keeping busy

For whoever is interested, we contacted WHFC (our agency) yesterday because we wanted to know about where we are on the list of people waiting for siblings. Our caseworker told Dave that there are a "handful" of folks waiting. "Not twelve," to quote her...maybe five or six...
I'm not sure if knowing that is helpful or not. We are really trying to not get a timeframe in our heads, because these things are soooo fragile & we don't want to be frustrated if we end up waiting forever... or what seems like forever.
So, life moves on & we are so thankful to have these three precious treasure right NOW to continue pouring life into. Our kids are loving summer, loving swimming at every available moment, & getting used to dealing with each other day by day.
We have declared this week "SIBLING WEEK" & that means bigger consequences than previous if you insult or argue & a jar full of ideas of fun things to do with "your sibling." They are positive so far & I'm getting lots of extra jobs done when things digress. I have had my dining room swept twice in the last 24 hours (by the same little sweetie, who declared "man! we sure are messy!"), which is more than I can say for last week.
They finished the library reading program & got all the subsequent prizes & are working on the Barnes & Noble reading program (prize: a free book). So they are keeping busy.
We keep praying for our kids in Ethiopia...

only by His hand

If you live in the cornfields with us (or even if you don't), you may not realize the beauty that fills southern Utah & Colorado. We so enjoyed our time exploring the National Parks of Utah & Colorado. It is refreshing & awe-inspiring to see the fingerprints of our Creator so vividly.
By the end of the 3 weeks, though, we were ready to be home; ready for our beds, ready for a counter to prepare food on, even ready to clean a bathroom, if I could just consistently have soap to wash my hands...
(Camping is FUN Camping is FUN Camping is FUN)
Seriously, we are thankful for our time away & thankful also to be home.
On the adoption front, we have not heard anything about a referral. Since we are totally done with our requirements, we simply wait for that exciting call!!! Siblings appear very randomly at Wide Horizons for Children's orphanage, so God is TRULY the only one who knows when we will recieve pictures & info about our kiddos. We have been waiting since mid-May & they say we could wait up to 5 months to be matched, so just keep us in your prayers as we try to wait patiently.
It is so exciting to be this close, but also a little scary. Any new challenge that God leads us to is His way of stretching us to be more like Him. Sometimes that can be painful. Today I feel the pain of God's Spirit growing me. I want to be encouraged, yet the stuff He is working on in me are not fun to have dissected, if you know what I mean...
He will lead on.

~Sonya

We made it home