Prizes prizes everywhere!

I am finally pulling myself away from staring at some cute photos of two certain boys and rolling out our prizes or "thank you gifts" for any donations to help us get these boys home!..... Ok...wait....one more cute pic....I just can't help myself...

 ...ok, whew! I feel better now. ;)

We are stepping out and reaching out to ask for help...not the easiest thing to do but we know that God can call many to rise up and walk this journey with us. These dual adoption expenses are kicking our butt but those dual smiles are just so, so worth it! So thank you for considering helping us along this journey!  Without further ado....the prizes!!

Kim at Wheat & Wildflowers has generously donated the "Wo Ai Ni" necklace!

A $25 Starbucks* gift card!

A blog makeover by Alexis! She redesigned my blog a few months ago and this precious 16 year old girl not only has some mad blogging skillz but she has a huge heart for the orphan and her proceeds go to support missions. She is donating one basic blog makeover package! This makeover will include: a custom header, a custom template, background colors/papers, and coordinating font colors



The rockin ladies over at Wild Olive have donated one short sleeve shirt of your choice shipping included!



A sweet bracelet by the Purple Pearl.

Boy Mom Designs has generously donated this long sleeve tee!

It's just one of many oh so cute designs they have over there! They also have Girl Mom tees....but I wouldn't know anything about that. ;) Check em out!

My dear friend Yvonne has generously donated a Scentsy Warmer to be given away for our raffle!!
Can I get a woot-woot?!

We merciously have had a Scentsy warmer for quite some time and it masks the smell of sweaty boy fills our home with luscious fragrance.
Along with this warmer she is including 3 fall-themed scentsy bars!

The rockin ladies over at 147 Million are donating a tee as part of our raffle! They have some new designs that they are rolling out so head on over here and check em out!

You will be able to select which tee you would like and sizing and such. Thanks ladies! We are blessed!

A handmade necklace in deep green.

My sweet friend Glenda from RocketFoot.com has donated this running shirt!

Give the guys something to read while they're eating your dust. RocketFoot's original, Girl Power inspired, feminine fit tee looks and feels great. Our performance fabric features dry wicking properties that draw moisture away, keeping you cool, comfortable, and looking great. RocketFoot.com

Two handmade candle holders(this will be two separate prizes) made out of wine barrels straight from Napa Valley. My good friend Troi crafts each one by hand and they are naturally stained by the wine that it aged in the barrel on the flip side of each holder. Glass votive holders(not pictured) are included. They are stunning when lit, look great on a window sill and gorgeous inside a fireplace.

Also by Troi a wine stand. Counter-balances your wine bottle! Gorgeous!

My friend Megan has graciously donated a Pampered Chef knife to giveaway on our raffle!
It slices
It dices
It...well, it's a knife so it does all sortsa things!
It's the 5" utility knife from their Forged Collection!
Holla!

You can check out the rest of Pampered Chef products here!  

Christian author and speaker Marla Taviano has graciously donated one set of her books!

 


Also, my friend Jennifer a Mary Kay consultant

is giving one winner a chance to order anything Mary Kay at....are you ready for this?....
50% OFF RETAIL. Any order big or small.
That's 50% off of her consultant's price..which is remarkable! She is throwing in free shipping to you as well!
Holla!

Finally, my friend Bobbie, an AdvoCare rep is donating two packages of AdvoCare Spark Energy Drink.

Since 1993, AdvoCare® has been a world-class nutrition company specializing in health and wellness, weight management, vibrant energy and sports performance.  AdvoCare Spark is AdvoCare’s best selling product.  AdvoCare Spark® Energy Drink mix is a unique multi-nutrient system that's designed to provide nutritionally advanced, long-lasting energy and enhanced mental focus.* Its 21 vitamins, minerals and nutrients work synergistically to give you healthy, balanced energy without making you jittery like other caffeinated beverages.  Up for raffle are two(2) boxes of AdvoCare Spark!!

www.advocare.com/0911494 or order or learn more about AdvoCare and our products

Bobbie Mach, AdvoCare advisor

Now onto the deets of how this works!
One free entry by posting this link to your Facebook page or blog! Just leave me a comment letting me know that you did!
For every $10 donation I will enter your name to win. $50=6 entries.
If you have already donated no worries! I am keeping track to ensure everyone is entered appropriately!
I will draw names and the first person will pick what prize they would like, the second one their chosen prize and so on.
This will run from now until October 15th and all money raised will go toward the boys orphanage fee of $5,100 per child. 

