"How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know Clara is loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing"

~Chris Tomlin~ 

Sweet Clara is coming home soon!

Our Travel Approval has arrived, more details coming soon!

Thanks for praying with us!

Christmas in July!

Last Sunday we celebrated Christmas in July at our church... Christmas decorations, Christmas music... the whole thing. It was awesome! The biggest blessing... 109 shoe boxes packed for Operation Christmas Child!

Wrapping up the Fair...

We had a busy 4 days the end of last week but it was fun! 

There is something about being part of a county fair! 

The kids all did very well with the items they entered...

 

Here are some of Lenna's photos she entered in 4-H photography. She did very well this year in this project.

This was 1 of her color entries that was chosen Grand Champion in the junior division.

Here is one of her black and white photos that did very well too...

This is one of Abigayl's entries...

and we had great fellowship with friends the las tnight of the fair before we headed the rodeo...
What blessings... 

 We also had food entries, geology and Lenna entered her quilt she completed this year. After Thank You notes for sponsors are done and we get a little break, I have decided we need to start thinking about the fair a lot earlier for next year!

So there you have it, no more fair posts until next year!

 Here's Nate's thoughts... thank goodness we don't have to do this for another year...

Can I just sleep until it's all over???

Waiting (definition)

            1.

       a. To remain or rest in expectation: 

       b. To tarry until another catches up.

            2. To remain or be in readiness

I must admit, I am not doing so well in the "waiting" this days... my mommy heart aches to bring our sweet girl home...

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven... Ecclesiastes 3:1

 ⁵For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
   for my hope is from him.
⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation,
   my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
⁷ On God rests my salvation and my glory;
   my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
 ⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
   God is a refuge for us. 

Psalm 62:5-8

Praying our Travel Approval Arrives very soon...

The County Fair Caught on the Camera...

here are a few shots, I have tons to go through that I will post later...

It has been a HOT, busy week!
This was our 4-H "float" in the little parade. The kids threw water balloons and people wanted to get hit because of the temperatures!

After the parade, there was a water balloon flight with another float. It was nice to cool down for awhile!

This year the theme of the fair was "PINK" and breast cancer awareness, this is the back of our 4-H club shirts.

The first night of the fair, the 4-H kids get to sell their 4-H foods that were judged earlier in the day. Lenna had a great time selling her goodies! She made cookies, a tart, a trail mix and cake as well as St. Lucia Buns from her Kirsten American Girl Doll Cookbook that won Grand Champion in her division! She was so excited!

Then daddy some how got suckered into (ok... someone paid money and it wasn't me!) dressing a goat on a team with the Buy In/Buy Out fund raiser! So he, the local sheriff and another gentleman had to dress this poor goat! (I assure you that no animals were hurt during this activity!) It was a good laugh to watch though!

More pictures coming soon after the fair is over and I have recovered!

Sunday Snapshot {the best $12 I ever spent at Walmart}

Thursday I purchased 4 packs of these foam water guns ($3 for 2 water guns!)

Friday afternoon, the "battle began!" 

Oh the Fun!!!

More laughter, shrieks of joy and water fun than I ever imaged!!!
A great way to cool off on these 100+ degrees days we have been having for week!

It has been so hot and dry here! This is our new favorite afternoon fun!

Stop by Stefanie's and check out some other Sunday Snapshots!

4-H Style Review and Construction Judging

It is Fair week here so life is nuts! Friday was the beginning... the style review and construction judging for Lenna and Abigayl's clothing/sewing projects. Both girls did a great job and had fun. Then yesterday afternoon was the public style review where all the kids go to model what they had made or purchased for their projects. 

Just a few pictures from the fun...

Abigayl talking with the Judge

 Abigayl made this "pillowcase dress" from a pillowcase kit we purchased at Hobby Lobby.

 Lenna made a few more items than Abigayl did. She loves this twirly skirt- we found the pattern for free at

What Did She Do Today on the side under free tutorials.

 

Now we just need to finish the rest of our fair projects by Weds. evening!

Praise the Lord!

My Dad is home!

My dad got to come home from the hospital this afternoon. He's tired, sore and still has a drain but he's glad to be home! Please continue to pray for him as he continues to heal. It's hard to convince an old farmer to slow down and take it easy sometimes but he's going to need to do that for a bit. Thanks for your notes and prayers while he's been in the hospital!

Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy! Psalm 126:3 (NLT)

Basketball Camp

Lenna went to basketball day camp last week and had a blast! Jackie Stiles, a former WNBA was the coach for the two days. There were over 85 girls in Lenna's sessions and a lot of friends from our little town.

 They worked hard but she learned a lot and is excited to be out shooting baskets, even when it's over 100 degrees!

 Lenna loved it!

We really appreciate your local Sheriff's Department who helped make camp possible this year!

