Not really for us, but for others who are ahead of us. The court moved forward today on the adoptions for the large group of people who are just ahead of us in the process. The next set of documents to be released should include ours. It could be next week, or it could be four months from now. We’ll hope it’s closer to the former.

The biggest news is that apparently, the court officials are still working during the election campaign period.  We’re still not sure why our court documents weren’t released a month ago, when we passed court, but hopefully we’ll find out soon.

So, we’re not only celebrating small things in our lives, we’re celebrating the steps in others’ processes as well!

I received the cutest gift in the mail yesterday from a friend, Laura, who made these

for our kids! I mean, for our little prince and princess. Aren’t they adorable? What you can’t tell as well from the picture is the quality of the work. They are so nicely stitched, shaped, and held together. I am LOVING these crowns! They’ll be great for their little Congolese heads that have never seen winter!

If you’re wondering why we haven’t posted an update lately about the adoption, it’s because we haven’t heard anything. Not a peep. Neither has anyone else in our program. (We have an online discussion group.) We’re not worried, scared, or impatient. We’re simply trusting in God’s timing. But if we did hear anything, I promise this is the first place we would post the news!

In the mean time, it’s so fun to celebrate things like receiving gifts for our little prince and princess! Thanks so much Laura! You definitely made our day!

Know someone who likes to cook? Looking for a great Christmas gift that makes a difference in the lives of two orphans who will soon be our kids? Look no further than Pampered Chef!

I love Pampered Chef products! Thanks to a generous Pampered Bride shower over 15 years ago, my kitchen was filled with lots of Pampered Chef products, and I have continued to purchase them over the years in between. The products are incredibly durable, and have lasted the 15 year test of time beautifully.

But my favorite reason right now is Pampered Chef is helping me raise funds for our adoption!

I know everyone’s schedule is busy this time of year, and that many of you are many miles away, so I’m hosting a catalogue-only party between now and November 30th. Simply follow this link, select products that you like for yourself or someone else, and select the direct shipping option to have products delivered directly to you — or to someone else. If you live close to Nashville, you can have products shipped to me, if you’d like. Our adoption agency will receive a portion of the sales, which will go directly toward our ongoing adoption expenses.

Not sure what to buy? I can help! I’ll be describing my favorite Pampered Chef products daily until the party closes!

One of my many favorites is the Pampered Chef scoops.

I have them in all three sizes. The largest size is perfect for scooping uniform amounts of cupcake or muffin batter into paper liners, and the small scoop is the perfect size for mini muffins. No more guessing if there’s enough or too much batter.  Before I had these, muffin-making was a drippy and sticky mess! Here’s my favorite small scoop recipe, and here’s where you can get one!

Thanks for continuing to support our adoption!

Today, I’m thankful for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a time when many countries are closing down their international adoption programs, the DRC is continuing to process adoptions, even for infants, which is increasingly rare. Their country has seen much war and destruction of infrastructure, yet they are allowing other countries to assist them in finding homes for their orphans. Sometimes its easier for countries to just close their doors while they heal. The DRC has opened its doors for help to enter.

The people of the DRC are also establishing a democratic process in the country. Democracy can be messy. News from the DRC this week has indicated that there is significant violence, repression, instability, and concern that preparations for the election will not be ready by November 28th. And yet this election and its aftermath is something we must wait through and the government must reorganize before our adoption can be processed. Sometimes democracy comes at a high price. I’m thankful that in spite of the obstacles and dangers, the DRC is committed to hearing the voice of its people.

So today, I’m thankful for, and praying for, the Democratic Republic of Congo. This month is one of the most important in their history, and therefore a very important month in our lives as well.

A guest post by Ken

I am thankful for dreams. Not the counting sheep and pajamas variety, but those are pretty good as well.

I am thankful for the kind that inspire, that cause you to keep on when you feel like giving, or the “we’ve never tried that before” type of dreams.

We continue on our path towards adoption because of the power of dreams.

Tonight as I was driving home from church, I was dreaming about what it will be like when our children are living with us in America. Things that seem so routine will be extraordinary. I started thinking about what it will be like the first time Robin and I take our children to the grocery store. There will be a first time for them to experience the bounty of an American grocery store. I want to be there and I want to see the look on their face as they see the variety and abundance of the produce. I want to say to them, “you can pick any fruit or vegetable you would like”. It may blow their mind!

If you were in their shoes, what would you pick? Would you go with something you’ve tasted before or would you try something that you’ve had before? I think I would go for a watermelon. It’s big! If it’s good, then a lot of it would be great! A tangerine might be tasty, but it would be over before you know it.

Such is the power of dreams. Things may not work out exactly like that, but it’s certainly better to dream about such things than to worry about what might go wrong or might never come to pass.

Perhaps the only thing better than dreams are great memories. And soon we will be making lots of those with our kids!

A guest post by Ken

I am thankful for cartoons, hot wheels, Crayola markers, Lego sets and action figures. Not only are they the stuff of my childhood, but Lord-willing they will soon be the tools of the trade when I become a Dad (which cannot come soon enough for me!).

Perhaps this can explain what I mean.

Robin had asked me to work on a small project that would become a play mat for our kids. Robin had discovered “busy bags”. She had asked me to draw a simple landscape for hot wheel cars. So I grabbed a handful of markers, put on a movie and enjoyed a snack.

So while I was on my day off playing with toy cars, watching a movie, “Captain America” and snacking on Halloween candy it dawned on me: one of the great perks of being a parent is that you get to re-live parts of your childhood. I realized that I wasn’t playing, I was practicing to be a Dad! This was field research.

Maybe being a good parent was nothing more than being able to relate to a child at their level in their world. It may be that they don’t need lectures, but for me to just be there for them. Even if I don’t know what to say, I can try to enter their world and listen. For months I have been wondering and worrying about what kind of a father I would be. I could have saved myself a number of sleepless nights if I had only known that part of being a good dad is the ability to be a kid again. I can do that!

Perhaps those pearls of wisdom that my Dad was able to dispel when I was a child were simply his ability to remember what it was like to be a little boy as well. I may not remember much from the lectures, spankings and other attempts at instilling discipline, but I distinctly remember playing catch in the backyard, camping trips and countless game nights in our household.

So I might not have all the answers or always know what the right things to say, but one thing I am certain of is that I can be there for my kids and I can enjoy playing in their world. And perhaps that’s what love is for a five year old.

I just pray my children love building with LEGO!