Stressful Stuff...

So we've had a few stressful moments with our adoption lately and have definitely needed some prayers. Thank you to all who have been praying and who continue to pray for the rest of this adoption to run smoothly. We had a talk with our attorney tonight and it made me feel much better about things but I don't think I will feel totally confident until we have all of our adoption certificates in our hands and Claire is legally ours. After telling my mom all of this, she told me that God has brought us this far and that we need to keep our faith in him. She told me to read chap. 12-15 in Numbers and this story definitely helped me to be less worried about things. My favorite verse was Numbers 14:11 "The Lord said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?" And the notes at the bottom of my Bible said, "Often we do the same thing. We trust God to handle the smaller issues but doubt his ability to take care of the big problems, the tough decisions, the frightening situations. Don't stop trusting God just as you are ready to reach your goal. He brought you this far and won't let you down now. We can continue trusting in God by remembering all he has done for us."
This was exactly what I needed to hear and am so glad we have such a wonderful support system around us.
I was also surprised to find out I have a new adoption friend at school! One of my students has a twin sister and 2 brothers. Well her mom came in to help in my classroom and after talking with her for a little bit at recess about our Claire Bear, I found out that all 4 of her children were adopted! I had no idea and told her I really thought that her daughters looked like her. It was fun talking with her and she told me that she almost went through Bethany too but then a situation came up and it was better for her to go another route. I am so thankful for her and her kind words. She told me I could come to her anytime with any questions and even came up to me after school today to tell me she will be praying for us. It's nice to know that I even have that special support at work.
And on another happy note, I'm proud to announce that my cousin Arielle who has been trying as long as we have to have children of her own, attended her first Bethany orientation and is very excited to get the process started with her husband! We are so happy for them and can't wait to help support them during this journey. And one more thing! I spoke with a friend of ours who is also on the waiting list with Bethany and found out that her and her husband's portfolio was shown this week!!!! Soooooooo exciting!!!! Please keep my cousin and our good friends at Bethany on your prayer list. Darryl and I can't wait to celebrate with all of them and hope that it is very soon!!!!
Well that's all for right now. I will keep you updated on our adoption. Please continue to pray that the rest of this process goes smoothly and that all papers will be signed, sealed, and delivered as soon as possible. xoxo

Fussy Claire=Crazy Mommy!

Just a quick post to show how cute Claire is. (And a little to show my wife is strange)