Back to School, Fall Routines, and Still Waiting

Wow--the summer seems to have sped by! The kids and I made the most of our days at home, and spent a week in early August doing a road trip to North Carolina to spend time at my dear friend Amy's family beach house on Oak Island. It was surely an adventure as the kids and I were stranded for 3 days in Georgia (just north of Jacksonville, FL) while our transmission was completely rebuilt! Yikes! So we explored many a fast-food playground, spent lots of time in the hotel pool, and even rented a car to drive to nearby St. Mary's--one of the oldest cities in America--and the Jacksonville Zoo, just to pass the time. Once the car was repaired we were on our way again and spent 3 days at the beach with the Silers--fun fun!


Fall routines are now officially underway. At least, most of them. As much as I enjoyed having the kids home for the summer, I have to say it is nice to now be returning to the comforts of routine and to see the kids challenged mentally, physically, and emotionally by the rigors of academics, sports, and other activities.

Jared and Anna started back to school last week--it has been an exciting week in our house. Here are some photos from the first day, including getting up in the morning, having breakfast, and heading out to start the first day. I think Tad, the pup, was a little bewildered by all the activity!

Jared started middle school--yikes! Lots of new things for him to adjust to...changing classes, having a locker (and a PE locker), riding the bus, new teachers, new kids, etc. So far he is LOVING it. On Monday when I opened his bedroom door to awaken him, he exclaimed "YES! It's finally time to get up!!" He has friends in all of his classes, and it was amusing for me to watch him during orientation last week as he and his friends compared schedules and celebrated when they learned they'd be together much of the day.



Anna started 3rd grade and was excited that she knew all but 1 person in her class this year. Her week this week has been good; I can see she will have a heavier homework load than last year, but I guess that comes with advancing through the grades! I know she'll handle it with no sweat. Anna sang a solo in church last Sunday--"You are my All in All" and did a really beautiful job. I will try to post a video here when I figure out how so you can enjoy her performance!



Swim team starts back up next week for Anna and me as coach. Jared is taking time away from the pool to run cross-country at school--a well-deserved break after swimming hard for 2 years here.



Bible study also starts back up next week for me at church--a study looking at Women of the Bible. I get to lead the week we will be studying Miriam and I'm very excited. Lots to learn from her.
I have made my flight reservations for the Marine Corps marathon in October, and have made a reservation at the Platt Place hotel (thanks, Auline!). I am excited to continue my training (last weekend I did 16.5) and to see my dear friend Auline and her new baby, Ava, in late October.



Amidst all of this, we continue to wait for our Waiting Child. God is teaching me SO much through this time of waiting. He is showing me how to rest in Him actively--not just in word but in practice. He is reminding me of the blessing of my dear husband and his God-given wisdom and patience. He is opening my eyes a little wider to the enormity of this change we are undertaking. I am still so VERY excited and will be SO happy when we finally get the phone call with a match with "the one" child that God has for us. I continue to look at the child profiles on our agency's website of the children they have been unable to match for whatever reason, in the hopes that one of them will jump off the screen at me and say "I'm yours!" to both Tom and to me. Until then, I will continue to praise God for His goodness, grace, and mercy, and will continue to work diligently at all that He has given me to do with my days.


We are really looking forward to some upcoming visits from Tom's siblings--Judi and Doug in early November, and Jer and Em and Peter for Thanksgiving! Our spare room is still "spare" for now, so everyone else is welcome too!! Make your reservation now!

A Short Word about Love Without Boundaries

Hi everyone, I wanted to make you aware of a new initiative that Love Without Boundaries is launching to help rural Chinese families stay together by providing funds to poor families, allowing them to get the medical care they need for children rather than seeing abandonment at an orphanage as the only hope for their child's medical care. Check out the link below for more information and to see how to enter a drawing they are holding for this initiative.

http://lwbchinablog.blogspot.com/2008/07/lwb-unity-fund-contest-okay-we-are.html