Happy Adoption Day Princess Jadyn!

What a wonderful and special day...Adoption Day! It seems to us like this is the last stop on a very long journey...our journey to Jadyn. Now our journey has become watching her grow and change before our very eyes. What a journey it is with incredible scenery. She is truly an amazing child!

Our attorney, Ms. Burk, was wonderful and made everything so quick and easy for us. Also, the judge made everything so simple too. He allowed us to bring in cameras and video cameras and record the whole proceding (about five minutes!) While I felt very blessed to have everything go so smooth and easy, I have to admit I felt a little cheated to not have had the opportunity to promise to love her, cherish her, buy her everything she wants (hee hee) and all that. I didn't even get a chance to pull out a kleenex ;( Of course this would have been difficult anyway with a toddler running all over the courtroom! So I'm sure it all worked out for the best :)

We celebrated the special day with lunch at Swanky Franks (where else?) and cake complete with a princess tiara and scepter for our Princess Jadyn. We sang Happy Adoption Day to you, happy adoption day to you, ... and Jadyn gave her shy little smile. She was soon running all over Swanky Franks sporting her jeweled crown and waving her sceptor.

At the end of the day it felt a bit like the end of Christmas day to me...I felt so joyful, peaceful, and full. Shane and I talked about how amazing it is to love someone so much that you feel like your heart will just exlpode at times. Someone told me once that having a child is like having your heart walking around outside of your body... I totally get that statement now. WOW!

As I was dressing Jadyn for our court hearing this morning, the Lord reminded me once again about His grace and love that He has shown us in order to bring us to this exact day. I was humbled as I thought about being adopted into the family of God and how, like Jadyn, I haven't done anything to earn it. There isn't anything I could ever do to cause Him to love me more... just like Jadyn couldn't do anything to cause us to love her anymore. He just loves me, just LOVES me. I think about how much we love her, and again am humbled that God loves me so much more than that, and His love is perfect. Anyway, I just wanted to share that thought and just say how much I love Him and praise Him for bringing us to this amazing day!

Father’s Day, Fireworks…and Fever

Okay as you can tell by the title I’m just a little behind on posting, but I always say better late than never. So here goes…

Shane had his first Father’s Day. We bought him a pocket watch and had it engraved “My daddy forever Feb.17, 2007. Love, Jadyn” We also bought him a new wallet with Jadyn’s pictures tucked inside...handy for showing off to friends and family… which he does quite often.

We had a busy month going to aqua tots and baby signs… so much fun for both of us! It was a great opportunity to meet other moms and Jadyn made new friends too. Jadyn officially graduated from Baby Signs and is doing well using signs for eat, drink, more, blanket, banana, bath, diaper, and many more but my all time favorite sign she has used is stink… that’s right… stink! Stink is signed by putting the index finger on the nose. I teasingly called her a little stinker one day and she immediately looked at me and put that finger right on her cute little nose! I laughed and laughed. This sign is also used on many dirty diaper occasions:)

We also spent a few days with my Aunt Peggy and Cousin Teresa (Jadyn’s Godmother… better known as Teeta the Fairy God Mother) Thanks for a great time in Texas girls!!!

Our first Fourth of July together was so special. Jadyn can best be described as our little firework! She is full of energy and lights up our lives with a brilliance of colors and fun!
She seemed to like the fireworks… actually, mama was the scared one. Some of those stray sparks just get a little to close for my liking. Shane just laughs at me as I tuck my head and run for cover during big displays, and then sheepishly slip back to my seat after the big ones are over. Of course, Jadyn had to endure this too because I was holding her the whole time so she never actually saw an entire display uninterrupted. Better safe than sorry I always say (or is it better late than never?)

Miss Jadyn also had her first real illness recently too. She had a pretty high fever and vomiting. Being new parents, we didn’t waste any time getting her to the ER, as we feared she could quickly dehydrate since she wasn’t keeping down even a teaspoon of liquids. A quick peek at her throat from the doctor and he immediately announced “strep throat! But that’s an easy fix.” We breathed a little sigh of relief as he left the room to go and get the meds. It was indeed an easy fix… after the prescribed meds and a few popsicles she was feeling much better the next day and playing and laughing by the evening. I couldn’t help thinking about how blessed we were to have good medical care and medicines readily available to us for Jadyn. My heart just ached to see her feeling so badly even for a brief period of time. My thoughts turned to some of the mothers I had seen in India holding their tiny babies in such devastating poverty. How terrible to see your child hungry or sick and not have what is needed to comfort them.

