Update on our Adoption

Daily Maddie asks are we going to China today? Our answer is not today but soon and we discuss what is happening. So what is happening... for the month of May our agency locked and referred 16 SN children. This is less than lst time (April 36) and they were hoping for more from the list but we will continue to pray for June. From what they have told us it looks as if there will be children on the shared list every month. This is much better as far as time frames then before when the list were just individual they only got new updates every 2-3 months with the same amount of placements. This year alone they have placed over 100 SN children (how wonderful for those children and families). Based on the current referral rates and our openess to SN I see us getting a referral sometime this fall. I always knew in my heart from the beginning we would get a referral in 2008 or 2009. Since the new process has started 2 months ago everything is going much faster most important increase is the time from acceptance to travel is now somewhere around 2 months from 3 to 6 months (wow what great improvements this online systems has made).

It is so hard to believe we are only a few months away and sooooo many things to do. Thank God for all our friends and family who have been so supportive of this adoption. We will be starting the room soon and I am so excited I have bought her theme. I see Pink!!!!!

Year End Program

Another first for little "M". Her first year of preschool has ended. We attended an end of the year production and ice cream social to wish the 4 year olds off to kindergarten. Maddie's good little friend will be moving up she sure will miss JoJo. Maddie sure did not want to sing with her class that night they were to sing Kumbya and she warned me she would not sing but instead plug her ears. Well guess what she did just that, normally she is all into performing but she did not want to due this. Maybe a lack of a nap on my part not real sure but the video is quite cute compared to all the other performances when she goes all out.
Mrs. Duncan and Mrs. Hilbert were her teachers and we could not have been happier. These ladies were fabulous. Maddie has learned so much spelling, writing, and crafts. She loves the crafts. Everyday she spends 30 minutes in what she calls homework it is the cutest thing she says she needs to study to get smart mom. We hope she still feels this way when she gets older like her big sister Audrey.

Ballet Recital

Well it has been a year of fun dancing and worshiping the Lord. It is still so hard for us to believe that it is time for little "M's" first recital. She loves to dance and is going to miss not dancing over the summer. I missed her dress rehearsal but she was in great hands with two of my dearest friends. The morning of the recital Allison came to do her hair and get her all ready. ( I would have loved to do this but was unable Praise God for wonderful friends!!!!!) Daddy had went and got her a dozen of pink beautiful roses and and had everything ready for the party afterwards.

Since we have no family in town Maddie had a little friend come and some friends of the family came to make the day more special for her. I cried through the whole production as she spinned and danced. Our little girl is growing up to be a beautiful young girl. She is so graceful. It is such a blessing to see all these young girls dance and worship the Lord!!!!!

When do you pray?

When is your quite time to get close with God I use my commute times in the car praying, showering and my morning routine. During your alone time is a great time that I get to reflect on what is really important. I pray for my friends, family and ones on our prayer list in need during my morning routine and is this becomes a commitment to prayer. God wants us to uplift others in prayer. It is so important to have prayer in our daily lives. No matter what God uses to prompt you to pray it is important that you do and pray for other that are in need of our prayers. I know I am very grateful for a loving God who reminds in creative ways for people to pray for one another as I am one has received alot of those prayers.

Luke 18:1 "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them they should always pray and not give up."

I Samuel 12:23 “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.And I will teach you the way that is good and right” I Samuel 12:23

Mother's Day

The day was perfect Steve and Maddie covered all the bases. We got up and went to Church in the morning. Maddie and I had gotten up a little earlier so we could play beauty shop. This is our fun time in the morning to play with fun hairstyles and put on make-up. She thinks she is all grown up you know.

After a great worship time at Church we headed off to Outback for yummy food and pretty flowers. Later that day we came home and spend family time and met some friends. Mothers day is such a special time for me as well as Steve. Three years ago on Mothers Day Maddie was placed in my arms we celebrate it ever Mothers Day even though the day changes every year the significance of Mothers Day was something that I will always remember that God blessed us so much and made me a mom that day.

As the night went on we focused on the day Maddie became part of our family, we watched the adoption video, looked at her scrapbook (yes I have one it is pretty cool), and read her life story. She loves to here about the day we came to China to get her. I have to say going through all of this made me tear up many times. Maddie told me that night I was the best mom in the whole world and she loved her family and wanted her sister to come from China soon. A perfect day!

Mother Daughter Tea

The other day I received a beautiful invitation from Maddie to attend a tea party with Maddie at her school. I was so excite. I am very involved with her school she only goes 3 days a week for 3 hours each day but she loves her teaches and her friends. She wanted us to dress in polka dotted dresses and wear our hair up. She is all about looking alike. She is such a girly girl I would have never guessed that would have been my daughter but this was her day for me so we got dresses and did our hair and off we went.
The theme of the party was Hawaiian and the teaches Mrs. Duncan and Mrs. Hilbert did fantastic. Maddie made me a oven mitt with her hand print on it and a jar of cookie mix. We will be baking cookies on Mothers Day! I have the most giving little girl. We played bingo and she said she wanted me to win because I was the best mom and she loved me. Where was the Kleenex.
The teacher asked the children why they love their mom's and Maddie's answer was she kisses me, hugs me, feeds me and tucks me in at night. The day turned out perfect. For all you mom's I hope you have a blessed mothers day and for all the mom's to be I pray that your day will be here soon and an celebrate the day!

Friends

Maddie and Taylor having a little bit of afternoon fun in the sandbox. Now that I am not working as much Maddie has more time to spend with her friends. The weather is so nice out I like to get a little sun we walk alot that is my girlfriend and I the kids ride. Maddie is into the good life:)

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Wow it is the 5th a May and time to Party!!! We will be attending a baby shower for 4 of our friends who are all having babies within a month of each other and they are all boys! We are so happy for them. You can only imagine the questions Maddie has when she always see the ladies with babies in their tummies and I have a flat tummy. She tells me don't worry I will carry Kinsey in my tummy for you :)

We had a Cinco De Mayo theme and made it a family event and everyone turned out in large numbers. You can tell by the pictures the kids loved the pinyata swing and hitting it was a hit but of course the candy was even a bigger hit. Maddie was all about the jumping house. She was so worn out when we got home Steve and I had a chance to watch a movie together.

The Bigsby Show

The Bigsby Show came to Thomasville Road Baptist Church what an evening for kids. This is away to get your kids into fellowship and great kids christian music. He writes all his own music and it was so funny it kept the kids entertained for 1.5 hours. Far better than I can keep her contained for that time. It was a live interactive program, can you say child chaos. Well I listen to nothing but christian music so does Maddie, Steve does mostly now but I have a real appreciation for creative kids music after this performance. Maddie and I listen to his music now once a day and she goes wild. Check out some of the videos on You Tube "FROGS" is Maddie's favorite one. Of course we have the DVD now so we have kids praise time:)

Spring Sing

Every year our our children's choir puts on a production on at church and this was Maddie's first year she loves choir. We think she loves the teacher more than singing. Mrs. Betty she is truly a wonderful christian woman and the children think she hangs the moon. We wondered if Maddie would have stage fright not our daughter she is the biggest ham and has the most outgoing personality if the director would have let her lead she would have taken over. She would not have stolen the production on her own she had the help of her side kick Abagail who was living it up.

Children are such a blessing and God's gift to us as parents is the most rewarding thing. Watching these girls perform and sing about God just makes my heart shine.