A Blogover!!

You may have noticed the new look on the blog! I was surprised on my birthday with a fun treat from Kristi at Fireworksandfireflies .She is not only a blogging buddy but a real life friend AND we traveled to China together on our first adoption trip! God has now blessed us to be only a couple miles apart and allow our children to share in weekly playdates and our families in an adoption small group together!



So for my birthday she surprised me with my first blogover!! How fun!! And just in time for our adoption announcement and journey to Ethiopia!!


She asked Ashton at Princessblogdesigns to do the transformation. Ashton is a fifteen year old who has two siblings adopted from China. She also has a heart for Africa and wants to go on a mission trip. She is saving her blog design earnings to fund a mission trip and care for orphans! How cool is that!! Just love hearing about teenagers who have a love for the Lord and a heart for missions!! She also made our adoption announcement! So if you need a blogover or an announcement done , she does a great job as you can see!




So thanks Kristi for the new look and even more for your sweet friendship!

Introducing Our Daughter!

We joyously announce the adoption of our daughter! Yes, today we passed court in Ethiopia!
The above is a picture of the adoption announcement we will be sending out to family and friends to make them aware of our glorious news!! The boys have helped to put together a slide show of some of the pictures we have received of her while we have been waiting. Our hearts grew with each picture that came and our longing to have her home increased with each new update from afar. We are so very excited to share with you our precious daughter and covet your prayers that we will soon be able to travel and bring her home!! We would love for you to journey with us via the blog as we travel to Ethiopia and back. We anticipate traveling in early July. Until then, enjoy the boys' handiwork and our precious gift, a daughter from the KING!!!! Ahhh! How we are blessed!!!

Corrie Sifan Rose

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My Boys

The boys took part in a United States Basketball Association Tournament this weekend. Battle assisted the coach on the bench and Lottie and I warmed the bleachers. They made it to the championship game where they faced a goliath of a team. Yes, they were giants!! The boys fought hard and played well but just could not fell the giant, coming up with a runner up trophy. The boys have continued to improve their game and are playing quite well for 10 year olds. Noah is quite the ball handler and plays with a passion that is unmatched! Graham has stepped up his game and has become an excellent inside player pulling down multiple rebounds and blocking several shots each game. Watching the two of them play together is such a joy!! Especially when you get to see plays like this (Noah (#4 in white) dishes the ball to Graham for an open shot!).........

This mama is so very proud!

He Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed!!

Our family has a tradition of gathering at the beach to celebrate Easter Sunday! And this year was no different , except my camera battery died after the early morning hours on Easter morn and there was no resurrecting it as we left the charger at home . So we have no pictures in our Easter Sunday attire or the afternoon egg hunt, but thought I would share a few pics of one of our favorite places!

I can't think of a better place to celebrate my Savior's powerful victory over the grave than at the ocean. I never tire of standing at the water's edge and looking out at the horizon and feeling the very presence of my ALL POWERFUL God. The monotony of the waves rolling in and out soothe my soul and spirit as they remind me of my NEVER CHANGING God. My only response is worship and praise!!

We had rich fellowship with family and friends through the weekend and gathered at our "beach church" where we joined in corporate worship to celebrate our King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!

Yes!! He IS Risen!! He is Risen INDEED!!!

The four older cousins enjoyed playing beach games like corn hole and washer toss until the sun set each evening.....

And the "little cousins" enjoyed the water as well as the sun and the sand!!!

Lottie particularly enjoyed the water,

and Emmie enjoyed the sand and sun.

Lottie loves telling everyone how to spell her name,

London Bridge anyone?

The kids enjoyed a few fun surprises in their Easter Basket on Sunday Morn!!

We worshipped, ate lunch, egg hunted, cleaned up, visited with friends , and then headed for home!!

The Gavel Falls

Well ,the judge made his ruling in Ethiopia today and it was not the news we had hoped for. Apparently, he requested a document regarding her abandonment that the agency representatives had but it had not yet been translated from her local language to the national language of Amharic. They will now get this document translated and we will have another court date on April 30th. I was prepared for the possibility of not passing court the first time but was so hoping we would. The boys got out of school early today and came running in the front door , asking "Did we pass?" My heart sunk as their excitement dissipated when I told them the news. The boys have helped to put together a little slide show of her pictures that we can't wait to share!! We hope and pray to be able to share this on the 30th. So we continue to wait on God's perfect timing to bring our daughter home. We pray that when that gavel falls next week, she will be OURS , legally , as she already is in our hearts!

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!


APRIL 21st, 2010


Yes, this time next week we hope to be sharing pictures of our precious daughter!! This time next week she will be officially our daughter according to the Ethiopian courts!! AND , this means that we will not have to be present for court. We will have a Power of Attorney representing us
in court next week. If our court date had been After May 1st, we would have to be there and then travel again to bring her home. Since we have an April court date ,we do NOT have to be there and will travel in June most likely to bring her home!! Yippee!!!!

Next week , I hope to have more pictures that look like this!!


This was taken when my bestest friend came into town and we celebrated our referral at a local Ethiopian restaurant!! What Fun!!

Hopefully next week , we can take the whole family to celebrate our daughter officially being OURS!!!!

Thank you LORD for your PERFECT timing and for setting the lonely in families!!!