I just want to add, once again, how blessed we feel to have Jadyn in our lives. It is truly amazing how one little person can bring such warmth and love to a home. She literally takes my breath away. I’m amazed at the miracle she is. As I look around our house at all the little clues that show there is a child here now (toys all over the floor, cheerios and goldfish crackers, little shoes here and there ),I just whisper yet another little praise of thanks for all that God has done in our lives over the past few months.

1 Samuel 1:27 (NIV) I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord, For his whole life will be given over to the Lord.

MAY MEMORIES

May has been a busy and fun month with Jadyn. Her little personality is really starting to blossom and we are having so much fun with her. She is always doing something that makes us laugh. She is very active and always busy. She really keeps us on our toes! The little quiet baby girl we brought home from India is a distant memory. We are so happy that she has adapted and adjusted so well to everything.

We had a great time at the zoo with little Mia and Ian and their mommies and daddies. They were both adopted from the Matri Sneha orphanage in India just like Jadyn, but they have been home over a year now. It was so great to be able to spend time with these two wonderful families. We ended the evening with dinner at India Palace. Thanks to both families for such a special day!

Mother’s Day was obviously incredible for me this year. Last year was special because we had just found out about Jadyn, but it was very bitter-sweet not having her in our arms yet. Shane made this Mother’s Day extra special for me; he gave me a beautiful necklace that I will always cherish. We also had a wonderful lunch with our mothers after church.

Jadyn turned 18 months the 23rd. Shane made one and a half chocolate cakes for her (Thanks to Karen from the Dillon forum for sharing this great idea… we just tweaked it a little). She had her first taste of chocolate and liked it, but didn’t gobble it up… we were a little relieved, as we wondered what kind of effect chocolate might have on her bedtime routine (heehee). Shane’s chocolate cakes have been known to put people into sugar shock!

I’ve also included a couple of random photos from home with Jadyn playing outside at her sand and water table and …for my own personal pleasure… Jadyn with her Starbucks cup…don’t worry it’s only water…well, you have to start somewhere!

Showered With Blessings!

I'm a little behind on posting so... I'm updating all in one post. What a blessing the past few weeks have been! God has been so good to us. Our precious Jadyn is such a tremendous blessing in our lives. I often become teary eyed when I think about what a miracle we hold in our arms every day. She is truly an amazing child. She brings such joy everywhere she goes. She tells everyone hi (she has the Oklahoma "hi" down perfectly) and blows them kisses. Such a little charmer! I'm really enjoying my time at home with Jadyn and praising the Lord for being able to be with her for so long. The time is flying and I know I'm going to turn around and it will be fall and time for the new school year to begin, but for now I'm just enjoying each day that we have. We play, sing, dance, go to the library, shopping, and just have fun. It's an especially exciting time of the day for Jadyn when daddy comes home. She is just all smiles and laughter and ready to jump in his arms. What sweet and precious times these are to us. LIFE IS GOOD!

Our friends and family have just poured out so much love and support for Jadyn. This is a pic of the shower the teachers at school gave us. I feel so honored to teach with such a wonderful group of people. They have done so much for us and I could never say thank you enough. We received so many adorable clothes, fun toys, and love, love, love! Thanks guys!!!

Our first Easter egg hunt. Mama had to help a little. It was sooo cold! After church, we had to change Jadyn into jeans, sweater, and sock hat before hunting eggs. Everytime she put an egg in her doggy basket everyone had to clap and cheer (so much fun!)

March 23rd was Jadyn's sweet sixteen! Well... sixteen months that is. Daddy decided he should bake his girl a cake. So we had homemade strawberry cake... yum! Thanks daddy! I'm hoping for chocolate on the 17th month... we'll see (this might be a bad habit to get into.)

Easter Pictures

Baby of Mine... a gift of joy

This precious little one came into your world in the arms of an angel, on the wings of a dream, with the heart of a child.

Wanting you, needing you, trusting you... already wrapped in the warmth of your love.

and for a single fleeting moment time stood still whispering a quiet song of wonder.

How can it be that a life so small brings joy so great?

How can it be that a dream so beautiful is yours to hold?

If each breath of life is indeed a gift, what greater blessing could there be than this?