Above all we can't say thank you enough for walking this road with us! Bless you!

Introducing our son...Jacob Benjamin

It has occurred to me that since they sailed right over PA for him and the C-C-A-A said that they have officially matched him with us that we can share his photos.So it is my great pleasure and honor to fully introduce to you our son,
Jacob Benjamin Chinese name Last name

So as all of you that have been following our drama filled, insane, crazy sauce journey know Jacob recieved a cake yesterday for his 7th birthday. It was also the day he found out that not only was he being adopted but that he gets to come home with his BFF.
That's a big day!
We recieved 21 photos this morning of his party and I am in desperate need of your help.
I just can't tell if they are excited....
...if they are at all happy about what is to come....
-sigh-
..... just take a look and tell me what you think....

LOL! Just kidding! Look at those two!! I'd say it was a Happy Birthday indeed!!

We are in LOVE. 
They are going to fit right in...as we may or may not be incredibly slightly goofy around here too. 

STILL no LSC's...quickly approaching 60 days......but we won't dwell on that.....ahem....much.
So for now we'll just focus on these two...
Brothers through and through.
Oh happy day!

The Letter

Oh gracious a wonderful afternoon turned into a wonderful evening and as smitten as we were with Joey before he just dug his little self even deeper into our hearts.....I didn't even know that was possible.
We took his drawing/letter to our local Chinese restaurant along with the other page that was in the envelope, a list of questions that we had asked way back when.

First up, the drawing.
How cute is this child.

He says in the letter(paraphrased)
"Hi Father and Mama and brothers,
I am very happy to be in your family
-insert heart breaking here-...
please come and pick me up early"

at which point my heart broke in a million tiny pieces. 
Oh baby boy we are coming just as soon as we can!!! 

We are thrilled that he is thrilled about the adoption, we knew Jacob was excited at the prospect of being adopted since he was part of Agency # 2's camp and he told them as much, but we really had no idea how Joey felt about it. Praise you Father for preparing his heart for this big, big change!

He dated his letter...in remarkable penmanship I might add....5/31. Interesting that it took this long to get to us. Not sure what's up with that.

Next up the questions:

We found out how tall he is, 105cm which is 3.5 feet. Oh my gracious he is tiny for 6!
Found out his shoe size 15cm which is the equivalent of our children's shoe size 8....as in the average American 2 year old's shoe. I think we've got a little peanut on our hands!

We found out his favorite colors are red, green, yellow, pink(LOL), and white,
that he loves Transformers
and his favorite food is chicken feet.
Alrighty then.
Recipe for chicken feet anyone?

He has been in the foster home for just shy of 3 years now which jives with what we have heard; which is that his orphanage houses the infants and toddlers and then when they reach school age they are moved into the simulated family homes.

So that's about it, just some other general information that we had figured out since it had been so long since we had asked those questions.

I also brought some blank envelopes and the staff at the restaurant were kind enough to address them for me using the return address that was on the envelope...since my Mandarin penmenship is a little shaky...
...or non-exisistent.
It's nice to have a direct mailing line back to that address.

What a gift.
What a day.
I so needed that yesterday.
I felt like though for whatever reason it is not yet our time for the LSC's it was His reminder that He hears my cries, he feels my frustration, he knows that I am anxious to love these children that He has given to me.
He has not forgotten.
He will not forget.
He has it all under His control...
...which is just where I want it all to be.
What a gift that through my tears and impatience he delivers...quite literally... this reminder to us.
Praise you Lord!

Next up:
Jacob's birthday tomorrow! The day he will know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The day
HE.
WILL.
KNOW!
Can't wait!
A lot of people wake up the next morning after having a cake delivered to pics in their inbox of the birthday celebration since they are 13 hours ahead of us.....
ooooooo wouldn't that be amazing! These would be the first pictures of the boys
TOGETHER.
Brothers forever.
Love that.

