in a timely manner! T-30 Days! I will keep you posted!!

Missions...

Prayer Request:

I am currently praying about a mission trip, in which I would be leaving in 4 weeks. Emory and I have been talking a lot about missions the past year or so. I love mission trips, especially those in which I get to work with children. Em and I firmly believe that we are missionaries in our home to foster children, a large part of the reason we chose to embark on this adventure. If foster care wasn't something God absolutely laid on our hearts, we ABSOLUTELY couldn't do it. The heartbreak would be too much. But, this is a God thing.
Anyway, back to the original subject. Mission trips...I have been really praying about mission trips, at first I wasn't sure if I thought God was calling us as a family, or just me to short term trips. The more Emory and I have discussed and prayed, we have come to the conclusion that this is not a family thing. Emory does not feel led to international missions, he feels led to be a missionary here, with our kids, in the workplace, WITH STUDENTS!
So, through much prayer we decided that if God is really pricking my heart about missions that HE would work out those details. Emory and I came to this conclusion on Sunday night, 8/16/09. On Tuesday, I went to visit my mother-in-law, and she and my father-in-law do a lot with the missions at our church, she told me about a mission trip to N. Africa in 4 weeks, they were still looking for 4 people to go to provide childcare.
I immediately felt like this was a trip that God intended for me to go on... WE knew if I decided to take mission trips that one of the hardest parts would be arranging childcare for our 4 children. But, that has already been worked out. I am not sure yet, if I will be able to go, but we are just praying that God will continue to work out all the details if I am suppose to go. I will keep you updated on the situation, please pray for that God's plan will be very clear!!

Adoption...

Just wanted to remind everyone that we have an Adoption Consulting company. We are advertising a little on Facebook, but are mostly relying on word of mouth! If you or someone you know is interested in adoption, or may have already started the process and aren't sure what to do next, PLEASE....visit our website!!


VIsit us on Facebook, and Become a Fan...

Our Bedtime Routine...

Now that school is back in, we had to re-establish our nightly routine. We have never been in the habit of letting our kids stay up late, but they stayed up until 7:45 or so during the summer. Their school bedtime is 7 sharp! I know, we are so mean...it's still daylight. However, they are well rested for the next day! Our kids are really good sleepers, and like their mommy, need lots, I mean LOTS of sleep! I do not function well with too little sleep.

Anyway, so Mina gets home at 2:50. We immediately go and pick up the boys from school. We arrive back at home around 3:10. We then put all of our school things away, eat a snack and do homework. Then they play outside, ride bikes, play on the playset, you get the drift. Then it is dinner time. We eat around 5:45 depending on which night of the week it is, and what are extra-curricular activites are for that day.

Then we take baths, eat dessert and head to bed. We read them a bible story, practice our memory verses, and then read them a story out of this nature book that they all love! Then we say prayers, and we are off to dreamland by 7 sharp! Our afternoon/evenings are packed!

Wednesdays we have Awanas, Thursday-Gymnastics, Friday-Soccer Practice and Saturdays-Soccer Games. WE apparently love to be crazy busy! At least we have nothing to do on Mondays and Tuesdays!

So this is a quick pic of the kids with Emory right before bed tonight, our favorite time with the kids, is bedtime. It feels like the most quality time that we have with them, and we treasure this time!!!



PS...C-baby went to bed early, I think we may be visiting the Dr. for an ear infection! Poor baby! Otherwise he would be in the picture too!

Dessert....

Emory is addicted to the parfaits at McDonald's. Not because it is that tasty, but because it is cheap and close by! Little did he know that I can make a MEAN PARFAIT!





Boy, these were yummy!! And pretty too!!

The First Day of School...

Well, we did it. We officially made it through the first day of 1st grade for Mina, and pre-k for the boys! Everyone had a great day, no tears at all! That shocks me, I thought Aidan would scream! It all started at about 6:15 this morning. Whew, that came early! I was sooo tired. Anyway, got all 4 up and bathed this morning, dressed, fed, teeth brushed, bags packed and in the car by 7:30. We dropped Mina off first, and walked her all the way to her class, where she just walked off and waved. Then was completely horrified that I followed her in and kissed her good-bye. Who knew that started so yound, she is already embarrassed to be seen with me! :(

Then it was off to the Pre-K! Dropped all 3 boys off, Michel and Aidan in Pre-K and C-baby in MMO!! They all did great, didn't give me a 2nd look. I was sad, I expected tears. Glad there weren't any though, it would've made it so much harder.

Mina rode the bus home, and arrived here at 2:55. We immediately jumped in the car and drive to pick the boys up by 3 pm. Needless to say, we cut it very close!!

It's been a long day! But, we are all ready to do it again tomorrow. They all had a great day, love their teachers and can't wait for tomorrow! So, here are a couple of shots of the kiddos 1st day!

Two Cute Boys...

Un-Birthday Party Continued!!!

Update....

Well, we finally have an update. The boys birth-mother had the baby Tuesday morning, obviously she was not in labor on Friday! The case has been referred to the county in which she resides. So, now we are waiting on them to make a decision. They have 3 choices...she can try and parent, they can remove the baby to a home within that county, or bring the baby to us, and transfer to the county that are boys are in. We are just patiently waiting to find out one way or the other. At this point, we would just like to hear what the final decision is.

I have been praying that God would give me compassion, mercy and grace as I deal with the situation of birth-moms. Birth-moms in the cases that I have dealt with, have not made that heroic decision to place their children for adoption, but rather their rights are being taken away. I have such admiration for the birth-mothers that choose to give their children a better life, make the choice to do what is best for their babies, but this birth-mother hasn't done this. She has chosen to parent, and have her children removed from her. She has made mistakes that will forever impact her children, I struggle with her selfishness, I struggle with her incompassion. This struggle has consumed me from the moment I met my boys, and even Mina, when we were dealing with her birth-mom.