The helpless cry that first met your ears and pierced your heart,
the tiny fingers that first reached for your face and longed for your touch,
the first smile that fell upon lips too perfect for your heart to imagine,
the first time you knelt beside your sleeping baby and saw the face of an angel.
the first sound of laughter,
the first sigh of wonder,
the first prayer of gratitude...

These moments are the music of love's timeless lullaby...
the moments that change your life forever.


-C.R. Gibson

More Pictures!

Visiting grandma's house before our first Sunday at church together. Daddy's girl!

A stroll by the water

cruisin'... on a Sunday afternoon...

Pictures From Home

Heather, I love my pink highchair!

Mama's little funny bunny

Home, Happy, and Rested!

We are here… rested, and so very, very happy! Sorry I haven’t blogged in a while, but all I want to do is spend time with my beautiful daughter. Shane and I just can’t seem to take our eyes off of her (of course, with a 15 month-old you can’t anyway). We are trying to absorb the fact that she is really here in our arms now. What an incredible feeling! She is just doing great! We are amazed at how well she has adjusted. She sleeps through the night and has a good appetite. She toddles around now on her own... working ever so diligently on her balance. She often topples on to her bottom, but then hops right back up and tries it again with a smile on her face (now that's determination!)She won’t allow anyone else to hold her yet except Shane and I, but that will come in time. We know that this is a positive sign that she is bonding and attaching to us (hang in there grandmas… it will happen!) She will however wave and smile at most everyone she sees. She’s also had a cough and runny nose and little things like that, but all and all she is a happy, happy baby girl. So tiny, beautiful, and perfect! Parenthood is really great! It just fits us like a glove.
We were greeted by so many family and friends at the airport upon our return home. We were truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and excitement for our daughter’s arrival. We just can’t thank everyone enough for all of the enthusiasm and support we’ve received. We will never forget the incredible homecoming we received! Thanks Nadra for providing the pics!
We’ve had a couple of obstacles since we arrived home. First, our luggage got lost somewhere between LA and Tulsa, which I think is very funny since we made it through the crazy airports in India with no issues. It was finally delivered two days later. We were very relieved as they contained all of our irreplaceable souvenirs and a lot of Jadyn’s clothes and such. The second issue was our washing machine went out (arrrgghh!) This is always a problem with three suitcases full of dirty clothes (and I do mean dirty). The third was the microwave went out too! Anyway, we’ve got everything worked out and are now almost into somewhat of a routine. I feel like I’m kind of going in circles with the laundry, dishes, etc. Although it’s getting lots better now.

I can’t seem to get back into my normal sleep routine and the issue isn’t having a new baby in the house. She is in a perfectly normal sleep routine… sleeps completely through the night. I on the other hand am getting up about 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. and am craving lunch and dinner type foods. I’ll start with a bowl of cereal and that just doesn’t do it, soon I’m eating some dinner leftovers (I’m ashamed to say… but I even had a chicken leg one night). I’m not really all that hungry at normal dinner time though. Really weird…I guess I’m still on India’s eating schedule.
I think part of the reason I’m up late is that I just keep thinking about all that God has brought us through and especially the last challenge we faced just before leaving. I awoke to a phone call from Anila telling me that there had been a fire in the passport office in Kolkata. I just knew I had to be dreaming; it couldn’t be true. It was true… I felt my last bit of strength begin to crumble. My mind was reeling with possibilities of more delays and what ifs. She and I both started praying, crying out to God, and asking Him to somehow change the situation. I soon realized that He had already taken care of it because no documents were burned! It was a fire in the electrical wiring. This is a great miracle! We still didn’t know exactly when the passport office would open again, but we resolved to travel anyway and just wait longer in Kolkata if necessary. The manager of the passport office soon mailed the passports out to the orphanage director and we received word when we arrived in LA that they were done. I was relieved getting this news because, although I didn’t tell anyone, most of the way between Tulsa and LA I kept having this nagging worry in the back of my mind that we might have to turn around and come home… come home without our daughter. I just couldn’t deal with that thought so I just had to keep pressing forward and trusting that God would work it all for good. Friends… that’s just what He did…God is sooo faithful! He took care of everything… every last little detail. He knows what we have need of before we even ask.

There are so many details left about our trip that I haven’t shared yet. I’m sure you’d much rather hear about my eating habits (heehee). I need some more time to pull my thoughts together so that I can narrow down the important details. Otherwise, this post could go on forever… it kind of did anyway didn’t it? Sorry. I’ll try to post again soon, but at least now you know we are home with clean laundry.

