2010

Thought I would do a 2010 year-in-review on this stormy New Year's Eve.

I love looking back at things that made this past year so special. I think that is why I love scrapbooking so much... strolling down memory lane and putting those memories "down" so I can look back whenever I want.
So here's my attempt at blogging the year...

JANUARY... Birthdays for Madeline and I, Crop Connection at HCC

FEBRUARY...Snow!!! and lots of it, Saints win the Super Bowl...woo-hoo! Cody inducted into National Junior Honor Society

MARCH... Spring Break, Sadie starts (and ends) puppy school

APRIL... Matthew's Field Trip to Vicksburg, Easter, Madeline's K5 Music Program

MAY... Cody receives Latin II award at Honors Forum at school, Matthew receives A/B Honor Roll at school, Madeline receives award for Bible memory verse memorization, Disney-World!!!!

JUNE...Matthew to Reggie Bush Football Camp in New Orleans, Cody to Memphis, Summer
at the pool

JULY...Cody to RYM in Pensacola, FL., Matthew attends Prep Football Camp, I get to scrapbook
at Summer Crop Connection, VBS

AUGUST...Back-to-school... Cody 9th, Matthew 5th, Madeline 1st, Basile's visit,
Madeline begins dance, Matthew begins football

SEPTEMBER...Mike and Matthew attend University of Arkansas football game, Football, football, football AND we get our referral for Abbey

OCTOBER...Autumn Moon Festival for Madeline at Chinese school, Matthew receives Citizen-of-the-Month at school, Halloween with the Nash's

NOVEMBER...Baby Shower for Abbey and I, Thanksgiving Break

DECEMBER...Disney's Princess Wishes on Ice with Madeline, Cody gets the flu,Aaron, my nephew, gets engaged to Dorane...yeah! Merry Christmas!

Christmas wishes

Wow, this past week has flown by in anticipation of tonight... Christmas Eve. We have made candy, decorated cookies, wrapped gifts, shopped, worked, and watched Christmas movies and shows. And now the big day is just hours away!

We spent the day at Mom's for our family Christmas. Food, gifts and lots of pictures. My nephew, Aaron, is in town and newly engaged. It was great seeing him!

Blake made it in from Texas as well. Brittany is in Korea on the USO tour with the Cowboy Cheerleaders. We miss her but know she is having a blast!

I also want to share some great news we received yesterday from our adoption agency. We actually got a call Wednesday morning saying we have Travel Approval (TA). This is China's invitation for us to travel to China and adopt Abbey. Yippee!

Yesterday we received the next big news.. we have a confirmed Consulate Appointment. All the adoption trip is arranged around this appointment. So this means we can book flights and start packing. Yippee!

This time next month we will have Abbey in our arms.

We leave for China January 12!!

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family.

Abbey is 15 mo. old today

Oh my... when we received our referral back in September Abbey had just turned "1'.
Here we are still waiting and she is now 15 mo. old today. It has helped seeing pictures of her during this wait, but UGGH.. it is getting harder each day without her. Please pray we hear something soon about travel AND please pray for my Abbey. She doesn't know that a world away her mommy is waiting not-so-patiently to hold her.

My Christmas Gift-- pictures of Abbey

The teacher (r) from the school is holding Abbey in this picture. She looks so little!

Look at those eyes.... I see a little hint of mischief, what do you think?

Abbey at Amazing Hands foster home. She is the little one on the left on her knees.

What a blessing to know she is in such a bright and happy place in China.
I am coming my sweet Abbey...
Love,

Mom

An Early Christmas Gift

I received an early Christmas gift this past week...pictures of my sweet Abbey.

But first I have to share a little about how I came about getting them.
I met a mom on a yahoo group I belong to. Her daughter was at Amazing Hands foster home prior to her adoption this past year. Amazing Hands is where our Abbey is being cared for in Beijing! The mom had the most positive things to say about the care that her daughter received at AH and has reassured me that Abbey is being loved and cared for while she waits for us. This has meant so much to me. I have felt such a peace about Abbey being in their care and I know that she is being "loved on". I never quite felt that way with Madeline while waiting. Of course, you pray every day and night that your child is being held, fed, and loved, and then you simply have to turn it over to Him.
Easier said than Done....
So, back to the pictures.... the mom sent me some information and I googled it.
Lo and behold, pictures came up from the foster home that Abbey is at. A group of students from a high school in Beijing visited the home in October and posted the pictures on their school website. How amazing is that???
I see her little face and the tears start flowing... I know it's her! She is so little. The teacher from the school is holding her in one of the pictures. I immediately sent the pictures to Mike at work.
Now I have the picture as my screensaver so I stare at her sweet face all the time!

So my early Christmas gift has been the opportunity to see my precious little girl's face.
Such a simple thing but it means more than I can even put into words. It is simply a place in my heart where God is telling me... she's OK and she is loved... see how much I love you both.