Nope, not yet!!

Well, the "abril" (April) consejo is out and we aren't on it! Oh Well! That's ok! We will go ahead and rest in the fact that God's plan is BEST! Not ours!! :) Waiting a little longer will give us time to be better prepared and also be here to see Dakota off on his mission trip.

I attached some pics of us in the backyard last week. It was such a beautiful evening! Notice, Dakota wet in the top pic. Couldn't stand it, had to jump in! Yes, Larry was short to follow!

Reckless Faith

My good friend Lisa gave me an awesome book named Reckless Faith. It's a about a girl named Beth and her husband who live in Mexico and have established a ministry to help orphans. Her stories of all sorts of situations with the children, break my heart but also give encouragement of having a ....reckless faith....trusting that God will show up, exactly where and when he's needed.
One statement rings true to our current situation of waiting. She said, "Sometimes reckless faith requires no further action. You just hold on to the limb you've been led out on and trust that it doesn't break."
2 Corinthians 9:7-9
God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, "He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon."

Throw me a bone!

Well, a lot of you have asked but...nothing new. I really wish someone would throw us a bone. Just a little tidbit of info. ..............I have been trying to concentrate on Psalm 62 that says: I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him. I suppose I need to do just that, wait quietly and remember whose ultimately in control over the entire situation.
tick-tock-tick-tock....
Meanwhile both of our guys started a little spring basketball this week and they're excited about that. But, while I have your attention, could I please be a proud mom for a minute? Some of you know that Dakota has to raise his own money to return to the mission trip in Peru this year. We have been so pleased with his effort and dedication. The fact that he has spent some afternoons after school and some full Saturdays to raise funds, not for a trip to lay on the beach or to CO to ride his motorcycle but to serve the Lord....does his parents' hearts good. He is well on his way!! Thanks so much to all who have helped and by doing so, becoming part of his journey!
Also, Mr. Dayton is excited to be taking an IQ test in the next couple weeks to see if he qualifies for the 'gifted' program at the middle school (Eagle Talent). He's a smart little cookie:0) Yep, you guessed it, Larry and I are still racking our brains to see where those genes came from.
Thanks for all of your love, concern, and prayers!
Love to all~Laci

And their off......................

And their off..................... I made it to the Sec. of State office this morning and got the 2 doctors letters sealed in about 15 minutes. Then, I dropped them off at the UPS store to go to Chicago to get the last set of seals. It should reach them by 10:30 am tomorrow and possibly in Alabama (Villa Hope) by Friday (@10:30am). She said she would get them off to Peru asap! She is supposedly e-mailing Maria (attorney in Peru) copies now so she can get the translating going while she waits to receive the hard copies. Yippppeeeee!!!

I have to tell you the sweet little thing Dayton said yesterday. Larry and I were talking about all of the things we need to take care of and the amount of time we will be gone and Dayton said, "Will I be coming to the airport when you come home with her?" I said, "YESSSSSSSSSSSS!"
Then he said, "Well, I don't know who I'll hug first, mom or little sister!" That makes me have a lump in my throat as I type it! It is overwhelming sweet to see how excited both of the boys are! Looooooooooove it!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAYTON!

12 Candles on Dayton's cake this year!

That's right, on Saturday he'll be 12 years old. Larry took both of the guys to Chadwick this evening (the boys start 4 day spring break tomorrow) to camp and ride bikes. This is the first time that Dayton has shown any interest since his accident. However, he has absolutely NO interest in riding his motorcycle. He says he'll stick to the 4-wheeler for a little bit. A-OK with mom. Larry says that Dakota is becoming quite a rider these days on his bike. I gave him a teeny weenie lecture before they left about not getting too cocky/gutsy and riding foolishly. He promised he wouldn't. Hmmmmmm....

Isaiah 40:31 says that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. TODAY, our strength was renewed. I checked my e-mail via my phone while at work today and noticed one from Villa Hope. It said that the SNA office had reviewed our dossier already and just needed a couple clarifications. Please don't miss the coolest thing here.....they told us it would probably be a couple months while we waited to be approved, Yesterday was 3 weeks!!! The problems they had were: Dayton's birth date was recorded wrong on his physical examination and my doc had crossed out something that he had written and they didn't like that. I quickly got on the phone and asked both doctor's offices if they would write the little letter they were requesting, stating the corrections and mine is ready for me to pick up tomorrow and Dayton's will be ready to pick up on Monday. Both offices agreed to have them notarized and I will hopefully have them sealed at the Secretary of State on Monday and put in the mail to Chicago for the last set of seals.

The movement so quickly is very encouraging. Our strength is renewed!

We are soaring.........on wings...................like eagles!

Cute little Marta!

Well, in case you are wondering, no "new" news. Waiting to be approved.

Above is a picture of the Cabbage Patch that my grandma gave me a bizzillion years ago. Her name is Marta Lavinia. Isn't that a pretty name??.....nope! But...what she is wearing is oh so pretty. Our sweet friend Mary Jo made one for Lil' Sister and one for her baby doll. So, Marta is modeling the adorable scarf for you! Thank you very much Mary Jo for thinking of us.

It's a Beautiful Day - In more ways then one!

Ok - I have had a couple "stressful" days! I had not heard anything about the crazy translation and it had been over 3 weeks. Then, it occurred to me to check the date on the physical exams because they can only be 3 months old when you submit your dossier to the SNA office. Well...when I looked them up, my eyes welled up with tears because...... THEY HAD ALL 4 EXPIRED! Arggggggg. If you want me to TRANSLATE that, it means, all four of us would have to re-visit the Dr., AIDS testing and other blood tests, not to mention all the seals, seals, seals. Plus all the $$$ it would cost to have all that re-done! I immediately piped off an e-mail to our agency (Monday night), explaining my concerns and she didn't respond until Tuesday late afternoon saying, "I'm just sure that's all taken care of" - "But I'll check". So, today she e-mailed me again telling me that she had heard from Maria (the lawyer in Peru) and - Get This - IT WAS DONE BEING TRANSLATED AND SHE HAD TURNED IT IN LAST WEEK!!
Hellooooooooooooooo Did anyone know I was going CRAZY here???
Any ole' who ~ That's awesome news! Total answer to prayers over the last couple days. That God would work out all of the details and HE DID! It is a Beautiful Day! :)
Now..we have to wait to be approved, which she said would take a couple months.
My mom reminded me of a song that I learned at church when I was little. (You can make your own conclusions as to why I have remembered every word to this particular song.)
It goes like this:
Have patience ~ Have patience
Don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient
You only start to worry
Remember, Remember
That God is patient too
And think of all the times when others HAD TO WAIT FOR YOU!!
You like it? If you want, I'll sing it for you, cuz I'm in such a Celebratory mood today!