More Pics Before Leaving

Daddy finally found his hairbrush... it was at the Sheraton all along!

Poolside with mommy at the hotel. Jadyn is so enjoying the sunshine on her face.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Super Baby!

Our things are all packed up and we are ready to go. We'll stay here at the hotel until 6:00 and then we will head for the airport. We are tired and ready to come home, but yet we have so many sweet memories of our time here in India. I think Jadyn will do okay on the airplane. On the short flight from Kolkata to New Delhi she slept. We haven't seen her facial expressions at take-off yet. I'm sure those big beautiful eyes will get a little bigger. As we rode the taxis, rickshaws, etc, those eyes were giant sized at times and always looking around.

Okay to resopnd to some of the comments... Marilyn and Joanne-I'll be happy to go shopping one last time and get you some bangles (such a sacrifice to shop again-heehee). Natasha and others who are wanting to come to the airport- we would love to see everyone there! We will arrive at about 10:20 p.m. on Friday night. I can't guarantee we'll smell good or look very pretty, but of course miss Jadyn will be looking fabulous as always.

This will be our last post from India :-( I'll try to post again during our layover in Singapore, but we'll just have to see how it goes. Although maybe I shouldn't...I was giggling and blushing as I read over some of my posts this morning. As a new parent with jet lag, I cannot be held responsible for spelling errors and such. I hope it all made since, as they were just our personal notes posted during times of extreme fatigue and happiness. I've posted a few times with my eyes only half open. Anyway, so glad that all of you were able to share in our incredible journey. Wish time would've allowed us to post more. Thanks again to everyone and we will see you very soon! God bless!

Be Home Soon...

Jadyn enjoying the big bed in the hotel room! She is sleepy and ready for a nap.

Sweet baby girl... all smiles and showing off her new bangles daddy bought for her.

The auto rickshaws we rode(Don't worry grandmas... we were safe!)

We have had a great day... we just played and shopped and enjoyed being together! Daddy just spoiled his girls today! It was a great time of rest before getting on the plane for the very long ride home. Tomorrow we might shop a little more (heehee!) and then just hang around the hotel until it's time to leave for the airport. Shane and I have just laughed and had sooo much fun with Jadyn. She is always doing something so funny and cute.

Here is a list of just some of the adorable things she does:

-The way she throws her head back and laughs when we kiss her neck.

-The hundreds of different ways she she grins at us.

-The way she rolls her eyes up and hold's her mouth when she's feeling shy.

-The way she pats us with her tiny little hands when we are patting her.

-The way she sleeps between us at night and reaches out her little hands to feel for us.

-The way she babbles and talks so sweetly to the baby on the lotion bottle.

-Watching the way she looks at her daddy... he is an AMAZING daddy.

I could go on all night, but I guess I should stop. When you meet her , you'll know what I mean. I guess I keep saying it, but we are just SO happy. God hand-picked her for us... there is no doubt about it. We feel so honored and blessed to be her mommy and daddy. We are forever changed! Praise the Lord for his goodness and love for us. This whole experience from the first piece of paper we filled out until today has been one miracle after another. I can't begin to list all of ways God has shown His mighty hand in our lives.

We will try to post once more before we leave tomorrow. We will see everyone soon! We look forward to seeing all of you at the airport and we so appreciate all of the comments you have made. It means so much to know that everyone is thinking about us and sending up prayers.

Also... grandmas, she had the big BM!!! Yipeee! We never thought we would be celebrating poopy... my how life has changed!

Finished at the Embassy today!

Walking to daddy... isn't that the most adorable smile you've ever seen?

Sleeping Beauty

Telling Ms. Roy, the Orphanage Director, goodbye at the hotel in Kolkata

Wow... we have had such an amazing experience in India! We are tired, but so so happy! It has been so busy! We received Jadyn's Visa at the Embassy today so we are ready to travel home soon. We are looking forward to seeing everyone, but we are trying to soak up every minute of this experience that we can. What wonderful memories we are going to have to tell Jadyn about some day. India is an amazing place. It looks even more beautiful now seeing it through our daughter's eyes.