MAIL FROM CHINA*

I can barely breathe. The mailman just rang my doorbell because I had  put a package delivery slip in the mailbox but he wanted to tell me he didn't have it today and would deliever it tomorrow. At which point I said no problem, thanked him.....and then he turned around to head back to the mail truck.

.....but then he turned back around...

....and he said, I almost forgot....here is your other mail.

....and in that pile..

....was a letter...

....from China*

A letter and a picture(drawing) from Joey and answers to our questions that we asked all the waaayy back in May when we sent his package. We never received photos or answers and here it is, nearly September and I get this letter in the mail.

I
fell
apart.

God knew I needed this today.
This 53rd day of waiting on their LSC's...
..just when I was tempted to let discouragement settle into my heart he sends this to me from half a world away. Thank you Lord!!!!

I must say that the tears flowed not only from how happy I was to get such a gift from my son, but more so that I felt like the Lord was standing right there in the kitchen with me. Just as excited as I was to see the joy that this letter has brought to me.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude for His love for me.
Completely and totally overwhelmed.

Our eating out budget in lieu of  dual adoption expenses is at $0 every month but this calls for some Chinese food tonight so that one of the waiters can translate all of this for us!!! I CANNOT WAIT to find out what it says. It's all I can do to not pack up the kids and head there right now for lunch but I know John will want to be with us so we will wait....VERY impatiently!! Hurry home honey!!

I'll post pictures tonight after dinner!!
Thank you Jesus for this precious gift just when I needed it!

*And in Jacob news I received an email from Ann this morning that Jacob and Joey will be receiving Jacob's cake on his birthday this Wednesday. Along with the cake is a family picture and a letter from us telling him that we are his family and that he gets to come home with Joey!! He will know! On Wednesday he will know! 7 years this boy has waited for a family and in a day and a half someone is going to walk into his home with a cake, tell him Happy Birthday and tell him the news. 
Oh
my 
gracious!
I can't breathe again!  What a week! *

No news is...well...no news.

No news on those "ASAP" LSC's. Lots of families getting theirs yesterday, which leaves me wondering...
do LSC's typically come in batches?
Anyone? 
Beuller?
Today is Day 49.

I'm ok with it though...well....maybe not ok....still a bit impatient in my flesh....but I have learned the following:

1. When waiting for an important phone call, staring at the phone and repeating, "ring..Ring...RING...please RING!!" over and over again, will in fact not actually make the phone ring. 
2. When you carry the phone into the bathroom with you just in case it RINGS be wary of the toothpaste getting on the reciever. 
3. Breath again as you manage to extract aforementioned toothpaste from the reciever.
4. Having your teenager call you to test the phone's functunality after afore aforementioned toothpaste incident will help you realize that the phone indeed works...it's just NOT RINGING. 
5. Realizing that once about 9:30am rolls around your odds of getting that big phone call are quite substancially diminished. 
6. Realize now that this is actually a good thing because it allows you to carry on with your day. 
7. But still carry your phone with you....cuz it makes you feel better. 

So that's what I'm learning. Here's hoping for tomorrow? Unless of course my theory of batches is true...in which case...here's hoping for next week?....here's hoping for sometime before they are 35 years old?...
I dunno. 

Now I'm off to find a Chinese dictionary...I simply MUST look up their definition of ASAP.
Toodles!

The foster home

I stumbled upon a photo last night of the outside of the simulated family homes that they boys live in. It was posted by a family that is also adopting from Jacob & Joey's orphanage and as I sat....quite honestly stunned....at the photo that was before me, it was all I could do to not go get in the minivan and drive to the airport.

I nearly felt like I was going to have a panic attack and had to remind myself over and over again that they are being well cared for, that they appear happy and healthy and that this is mostly cultural as far as the style and structure of the buildings.

Nonetheless, it was kind of a rough moment.

Here's the photo:

My children live there.

