Monday, the beginning of a new week, and a new hope that we will hear good news from the Philippines Inter Country Adoption Board. I’ve been told that the Board meets on Thursdays to review cases, but that doesn’t necessarily align with the timing of the round of questions that they sent us before Christmas…so every day is a possibility to me! Every time the phone rings these days, my heart skips and I am thankful all over again for that little invention called Caller ID that for so many years we did not have (we just recently changed our phone plan for a cheaper one, and lo & behold it included Caller ID!).
I am definitely feeling a little bit like an overdue pregnant lady these days. I remember well the anticipation of those due dates when we were expecting our other children — how even though in my mind I knew that there was no guarantee attached to them, I couldn’t see past that magic date! Hale’s due date came and went without so much as a hiccup out of that baby boy! Looking back, it was a good thing…as all things in God’s perfect timing are…because it allowed Kevin and I to celebrate our second wedding anniversary at a fantastic restaurant where they felt so sorry for me (I must’ve looked gigantic and pathetic) that they gave us a beautiful and delicious dessert for free! Much better than celebrating with hospital food had Hale decided to make his debut on his due date!
My patience is now TRULY being tested! I guess it has to do with the updated photos and seeing how much John Mark has grown since the first picture we received….and not wanting to miss one more day/week/month of his life. I want to be taking those pictures from now on — pictures of him playing with the four siblings that ask about him daily and have so many things planned for him! As much as I look forward to taking my first international trip and experiencing a completely different culture, I also just want to get that part over with and get back to raising my family without this “event” hanging over our heads! I want to fulfill this calling that the Lord has placed in our lives, and be able to witness to others who may be wondering if what they are considering is a calling or just an idea they came up with…
As we begin this new year and anticipate all that it will bring, I have many things for which I am praying. Of course, I pray that the Lord would continue to open my eyes and my heart to what He would have me do each and every day, and that I will seek out those things rather than hiding from them; I pray for my marriage, that Kevin & I would continue to keep God in the center and know that we are not in control, but that we have a choice every day to love each other and work together (and I pray that KJ knows that I think he gets hotter every day, and I’m truly a happy girl to be married to him!); I pray for my children, all five of them, that they would grow in their relationship with their Heavenly Father and find peace in knowing that they are loved and never alone, because sometimes it just feels hard to grow up; I pray for the Lord’s provision, in this slow season of work for Kevin, especially given the remaining expenses of the adoption, and our desire to continue to be a help to others.
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
It is fair to say that I’m an early adopter on some things. When it comes to technology, ‘some’ becomes most. You won’t find me camping out at the Apple Store waiting for The Next Big Thing! or buying the latest and greatest computer or phone but in terms of free software — I’m on the bleeding edge.

t will come as no surprise to those in my inner circle when I write that my favorite television show is one that most Americans have never heard of: 