I can't begin to tell you all of the wonderful experinces we have had... but the best of all, of course, was meeting Jadyn for the very first time. I will never forget the moment I saw her. INSTANT LOVE! She is such a loving and sweet baby girl. We feel so blessed that she has bonded so well to both of us. We are both able to hold, snuggle, and love her all the time. She just looks back at us with such love too. It is truly amazing! She makes the most adorable expressions... she has all of these different little smiles that just melt your heart. Everywhere we go people smile and say how cute she is... of course we already new that. She has such a sweet little disposition. During the long day at the Embassy today she just slept and then woke up smiling. The doctors visit was a little scary for her though... when we had to undress her she cried and that was the first time we had heard her really cry loud. Thankfully, she didn't have to get any shots. We were so relieved because we hated to put her through that. Her weight was just over 15lbs which is what we thought.

We rode an autorickshaw yesterday to get the visa photos and shopped in the crowded streets of New Delhi. (Anila's brother helped translate for us and helped us bargin at the markets). Even though it is very crowded and busy, we have never felt unsafe. It's all just like a scene from a movie. You've never seen so many people in one place! It's true what everyone says about the traffic and the lines in the roads being just a guideline, and the honking too. However, Anila told me that the honking is not intended to be rude, as it often is in the US. It's just a way of letting people know you're coming. As I've watched, I've seen that this is totally true. They are never angry when their honking. They just don't give to one another at all when driving. They just keep right on going into oncoming traffic.I've never seen so many close calls in traffic, but I've yet to see an actual accident. It's all just like organized chaos.

We also ate at McDonald's last night, which is not like ours in the states. Shane was dissapointed... no hamburgers... just chicken sandwiches. Today, for lunch, we had VERY spicy Indian food, which was really great, but you really pay for it later (heehee!). Anila showed us how to eat everything and told us all the names for everything. It is considered very mannerly to eat with your hands, and when you're done with the meal they bring you this little basin of warm water with a lime in it to clean your fingers. You use the lime like soap on your fingertips to remove all of the spicy smells.

Tomorrow we have a free day since all of our business is done at the embassy. We were surprised to be finished with everything so soon. PRAISE THE LORD! We decided to treat ourselves and stay at the Sheraton Hotel until time to travel. The Clark was okay for a couple of nights, but the room wasn't that great and it's in a VERY noisy area. We felt that we really needed some rest before we make the long journey home again. We wouldn't trade our expereience there though, it gave us a great chance to see a whole other side of New Delhi that we wouldn't have otherwise. By the way... I would highly recommend the Sheraton in New Delhi to those who will be traveling soon. Great rooms, great service, just great all around.

We might do a little more shopping tomorrow and then on Thursday our plane doesn't leave until 11:00 p.m. so we are hoping to be able to make arrangements with the hotel to stay a little later. I will try to post again tomorrow and put up new pics... got the message mom : ) We love everyone very much. Keep us in your prayers as we finish up this incredible journey and begin our new lives as a family of three. (I love saying that... family of three!)

So Much Love!

I have so much to say and so little time. We are filled with praise and joy. Our sweet baby girl is a blessing. I honestly don’t know how we waited so long. All of the pain and frustration of the long process has just faded away and replaced with peace and joy. We just feel so full and complete now. Going to the orphanage was incredible! The moment they introduced us to her was just amazing. I can’t even begin to describe the feelings of love and joy. At first she had the saddest little pout on her face. But soon she melted in to my arms. Then Shane took her and she quickly bonded with him too. She is easily allowing both of us to meet her needs. She is just such a joy. We were able to tour the orphanage and take pictures of all the babies for the other waiting families. The orphanage doctor told us she is completely healthy and doing great! They said she is timid and quiet and rarely gets upset. This has proved to be very true thus far although we are seeing more and more of her funny little personality coming through. We are leaving for New Delhi in a few hours… I will post more when we get there.

Together At Last!!

She is beautiful, perfect, absolutely wonderful! We are all doing great. I will post lots of details soon. Just wanted to share our first pics of us at the orphanage. WE ARE SO IN LOVE!!!

Passport!

We received wonderful news from Tami while we were traveling... Jadyn's passport arrived and Ms. Roy has it in her hands!!! Praise the Lord!! God has worked out so many miraculous details for us throughout this process. Lenin and Anila found out that Jay has his too! This means our travel should not be delayed now... which means that grandparents can hold Jadyn that much sooner!

We are at the Singapore airport and still have a few hours until our flight. We did a quick foot tour today and did some souvenier shopping. We are having a great time. It was a little overcast so it wasn't quite as hot as we thought it might be (still pretty hot and humid though). Everything is very green and lush here... just gorgeous. We are so ready to head for Kolkata now.

