Wanna' Hear Something Exciting?

WE GOT OUR REFERRAL!!!!!

Yes, I mean it!

No, I'm not kidding!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHAAAAAHHHH!  We are so excited we could die!

So, here's how it went down.  This past Tuesday evening my sister Tabby had a work conference in Lexington and then she was spending the night there before heading home.  Her daughter Mackenzie just turned thirteen, so Tabby let her come too and skip school on Wednesday and I took my personal day from school and went down and met them in Lexington for the day.  We spent the day shopping, spending Mackenzie's birthday money, having lunch and basically just having the best time ever being together and sharing Mackenzie's first ever girl's day out as a teenager. 

Earlier, when we were planning this fun outing, I told my sister it would be great if I got our referral while we were all in Lexington together.  She was like, yeah that would be great and nothing more was ever said of it.  But, in my head I was still thinking about it.  During the day on Wednesday, I checked my phone about a thousand times.

Eventually, our great day was over and we all had to head home in different directions.  I had hugged my sister and my niece and said goodbye and headed toward the ramp for I75N from Man of War Road.  You know this entrance ramp - the one that is like a complete circle?  Well, as I was just entering the circle, my phone rang.  I didn't recognize the number, and since I thought I had programmed the adoption agency's number in to my phone, I didn't think it would be them when I answered.  It went a little something like this...

Hello? (In a questioning tone as I don't recognize this number)
Hi, is this Angela?
Yes, it is... (Still wondering who this is, and going to be mad if it is someone selling something)
This is Sally from Adoption Associates.
L..o..n..g...p...a...u...s...e... (while my brain processes)
Then I sqeaked out, Really?
She laughs and says yes, that she has some exciting news for me.
I immediately start to cry - like cry, not sniffle - cry.  And I'm still in the circle-on-ramp, holding my phone and crying and driving with one hand.
Sally says, do you have time to talk.
I blubber out, yes, but I'm getting on the interstate!!
Sally says, do me a favor - pull over so you don't cause a wreck!!

So, I pull off the interstate and hear all the details about my daughter while 18-wheelers are speeding past and shaking my car and my heart is pounding a million miles a minute.  I wrote all the details on the back of a coupon I found in my purse and that will be one coupon I won't be using any time soon, but will probably keep forever!

I can't even describe to you what it was like to call Jeremiah and tell him I had just gotten the information we had been waiting on about his sister.  He was still at the high school with Jodi who was taking him to her house to meet Carolyn from church who was taking several kids to church for play practice.  I was going to meet them there so we could open the pictures they had sent to my email together. 

I'm going to confess that I broke several traffic laws getting to Jodi's house, and it was still the longest drive of my life.  I passed the time by calling my Mom and my sister and giving them the great news.  When I got to Jodi's, the scene was a little crazy.  Carolyn had arrived and her car was in the driveway running, with the doors hanging open.  Jodi and Jeremiah and Grant were standing in the yard with Jodi's laptop waiting for me to see the pictures.  I jumped out of my car and ran - and that's saying a lot - this fat girl doesn't run much!  So, the first time I saw my daughter's sweet face was while I was standing in Jodi's yard with my son and her son, and other kids from church and Carolyn Horn looking on.  It is a memory I won't soon forget!

After the chaos calmed a bit, Carolyn and the kids left for play practice and I got the chance to sit down at Jodi's dining room table and really look at my daughter's pictures.  She is beautiful, and that is not biased at all!  She is four months old, but very tiny.  Like ten pounds tiny.  But her cheeks are just as chubby as can be and her eyes are huge and chocolatey.  I cannot wait to get my hands on that cute baby!  I'm already picturing her in some of the baby clothes I have!

I don't know how to put into words what I felt when I saw her, but it was the same feeling I felt the first time I saw Jeremiah's pictures.  I have never actually seen her.  I have never actually held her.  And yet, I already love her.  She is already a part of me.

Like any new parent, I had to have pictures of my new baby to show off, so I sent her pics to the one hour photo at Walmart and very shortly I was showing her off to a fellow teacher in Walmart and then at church when I went to pick Jeremiah up after play practice.  Since then, those pictures haven't been far from my side and Jeremiah has his own set that he took to school on Thursday and then posted all over the house, including on the Christmas tree.  I know I can't post the complete picture here so that you can get the full effect of her cuteness, but here is a sneak peek.

