Who says they need b-ball rec. league....

Gorgeous day, family of 30 , 2 b-ball courts, throw in a few jump ropes and lots of people who love to play = a funfilled Sunday afternoon.

Difficult week here but our hope is renewed every morning

This week has been a tough week here. I asked for your prayers on Monday for Kofi to be able to get the passports for our children in Ghana. He needs the Ghana passports for the US embassy to put their visa in it so they can come into the US. The embassy very graciously gave us an expedited exit interview on Wednesday. Kofi has known for over 6 wks that we were going to need those passports and Tuesday came and went. So did Wed. and finally early on Thursday am - 1 am I heard from him that he did not get the passports . So we did not have our exit appt. on Wed....and Kofi never was able to communicate with us either until Thursday. Have you ever waited for some important news or something to happen and days go by and you don't know what is going on ? We were very excited that we could have traveled maybe as early as next week to pick up the kids. We even called the travel agency, made tenative childcare plans and finished the kids rooms and clothes buying...Everything was ready but Kofi and the documents we needed in Ghana. I can't even tell you how disappointed we were . I know from our other adoptions in other countries this part of the process has happened as quickly as one day- even for the adoption when we brought home 5 unrelated children. So the embassy part in Ghana is very different from our other countries we have adopted from. The passport issue in Ghana is complicated by a voter registration and the Ghanians need a passport...so there has been a rush to get passports. Last year we got caught in this same part for months with a change in the passport process...and now this :( We heard from Kofi last nite that he got the passports but there was a mistake on 2 of them and so we are waiting again ....Because of Samuel's health issues you think we could get this passport part done. This lets you in on the value of a child's life - not happening to quickly . This is one of the many times it makes me love being a US citizen. Because here they care and we could as we did get our adoption docs. expedited....but as they say , " When in Ghana we play by their rules". This is always been a hard part of the adoptions.

We also feel like we have egg on our face so to speak with the state dept...because they were extremely helpful in moving our adoption process at the embassy expedited and then we have this. It actually was embarrassing. I don't want to be seen as a "typical pushy " adoptive parent just trying to get our kid home sooner. We have a very legit medical issue that has caused a life threatening issue at least 3 times for our son and we still can't get him home...So please pray that Kofi is able to get the passports and we get another embassy appt. - next week with a visa print date then too.

We can't predict when we will need to be comforted. We can't always control what happens to things that are important to us. Sometimes I want to scream even - when something happens or doesn't that affects the life of a child. I usually keep my emotions in but this week it has been hard...Realizing that I am not in control and knowing without a doubt who is can be difficult when it involves a child. No matter our situation, we can always pray. God wants us to communicate with him at all times. He wants to be a constant, loving presence in our lives...and I have called on Him frequently this week.

Psalm 42:11 Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled ? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise Him, my savior and my God.

Will you please join us in praying for the passports and our embassy part of our adoption in Ghana?

Mady is such a willing participant

Selah came into the kitchen with Mady on her back...Looks like Mady loves it. Today we were watching Lila doing Mady's hair...cutting away with play scissors... Lila loves doing all of our hair. Lets hope though she never gets "real" scissors in her hands :)

:) :) :) One for each one of my sweet children in Ghana

Our visas packets were picked up today and our exit interview is Wed...YIKES...We are praising God for this but need prayers for tomorrow. Kofi our coordinator has said the children's passports are to be picked up Tuesday....Nothing like cutting it close. Please pray that the passports will be ready and for our exit interview to go without a hitch....Then we travel. Today we got our passports with the Ghana visas so we are all set to go :) :) :)

Celebrating 15 Years of Isaac

Yesterday we celebrated Issac's 15th birthday. He went to the Outback with Joseph on Friday nite. Paul and I took him to breakfast Sat. am and then to Walmart where he picked out his bike...As I shared in an earlier post bike riding is big here now. Our younger boys have grown out of their first smaller bikes and it seems like each birthday this is what they are choosing. ( They pay half the cost of the bike). I had been buying steak over the past months and we had enough to grill them for his dinner and they were great. Maybe we eat a steak once or twice a year . So when we do it makes it more special. His dessert of choice was lemon lush . Naty made peanut butter rice krispie treats as well. We had a great time to celebrate his precious life. I can't believe you are this old. You are becoming a fine yg. man of God.

Luke and his potatoes :)

We had mashed potatoes one nite last week with dinner. Luke absolutely loves them. This is him eating seconds and, I loved how relaxed he is with his feet up just chowing down on his favorite food.

Mya is the proverbial momma

 I came into the kitchen and Mya had put Kloe into the baby carrier :)

 Kloe is learning right along with Mya

Praises being sung here today - God grants us our deepest heart's desires

 This is Selah holding our final approvals I 797 for her 3 bio. siblings. We got the actual letters in the mail last week but the embassy in Ghana did not respond to our requests to pick up the kids visa packets...until today ! After we got our Senator and the State Dept. involved because of our son, Samuel's ill health we got the best news today...well almost the best news...the embassy has agreed to expedite our case and we should be traveling soon to pick up the kids .

I wanted to share my devotion from tonite. It always amazes me as how pertinent to my life my devotions are.

Better Than You Can Imagine

You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us: none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

Psalm 40:5

What would you like to be doing in ten years? Perhaps you have a picture in mind of what the perfect future looks like. Interestingly, many people who achieve all their goals find that their success was not as satisfying as they thought it would be.

Yet there are those who've forgotten their own plans in order to pursue God. As David testified in Psalm 40, they discover a life full of purpose and love-abundant in hope and wonder.

Friend, you can imagine great things, but God's plans for you are infinitely better than all of them. So pursue and obey him. He'll grant your heart's deepest desires and never disappoint you.

I did not hide your rightousness in my heart; I spoke about Your faithfulness and salvation; I did not conceal Your constant love and truth from the great assembly.

Psalm 40:10

I can testify to pursuing the Lord's will for your life and that when I did God has granted my heart's deepest desires and has never disappointed me. I am so overcome by His love for these precious children that He has given to Paul and I...Thank you Lord for giving us these children. I thank you that your plans for me are far better than anything I can envision. I'm excited about the great things you are doing.

It was in the 90's on Monday....and time for some water play :)

We had a water gun battle and here Ava is hiding. It was so warm ... we took advantage of it. Today is another story though...cold and wet :( I wish it would make up it's mind instead of teasing us.

Ready Set Go.....

 Bike riding has been the latest thing to do here...So Sunday this was part of the group that went on a bike ride. We live out in the country in an area of farms and old orchards so it is very pretty to ride in.

 I bought this at last summer's consignment sale and we use it a lot with Andrew especially. He loves trailing along with them.

 They all first went left and then to the flag ...the older more experienced riders did that and continued ...Paul brought up the rear :)

At least he is on a bike...I prefer to take the pics of the bike riders :)

She can't believe she is 25 :)

 Not really...but I can't believe that she is :)

 Keith and Ava planned a surprise for her...A Princess Party and we had fun with that.

 Here she is breaking the pinata of candy and everyone scrambling for it :)

Hope you felt loved Mary Kate....because you very much are. Happy Birthday !

She started her Easter day in daddy's arms and ended it there too

 Mady and her daddy at church....

 Whether it was finding eggs, eating candy , blowing bubbles, playing in her car- she had a blast and was so much fun to watch.

 Miss Stinky pants was running her daddy over....

 She got out of her car to check on daddy and he surprised her with a hug....