Okay so really... my next post will be in India! Just had to let you know about passport while I had a chance. Love to all. God bless.

Sight Seeing In Singapore

Grace's Post:

Well... we thought the first post would be from India, but since we had a 17 hour layover in Singapore we had time to blog. The flight was very long, but Singapore Air has great service which helps. We are feeling pretty good this morning considering we traveled 25 hours total air time so far. We had to take a taxi to our downtown hotel. We tried to sleep a few hours last night, but we are both like two kids on Christmas morning... just ready to get up and go. It is about 10:30 a.m. here and our flight to Kolkata doesn't leave until 9:05 p.m. so we are going to take the free city tour of Singapore and sight-see a little. It's so nice to have our great friends Anila and Lenin traveling with us. We met them in LA. We will all venture out together today.
It's pretty warm here. When we walked out of the airport last night (at 1:00 a.m.) it was like walking into an oven. So... I wonder how hot it will feel when the sun is shining (eeek!). It's funny to leave temps in the teens and come to this. I had to shed layers as we went along yesterday.
We just finished eating twelve dollar pancakes (that's even half price since we are on a layover with Singapore Air) It was actually a buffet, but we mostly just ate pancakes. Also, this morning I got to hear Shane sing the Veggie Tales song "Oh Where Is My Hairbrush?" , as I forgot to put it back in the suitcase before we left yesterday morning. So I loaned him my comb. His hair looks great by the way. Anyway, love to all and we will post more tonight or tomorrow from INDIA!! Just one more night and we will hold our daughter!!! Yay!

Shane's Post:

Wow, outside of our little area is like a whole other country. Really if you've lived in one area all of your life and then travel to different lands, you have no idea. First, have that passport in a speed holster because you can't do anything without it. Second, ASK someone for directions, you may think you have plenty of time until you get lost. We asked and everyone has been very accomodating. Weird about currency, I have to ask every time so far, Singapore money or American? Breakfast was western style (meaning USA) but i've never had pork and beans with my buffet. Oh well, im still a giant at 6'2 feet tall over here and its kinda nice.

The Long Awaited Dream Begins!

In just a matter of hours the long awaited dream begins!! I feel kind of like I did the day before Shane and I married except the feelings are even deeper because we are now sharing the kind of love that only a parent can feel. I can't imagine how we'll feel on Saturday when we finally hold our precious girl in our arms for the first time! WOW!
God truly knows us better than we know ourselves. He gives us the desires of our hearts and only He knows how to really fulfill those desires. He has heard and answered our prayers for a child in such a wonderful and miraculous way.
Please keep us in your prayers for the passport situation to be completed, as we travel,and as we meet our baby girl for the first time... her little world is going to change in such a dramatic way. Also, thanks so much to everyone for all of the prayers, words of encouragement, cards, gifts of love, and just everything. We will never forget all the wonderful family and friends that have surrounded us during this very long and difficult wait. Little Jadyn could never begin to comprehend how much she is loved already, but she will soon find out.
Well... the next post will be from INDIA!!! HERE WE GO!!!!

The Time Has FINALLY Come!!!

I'm sooooo excited!! The time has FINALLY come. Let me say that again... THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME!!! YABADABADOOOOO! (Fred Flinstone... for those of you who were trying to look that word up in the dictionary) We leave on Valentine's Day- how appropriate is that? Also, we are so happy to be traveling with our friends Anila and Lenin. They are adopting a baby boy -Jay(who is such a cutie!) The three of them are going to make this very special trip even more special.

The last couple of days I've felt sort of in a fog or something (shock I think), but tonight it's like it's finally hit home... we really are going next week. We went shopping today and got all the last minute things we need for travel; however, I feel certain there will be at least one more Wal-Mart run before we finally take off. Shane and I had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants after a long day of shopping and discussed the fact that this would be one of our last dinners out with just the two of us. We have been married for thirteen years so we have had plenty of just the two of us dinners and they have all been great, but we are so ready for our baby girl ... bring on the highchair!!

The orphanage director still does not actually have the passport in her hands yet, but we have been told that it will mail out on Monday and we should hear on Tues. morning that she has it. Regardless, we've been given travel clearance and told that we might possibly be delayed a day or two in Kolkata. But that's okay with us as long as Jadyn is finally in our arms.