Is that the cutest little hand you have ever seen or what?

Living Life at #2

Well, here we are.  Almost eleven months on "the list" and we have moved up to the awesome number of two!  When we first found out we were number two, over a month ago, I just knew our referral was coming any second.  Every time my phone rang, I jumped a mile and checked the screen of my phone because I just knew that I would see the number for our adoption agency.  Now, almost two months later, I'm exhausted!  All of that waiting on the edge of my seat has pretty much worn me out. 

So, I caved and called my agency to see if they could give me any more specific info about what our wait time might be.  The incredibly wonderful and patient Sally told me that the call should come relatively soon, but that I shouldn't be holding my breath every time my phone rings just yet.  I was totally disappointed - like here come the tears disappointed - but I'm trying hard to wait and remember that God has already chosen my daughter and He will introduce her to me in His time, not mine.

So, life at #2 goes on.  There's been lots to fill our time.  Here are some pics to prove that life does go on even while we wait!

Of course there was baseball - what would we do with our time if we didn't play baseball?

That would be my baby pitching. 

Doesn't he look tough? :)

Hanging with his fans after the game. 

Lucy came to cheer Jeremiah on and practice her clapping skills.

Sleeping in the car after the game.  How cute is that?

Forty Days of Purpose

Our church is doing this book study and it is amazing.  We meet on Wednesday evenings for small group Bible study and the food is always great.  Stop on by, we would love to have you!

Notice the food on the counter - that's not even half of what we had! 

Like I said, stop on by, the food is great!

Jodi and I showed up at work in exactly the same shirt on the same day.  It was a tad embarrassing since people kept saying, "Hey, doesn't Jodi have that shirt on today too?"

Harvest for Haiti

Our church took a group of young people to Lexington to help pack meals to be sent to Haiti.  We did this last year too, and it was great fun, and a good lesson for all of us. 

We are so blessed to live the lives we live.

Chilling with my boy at Chic-Fil-A on the way to Lexington

Jeremiah and his buddy Aaron. 

Notice the huge tub of rice next to Aaron.  This was one of the main ingredients in the food bags we packed.

Jodi and the boys showing off after our team cleaned up in a race against Aaron's team.  We totally left them in the dust and packed more meals than they did - even though they would argue that we cheated, which of course is totally untrue!

Our buddy Carol and her daughters Emily and Megan joined us even though Megan has a volleyball injury and is still on crutches.

HAYRIDE!!!

Over fall break we hung out with my family and one of the highlights was a hayride at my sister's church.  The little kids were so exicited they couldn't wait to get there!

But once we got there it was so cold that Ozzy's teeth were chattering!  This was the best pic of the whole gang we could get between the wind, the cold, and trying to get everyone to look at me at once.

The oldest kiddo and the youngest kiddo hanging out.

Love this one! 

Gwynn was so excited she asked about a hundred times when we were going to the hayride.  I kept telling her five o'clock.  Eventually, she quit asking and started saying the hayride starts at five o'clock!

Jeremiah and Max -

Notice that you can see the shadow of my hands and camera on Max's sweathshirt!

This one is a little fuzzy but I had to include it - that's one girl who is excited about getting a pumpkin!

World's Largest Smore -

They used these giant marshmallows that made smores so big you could hardly fit them in your mouth. 

And my kid at two of them!

Ken's Wedding

Our assistant principal got married last weekend so we took the opportunity to get some good pics while everybody was all dressed up.

Jodi and her fam - don't they look nice?!

All dressed up with no place to go!

HA! 

Grant was very unhappy when they got to the reception and realized they had missed the appetizers.  He was starving and was even more unhappy when he saw the offerings for the dinner course.  He's a picky eater and didn't like anything they had to offer.  I'm pretty sure he only ate dinner rolls!

He was in a much better mood after he had a huge chunk of chocolate cake!

The pretty boys - how did they get so big?

The boys thought it was great that they got sparkling grape juice in their wine glasses.  At this point they had both unbuttoned their collars and Grant had even taken off his tie.  Jodi says they look like they have had one too many!  I think they are high on life! :)

I sure do love this kid!

