Those Darn Ducks!

 

 

I've been working like crazy to get all my ducks in row for this adoption..

 



 

Checking off my check list...

 

 

 

Check

 

Check

 

Check.....

 

I had my days planned out between now and March...

 

Do this... do that... get this.. get that... go here... go there...

 

You know what I mean??

I was trying not to panic because March is SO CLOSE and we have so much to do and trying to figure out convention stuff was overwhelming me...

 

But it WAS March which meant I had ALL of February to line up my ducks in a nice straight line!

 

 

Well....

 

This morning things got a bit out of control....

 

Like CRAZY!

 

 

 

 

Remember we were submitted yesterday....

 

Remember I said we were expecting travel dates in 6 weeks at the earliest..

 

Fast yes... but not crazy...

 

 

 

Get this...... The families that were submitted a week ago just received travel dates...  They have to be there in a week and a half...

 

AWWWW!!!

 

TRAVEL IN 2 1/2 WEEKS FROM SUBMISSION TO APPOINTMENT

 

My ducks are not only NOT in a row.... Those darn ducks just multiplied on me!

 

 

 

 

We could be flying across the ocean in a matter of 2 1/2 weeks.

 

My to-do list just blew up!

 

But... as one of my dear friends just told me... This is when GOD SHOWS UP AND SHOWS OFF... 

 

If you weren't praying for us up until now... now is the time to start.

 

Much has to be done....

 

Including our Auction...

 

We are still having our Orphans Treasures Auction which starts on Sunday, February 1st.

 

Over 250 items are up for auction along with some cool Giveaway prizes.

 

It is looking like the auction will end around the same time we may be traveling which means that any of the items at my house will have to be mailed when I return.  Not my preference but there is little I can do about it...

 

Please support this auction!!!  We need shares and bids and shares and more bids... And donations if you don't want to bid.  As soon as it goes live on Sunday morning please check it out!  There is something for everyone!  On every price level... Little kids can even bid on some of the small stuff....

 

I will provide the link as soon as it goes live so please stay tuned to this blog!!

 

WE ARE LEAVING SOON...

 

We can't wait to go because we have a little duckling across the ocean ..

 

 

 

 

...and we are longing to bring her home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S.U.B.M.I.T.T.E.D.

You read that right!!

 

We are submitted.... 

 

 

Our dossier is in the hands of the power that be across the water and now we just wait for an invitation to come!

 

 

I'm a wreck.

 

No.  Seriously.

 

I've been weepy all morning.

 

Tears are just leaking down my cheeks.

 

Joy.  Terror.

 

We could travel in 6-8 weeks.

 

Middle of March.

 

Right smack on top of two conventions where I'm SUPPOSED to speak!

 

South Carolina and Tennessee

 

Harper trumps conventions.

 

 

WE ARE SUBMITTED.

 

It's insane in my house.  Rob's fixing Ben's bedroom in the basement so Elijah can move down. Then he has to strip wallpaper and paint Harper's room (Elijah's old room).  Then he has to fix another area in the basement for Ben when he comes home for the summer.  Drywall dust is coating everything.  Stuff for the auction which begins on Sunday is in piles in my living room.  Our to-do list is out of control.

 

WE ARE SUBMITTED.

 

We have no control from here on out.  We don't know when we will travel and once we are in country we will just go where we are told to go and sit when told to sit.  In Harper's country there is NO HOLDING a child so there is NO guarantee we are adopting her until we have referral in hand. 

 

Joy.  Terror.

 

WE ARE SUBMITTED.

 

 

Pray for us.  Pray for her.

 

Please, Please pray.

 

WE ARE SUBMITTED.

 

Thank you, Jesus!

 

 

 

 

 

The Ship - By Aaron

The Ship

By Aaron.

 

His first watercolor.

 

We weren't sure we wanted him to watercolor it.

 

 

 

 

 

His sketch was so nice we worried that it would get messed up if he put watercolors on it.

 

I  A.G.O.N.I.Z.E.D!!!!

 

I'm a wimp that way.

 

But he wanted to try it so..... we mixed some colors and practiced on a separate board and he took off..

 

 

And after I stopped being paranoid, I had a blast sitting next to my little son watching him work... helping him figure out colors, whispering encouragement, enjoying the moment. 

I mean this was his FIRST watercolor!

 

 

 

He blew me away.

 

No. I do not want to sell it.

 

Yes.  It is going up for auction.

 

Sunday.  February 1st.

 

Along with a whole host of other items.

 

The Orphans Treasures Auction and Giveaway benefitting three families adopting three treasures is going to be a BLAST!! 

