Planning for our twins

We are so looking forward to finally getting the call about our babies.

Since right now our minivan can only fit only 7, we will need a full van if we adopt twins. Or we will have to drive separately.

As for rooms, right now we are planning on the babies sleeping in Dad and Mom's room while they're little and still trying to adjust.

When they are older I think I want them in my room. I shared a room with Sport's Dude and Miss Bossy when they were little and enjoyed it a lot. The only bad thing is not being able to go in my room during their naps. Especially when I have friends over.

This makes me think of a funny story. When Miss Bossy was really little like maybe one, she slept in her crib in my room. Her crib was about 6 feet away from my bed. Every night Miss Bossy would fuss and fuss until I sleepily got out of bed, crossed the room, grabbed her, and stumbled across the floor again to my bed. , I was around 12 or 13.)Then she would sleep with me the rest of the night. Well, I got lazy. Or maybe I just wanted to sleep, but either way, I dragged Miss Bossy's crib up to my bed so that I had only to get on my knees to lift her into my bed during the night. I'm not sure how Miss Bossy managed this the first time, but somehow she would put her foot through the rail of her crib until it rested on my matress. Then she would heave herself up and flip on to my bed. She did this every night. And, hey, I didn't have to wake up. Yaay. Miss Bossy continued doing this until she got her own bed. Then she just got out and crawled into bed with me. Miss Bossy is 5 now. And she still gets into my bed almost every day. I lock my door now so she has to call me through the door to be able to get in.This makes it easier to keep her out of my bed if I'm not in the mood to deal with her pushing. Sport's Dude has joined her now.

Anyways, just a reminder to me about how much fun babies are to have in the same room as me.

The phone rings and everyone catches their breath for a slight second

We keep waiting and waiting and waiting for THE phone call. The phone call that will send us flying across the room, that will send me flying to the computer, the call that will send Mom to the telephone, the call that will send Dad home for the rest of the day, the phone call that will keep all of us awake for the next however many months. THAT phone call. The phone call with a referral.

We are so excited. Oh please, pretty please, call tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Emily

All I Want for Christmas

Another song by Steven Curtis Chapman. All I want for Christmas is a very sweet, sad song that best touches you when you hear it, so I recommend looking it up on youtube.com. But here are the words that made me cry the first few times I heard it.

All I Want

By: Steven Curtis Chapman

Well I don't know if you remember me or not

I'm one of the kids they brought in from the home

I was the red-haired boy in an old green flannel shirt

You may not have seen me –

I was standing off alone

I didn't come and talk to you,

'causethat's never worked before

And you'll prob'ly never see this letter anyway

But just in case there's something

you can do to help me out

I'll ask you one more time

All I really want for Christmas

Is someone to tuck me in

A shoulder to cry on if I lose

Shoulders to ride on if I win

There's so much I could ask for

But there's just one thing I need

All I really want for Christmas is a family

Well I guess I should go ahead and tell you now

If it's really true about that list you have

Somehow I always seem to end up in a fight

But I'm really trying hard not to be bad

But maybe if I had a brother or a dad to wrestle with

Well, maybe they could teach me how to get along

And from everything I've heard

Sounds like the greatest gift on earth would be a mom

All I really want for Christmas

Is someone to tuck me in

A shoulder to cry on if I lose

Shoulders to ride on if I win

There's so much I could ask for

But there's just one thing I need

All I really want for Christmas

Is someone who'll be there

To sing me "Happy Birthday"

For the next 100 years

And it's OK if they're not perfect

Well, even if they're a littlebroken, that's alright

'Cause so am I

Well, I guess I should go

It's almost time for bed

And maybe next time I write you

I'll be at home

'Cause all I really want for Christmas

Is someone to tuck me in

Tell me I'll never be alone

Someone whose love will never end

Of all that I could ask for

Well, there's just one thing I need

All I really want for Christmas

All I really want for Christmas is a family

Just a family

That's all I really need

Now here is a link to the song on youtube. Check it out! And I dare you not to cry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjMz0MmYejQ

When love takes you in

A song by Steven Curtis Chapman written for orphans. I used to listen to this song when I was little and used to dream of working at an orphanage and singing this for them.

When Love Take You In

By: Steven Curtis Chapman

I know you’ve heard the stories

But they all sound too good to be true

You’ve heard about a place called home

But there doesn’t seem to be one for you

So one more night you cry yourself to sleep

And drift off to a distant dream
Where love takes you in and everything changes

A miracle starts with the beat of a heart

When love takes you home and says you belong here

The loneliness ends and a new life begins

When love takes you in
And somewhere while you’re sleeping

Someone else is dreaming too

Counting down the days until

They hold you close and say I love you

And like the rain that falls into the sea

In a moment what has been is lost in what will be
When love takes you in everything changes

A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
And this love will never let you go

There is nothing that could ever

cause this love to lose its hold
When love takes you in everything changes

A miracle starts with the beat of a heart

When love takes you home and says you belong here

The loneliness ends and a new life begins

When love takes you in it takes you in for good

When love takes you in

My favorite part is the part about when the child is sleeping someone is dreaming of taking them in their arms and loving them. This is what our family is doing!