I Hit the Jackpot!

It has been a rough couple of weeks around here.  The Friday after school started my Mom called right after school to let me know that my Granny was really sick and if we wanted to see her, we should probably hop in the car and head that direction.  So, even though my family lives about three hours away, we did, and I'm so glad.  Even though Granny was in the hospital, she was still alert and recognized both of us as soon as we came in the room.  Jeremiah has a way with older people, and like most others her age, she has fallen for his charm.  She has told me over and over again that he is her buddy and that I hit the jackpot when I got him.  She is so right. 

Before she got really sick and had to be moved to the hospital, she was in a nursing home near my parents' house.  Whenever my Dad visited her and we were in town he usually took Jeremiah with him.  Jeremiah wasn't put off at all by any of the medical equipment or the hospital bed.  He would sit right on the edge of the bed and chat with her.  The last time we were there over the summer, we took these pictures of Jeremiah and his cousins Max and Mackenzie, with Granny. 

While we were there the weekend after school started the doctor basically told us there wasn't anything else they could do and they moved my Granny to the Hospice House to make her comfortable.  Again, I know Jeremiah is my son, but I'm just telling you he is an amazing kid.  While we were there he stayed with me and my sister at the hospital all afternoon on Saturday and went back for more on Sunday morning.  He sat by the bed and held Granny's hand and fed her ice chips from a cup.  Then, when she was moved to the Hospice House, he begged to go there to see her all settled before we left town on Sunday to come home.  As an adult, this was an incredibly hard thing, but there was my son right beside me the whole time holding up like a trooper.  My Granny is right - I hit the jackpot.

I knew this even more last week when my Dad called with the news that Granny had gone to heaven.  I was upset, and I know Jeremiah was too, but he was only concerned about me.  I think he asked me a hundred times if I was okay or if I needed anything.  Despite my sadness, I was incredibly proud watching the wonderful young man he has become serving as a pall bearer for my grandmother. 

Not only have I hit the jackpot with my son, but with my family as well.  Even though the occasion was a sad one, we took advantage of the chance for all of us to be together and the kids just enjoyed being able to spend time with each other.  It's hard to be three hours away from them so this weekend was really special.

Jeremiah and my Dad in their almost matching outfits.

Gwyn and Max in a rare moment of love - right after this pic they hated each other again!

My crazy sisters, Tabby and Brittany

Jeremiah and Gwyn have loved each other like crazy since the beginning. 

She used to call him My Miah.

Jeremiah and Mackenzie also have a love/hate relationship  - depends on the day and who is pestering who.

My Mom with the little kids - Gwyn and Ozzy.

As you can see, things might get rough every now and then, but I have hit the jackpot in more ways than one and I am so blessed.  Thank you God for my blessings and please help me to focus on them and to trust in You to get me through the rough spots.

It's My Birthday!

Ok.  It's not my birthday.  I am totally past the age where you feel the need to announce your birthday to the world at large.  However, Jeremiah's BFF Grant is not.  Today is HIS birthday and I'm thinking everyone including our waitress at Goldstar knows it!  Grant is not known for his shyness and today was no exception!

Here are a few shots from our birthday dinner at Goldstar - his pick of course - because after all, it is his birthday!

Grant and his lovely Mom, my BFF Jodi

Me and my boy

Isn't he cute?

Clearly he gets his looks and his brains from his mother!

To pass the time waiting for our meal, we all tried on Jeremiah's beloved sunglasses.

The fact that he let the rest of us touch the sunglasses is a sign of his love for us!

Are we cool chics or what?

You know, our boys are lucky kids.  Not every mother could pull of the sunglasses look, but we can.

Then our meals arrived and Grant got serious about his hot sauce.

Very serious.  Not kidding. 

Jeremiah is in awe of Grant's toughness.  He can't handle anything spicy!

Jeremiah says that Grant was his first friend.

And to be honest they sure have done a lot together over the years.

From Christmas programs at church

To Easter Sunday in their best.. 

From Halloween...

To beach vacations.

Church camp...

And lots of birthdays.

Getting baptized

And just plain hanging out.

Happy Birthday Grant!  I can't think of a better BFF for Jeremiah than you!

We love you buddy. :)