Gatlinburg

We took a little "family day" to honor the occasion of Johnathan turning 18. We got up early and ate at the apple barn in Pigeon Forge and then headed to Gatlinburg. Johnathan likes to go to Gatlinburg because you can find almost any Ford Shirt that you might want! SO~he shopped and shopped for his lovely Ford apparel. I am so glad that we had this day to spend together!!!

Josy showing them how it is done!! My tall boy! Josy still can't believe we are having a day that is not all about her. LOL!! She really was very sweet even though you would never be able to tell it by looking at this picture!! Bubba let her help pick out some shirts!!!

My FAMILY!! What would I ever do without them????

One step closer!!!! We almost have USCIS approval to bring Melee back into the states!!!! Now~~if we would only get LOA!!!! Come on LOA!!!

The MUSTANG is PAINTED!!!!

Yahooooooo~~~ Johnathan is so super excited. Stay tuned for pictures~~!!!!!

One step closer!!!! We almost have USCIS approval to bring Melee back into the states!!!! Now~~if we would only get LOA!!!! Come on LOA!!!

NEWS

We heard from our agency that they did not receive the update for Melee. They said that it should come next week. At least I know they are working on it, right??? PRAY Missy!!! My friends a word of advise....Never and I meant Never pray for patience!!!

A song in my head~~~~

"I can see clearly now the rain is gone!" I do not know why but after feeling like all I wanted to do is cry yesterday I feel a lot better today. I know GOD is in control. I am looking forward to a great bible fellowship cook out. Not to mention I have pictures and an update of MY Melee coming next week ; )

What makes me LUCKY~~

Josy was getting ready to go to soccer and was saying that Jen, my friend, and Mamaw Sherrie's Lemonade made her lucky on the soccer field. Isn't it funny how kids get things in their head? Just like she thinks that if she wears her blue and white SKECHERS that she can run SUPER FAST!!! Simple child like thoughts. BUT~~Aren't they sooo cute?

Darrell leaves for Spain!

This morning Darrell took off from work. He went over to the school to see Johnathan. Since he was leaving for Spain he thought it would be nice for him to go over and take some pictures of the mustang before it is painted.

THIS IS THE COLOR IT WILL BE. Pretty and SILVER!!!! I like it. Johnathan had told me for a long time that he was going to paint it lime green. I was so relieved to find out he was just joking!!!!

PRIMED and READY for PAINT!!!!!!

It has been a long time coming, son! I am so proud that you have stuck with it!!

ROUGH DAY!!!!!!

Today I have been very "WHEEPY". I have been working in Josy's closet and I looked at the little clothes that I had hung in there for Melee. She only has a few things. Things that Mamaw Sherrie and Jen have bought for her. Darrell requested that we get an update on her from our agency. They said probably next week we should get something. When we started this I was OK if it happened and OK if it didn't. Well somewhere along the way my heart has decided that I WILL NOT BE OK if this DOES NOT happen. This little girl is my daughter. She is my Melee Faith. I want to hold her. I do not want her to turn one without me. We ask if we could send her a care package for her birthday and they said that it was possible. BUT....we would have to say on our adoption forms that we had not had contact with the orphanage. SO that meant we would have to lie. I cried and cried. I knew in my heart that it would not be right to do this. So we decided that we would just wait and trust that her "HEAVENLY Daddy" will hold her tight and take care of her. After all He has taken care of her so far and we can trust HIM. Afterall, HE is the one that is making us a family.

I AM STRESSED!!!

I am trying to remember that GOD IS IN CONTROL!!! I am just sooooo desperate to hear about our baby! I am getting more and more anxious as the days go by. I am scared something is going to happen and we will not get her. She IS MY baby girl. We started this process with no guarantees and I know that. BUT, as the time has went on I have fell MORE and MORE in LOVE with this little girl. I have bonded with her. I feel like I know her and I want to hold her. I want to tell her that she has a mommy that loves her. She has a family. We love her. We want to tuck her in at night and tell her everyday that we love her. Oh~~I need to pray! I need PRAYERS!!!! Praying I hear something SOON before I drive myself crazy!!!!

Boy, Did I need this today!!!!

