Well, here we G-R-O-W!

You think about it, you dream about it, you pray about it....

AND THEN IT HAPPENS!!

And we're still shocked! And we're still in amazement of what God is doing...

Our family is GROWING!!

We would like to introduce you to:

Phoenix and Quincy!

Phoenix just turned 4 less than a month ago on February 17.

Quincy is 2 1/2, he will be three on June 30.

How it happened....

One year and 3 months ago we applied with an adoption agency in WA state that does a Foster to Adopt program only open to Washington State families.

We were on our way...

The referals, the background checks, the finger printing, the pages and pages of paper work...

and then the classes.... all the many hours of them.

The praying, the reading, the seeking God in all this....

We had our homestudy exactly one year ago...

Our license finalized in early May of 2010

And the w-a-i-t-i-n-g began.

And now I can't believe it's over!! Are we really ready?! Yikes!

What a rollercoaster... so many "potential" matches that just seem to dissolve.

So many unknowns... how do you plan for trips?! What if they call with "the one"?

It was beginning to seem like a pregnancy that had no end in sight to us.

Then on Monday March 7th, we got an email from our agency saying the wait time for young child(ren) was topping 2 years. We were crushed. 2 more years?!

We fell before God begging for clear direction, for a clear answer of which way to turn. Do we look over-seas? Do we continue with this program? Do we do Foster Care? Do we work thru and infant adoption program?

After much research and prayer on Monday and Tuesday we had reached no conclusion.

Luke had planned to take me out to dinner for my birthday Tuesday, March 8th. Just before he got home I got a call...

"Hello, is this Anna?"
"Yes..."

"Hi Anna! My name is ____, and I'm wondering if you would be interested in 2 little boys"

"Uhhh..... Seriously?!?!"

"Yes! In fact, so seriously that we want you to pick them up from the airport a week from today, if you're interested...."

WOAH!

I quickly took as much information as I could and told her we'd call her back.

And I called Luke... who just happened to be pulling into the driveway...

So....

Once he got in I blurted all this information out as coherantly as possible and before I was even done he was saying "YES!! YES!! YES!!! This is exactly what we've been praying for! CLEAR direction!"

So we called her back and told her we'd take them!

Ta da!

Now we're a family of SIX........ almost!

Oh my. So much to do! Our guest room will be their room, we're painting, making curtains "that are boy-ish and not just guest-y", buying lots of socks and undies, packing an "airplane box" for the boys...

All this time Riley is THRILLED! (Yes, we know things could change)

He has prayed almost everyday since before Halli was born for BROTHERS,

Ones that are brown, like Lincoln. Ones that like Tow-Mater and Lightning McQueen.

Brothers to ride Gators with, to play tractors with... and also for sisters for Halli, but that'll have to wait! ;)

So... that's our family news! Our trip to Ohio in 2 weeks is off, our tickets will need to be re-funded, I'm afraid. Our plans to go to California in April are pretty well off...

Now for the changes... the adjustments... we ask to please keep Phoenix and Quincy in your prayers. They have had to go thru so much loss, so much pain in order for things to get to this point. And our hearts are breaking at the thought of what will be going thru their little hearts and heads.

Also Riley and Halli, as this is going to be quite an adjustment. Life as they know is going to be totally different. Daddy and Mommy are not "just theirs" anymore... neither is their house, toys and everything else.

Phoenix and Quincy have been living in California with their Grandmother for over a year now. But it's not working out, Grandma relinquished her rights. Please keep her in your prayers too. We do not know if she know Jesus, but are praying that if she doesn't, she can find Him.

Please pray for Luke and I as we minister to these little souls. Pray that they can see Jesus thru us, that we truly can be His hands and feet, that we can speak words of blessing and truth and love into their lives. That we can be set so deeply in Him that we run to Him first. That we seek His will, His face, and His best in the live of all four of these precious children we have been trusted with for a time.

We love each of you and thank you deeply for your prayers.