Lila Dancing

Lila has been busy practicing her dance moves and mommy and daddy are so proud of her. Her church friends Holly, Lauren and Hayley also dance. It is so fun to see your baby perform!

Pictures from our annual Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting at Crown Center. I just recently downloaded some pics so I am playing catch up!

Reading with Lila

During Reading yesterday, Lila read the word "COW". Sometimes, I play silly with her, and I said "Lila, I am NOT a COW!!!" She replied, "Yes you are! You are furry, and black and have two gutters!" After tons of laughter, I made her call daddy and tell him what she had said. She was laughing, but she still didn't know that it is called and udder, not gutters. Man, I love her!

Titus Tariku is Ours!!!!

Can you believe it??!!!!! We got the call this morning at 7:55. Sixteen months ago we got his sweet picture and fell in love. NOW, he is ours!!! I am praising God for His faithfulness to us and for entrusting our sweet little boy to us. I am just amazed!!! Last night I received my Shutterfly order and was looking at the newest pics of Tariku and I just told God how much I missed him and wanted him home.
What is most amazing to me, is that I have been thinking specifically of this Tuesday for many, many weeks now. This day, marks the 7 month mark of the vision (or promise) that God gave to me telling me that we passed court. Out of God's graciousness, he gave me that promise (and I CLUNG to it throughout this LOOONNNGGG wait!) I thought about the number seven in the Bible and how it means completeness, fullness, and perfection. Again, I had pondered this for months, but last night, oddly enough, I didn't even remember what tomorrow was. But God did! And confirmation to my heart that God knew all along and that He again is faithful and will fulfill all of His promises!

I am sooooo excited! WOW! More to come, but right now, I am just soaking in the moment and joy this brings to me!!

Headed to Texas!

Christmas day we are leaving to visit our grandmas, uncles, aunts and cousins down in Texas! We just spent 1.5 hours in Best Buy getting our broken DVD player replaced (for free thanks to Vince's hard negotiating)! Thank goodness for the DVD player and dramamine, benadryl and what ever else we might need to get through the drive. We hope to be hearing some good news anytime saying "you passed"! Please continue to pray that we get our Tariku home. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and will update if we do pass...trying not to get my hopes up.

The doctor in the family

Haley spent the night at Nana and Papa's house a couple nights ago and while they were at dinner, Haley said "We have two doctors in our family. My daddy is a good doctor. Whenever I get a cut, he lifts me up and says "Oh, you got a cut. Let's make it better" and he puts a band-aid on it and kisses it." My mom said "Well, I bet your momma is a good doctor too" and she said "No, when I get a cut momma says "Oh, just suck on it." LOL

Last Sunday's sermon was amazing! If you want to get goosebumps and be thrilled, I wouldn't pass it up.
It isn't uploaded on www.gepc.org yet, but it was in Isaiah and how God foretold His people through the prophet, what would happen and how it came to pass and how He promised a savior and it happened (700 years later). And what other god can do that? He doesn't have to foretell, His creation is enough to confirm who He is, but because He loves us and wants to encourage us and strengthen our faith, He does this. And He foretold to me back in June, that I would get the call that Titus was mine. It was totally a "in the Spirit" moment. NOT FROM ME! And He didn't have to, but He knew I would doubt and that this would be a LONG journey. He loves me that much, to calm my mother's heart. So many other amazing things God has revealed through this wait, and I wouldn't give them up for the world. I have prayed for over two years that we would specifically see God's hand throughout this whole journey...and we have! Our director told me that they aren't going to be telling us our court date; they will tell us when we pass and not keep us on this roller coaster ride. I am really glad with that decision. I know we have a date sometime in December and I know Elias is still going to take longer than Titus. The good thing is that Titus' birthmom doesn't have to go to court again. When this is all done, I will look back and stand in amazement at how God brought this all about and how faithful He was and continues to be to us.
Isaiah 9:6
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace, there will be no end."