Well, school is getting ready to start. Only a week and a half until I have to go back to work. I am saddened, but I am also a little excited to get back into a routine. I have missed my friends from work and seeing everyone including all of the kids. My job is hard at times, but it is also rewarding and fun at times too. I am also starting a new second job. I have signed up to be an Avon representative. The main reason for it is to make money to help bring Josephine home. 50% of the first four times of ordering goes to our adoption (it is for signing up to be a representative, but obviously we are using it for our adoption). We are working very hard for the next 2 months to sell as much as we can so that I can make as much as I can. We are quite a bit short, but I know that God will use this to His glory and I also know that He sees what we are trying to do. We have finally just given everything to Him and I know that He will provide what we need.

Our van was towed away after a year and a half of not working at all. The guy said that he will see if he can fix it and if he can't he will try and buy it off from us. As they were towing it away, Mike and I both sat down and prayed. Prayed that God would work this out to His glory as He knows that we have only had one car for over a year now and it has come to us needing to get another one "perfect timing I know:)". We don't know where we are really going to get the money needed for any of this, but God does and we have given it to Him. The funny thing is, I feel that He had been waiting all along for us to do just that, give it all to Him. So I am a little nervous (as the humanness comes out), but I do know God will take care of it and a weight has been lifted off from our shoulders.

I will also be documenting what will be going on in the days/months to follow as we are preparing for all of this and waiting to see what God is doing/has done. Also, as we await for our little girl to come home, we have decided that I will be the one that will go to Liberia to get her. It is exciting to think of the first time that I will see her and hold her. To think that we will share something that will only between me and her as I get to experience her birth country with her. I have felt for some time God preparing me to go to Liberia, I don't know why, but I have felt for quite a few months that this time I should be the one to go. I just pray for God to use me on this trip and use me when I get back. I want it to change me for the good, to change the fact that I have taken things for granted and sometimes don't realize what I do have compared to others, but most of all, I have God and have a relationship with Him and I want to share that with others here and in Liberia. I hope to also get to meet Thomas' family. It will be something to be able to tell Thomas that I have met his family in Liberia and have met a part of Thomas. I am thankful to his father for what he did for Thomas. He seen that this little boy needed more, and he loved him enough to give that to him no matter how much it hurt to give him up. I don't really think of it as giving him up, his father just gave him more. We tell Thomas that he as two dads that love him. He also has two moms (but his other mother died when he was 4 months old). I will also get to see where Thomas lived as we are adopting from the same place. I do think it will connect me even deeper to my children (if that is even possible:)). Well, I will be blogging these events as I want to have a place to write down my journey and one day look back and also to show my children. Please keep us in your prayers as this is going to be and adventure:).

I am posting a couple of new pictures of the boys at the part, and a new picture of Josie that a very good friend has taken while she has been in Liberia. (Thanks Bre!)

Andrea

Soccer Mom

Well, I am officially a soccer mom! Steven played soccer when he was younger, but Thomas is now on a traveling soccer team for our county. He is at his second soccer camp of the season and is doing a great job. He loves it and is so excited to start practicing on a team next week. He was also Camper of the Day at camp today. He won a poster. This child has so much energy, I would just like to have a quarter of his energy. I am very proud of him as he is trying so hard to listen and follow directions. A lot of the other parents will leave during camp (it is only a couple of hours in the morning), but Thomas asks me every morning, "Mom are you going to stay and watch me practice." What can I say when he asks me that? At the end each day, he always says, "I tried my best today." I tell him, then that is all I can ask of you. He is trying also to understand what the coaches are telling him. Even though he has been her a little over a year, there are some slang words that we take for granted that he still takes very literally:). So we have learned to really explain things completely to him.
Also, both boys got to go into their new school today. We are all moving to a new school as ours closed down due to a levy failure. I work at their school, so I moved along with them. I had to work a little to get the classroom I help in ready. I am nervous that Thomas will now be on the other side of the school away from me this year. Steven will be in the same hallway that I am in. I am praying about how Thomas will do. He also is getting a teacher that I do not know at all and I am praying that God will put the right teacher in his path. Someone patient, kind, and very organized which is what he needs. I also am concerned as he will be going to school when I am on maternity leave when Josie comes. He as never went to school so far and me not be there. I know that God will watch over him, but it is very hard for me when I am not there to peek in on him. You know how a mother is. Also, this is my last year of being in the same school as Steven, he moves up next year, so I am going to enjoy each moment of this year and each school event.
No news on Josie yet! We continue to pray until her safe homecoming and she is in my arms. The boys are very excited for her to come! Here is a new picture that someone sent us.

