Welcome 2008...Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone. We received an email over the weekend from our caseworker, and found out our case was resubmitted to PGN with PA on Nov 13th! I just pray our case continues smoothly and quickly through PGN with no KO's!

2007 will always be a memorable year...for several reasons, but above all it was the year we felt led to adopt and were eventually introduced to our son. Although our introduction has only been through pictures, I feel a bond and love that is strong and real. I can't even begin to describe the way I feel when I receive new pictures of him....my heart is full of joy and torn with ache all in one moment. The ache I feel is unexplainable....I just have this urge to be with him, hold him and never let him go. I trust the day that he will be ours forever will come in His time.

In 2007 I was forever changed. My spiritual maturity has grown and changed in ways that I have never experienced before. In ways that I am so very thankful for. Before we were led to adopt, we were led to attend a new church. Prior to January of 2007 we didn't really have a "home" church as a couple, as we are both still members of our childhood churches. We have now been attending the same church for the past year and both feel "settled". We are grateful and forever changed by the new experience and new people we have met.

I am thankful for the journey we started in 2007 and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in 2008. I pray we will be united with Mason as a forever family very soon. Oh, and speaking of blessings....how about the great families we have met through adoption! A very special family went to visit their daughter at the children's home over Christmas. They were kind enough send us more pictures of Mason. Thanks again King family!

I will end this post by wishing you all a very blessed 2008! If "GIVING MORE" happens to be one of your resolutions for 2008, I would strongly urge you to check out the website for the EN. There are currently 11 children "stuck" in the system because of the changes in Guatemala's adoption laws. These 11 children currently do NOT have forever families waiting on them, as referrals to new families are on hold until the future of the new adoption system is known. Although new referrals are on hold, the lives of the children in need are not on hold....they continue to exist, they continue to need the love, support and safety that the EN can offer. The EN is gracious enough to continue to care for these children, even though their funding has been severely limited. It costs approximately $250 per month to care for one child. Check out the EN website by going to http://www.eaglesnestint.org/ and click on "Adopt-A-Child".