Care Package

Yesterday I sent my two boys off to the first day of school. Aiden is in first grade and Ian is in second grade. It should be an interesting year because both boys are in the same classroom. The first and second graders are in the same room at their school. It should make for some interesting conversation at the dinner table. The good news for me is that maybe this year I will stay on top of what needs to be sent to school for certain special days. Last year I could not remember if Ian needed show n tell or if it was Aiden's day to bring snack. The boys are excited and are usually eager to learn new things. We love their teachers and their heart for teaching our children in a way that honors God.

I guess with all the these new beginnings today I decided it was time to get this care package for Lucy put together and sent off. So, we finished the package last evening and I sent it off this morning. The whole family was involved in this care package. We sent Lucy a recordable story book. Each of us took a turn and read a couple pages so that Lucy can hear our voices and maybe get used to them. (I have tried to add the video of the recorded book, but blogspot did not want to cooperate, or maybe it is just me. : )). At the end of the book Izzy says, "The End. We love you Lucy." It is just precious. Here are a few pictures of the items included in her first package:

A recordable story book called, All the Ways I Love You, a dress, a headband, a disposable camera, and a little pinkie blankie similar to her big sister's blankie. : )

Here is the inside of cover of the storybook. I added a picture of our family, (actually from last summer, but it is the best picture I have in hard copy right now). Above our heads you notice some labels. Our agency was nice enough to send little labels for Mother, Father, Big Brothers, and Big Sister in English and in Chinese. Now Lucy will get to see us for the first time and then every time she opens her book. : )

I pray that this care package will get to Lucy. It has to go through customs and I followed all the directions that our agency told us to do in order for the package to get there safely. I pray it will brighten Lucy's day and that she enjoys her presents.

I recently requested an update on Lucy from our agency. The response I received is something to this effect: They are waiting to request an update until the beginning of next month. At that time it will be the 6 month window of when Lucy was supposed to get her palate repaired. Usually if a child has been in the hospital the agency receives the discharge paperwork from her stay. They have not yet received that so the agency is thinking it may not have been repaired yet. So, we pray that Lucy is doing well and that we receive an update soon.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. Again, for you coffee drinkers, if you would like to enjoy some great coffee and help us bring our little Lucy home you can go to our coffee storefront at www.justlovecoffee.com/ThePenners. Spread the word to all your coffee drinking friends. : )
Soli Deo Gloria!

The Home study

Yesterday I received an email from our case worker. In the email she attached our home study. THE HOME STUDY we have been patiently (or maybe at times, not so patiently) waiting over a month to look over. This is a big step in our adoption process. This means after the home study has been reviewed by us and then by our Chinese agency in Colorado (CCAI), we can send in more paper work to be put in someone else's hands to review and wait for phone calls. I know, it may sound redundant, but having this home study allows us to move forward yet again, and we are that much closer to bringing Lucy home. We are praising the Lord for this home study being completed and asking for prayer that the papers can get to where they need to go and that the people who need to see our papers would be available to attend to them quickly.

Having this home study complete also means we can apply for grants from organizations like Show Hope and The Abba Fund to assist us in financially providing for this adoption. So, as you see, I will be up to my ears in paperwork. : ) As I have been waiting for this home study I read a book called Adopt Without Debt by Julie Gumm. She gives practical advice to parents that are either looking into adopting and may think they cannot afford it, or parents that are in the process of adopting. I thought we had exhausted all our options to save money, make money, or ways to keep us from going into debt until I read about one website that interested me. There is a coffee roasting company called Just Love Coffee that sells exotic coffees from several parts of the world. They roast the coffee as it is ordered and ship it to the person that orders it. The adopting family gets $5 for each bag that is sold.  I just received my first bags of coffee and am pretty excited to try them. I am not a saleswoman. I am not a big fan of asking people to buy something (I leave that to my retired insurance salesman father and current salesman brother). So, I am not going to beg you to buy this coffee. I may post it on Facebook every once in a while.You may get an email from me about it. However, I am just spreading the word to those that like a good cup of coffee in the morning and would like their purchase to have a purpose, helping an orphan get home to her forever family. : ) I set a goal of $5,000 to help with our adoption costs and the medical needs that she may have when she does come home. So, I figure (if my math is correct, which I have been to known to mess up) if I can get 1,000 people to buy just one bag of coffee, I will have reached my goal. So, I am asking if you have friends, family, or co-workers that enjoy coffee, pass this information onto them. Hey, just today I was reminded that Christmas is only 4 months away, maybe you could get some of your Christmas shopping done a little early. : ) Here is the link: www.justlovecoffee.com/ThePenners

There is my sales pitch! In the end, the Lord will continue to provide for our every need during this adoption. He has proven over and over to provide abundantly more than I need.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support.