Ups and Downs

Wow! Long time no blog. We have had so much going on here lately. In regard to my last post, we were on quite a roller coaster ride last week trying to complete a few last minute documents regarding licenses from our home study agency. These are the papers AIA requested from our homestudy agency waaaayy back on February 7, but don't get me started on that again! TX puts expiration dates but not issuance dates on licenses for social workers or child placing agency administrators so we needed letters from their licensing boards stating when there licenses were issued. Sounds simple, right? Ha ha ha. I won't bore you with all the details but after many many many emails and calls with me actually begging and crying on the phone, the letters were completed and arrived at our adoption agency in Alaska last Thursday. What a relief! Or at least it was until I got the email from Olga, our director, saying one of the letters was signed incorrectly. Ugh! So after more frantic emailing and phone calls, arrangements were made for the letter to be reissued and signed correctly this time. We just got word that the new document arrived in Alaska today and will be hand delivered in Khabarovsk by another AIA family traveling this week! Hallelujah!!

Todd's dad had a very scary accident week before last. He was injured badly by a bull. He was thrown in the air, hit his head on the fence and then was trampled pretty good. Thank goodness the vet was there to get the bull off of him and call the ambulance. He is still very sore and has a very badly separated shoulder. The surgeon decided not to operate but to try physical therapy first. We hope that will be very successful. It was a bad accident but could have been so much worse. While he is recovering Todd has been doing more of the work on the ranch on top of an already very busy schedule. I wanted to share a neat story with you - Of course in busy times like these, everything seems to tear up or quit working. A windmill had stopped pumping water so after they worked on it all one afternoon, Todd drove back that evening to see if it was pumping. It wasn't. Todd said he was exhausted and frustrated and he just started praying. He said, "Lord, I just don't think I can take much more right now." Right then he looked up and water came pouring out of the pipe. Pretty cool, huh? God doesn't give us more than we can take, but sometimes we feel like he overestimates us a little!!!

My grandfather passed away this week and we had his service this morning. It is a sad time but we just can't help but celebrate. After 91 years, Grandpa Joe became a christian just 3 weeks ago! What a comfort today to know that he is in heaven and in no pain! Praise God!!! This was Blaine's first experience with the death of a family member. He did remarkably well. He was very curious about everything at the funeral home and the cemetery but never seemed scared or overly upset. He said, "The next time I see Grandpa Joe will be when I go to heaven but that won't be for a long time. You'll probably see him before me, Mama."
My cousin Matt and his wife Lyndsey brought their beautiful baby girl with them to the funeral. She's 18 months old and reminds me alot of Valerie. It was such a joy to play with her and watch Blaine interact with her but it made me really really miss Valerie!

The last couple of weeks have been full of ups and downs. Even in the midst of the downs, we have a lot to be thankful for. My next project is Valerie's room. Can you believe we've been home 4 weeks and I haven't started that yet? I'm excited about it though. I'll keep you posted!