 

Tons of cool items for everyone in the family...

 

Including Aaron's 2nd watercolor masterpiece...The sweetest fire engine you have ever seen!!

 

NO sneak peak's on that one... you will just have to wait!

 

Stay tuned people.....

 

Stay tuned!!

Fatherless Friday

I wish.

 

I pray.

 

I pray for a family for Dagmar.

 

 

Tomorrow he turns 16

 

A family must file a I600 with USCIS before tomorrow to able to adopt him.

 

Please Lord!

 

Sneak Peek

Shh... don't tell...

 

It's a sneak peek at a few of the items going up for auction starting February 1st...

 

 

 

 

Don't tell anyone I'm showing you...

 

 

But I thought you might like to see...

 

There is going to be something for everyone...

 

This is just a tiny taste... of our auction to benefit three families..

 

 

Bringing these three precious treasures home...

 

  

 

I hope you enjoyed peeking inside...

 

The Harper

 

 

We have currently over 60 items ready for auction and way more than that we need to get listed before this monster begins! 

 

You won't want to miss this.. Aaron's working on some pictures to sell and my dad is putting together a complete train set that will RUN and we have the entire Signing Times DVD/CD set worth $600.00 and some really nice jewelry and clothes and tons of books for pleasure and for homeschooling and toys and a beautiful handmade quilt named THE HARPER and another beautiful handmade quilt and on and on and on...

 

We are still accepting auction items and if anyone wants to throw in for a Giveaway to run alongside the auction (electronic style and gift-card style prizes) we are not turning anything away!

 

IT BEGINS FEBRUARY 1ST!! 

 

 

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

I'm knee deep in auction-listing.  If you come to my house you are going to have to wade through the mess!  Yesterday we were dressing G.I. Joe dolls, sorting through Legos, taking pictures of vases and books and other whatnots. We are looking in every nook and cranny for things we can sell!!

 

Our on-line auction will be benefitting THREE families and will start February 1st. 

 

Donations are gladly being accepted. Anything you want to donate. Just take a picture, send me a description with a suggested starting bid.  After the auction is over you will mail it to the highest bidder (you cover shipping as part of your donation)!!  Easy Easy.  Please don't send your stuff here... I won't be able to find it in the mess. 

 

On Thursday I made a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride trip to Richmond to get some papers apostilled for the adoption.  I was in a race against time because I had to get the papers to Texas by the next day so they could be carried across the ocean with another family who is adopting. Thank you Stephanie Barnett!!

 

 

 

 

My not-so-faithful GPS told me I had arrived about a half a mile before I had actually arrived. Thankfully I had done this before so I knew Garman wasn't right.  But the landscape had changed in 4 1/2 years.  Buildings were standing where parks had been and finding the right building was quite the challenge.  Can I just say that Richmond drivers like to honk their horns a lot!  Parking was a nightmare.  I drove and drove whispering prayers.  Please God, let me find a spot.  Please!!  Around and around until I found a public parking lot about a mile from the building. I pulled in to discover I would get the pleasure of paying $14.00 for 2 hours. Sweet.  A mile hike on slippery sidewalks just added sweetness to the journey.  Then I couldn't figure out which building it was because I had to enter from the back. When I asked a kind man on the street which building was the Commonwealth of Virginia building he pointed me in the wrong direction.  My papers cost $15.00 but I was grateful that I was in and out in 15 minutes. A mad dash back to my county and a trip to the post office to get them overnighted cost another $35.00.  Money flying out the window without pause.  You do what you have to do. 

 

Which is why my house is knee-deep in mess!

 

So stay tuned!

 

The Orphan's Treasures Auction is coming soon!

 

 

 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

 

Going Back

I first saw his picture 3 years ago when the ministry team sent me pictures after they had visited.

 

Grady. Wearing a green Puma shirt. 

 

I knew he was one of the Lost Boys because the Hartmans had met him when they were adopting Judd (Brady on RR). 

 

He had just been transferred in right before they arrived. The director wanted them to see him.  Adopt him. He talked to them.  Recited poetry.  Stole their hearts.

 

 

But the little Lost Boy the Hartmans went over to get demanded their every waking minute for days, weeks, months, years.  He was hurt and needy and in desperate need of healing.  They poured into him. They added another babe to their family.  And they prayed for Grady.  Prayed and grieved for the boy they left behind.

 

For three years they grieved.  And yelled.  And prayed.

 

Last December when I was there I begged God to let me see the four Lost Boys listed on Reece's Rainbow.  I was granted the privilege of seeing only one of those boys.

 

Grady.