I have prayed, and asked others to pray that God would give me compassion. God has. He answered that prayer. I am seeing things through different eyes right now, and in the past couple of weeks. I am seeing this situation through the eyes of a girl who may forever lose her children, through a girl who is devestated at the possibilty of losing this new baby. My heart is heavy for her. On Tuesday night, I talked with an advocate for my boys, she also works with the birth-mom (BM). She informed that the BM had no idea that the new baby might be taken, she has bought a cradle, a crib, a car seat, etc, etc. THis baby is her new begininng. She wants a chance to prove that she can do it, to prove that she has changed. That notion brought me to tears, it still does. I cannot imagine, having just had Aidan, and someone walking in to tell me they were taking him away. All of the preparation she has done, all for nothing. On the otehr hand, she has made bad choices, and these are the consequences of her actions. How many chances should she get?

My heart aches for her to know Jesus Christ. I want to share the gospel with her, I want her to make a choice, that will forever impact her life as well as those around her. The Ultimate Decision. God has brought me to a very different place these past few weeks. I'll be honest, until 3 weeks ago, I didn't even pray for her. I was jealous of her, she carried these babies, and MIchel adores her, no matter what she has done, he adores her. I couldn't see past that. How silly, how selfish? I am a Christian , and I am called to a higher standard, and I am ashamed that I acted that way. I am ashamed that it took me this long to know that the Ultimate goal, the reason we engaged in foster care was for the sake of eternity.

Please pray for her, pray for her new baby! Pray that God will reveal Himself to her in a mighty way. Pray that she will come to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.


Sorry for sappy post, but this has weighing me down lately! I love my boys, and I absolutely want to know that if they go home to her that they are being raised by a Christian woman, a God-fearing woman, a woman that loves Jesus more than anything else. Please pray fervently for her salvation! I know I am!

God's 26 Guards

This was an email my aunt sent to me...The Power of Prayer is amazing...


Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, 'I'll pray for them later' ?

Or has anyone ever called you and said, 'I need you to pray for me, I have this need?'

Read the following story that was sent to me and may it change the way that you may think about prayer and also the way you pray. You will be blessed by this....

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan

'While serving at a small field hospital in Africa , every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point.

On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine, and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord. I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.....

Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you in to the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.

At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite.. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards, my friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'

At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet
and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

'On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you.

Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?' The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with whom they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw.

There were 26.

This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in behalf of those who love Him.. If you ever feel such prodding to pray, go along with it, you don't know what it can mean to that person.

Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the gates of hell. I encourage you to forward this to as many people as you know. If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world toward God once again. As the above true story clearly illustrates:

'With God all things are possible'.

More importantly, how God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful.

After you read this, please pass it on and give God thanks for the beautiful gift of your faith, for the powerful gift of prayer, and for the many miracles He works in your own daily life... And then pass it on. Who says God does not move on the earth today?

I asked the Lord to bless you
as I prayed for you today.
To guide you and protect you
as you go along your way.
His love is always with you,
His promises are true,
when we give Him all our cares
He will see us through.
So when the road you're traveling on
seems difficult at best,
Just remember I'm here praying,
and God will do the rest.

Happy Un-Birthday to you...

Our family has the fun tradition of having Un-Birthday parties a couple of times a year. The kids love it. We totally surprise them with it, we have balloons, cake, pizza, etc. We play music and have an all out party. It is sooo much fun! Well, tonight is the last un-birthday party of the summer! Our best friends, Stace, Dede, Ava and Landry Kate are coming over to celebrate with us! Here are a couple of pics of the fun before it all begins, I'll post actual party pics this evening!

Enjoy!! I know we are gonna have a blast!!!

Parents again?????

So, we were headed to visitation this morning when we were called and told that the boys birth mom could not make it due to the fact that she was in labor. Some excuse...Just kidding. So, if she has the baby today, we could be parents again by Monday. Of course, it all depends on the DFCS system. They could change their minds at any moment, I swear they change their minds all the stinking time. UGH!! So, our social worker made the referral to the county where the baby is being born, at that time the new county has all the power. They can take the baby and leave it in that county, leave the baby with her, or transfer the baby here to be with it's other siblings. Lot of decisions. However, this totally leaves me hanging. Do I need to go out and buy diapers, bottles, formula, etc. Should I start preparing for the possibility? I don't know! Any suggestions?

C-Baby and his new Boots!! Rain-Boots!!

"Lotts" of pictures!!!

Just thought I would share some of our recent pictures with you. There are some of C-baby and then the others are random, Michel's b-day at Centennial Park, etc! Very cute kiddos, if I do say so myself! We are so blessed!!

Adoption!!!

As most of you already know, Emory and I started an adoption consulting company. Please visit our website:

www.faithfuladoptionconsultants.com

and our blog:

www.faithfuladoptionconsultants.blogspot.com

If you know of anyone interested in adoption, please give them this information. We have clients in many states, and work with some agencies that do international adoption, however, we primarily work with domestic adoption only.

School is just around the corner...

I can't believe that summer is almost over. My oldest is about to start First Grade. :( So sad! She has grown up much too fast. My 2 boys will be starting Pre-K, so I will only have the baby! Whatever will I do with all that time. I am sure that Carlos and I will figure it out! We have just started our back to school shopping and we started it with Mina's cute new bookbag and lunch box! Isn't it cute!!

Bookbag


Lunch Box


Cute Coin Purse for "Frozen Friday"

A boy (or 2) and his dog!!

The boys love to play with Winston, and Winston is never too sure about the way they play. However, he is usually very cooperative!!