Another family has been checked off the list

Yesterday, one family was successfully matched with a 4 month old little boy. This leaves us with only 12 families in front of us. We are out of the teens! Hopefully we will soon be celebrating single digit numbers.

Back to the Daily Grind

With fall comes many changes. . .

• April goes back to school teaching 2nd grade. I have a class of 19 busy yet, most importantly, obedient students. I'm adjusting to the new weekly and daily schedules and look forward to the humor, triumphs, struggles and blessings that each one brings my way. I usually have a good story to share with Eric when I get home. However, I've learned the need to save the throw up stories until after supper. Yep, that already happened this year.
• Eric begins his class at Ship. It is a hard Managerial Economics class that he/we chose to take all by itself. It has lots of calculus, which has me stretching my brain to refresh myself enough to help him when he gets stuck. He always brings the "business" side of the class to our tutor sessions and I try to piece together the "math" side. Talk about stretching your marriage and communication skills. :)
• The leaves on our Dogwood tree are already changing and look lovely; a nice fire red color.
  
• The garden will soon (hopefully) be done. We still have tomato plants with tons of small tomatoes and sweet potatoes that are waiting for the first frost before they are dug up. Eric is looking forward to them. Mmmmm. . . . Senator Russel's sweet potato casserole, baked sweet potatoes, and sweet potato pie.
  
• We are planting two bushes in memory of sweet, little Alivia; a small pink rose bush and a hydrangea bush. They are gifts from two of Eric's very thoughtful cousins. We are still trying to find the perfect place to plant them. . .
  
• We are also in the process of leasing-to-purchase some land near Eric's work. We found ourselves needing a new focus for our dreams of the future. We'll see what the Lord brings.
• Oh, yeah . . . and I turned a year older.
  

Correction....

Shortly after our last posting, we checked the website and found 2 more families were matched with children. That brings the new total to 13 families in front of us!

A little Progress...

Today the number of families waiting in line ahead of us was shortened by 4 families. This is exciting news for us, because for the last month and a half the line has not moved at all. I now count 15 families in front of us that are waiting to be matched with children.

Praise the Lord the line is once again moving!!

Experiencing the mercy and grace of Christ's Body

Thank you . . . for your hugs, words of comfort, delicious meals, understanding tears, CARDS!!! (Wow - over 150), flowers, gifts, notes, verses, prayers, quiet time for reflection and space, conversations, compassion, listening ears, displays of hope and love . . . .

What more can we say? God has used you as His ministers of peace, and we have been the recipients.

We humbly ask for continued prayers and . . . . grace as we move into the fall as it brings: school, teaching, new schedules and . . . unknown days of grief, pain and memories.

Psalm 30:11-12

You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with JOY,

that my heart may singto you and

not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give you

thanks forever.

(Taken from the Scripture featured in "Our Daily Bread" on Aug 3, 2009. The day Alivia Joy left us. . . for heaven.)

Baby Sister's Wedding

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Stephan Jaynes! Again it was a beautiful day on Saturday, August 8, 2009. The highlight for me was time with family, tucked away at the Salvation Army Church Camp up in the mountains of West Virginia.

It was a weekend of tears and smiles. . . joy and sorrow, for Eric and me. What a bittersweet mixture. . .

Glory Baby

By Watermark

Glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…baby..

You were growing, what happened dear?

You disappeared on us baby…baby..

Heaven will hold you before we do

Heaven will keep you safe until we’re home with you…

Until we’re home with you…

Miss you everyday

Miss you in every way

But we know there’s a day

when we will hold you

We will hold you

You’ll kiss our tears away

When we’re home to stay

Can’t wait for the day when we will see you

We will see you

But baby let sweet Jesus hold you

‘till mom and dad can hold you…

You’ll just have heaven before we do

You’ll just have heaven before we do

Sweet little babies, it’s hard tounderstand it

‘cause we’re hurting

We are hurting

But there is healing

And we know we’re stronger people through the growing

And in knowing-

That all things work together for our good

And God works His purposes just like He said He would…

Just like He said He would…

BRIDGE:

I can’t imagine heaven’s lullabies

and what they must sound like

But I will rest in knowing, heaven is your home

And it’s all you’ll ever know…all you’ll ever know…