Skin

Miss Bossy and Sports Dude are African American. When we adopted them we weren't looking forward to the day when they paid attention to the fact that their skin was darker than ours.

And despite our fears, it really hasn't bothered them. We know they know because they will mention the fact occasionally. They might point out that the kid in the book they're reading has brown skin like them or that he or she has tan skin like ours.

We don't make it a big issue as we don't really pay attention to it. About the only time that it becomes a problem is when we are having family pictures because Sports Dude and Miss Bossy's faces won't be clear if they are in front of jeans or a dark colored shirt. We also have to moisturize their hair and skin more than our own.

One time Mom and I were talking about a family and I mentioned that they probably didn't even recognize us, when Mom pointed out that we probably are very recognizable because Sports Dude and Miss Bossy have a different skin color than us. I said, "OH!" It hadn't even dawned on me. I don't even think about it!

Spell check

Sorry about the typos last post. I was in a hurry!! :) Hopefully they are all fixed now.
Em

September 11, 2009

I wrote this Friday, September 11. I am now sharing it with you.

On Friday we left for a wedding. We drove on the highway. Then we saw a sight that is not very usual in our state, but very familiar in the Middle East. Five or six army semis pulling trailers. In each cab there sat one of two soldiers in full uniform. In front drove a tan army jeep. This held three soldiers also in uniform. Some of the soldiers had white bowlish hats.

Sadness went through me. Strong emotions that made me want to cry. Pride in our soldiers. I am so very thankful for our soldiers. Our army that keeps me and my family and friends safe. It seems like I should be thinking and praying for them at every moment. Friday was 9/11. This is the day that everyone who was old enough to remember at the time, does.

That day was awful. Tears flowed freely and continuously. America, that day, became one big family grieving for a family member . They held eachother up and wept for eachother.

9/11 was 8 years ago, but I remember that day well. I was naughty that day. I turned on the t.v. The words BREAKING NEWS flashed on the screen. Smoke was billowing from a building. I had no idea what was going on. I called Mom who just watched the t.v. in horror.

Mom sent me upstairs to get dressed, but I cried and refused to go upstairs as I was scared the terrorists were going to crash a plane through our house.

I cry for the families that lost their dads, moms, and loved ones in that horrible, horrible terrorist attack. I don't know how anyone could not blame the terrible man who planned the attack.

Forgiveness. God wants us to forgive. To forgive a man who did this seems impossible. But then think of our sin. To a perfect God all "little sins" are like murders to us. We are all horrible sinners. We all deserve Hell. But God has forgiven us through Jesus Christ. And we are all forgiven.

Adoption Terms

This is a helpful website on adoption terms. Check it out!

http://www.abcadoptions.com/adoptionterms.htm

Emily

Adopting

Today I'm kind of writing to all U.S.A. citizens.

There have been rumors of countries trying to close down their adoption programs. Korea, China,... And if you have been waiting forever for a referral from one of these countries, you are probably praying that somehow you will get a referral before anything happens.

But I think it's tough for a country to allow another country to adopt their children unless they're desperate. And I mean, think about it, how would the U.S. feel about China adopting their children? To have U.S.A. kids walking in Ethiopia. It's tough. And you can kind of understand these countries points. But, I have to say that for countries like China, who feel how they do about children; I think adoption outside the country is the only thing that would work for them. Does this make ANY sense? I may rewrite this.

Something to think about.

Miss Bossy's Story

I barely remember when we adopted Miss Bossy. It was only 5 years ago, but for some reason I can remember only parts.

I remember social workers coming, and I remember meeting Miss Bossy's birthmom and birthsister. They were very nice. I remember Mom, Dad, the birthmom, and a social worker talking at a table while Bob and I played with baby Sports Dude. That day Sports Dude said a word for the very first time. Bob and I almost exploded, but we had to be quiet until they were done with their meeting.

When Miss Bossy was born, Dad and Mom went to go see her and bring her home. She was so pretty. We were excited to meet her for the first time.

Miss Bossy's birthmom was very sad to let Miss Bossy go. She loved Miss Bossy a lot.

We are very thankful for Miss Bossy. Just now, Miss Bossy cracked up at a part in a movie she was watching. Life without Miss Bossy... wow. Can't even imagine.