 

 

Wearing the same shirt. 

 

Sweet sweet boy who was ever so frail.  He looked battered to me.  Battered and weary. 

 

It was evident to me that they cared about him.  Several times they picked him out.  Helped him participate in the activities they were doing. I tried to get a good picture of him but I was limited in what I could do.  None of these picture do him justice. 

 

I came home and shared my pictures with the Hartmans.  I shared with them every single tidbit I could give them about him.  My words soaked into them.  Soothed them.  Saddened them.

 

We yelled and prayed.  Prayed and yelled. 

 

And God began to work on hearts.

 

Their hearts.

 

First Melanie.  Then Ben.

 

He's YOUR son.  Go back and get him.

 

Go back!

 

They listened.  They are going.

 

GRADY HAS A FAMILY.

 

I have no words.

 

Two Lost Boys now have families.

 

Grady and Pearson.

 

 

 

Both families already have a Lost Boy in their home.

 

Both families are going back.

 

I truly have no words.

 

Stay tuned.... an on-line auction to support the Hartmans, Drakes and our family is coming soon!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approved

 

This morning I called the immigration office to see if we had been assigned an officer yet.  I've called every week for a month now.  When the lady on the phone told me we had been assigned an officer and would I like to be transferred to her number I started shaking. Yes. Yes. Yes. 

 

Let me just say that our newly assigned immigration officer ROCKS!!  When I asked her how long until we were approved she laughed and said she had already approved us!

 

We are approved!!

 

We still need the official paper in our hands, but verbal approval is sweet sweet sweet!

 

I'll be honest. I'm thrilled we have approval, but I'm not throwing an approval party today.  Every adoption has twists and turns that are scary hard and require huge doses of prayer and clinging.  We had more than our share of them with Aaron's adoption.  So many that I have been hoping that we could possibly get a pass on this one because of it.  But that is not to be.  In the last 24 hours we hit a turn that was a bit shocking to my soul.  I spent a rather sleepless night last night doing a whole lot of praying.  I'm not comfortable sharing at this point but would beg you to please please pray for us as we journey down this road.  I'm clinging and praying to the One who holds both Harper and our family in His loving, tender hands. 

 

He is good.  No matter what!

 

As a final aside... I cannot wait until I get to share some really cool news about a sweet boy who has waited way too long for a family. 

 

He's got one now.

 

Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

Disappearing Pieces

 

Remember our puzzle disaster?? The hole in our plan??

 

Well back before Christmas we started over.

 

 

 

Aaron's job was to build the birds!

 

Nice job, buddy!!

 

Quit taking pictures Mom and get to work!!

 

Many hands make for light work!

 

Dad got into the action the next morning...

 

 

Last piece...

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't it fun???

 

As soon as we finished the puzzle, it started disappearing.

 

I mean just about half of the puzzle is gone!!

 

 

The kindness of each person on this puzzle touches us deeply.

 

 

Thank you. 

 

 

Thank you!!

 

 

An auction for Harper and two other orphans is coming soon!  Exciting! Exciting!

 

We are working out details and gathering items etc etc.

 

I've never done an auction before so this is going to be a wild ride indeed!!

 

Stay tuned!!

 

P.S. If you have anything you want to donate to the auction send me an e-mail at covenantb@yahoo.com!!

 

 

 

No Presents for Ian

It is soon his 16th birthday but there will be no cakes or balloons for him.  No presents.  Nothing. In fact turning 16 for him right now is a disaster!!

 

He has only a few days left and then he ages out. January 24th.

 

DAGMAR

 

Is there room??  Anyone???  I so very much wish I could say I've seen him or someone else has seen him.  Last December when I was there I looked and looked but he was not in the group of boys they allowed me to meet. 

 

That has made it so hard to yell.

 

Oh Please please please someone SEE Dagmar!! 

 

He has only a few days left.

 

And someone PLEASE go get this boy!!

 

IAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

He became available this week and my heart just stopped.  This is Ian.  He has arthrogryposis like Aaron.  It only affects his legs.  I've seen videos of this boy and several families have seen him and from what I've seen and have been told.... HE IS A TREASURE!!

 

You want to know what truly breaks my heart?

 

Ian has been available for adoption for years.  He has been asking and begging for a family for years.  Every single time the facilitator has come to his orphanage he has asked if she has found him a family.  For years.

 

But only this week was he listed on Reece's Rainbow.

 

Please let us not make him wait any longer. 

 

He is smart, is in school and can take care of all of his personal needs.  His legs are affected but he can walk.  He CAN walk!! 

 

Please someone SEE Ian.

 

IAN