Christmas Time is Here...

Today we spent the day doing Christmas stuff... like moving furniture to make room for the tree, visiting the same Christmas tree vendor from Wisconsin, from whom we have purchased every real tree that we have ever bought, racing to pick out a tree because it is soooo cold, and watching our traditional Christmas movie while sipping hot cocoa and decorating the tree (potentially messy, but no mishaps). I also had a present, not under the tree, but in my inbox! Pictures and video from Angel's trip in early November to Eagle's Nest! (Again, thank you, thank you!) Yes, yes... we have been abundantly blessed with not only our monthly update pictures, but pics and sweet words of how THREE families have loved and prayed for our daughter, just this month. I am overjoyed with how the Lord answers prayer! When we made contact with a woman serving at EN short term this summer just after our referral, I prayed that the Lord would continue to put people in our path that would be going to EN, and He has overwhelmed us!

I am not sure how much longer this road will be, but

"By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life." Psalm 42:8 ESV

Hannah wore this little pink shirt, too, so Ellie is getting all those hugs we gave to Hannah in it...also the first time I have seen her in anything that we left for her. :)

These were a sweet surprise! Thank you so much Deidre! Please be praying for Kendall to be progressing thought PGN quickly as well!

She looks so fancy and grown-up!

Such a sweet, serious expression.

Something is missing here...

This photo especially brought comfort because I know that Mimi and her other mamas are loving on her everyday!

It is so hard to know how I should hold my heart. In some senses, I am hardened and guarded so that I will not be disappointed when delays and disappointments come. Yet, I long to hold on to the closeness that we began to have in July. Some nights, I can dream so vividly that I am lifting her out of the pictures I see and feel her in my arms. It has been four months today since we handed her back. I do miss her so and long to have her here with us.

For me, and I have checked and checked my motives on this, I really do want her home mainly so we can begin spiritual training as early as possible. I know that I am not in control of her salvation, but I am so burdened for her soul (as is the case for all my kiddos). I pray over and over that the Lord will guard her heart and keep it pliable to Him. (Sigh) Just another issue to seek peace from the Father.

Six weeks back in PGN

This is what happened at our house today...

What a Journey!

Wow! We are home from traveling for six weeks! I have mentioned that we were on sabbatical, but I wanted to wait until we were home to post more about it. Daniel is a pastor at our church and they bless the pastors with a sabbatical after they have been serving for seven years. We had a week off for every year, so seven weeks, and we added two vacation weeks, making nine weeks we will have been gone from our church. The purpose of the sabbatical is to have time for more intensive study, rest, and family time. Daniel is using this time as transition from family ministry to a church planting. He has read tons of books on preaching, church planting, books for his doctorate degree, and theology. The rest has come from not having the demands of day to day ministry obligations. Great moments of family time would include teaching the kids to play chess (they are way smarter than I am now), traveling, and seeing fun places and family. I have posted some pics from our various destinations, but you can check Daniel's post for a few more.

Our Sabbatical by the numbers:

9 weeks
7 weeks sabbatical
2 vacation weeks
56 days
150 pages written for doctorate degree (all Daniel) :)
16 states
over 6,000 miles of car travel and one very useful portable DVD player
5 suit cases, 3 back packs, 2 boxes of books, one lap top case, one stroller, one cooler, 3 car seats
...all without a car top carrier!
10 different places stayed at
48 of 56 days spent in PGN
1 kick out of PGN
19 family members seen
numerous visits to friends
8 churches visited
5 pastors met with

It has been a great journey and time for our family! We miss our church family and are looking forward to being reunited! Here's what the trip looked like:

Some much appreciated spoiling!

I got another set of pictures and the knowledge that Ellie was loved on for us from Stephanie, who went to visit her cutie last week! Thank you, thank you!! Tomorrow is five weeks back in PGN...keep praying for Ellie and so many others.

And please join me in praising the Lord with Olivia's family...she has cleared PGN and going home soon!

Already working on those football skills...a must for our annual Thanksgiving game.

Such expressive eyes!

Her hair is growing so fast!

The Rest of the Batch

She is now in the 10-25% for height and 25-50% for weight. She is "healthy. Talking, smiles, laughs and is now walking." Her eyelashes still amaze me!

Lord,
We praise you for a healthy daughter that is growing well and developing as she should. Please guard her heart and allow her spirit to be sensitive to You and Your Son. Bring her and all of these children to a saving knowledge of You through Jesus Christ at the earlest possible age!

Our Big 16 Month Old!

Looking Sooo Snugglible in Her Jammies!

Just a reminder....

I am worth the wait!!

We got a call...

But unfortunately NOT the one we wanted. (I thought the phone calls were good news, and the bad came by email...) :(

Apparently, we were kicked out 10/8, with a request for some sort of document from the Civil Registry in Guat., and resubmitted 10/16...

Which means, we are back at week 3 of PGN wait...

There was a slight window, if we were getting OUT this week or next, at getting her home this year, but God seems to have other plans...

We are pretty down...God is in control, God is in control...

Edited to add: I have tried hard to stay fairly positive on this blog, so when I mention that we are "pretty down" it comes across strong. We have peace that Ellie will be home with us according to His perfect plan! Daniel was actually encouraged by the news, because, as a pessimist, he was expecting much worse. :) And, other paths in this process He could have choose for us, might have been much more difficult than a few weeks set-back. Thanks for all of the emails and comments with encouraging words of scripture!

Passing the Time #2

More pictures! PGN reopens tomorrow after a LOOONNNNGG weekend. Should I send several working pens so they get to signing those precious children out?!?!

At the Capitol...visited our Represenative to encourage his signature on the JCICS letter to UNICEF and Pres. Berger :)

The "Statue of Lincoln" was what the kids wanted to see the most in D.C.

With my Aunt Joyce, who was so willing to get us around D.C.
Visiting the famous "Grammy and Gramps" :)
Opening birthday presents at a rest stop somewhere in east Texas.
Our awesome week in Destin, FL for just the two of us!


After the completion of the Texas Half-Marathon

Passing the Time

We are approaching the EIGHT week mark since we entered PGN. Here is some of what is helping to pass the time. (I know that I would be going crazy if life had not been so crazy lately!) New pics of Ellie and medical/case updates are coming soon!

At the apple orchard in Oct:

Riding the Metro in Washington D.C.