Garage Sale Grand totals, Brook's 4th B-day, Mother's Day, New nephew, and friends are going to Kaz..

Whew!!
Am I the only one out there tonight exhausted? Between field trips, Special Olympics, a new (adorable) nephew, Brook turning 4, and the normal end of the year things... I am way tired!! :-

Let me start by giving an update on the part 2 of our Garage sale.... Last Sat. was once again amazing... absolutely amazing.. we had people dropping items off and donating more things pretty much all day... we made another $1100.00, making the grand total for our garage sale to a little over $3200.00.... WOW!!! We had 3-4 truck and trailer loads of stuff left... and we packed it up and are storing it in my mom's garage... (Thanks Nana!) We are going to have another sale in a few months... It is so much work, but not only VERY profitable financially, but as an outreach as well... It's an amazing event and everyone is just as incredible as the last!! AMAZING!!!! God is SO good!!!

Brooklyn turned 4 on May 9th.. the part 2 of our sale... We made the day special for her and had cake and candles... etc... and celebrated her birthday party TODAY!!! We had a great time... pictures to come soon... (promise!)
We can not believe our baby is 4... man o man time if flying by!!!

Another Mother's day came and went... I vividly remember Mother's day last year.. thinking that it would be the LAST one without my boy(s).... well, here we sit again... and we don't feel we are really that much closer to getting there now than then.... Don't get me wrong the day was great... Phil and the girls were wonderful.. I had plenty of wonderfully sweet homemade gifts and Bay woke me up with kisses and handmade presents... it was wonderful and I'm so blessed... However none of it could shake the deep thoughts and feelings of my child(ren) in Kaz.... It's a feeling that I can't really describe, but I suspect some of you totally understand...

Phil's brother and his wife had a baby last Wed... so we have an adorable sweet new nephew... named Tristan Matthew.... (pictures coming soon.. I promise!!)
We are so thrilled.. and man o man is he a doll! He's so precious and we are over the moon excited!

I also wanted to share how thrilled and excited we are for our dear friends the Crutchfield's... they are headed to Kazakhstan next week... please say a prayer for them... We are so thrilled they are finally about to get to their kiddos... :-)

Last I wanted to share about what God has been doing in us.... No, we've not heard anything about our dossier... Our agency met with officials at the DC consulate last week... and the meeting was positive, but we've not heard anything specific about our dossier... :(
Just when Phil or I begin to get discouraged.... someone sends something like this to us...
Wow... God is so awesome and RIGHT on time!!! We'll wait God... we'll wait on you.. and your perfect timing... cause we want your will for our lives!!!
Hope this poem encourages some of you (that are waiting) like it did us.... Many blessings.. and know that we are praying for you!!

"WAIT"

Author Unknown

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:

Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.

I plead and I wept for a clue to my fate,

And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."

"Wait? You say, wait!" my indignant reply.

"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!

Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?

By faith, I have asked, and am claiming Your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate hangs in the balance,

and You tell me to wait?

I'm needing a "Yes", a go-ahead sign,

or even a "No" to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promised that if we believe we need but to ask,

and we shall receive.

And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:

"I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate as my Master replied

once again "You must wait."

So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut

and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"

He seemed, then, to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,

and He tenderly said "I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could vie, and pleased you would be.

You would have what you want - but, you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;

You'd not know the power I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;

You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;

You'd not know the joy of resting in Me;

When the darkness and silence were all you could see.
You'd never experience the fullness of love

as the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;

You'd know that I live and I Save, for a start,

but you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The flow of my comfort late into the night,

the faith that I give when you walk without sight,

the depth that's beyond getting just what you asked

of an infinite God,

who makes what you have last.

You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,

what it means that "My grace is sufficient for thee."

Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,

But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!

So, be silent, My child,

and in time you will see that the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.

And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still, "Wait."