A quick update on my dad...
***Updated at the bottom- Please keep praying***

A few of you have emailed and ask how my dad is doing. He is still in the hospital, he had hoped to maybe go home today but the CT Scan this morning showed that there is still fluid at the point of the abscess that they drained during surgery on Friday afternoon so he will remain in the hospital on IV antibiotics. Tomorrow they plan to do some more tests. Please continue to pray for him and my mom through this.

*** This morning they did another CT scan on my dad and then a procedure to insert a drain into the area of the abscess, hoping this this will drain the fluid that has not resolved in the area. We are hoping that this will be successful and that the antibiotics will be successful against the infection that he has. More decisions will be made tomorrow.

Catching up- Part 1

The end of ball season! It has been a very hot summer so far, many nights at the baseball field were not so fun in over 100 degree weather but the kids made the best of it and we has a great season. We are glad it is over though! Here are a few pictures from the last night! Each of the kids on the teams were announced and got to run across home plate one last time...

Eli loved catching this year...

We had special visitors on the 4th weekend. Friends that we had not seen in almost 14 years stopped through and spent the night on the way to a family mission trip. Last time we were together we were newly weds!

Our kids had a blast together and it was fun to catch up! Thanks for stopping through with your family Kevin & Maggie!

All dressed up and acting silly!

It's almost fair time so the girls have been very busy getting ready! We are sewing, getting pictures ready for photography exhibits, geology boxes, picking recipes and much more! 

Abigayl was so excited to finish sewing her first dress that she made herself for the fair!

 

I promise I'll finishing catching up soon!

A quick update...

It has been a super busy week, so much to share here so hopefully I can get caught up this weekend. I just wanted to post a couple of quick updates though...

Clara- we are officially waiting for our Travel Approval, as soon as it gets here and we get a Consulate Appointment scheduled, we will book my tickets and I  (Gayly) will be headed on my way. Please pray with us that this process from here on out goes very quickly.

My Dad- please continue to pray for my dad. I posted the end of last week that he was taken to the ER and admitted. He was hospitalized for 4 days for an infection but the source was not determined. He went sent home but did not improve and yesterday got much worse. He was again taken to the ER yesterday afternoon and admitted. This morning more tests were run and it was determined this afternoon that he had an abscess in his abdomen. This afternoon he was taken to another hospital and underwent surgery soon after he arrived. 

I talked with my mom about 2 hours ago and he had just gotten out of surgery, he had a large unusual abscess that was drained and is being treated. He will be in the hospital on antibiotics until at least Monday when they will CT scan him again to determine if the abscess is healing as it needs to. This could be a long road and we appreciate your prayers for his healing.

Another special little boy- please take a moment to pray for this special little boy, Tommy. You can go to his mama's blog and read about him here. Tommy is adopted from China and he has a very severe and complicated heart defect. Today he underwent surgery in Boston to repair his heart. Surgery is over and so far he is doing well but he has a long road ahead. 

  You may ask why I am coming to you for prayers of a little boy you have never met...Some of you will remember another special little boy from China, Thomas, that our family loved deeply and met during our adoption trip for Nate.We fell in love with this little survivor and dreamed of him having a family to call his own and surgery that might be able to fix his broken heart. Thomas had a severe heart defect as well and went home to be with Jesus in March of this year. Our hearts were deeply saddened when the news arrived, he never made to home to the arms of his earthly daddy but is with his Daddy in heaven now. Our lives have been forever changed by this little one loved passionately by our children and us.
We are so thankful that little Tommy made it home to his earthly family and that today had the chance to have the life saving surgery needed to try and fix his broken heart.

We are rejoicing that we are one step closer...

to bringing home our sweet Clara!

Our "LOA" (a step of her paperwork) arrived yesterday! Now we are just waiting for our final travel approval!

LORD, you are my God;
   I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
   you have done wonderful things,
   things planned long ago. 

Isaiah 25:1

Please pray for my dad... (UPDATED at the bottom)

I know we are heading into a busy holiday weekend, one that I love. This year will be a little different in our part of the world, it is so hot and dry here that all fireworks have been ban (actually not even sold!) It has been so quiet in the evenings here and seems strange to not have fireworks. I love celebrating America.

My mom called about 2 hours ago and told me that my dad was admitted to the hospital this afternoon. He hasn't been feeling good the last few days and got worse this morning. We aren't sure what is going on but he has some type of an infection so they are waiting for lab work to come back. He is very tired and is resting now in a room. If you have a moment, would pray for him this afternoon. Some of you may remember that just over a year ago, he had surgery for cancer but has been doing very well since then, we are praying that this illness is unrelated to his diagnosis a year ago.

I talked with my mom this evening, my dad spent the afternoon sleeping and they were able to get him rehydrated which has made him feel better. His fever has continued and he is still weak. They have not determined the source of infection yet but are treating him with strong antibiotics. Mom was encouraged this evening with how he was doing. We are hoping tomorrow will bring some lab results and more tests to get a better idea what might be going on. Thanks for your notes and prayers.