Staying In The Moment

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It has been busy around here.

C.R.A.Z.Y. busy!!

I honestly would not want it any other way!!

While in the chaos of this beautiful busy, I want to make sure that I stay in the moments.

Because there is just SO MUCH JOY to behold in this life with these children!!

I don’t want to miss one single second! I love to stop and relish in the moments!

This week has been busier than most.

So we met at our favorite gathering spot last night.

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There was no food involved. And we all sat still.

But we had such a blast and roared with laughter as the boys prompted a “get to know you better” game with some hilarious questions we all had to answer.

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The horses have been such fun!!

I LOVE that we can see them from the kitchen window! Even though I had to zoom in to get this photo!!

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Grant is our animal whisperer. He has an amazing way with animals.

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Chad loves the animals too. He spends a lot of time with the horses!

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When I was at the gate taking those photos, I had one of our cows nugging my arm the whole time. So I turned to my right and took this.

Crazy cow!!

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Besides all the excitement of the anticipation of LOA and the paperwork that goes with it, the farm has been busy, we have had lots of visitors, and Eliza had a doctor’s appointment.

Wore our little one completely out.

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It was very cold and wet most of this week too. We ran one of our furnaces at night time! We had lots of inside activities to keep some little people busy.

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Eliza made this all by herself while I was working on paperwork on Friday! She took the photo on her own too!

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Someone very cute wants to spend every waking moment outside!

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David, Kayla and the baby blessed me with some flats of annual flowers for Mother’s Day!!!

The kids and I planted some of the flowers. They are so beautiful!!

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I am sure I will remember how busy it is too…..but these are the moments that turn into memories!!!

A Sweet Mother’s Day

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I probably don’t need to tell you how awesome our kiddos are.

When it comes to blessing someone, they go all out.

I was served a delicious meal on Sunday after church!

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I received beautiful handmade cards (the BEST kind!).

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I received a gift certificate to Kohl’s for some shopping!

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Addie Mae out did herself again with this AMAZING dessert.

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Yes, Blake and I had a quick conversation about the large gap between our daughter’s ages. And how we might starve for years.

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Oh my goodness…..I need another piece!!

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I was also super, duper blessed to have my sweet friend Gail with us for the afternoon.

Addie snapped this photo and said “Brothers are such a pain!!” He, he.

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This is more what we were hoping for. Thank you very much boys.

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It was an awesome day hanging around the table enjoying each other’s company…..

Such a sweet Mother’s Day!

Love Crosses Oceans

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Wow, you all. Wow.

Thank you SO much for all the support we are receiving right now.

Emails, texts, phone calls….and most importantly PRAYERS.

You are sustaining us!!!

Got this sweet photo with a text from my beautiful daughter this morning.

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We are still waiting on that precious LOA, but have been in contact with our caseworker, and we have moved a step closer! Waiting with anticipation that it will be today!!

In the mean time…..I am deep in paperwork!!

Couldn’t be happier!!!

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My helpers are digging in the safe for me, copying things for me, and bringing me fuel.

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Now it is time to head to town to meet Blake! Because I need his signature and a notary with us both as we sign!!

Keep praying with us dear friends!!!!

May 13th

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Thanks to all of you who stood with us in prayer yesterday!!!

I know your prayers were not in vain!!

Because they were for Tate’s sake.

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And now for the rest of the story….

The story started in January or February of 2014 when I woke up over and over and over one night and every time I looked at the clock it said 13 past the hour. Finally after many times, I just said “What, Lord? What is it??!!” And I heard an audible voice “May 13th, Stephanie, May 13th.”

I told Blake and the children the next morning right away, and even e-mailed an adoptive Mama friend and told her just so I would have accountability. May 13th was brought to me over and over during my quiet times in the morning and I prayed and prayed.

May 13th came and went last year and nothing happened – that I know about anyway. Blake and I said that day “Maybe one of our future children will be born on May 13th,” and just praised God for all the prayers that were said about that day. We have no idea what impact they could have had.

It was then forgotten. Until Tuesday, when during my quiet time the Lord brought it to me again!!! NO WAY.

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Yesterday I reached out to some prayer warriors. And began a day of prayer – just believing with all my heart that May 13th would be the day we would be moving forward in our process for Tate, receiving that precious LOA that will send the process racing forward.

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So I emailed our caseworker in the morning to ask the status of our Dossier and she said she was just emailing me when she got mine! She did not know the status of our Dossier, but they had received other LOA’s that morning.

Then she emailed back later and said she found out that we were MATCH REVIEWED!!!!

That is VERY good news!! LOA is not far behind!! I had already shared my testimony with her and she also believes LOA will come very quickly now. We are hoping we will hear something TODAY!!!!

LOA will send this household into a flurry of paperwork, gathering and making piles of what will be needed for travel, and travel planning!

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BRING IT ON. We are more than ready!!!!

We love you Tate Owen!!! We love you so very much.

Please keep praying with us!!!

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