God is sooooooooo good. I just can't say it enough. I want to praise Him from the rooftops! One of my student's parents sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers to me at school yesterday and on the card she wrote this Bible verse ...

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Jadyn Spotted at the Movie Theater??

It seems there is hardly ever any news from India on Mondays. Maybe tomorrow?? I would love to hear that Ms. Roy has the passport in her hands. This is the only loose end that must be tied up this week. Can I add another MUST to that... and the sooner the better! We are a little on pins and needles, but we know that everything is going to be okay. God hasn't brought us this far to forget about us now. He is orchestrating everything so beautifully and making it easy to trust Him. Praise His name!

Here is a cute story about my little six-year-old niece... my mother and I took her to see Charlotte's Web on Saturday (great movie!). Just before the movie started she asked if I had Jadyn's picture. I told her yes and got it out of my purse to show her. She then asked if she could keep it in her lap so that Jadyn could watch the movie with her (I wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time). So, of course, Jadyn enjoyed the movie right along with us... part of the time on my niece's lap and part of the time sitting in the cup holder. She got just a little sticky from the movie concessions (heehee). We all think about her all the time. Oh, how I yearn for the day when she really will be here with us. Let it be soon Lord!

My Beautiful Brown Eyed Girl!!

I was so surprised to get a new picture of our beautiful brown eyed girl today. (Thank you Pam and Joel!) Isn't she just gorgeous! I was taken off guard though because they cut off all her curls! I cried and not just because of the curls being gone, but because she looked a little peaked and thinner to me, and maybe even a little lonely. I guess I'm just a worrying mommy. While of course I greatly treasure every picture, it somehow made it harder to wait. I know they are taking good care of her at the orphanage, but I just want to hold her so badly it's almost unbearable at times. I just ache inside and two weeks seems like an eternity. Please pray for us that the passport will come soon. Also, please pray that we will have strength to wait.

Waiting On The Edge of Our Seats

Well, we have done it! We bought our plane tickets! Really Dillon recommends that we wait until the passport has been received by the orphanage director because you don't know what could happen with the mail, etc. , but we decided that we have allowed some time for delays, hold-ups, etc. and also we got a really great deal. We just know that if we wait the availability is going to be bad, and it would put us traveling later. Now we just have to wait until we hear the passport has been received and then.... Feb. 14th... that's right we'll leave on Valentine's Day!!!
Lately I just feel like I'm sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what is going to happen. I just want to crawl on an airplane tomorrow and go pick up my baby girl! This weekend has been difficult, I've been battling all of these awful feelings of fear and doubt. We have had so many set backs during our process that I just don't want to face one more road block. We are so close, yet still so far away. There are still so many ifs and whens, but I'm trying to focus on what I know to be true. So here are a few things I know:

• I know that God has called us to this very moment in our lives.
• I know that He is mindful of us;He hasn't forgotten our circumstances, and all the details that have to work together in order for us to be able to travel.
• I know that God's word is true.
• I know that God loves us and has good plans for us (Jer.29:11)
• I know that ALL things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

Waiting For Passport... In An Ice Storm!!

We are waiting for Jadyn's passport, and hoping to find out, next week, a better time frame of when to expect it, but right now it looks like the end of the month. God's timing is perfect... so we just wait. When we receive word of a reliable time frame, we hope to start booking (but not purchasing) flights in order to have tickets available. We are so hoping to have a special little Valentine in our arms this year!
Soooo much has happened lately. It really is time for some celebration!! As we are coming closer to the end of our long journey to Jadyn, and as the new year has begun, I just want to take a moment to praise God for all that He has done. This year has been a year of challenge and growth, but I know our faith is stronger because of it. I look forward to all that God has in store for us in 2007! This is the year we are going to hold our daughter for the first time! WOW! I was thinking of the scripture verse in 1 Corinthians 2: 9 No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. PRAISE HIS NAME!!!
We are having a major ice storm here and the trees, powerlines, and everything are covered in ice (I keep hearing tree limbs cracking and falling outside- eeek!) My internet connection keeps going down and the lights are blinking on and off so I should probably end this post, but please continue to remember us in your prayers. Please pray that God would allow us to travel in his perfect timing and would give us good health to do so. Also, please remember our friends Anila and Lenin (Jay's mommy and daddy) We are planning to travel with them and they must have ICPC (out of state paperwork) before passports come, and continue to remember the other families who are still waiting for legals. This is going to be a very important week for them. God bless!