Even now, a day later, I still have mixed emotions on this one. Though I knew in my head that they weren't living in a palace
-duh-
I guess seeing it before me was a bit unsettling and it largely shattered the image I had concocted in my head of what their surroundings looked like.

I know, I know, I know that this is China*, the most populated country on Earth, this is how they live. It is how homes are constructed.
I get that.
My brain gets that.
My heart however, just continues to scream..
but my children live there.

Part of the journey I guess.
Part of the journey that is ever changing my scope of vision.
The vision that is ever-widening beyond my spoiled American borders.
The vision that is ever growing within me,
The vision that is challenging me to think about what else...
how else...
where else...
what more can we do to care for the orphan, to reach the un-reached, to share the love and the light of the Gospel.
And for that, I am beyond thankful. Because I don't want to view this world through my lens.
I want to see it through His.
Because His is the only one that matters to me.

*In other news, no LSC today, I'll share his photo with ya as soon as I hear it's on the way.*

LSC x 2!!

Well, I DID NOT see this comin!

Our agency called at 8:11am this morning just as I was walking in the house after dropping the twins at school to let me know that they had recieved the following email from our agency's in country rep:

"For Long XXXX, ccaa informed me today and this boy has been matched to our family, ccaa would issue LSCs of  Long XXX and Long XXXX to us asap."
I have no words.
Not only did the file issue get straightened out but we are hurdling right over waiting on PA for him and moving right on to their LSC's!! ONLY GOD.

(and ASAP have become my new favorite four letters. ;)
...of course their definition of ASAP and mine are somewhat different but nonetheless.....I'll take it.

I am trembling with excitement and can't even seem to find a coherent thought at the moment that doesn't sound like, "Yayyyyy!! Wooo-Hooooo!!" Praise you Jesus for your faithfulness to us!!

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
       neither are your ways my ways,"
       declares the LORD.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

We hope to go get them in December!

Complete pics of Jacob coming to a blog near you very, very soon!

Agency Update-The Drama Continues

Ahhh, the plot thickens.
Our agency called yesterday to give me an update...kinda.

She said that they have been trying and trying to set up another time for Jacob's file to be released to the shared list to no avail.
They were told day before yesterday that that is not what they want to do anymore.
-sigh-

In light of the new program that they are rolling out on the 1st that will enable them to assign Special Focus kiddos to individual agency list, they want to approach it that way.
Ok.
I'm game.
Let's do it.
oh....but no.

Though they apparently have unveiled this new program, according to what they told our agency, they actually do not have a process in place to execute it.
Yep.
I'm not kidding.

Seems to me, and I know I'm a rookie here, but it seems to me that they upload hundreds of files all the time to both the shared list and indidvidual list.
Why is there a problem now?

So the official at the CC-A-A has requested a meeting with the higher up official to get instruction on how the new process is going to work. In the email explaining all of this to our agency at the bottom she then said,
"Tell the family  not to worry, that it is all still ok."
Yep.
Still not kidding.
I asked our agency if they were given any sort of time table to when the meeting with the high offiical will take place but the official did not say, however, we can only assume that since the new program launches September 1st(coincidentally Jacob's bday) that they will have a process in place by then.
Wow.
Crazy sauce. 

At least I can kinda get a glimpse of the finish line with this part of the process and for that I am grateful. They are also holding Joey's LOA until Jacob's ready so that explains why we haven't heard anything on that front as well.
Whew!

It feels so much better to get an update, honestly whether good or bad, just to remind myself that their are people workin on it.That we are getting there. It is definitely on the sloooww boat to China...but I can almost see the harbor in the distance...which is a good thing cuz I'm gettin kinda sea sick!

Two Boys One Cake

File Watch Day 28
No news.
But today we're gonna talk about it.

I decided to go ahead and order the cake today to be delivered to the foster home on Jacob's birthday on September 1st.

I can't stand not to.

Right now I have to technically have it delivered to Joey since we have permission to send him some things. But I am seriously, seriously hoping that God will move in a big, big way and get this file released so that we can move on to getting PA for Jacob.

