Ok, here are a few more details...

I know, I know...I left some of you hanging. I didn't mean to be cryptic, but it has been kind of crazy here the past couple of days.

Here are the details I can share:

We leave on Sept 18 to travel to Kaluga. Our referral is a little girl, who will be a year old in October. We do have some pictures and some medical information, thanks to the Houks and the Johnsons who have actually seen and photographed her, and also huge thanks to the Dyers for sharing their information with us. There are, of course, some medical concerns, but at this point we haven't had any sense that God is telling us not to go and see her.

So basically, we're walking that emotional line between being really excited and trying to not get too excited so we won't be let down (if that explanation makes sense--sorry, having a hard time expressing my emotions lately).

We are in the process of getting visas, flights, an accomodations. If anyone has any suggestions, we're open to them, I promise! I also have to get ready for the upcoming semester of school, and do all that stuff that I said I'd do this summer (that, alas, is still not done...things like cleaning out the garage :-( )

And tomorrow, I'm headed to St Louis to get my hair cut---yes, I know, a 3 hour drive for a haircut. BUT, trust me, it's worth it. If anybody knows of anything I can do while I'm there to make it not quite such a decadent trip, please let me know. If there's anything I should be shopping for, I'm totally up for that!

Finally, thanks to all of you---I'm glad that you're so excited. I am too!

We're GOING!

Just a quick post this morning, since there's so much going on today---but I SO wanted to let you all know!

We have a referral, and we have travel dates! We're leaving in mid-September to meet our kiddo!

Ok, I was all prepared for this, but now my head is spinning and I don't know what to do. Someone help me here---what should I do next?

God is good :-)

Jeremiah's Hammer Throw

Another set of just-for-fun pictures. Our Sarah is a hammer thrower--she threw when she was at Mizzou (below she's throwing at the Arkansas Sectional Meet in 2008), and her senior year she was ranked in the top 80 in the nation:




Her brother sent me the following pictures this morning--in an email entitled "Jeremiah's Hammer Throw":

That's Mo, by the way (short for Missouri Jones). He's still just a puppy, too!

Pikchures from Camp 2009

Camp staff on the last day---need I say more???

The "game" of keep-away in the lake that has lasted for the last, oh-so-many years

Water-balloon toss at the Wacky Water Olympics night

More Wacky Water Olympics---they have to fill up a trashcan with water--but the trashcan has a bunch of holes in it

Gettin' ready for Bible Study...

Shelley, Stephanie, and Erin---three of our great staff people...just hanging out and laughing in some very scarce free time!

cute, great kids

The "Wolf-pack"---it's a LONG story :-)

Would it be camp without a cookout?

My amazing small group---they were so much fun, and pulled off an awesome worship service on Friday night!

The whole bunch---well, minus one of our staff, but it's almost the whole camp--it was a great week!

Yes, we are still here on the planet...and still waiting..

Hi everybody!

I am truly sorry that it has been so long since I have posted--a LOT has happened in the past few weeks, and I will try to cut through all the fluff and bring you up to speed.

First, adoption news: Tula is a no-go. MOE there is basically dragging their heels, and told S that it might be a year before they referred anyone. Agency decided to "unregister" us and pull our dossier. Right now, with the Moscow MOE on vacation for the next couple of weeks, we're in "holding" pattern again to see what might happen there, and what, perhaps, our other options are. So, we wait. Some more.

The trip to Maine was really fun--but there was not much of what I expected, which was relaxing and sitting on the beach. It was more "let's show you as much as we can while we're here" so we were walking, shopping, touring, and driving (and eating) a LOT. Oh, and yes, Joy, the trees were amazingly tall. The whole place just has an "old" look to it--like the trees have been there forever. It was a blast, but I was wiped out when I headed home.

All last week, we were at church camp. As always, it was just pretty darn amazing. 70 + kids (jr and sr high) all focused on breaking down the barriers between ourselves and each other, and also between ourselves and God. I won't kid you--they can be pretty squirrely at times, but when they put themselves out there and really talked about their relationships with God, it made all the dealing with squirrely stuff worthwhile. It also helped make all of the "waiting" bearable--and helped me remember that God is good, and His timing is far more wiser than my own.

There you have it folks--I've tried to be short, sweet, and to the point on this one. I'll write more later when my laundry is caught up and I don't feel like I'm so scattered. Hope that all of you are having a great and blessed summer