We've Come Out of the Desert!

Our 40 day waiting period is over. Yeeeehaw! I received a call today letting us know that our dossier has been approved and released by the MOE and is on it's way to Ust Kamenogorsk!! We also were told that we will be traveling with another family that we have become very good blog/email friends with. What an amazing blessing!!!!! God is sooooo good.

Living Life

I just came across the following saying. It really says what Mark and I strive to do on a daily basis. It reminded me to "enjoy the journey" no matter what twists and turns it takes. I hope you are blessed by reading it!

"Life is not a race - but indeed a journey. Be Honest. Work Hard. Be Choosy. Say "thank you", and "great job" to someone each day. Go to church, take time for prayer. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper. Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental ~ search for your purpose and do it as best you can. Dreaming does matter. It allows you to become that which you inspire to be. Laugh often. Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them Some of the best things really are free. Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming. Forgive, it frees the soul. Take time for yourself ~ Plan for longevity. Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know. Live for today, enjoy the moment.

We're Grandparents

Cash Aaron Wolverton, our first grandchild, was born today at 7:47 a.m. to our oldest son Gabe and Christina. It was a grueling 26+ hours and as proven by the last generation of Wolverton boys/men they have huge heads! Cash weighed in at 7lbs 6 oz and is 19 1/2 inches. They are all doing wonderful but are totally exhausted. Mark and I will be spending some time in Orlando over the next week to have the chance to love on our little man. He's absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!

Forty Days and Forty Nights

We've been notified that our dossier will have a bit of a delay because a key government official is out of the office. One of the other families has blogged that this official will be gone 40 days. I found this information out last p.m. and woke up this a.m. thinking of several biblical references to forty days.

Seven days from now I will send rain on earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made. Genesis 7:4

Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Exodus 24:18

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horab, the mountain of God.
I Kings 19:7,8

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city..a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Jonah 3:3-5

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:1-4

So we will also wait 40 days and stand on the promise that God will continue to protect Tanya and Galina. We will continue to believe that he will fulfill the call that he has placed on our family to pursue the adoption of these two young ladies. We will remain in his word so that we will be fed and not enter into temptation from the devil!! Our hunger will be for our family to be in the center of God's will.

Sisters

What is the meaning of a sister? Our daughter Lacey has been asking us to find her a sister since she was about 5. She didn't think it was fair that she was the only girl in our family. Of course, I don't count because I'm a "mom girl". I am blessed to have 2 sisters and they are my best friends and confidants. I don't know what I would have done without them by my side. So I sympathize with Lacey and have made efforts for her to have close relationships with her girl cousins and we even had exchange student girls but it just hasn't been the same. As our adoption journey has lasted 6 years Lacey has been frustrated and sad that we haven't been able to get Galina home. You see she was at the airport when Galina arrived 6 years ago and there was no doubt in Lacey's 15 year old mind that Galina was her sister. Lacey went shopping this past weekend and found some awesome sales. She is my shopping girl. She called me and asked while she was in the checkout if I wanted her to go back and pick up a swim suit for Tanya and Galina. I told her to go for it. When she went back up to the cashier he teased her about having 3 suits and she said "The other ones are for her sisters". She called me all choked up because it really hit her that this time her dream of having sisters is really going to happen!!

The Girls Room

I ordered the bedding for our girls room today. I got everything cleaned and organized this past week in their room and can't wait for them to come home!

Christina's Shower

I have been blessed to have a new daughter that I absolutely love. Christina will be blessing Mark and I with our first grandchild in 7 weeks. We had the opportunity to spend this past weekend with her. Christina flew up to Michigan from Orlando where her and our oldest son Gabe live. We had a baby shower for baby Cash Aaron on Saturday and then spent time with Christina and had her all to ourselves. I took her to the airport tonight and her flight was delayed. As we were waiting we were talking to another woman and she said, "Boy, you guys are lucky you get along so well". I am counting my blessings tonight because Mark and I both feel very blessed that our son chose a young woman that fits into our family so well and is so easy for us to love.