If we can manage to get PA by then I have a Happy Birthday/Hey kiddo, we are you're family! letter written for him and ready to be translated to go along with the cake. If not, then I have another draft of a letter addressed to just Joey but making mention of the fact that I heard one of his friends is celebrating a birthday that day and I thought they would enjoy a cake.

It's all I can think to do right now.

Gracious my heart is so heavy today.
Going through the whole process of picking out his name got me all emotional all over again and sad for what we don't know and won't ever know.
Like what his birth parents named him.
Or where he was born.
Or when exactly he was born.
All of the same emotions we went through when we did the same for Joey but Jacob's story is different.
His story brings-me-to-my-knees.

I also realized yesterday that we are quickly approaching 1 month since they said yes to the dual adoption and about 20 days since the other agency released his file.
1 month.
And nothing has happened.
No-thing.
No forward movement.
At all. 

Last week there were a few days of promise.
It looked like things were gonna happen..
but now it all seems to have stalled.

I am definitely a mom divided.
Loving my kids here.
Nurturing them
Feeding them.
Playing with them.
Feeding them.
Worshiping with them.
Feeding them.

Yet all the while concerned and consumed by what's going on with my other two kids an ocean away. The love that we have for those two boys is no less than the love we have for the four that are here with us. On the one hand I think that has got to be a good thing, a great thing.
But on the other hand it makes this wait all the more agonizing.

A mom divided.
That's me.

But through it all there is this, that Jean shared today,

Hebrews 6:11-12

But we do desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of hope until the end.

Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance.

Endurance. 
Love that.  

I got my butt kicked by the Great Wall

Well.I haven't walked it.
I haven't climbed it.
I haven't even ever seen it.
But nonetheless...
kick my butt it did.

This:

was supposed to a great family fun project.

This:

was indeed not a family fun project. I should know after 13 years of parenting that when a craft is on clearance it means BEWARE! It means that other, more intelligent mothers, have purposely chosen to bypass aforementioned craft clearance area cuz they know better.
Way better.

The only "family" fun of this was watching mommy try and figure out how on earth all of this
goes together

using only this

as my guide.

While scattering hundreds of these

all over the floor.
Yeah.
FYI my brain does not work this way.
His brain works this way

but he is drowning in book-learnin this year and putting together the Great Wall is not really fitting into his schedule these days.  Neither is sleeping, or eating, or breathing, or anything else but that's another story. Poor guy. 10 more months honey! You can do it!

My brain does not
in any
way
shape
or
form
operate in details such as this.
-sigh-

But nonetheless, it may have kicked my butt
....but I kicked his...her's?....it's?.
I dunno.
Anyway, check out the finished product!

AND I did it all by myself(soon after my four "helpers" abandoned me for a new episode of Phineas & Ferb).

Love it.

Hey, where's Perry?

Oh, and still no news on the file....but we're still not talking about that....at least out loud....in my head it gets talked about a lot....as in every waking moment...but I digress...

Introducing...

No news yet on his file...but we won't dwell on that....ahem....much...
Instead I'd like to share that J #6 finally has a name

By the time dinner rolled around last night we had branched out even further in name game territory beyond Jonah and Jacob which 24 hours previously we had narrowed things down to.
But now there were all sorts of name choices rolling in:

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.

Thank you teenager.

But no.
Joel made an appearance again.

As did Jude.
Job.
..thanks to the teenager...again.
Still no.

Jeremiah.
Josh.
......it was at this point I was convinced that we had turned into the Duggar family.

But through our highly techinical secret ballot system we managed to come to a majority vote. I'm happy to report there were no hanging chads or other voting errors.
We were kickin it old school
straight up, with sticky notes and crayons.

So without further ado,
it is my great pleasure to introduce to you...

Jacob Benjamin -Chinese name-Last name

Jack was our ballot counter and he was just a tad excited that his choice won.

Ok, maybe a lot excited.

This is my final vote, stuck to my foot...

cuz I'm always behind the camera and my badly in need of a pedicure foot is all I can photograph....unless of course you want to see me like this

Whichev.
In the end, we were all very happy.

So Jacob Benjamin young man!

 All I have to say to you is welcome to the family...now come home! We love you so, so much!!