The Great Room Swap

We called it the "Great Room Swap."

It involved paint, moving furniture, new/used bedspreads, swapping closets and each kid moving to a different bedroom than they'd had before.

It was slightly daunting and also exciting.

Exciting because the end result meant we were ready for one more. Daunting because it would be a b-u-t-t load of work.

And work we did, for four days straight. We recruited help (thanks mom!) and the end result was something we were all pleased with.

Room #1: Originally shared by the three boys. We thought four boys would be a little much. Besides, it was time for the girls to share, but since the girls would be using twin beds, we decided they would be getting the bigger room. Out go the boys...

(good bye little airplanes painted with love)

In come the girls...

Room #2: Mya's room. When she moved out...

The twins moved in...

And that leaves us with Suhn's room, the easiest room change because we didn't have to paint!

Out goes Suhn...

Here comes Sean, AND very, VERY soon, Zak!

One huge task off my to-do list. 

And five happy kids who have spent a LOT more time in their rooms this past week (of their own free will).

That is what I call a win-win.

The Final Stages of the Wait for it...

I had intended to write a blog post about the final stages of our adoption wait. You know telling you what we were waiting for, how long we might be waiting, what life in the wait was like. But then life happened, my Grandma moved to Heaven, work with Hearts at Home stepped up a notch (remind me to tell you about that!), the great room swap took place (pictures to come) and blogging to a back seat to everything.

And now, the post I was going to write is no longer necessary

Because

Wait for it




WE HAVE OUR TRAVEL APPROVAL FROM CHINA!!!!

The last thing we were waiting on came our way yesterday! This week we will be making travel arrangements and then in exactly 4 weeks we will be on a plane to CHINA to bring our boy HOME!!!

Crazy, Crazy, in the best crazy kind of way.

The whole process from start to finish will have taken exactly 9 months (plus 1 week).

God is good and his faithfulness and provision has been evident through every step of this journey. I can't wait to see what else He has in store.

But for now, it is time to start packing because we are GOING TO CHINA!

Hang on Zak-man, we are coming to bring you HOME!!!

The God who Sees

This month, I have been re-reading stories of God's faithfulness.

His faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

His faithfulness to Hagar, the slave who said, "You are the God who sees me." (Genesis 16:13)

And, the same God who was faithful to the patriarchs of old, has continued to care for His children to this day.

My sweet, elegant Grandma died unexpectedly last week. She was saying her prayers when a brain aneurysm ended her life. She was talking to her God in this world and in an instant was in His presence in the Next.

It has been a week filled with tears, remembering, and overwhelming thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for her life and thanksgiving for the care in which our Faithful God carried her home. He saw her. He loved her. He took care of her.

His goodness has been evident through the stories shared of last words and visits within our family.

The God who was faithful to Abraham was so faithful to my dear Grandma.

I am so sad by her passing. I am going to miss her terribly, but her life and death have been vivid reminders to me of God's faithfulness, love and care. And while there is a gaping hole left by her absence in this world, some day I will see her again and together we will praise forever our faithful God who sees us.