Andrea

Well we are going a bit crazy here getting ready for our garage sale that we are having this weekend to raise money for our daughter's adoption. The house is a mess and things are everywhere. We are also going to start moving furniture around and changing bedrooms.
School will be starting in about a month. I am sad but happy to get back into a routine. I work at the school our sons attend so, it isn't to bad to go back, and I work with some great people. This will be Steven's last year to be at the same school as me. Next year he goes to the Intermediate School, but it is right beside the school that I am at. I told him that I don't even want to talk about it much:( Steven is a very kind soul. I can talk to him and can really carry on a conversation. He is growing up and that is great, but also sad. We took a walk the other night, and it was just nice to hold his hand and talk, I hope that he always holds a special place in his heart for his mom. I know he will start growing up with each year in school (I hope not to much, he is going to pass me up soon), but I hope that his heart stays the same.

Andrea

Summer Time

Well, it has been a long time since my last post. There has been so much going on since then. We are finally out of school and enjoying summer. Between baseball with Steven and soccer camp with Thomas and relaxing, we have been enjoying our summer. One very exciting thing that has happened, is that we are very excited to announce that we will be adding to our family through adoption! We are adopting a little girl from Liberia, Africa (the same place from which we adopted Thomas from). She is 4 years old and her name is Josephine. I am so excited and a little nervous too, since we have only had boys, as girl is going to be a whole new experience! I have started to get some girl things here and there, since I have absolutely nothing girl in our house:). My family is pretty mixed about the whole situation. I have some that are really excited for us, then we have some that don't agree with what we are doing. But, God led us to her and that is all that we need. He showed us that this is the child for us. The boys are excited and enjoy picking things out for her. I do ask for your prayers, for one we think that it is a very good possiblity that I will be the one to have to travel and two we do not have all of the $ yet. We still have a substantial amount to get, but we are trusting God that he already knows where it will come from. Mike is also starting a new job and is working very hard to get things ready for that. So as you can tell we are very busy and are so excited for what is to come. We know there will be adjustments with everyone and things will not be perfect, but we truly feel that God will get us through whatever situation may arise.
I will post pictures as I can.

Andrea

Spring Break

Well, I haven't posted in awhile! Things have been a little crazy and hectic, but it is finally Spring Break and we have gotten some much deserved rest! We are now about ready to start back to school, we are kind of ready to, over break our truck broke down and so we had to come up with quite a bit of $. We had a couple of other unexpected situations arise, but God showed Himself to us and we tried to follow His will for us. If everything worked out the way we think it did, then His will was done. It is funny, God leads you one place and you really think things are going to work out a certain way, but then you find out the things didn't work out the way you thought they would and you may even be a little disappointed. Then, after everything is over, you see that God was working and there was a reason why everything worked out the way that it did, in our case I truly hope it all worked out to glorify God and what His plan is for us. We may have had to come out of our comfort zone and sacrifice but, that is when we truly had to depend on God. Hopefully through our acts, God was shown to those who may not have seen Him otherwise and have given hope through God to those who may not have a close personal relationship with our Savior! I have seen God work in different people's lives lately, and I love to just stand in amazement of His wonderful work!
Say a prayer this week for us as we go back to school, it is going to be a long 2 months, especially in my job, but God is with me.
Over break, we didn't do a lot, just rest (our truck was broke most of the time, so we didn't get much chance to do a lot), but I believe that God knew we needed to rest. We did go to the zoo and it was very nice since there weren't very many people there. It was a nice day just to spend with our boys!
We have some things going on right now that we really don't know how they are going to turn out. I have learned to take one day at a time. I have also learned that God does want good things for us, it is hard to maybe know what that is. You think that He is sending you down one road and you get yourself all prepare and even excited, then He has you take a sharp turn that was very unexpected and can really confuse you. But, then just when you are totally confused and sometimes even sad about the turn, He shows Himself and then you again just stand in awe of our wonderful maker and what He can do! I may not know what the future holds for us, but I do know that as long as God is our Savior and we completely make ourselves available to do His work (even if it is confusing at times and causes us to completely sacrifice) we will be just fine!

I will try to post sooner next time:)

Andrea

Well we were supposed to have Thomas' 8th birthday party this weekend, (his actual birthday was yesterday, but the party was supposed to be today) but obviously the weather did not allow that. We had 18 inches of snow here from yesterday to today! So, we were not able to have the party b/c we were all snowed in. Thomas didn't seem to upset, we gave him our gifts and we all played in the snow. But, as long as Thomas gets to stay in his pj's he is pretty happy. He was excited b/c we got him a new bike and Ninja Turtle toys. This was his first birthday in America. I was sad that we couldn't have his first party, but I believe that he was just happy to open his presents and spend the day at home (he is such a homebody). I think of where he was last year (in the orphanage in Liberia) how sad I was to be without him, and I am just greatful to God that Thomas is here with us this year. HAPPY BIRTHDAY THOMAS, WE LOVE YOU!