Thursday, April 16 Who Is in Control? So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.Isaiah 55:11Recommended ReadingIsaiah 7:14 ; Matthew 1:18Parenting experts disagree on quite a few things, such as spanking, time outs, manners, sleeping, eating, obedience, and tantrums. Typically though, there is one common thread among those who claim to know how to raise children; you must follow through on what you say. If a parent explains the consequences of disobedience to their child, they must be ready and willing to carry them out. In other words, parents must mean what they say. This fosters respect and prompt, pleasant obedience in most cases because children quickly learn who is in control: the parent.Just as smart parents follow through in order to teach their children obedience, sometimes God uses prophecy for the instruction of His children. He wants us to know that when He says He will do something, we can be absolutely sure it will come to pass as He said. At the same time, He is showing us His authority and trustworthiness so that if we ever question what is going on in the world, we can simply search His Word, discover what He says about it, and remember who is in control: Almighty God. He who breathes into our hearts the heavenly hope will not deceive or fail us when we press forward to its realization.Anonymous

I am whining AGAIN!!!!!

Everybody on China Adopt Talk is getting their LOA! I WANT MINE!!!! AND.....I wonder why Josy throws tantrums! She gets it from her silly moma! Help me Lord to wait and trust you!!!

REDNECK RECREATION!!

NUFF said!

We need I-800A approval

I went to the post office this morning to mail off our home study so we can get our immigration approval to bring Melee back into the country! I am praying it comes quickly and we are able to be fingerprinted. Darrell leaves for Spain on Monday and I hope that he gets back in time for the fingerprint appointment. God is in CONTROL! I have to remind myself of this and know that our baby girl will be home at just the PERFECT TIME!!!!!

Homestudy finished!!!

Yahoo! I can not believe we have finally got this finished. Our child abuse clearances came back from Mississippi and we were able to pick up the finished home study copy. I am so happy and can not wait to hold my baby girl!!!!!!It is Monday and I am hoping to get our LOA today. It seems that they are issued on Monday and Thursday. It sure would be nice to get that and have that step behind us too!!!! One can only hope!!!!!!

Homestudy finished!!!

Yahoo! I can not believe we have finally got this finished. Our child abuse clearances came back from Mississippi and we were able to pick up the finished home study copy. I am so happy and can not wait to hold my baby girl!!!!!!It is Monday and I am hoping to get our LOA today. It seems that they are issued on Monday and Thursday. It sure would be nice to get that and have that step behind us too!!!! One can only hope!!!!!!

Easter!

Johnathan does not like to have his picture made and he does not smile. Josy has decided she wants to be like him. She refuses to smile for the camera!

See what I mean????

I did however get this one of her looking at her daddy! Precious~~~!!!

Happy 1st Birthday, SETH!!!!!

I can hardly believe you are a year old already!!!! We are sooo happy to be your family!!!! You are such a sweet little boy with a smile that can melt the coldest heart!!! You are going to make this world a better place. You have already made this family MORE blessed just being our precious baby Seth!!!!

He loved his cake his mommy made for him!!!! Although, he did not like it on his fingers.....at first!

Baby Seth, WE LOVE YOU soooo much!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Bestest Friends!

Prayer needed~

Today Gail called and the birthmom we are working with her in the states is struggling with the flesh. I am so concerned for her and for the wellbeing of the baby. What a rollercoaster ride.....I am missing MY Melee Faith and want to hold her in my arms terribly. We went to Seth's 1st birthday party today. I was thinking about how my Melee Faith is in China. She will spend her 1st birthday on May 20 in an orphanage. It makes me very sad. I pray a miracle happens and at least her daddy can be over there with her. Maybe it will be possible. I love her so much already and I feel very helpless. I am praying for a miracle to be with my Melee Faith on her birthday......

YOU WILL GET THIS CHILD!!!!!!!

This is the words that came from our agency today. She was saying that China is processing this adoption!!! I then said,so....IF they have any questions now will be the time for them to ask, right??? Our adoption coordinator said, "Missy, you WILL have this child!!!" Hold on a little while longer baby girl.....Daddy will be there SOON!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!!!!

The WILL OF GOD will never take you where the GRACE OF GOD will not protect you!!!!

THANKFUL Thursday!!!!!

This is a picture of the playroom wall. Josy and Miranda was practicing writing....on the wall. I know you may not think that this is something for me to be thankful for, right? Well.......the girls were truly sorry! AND~~I know they will NEVER do it again!!! As I was washing it off and thanking Jesus for magic eraser, I was thinking about how they did not do this to be mean. They did it because they were "making it pretty!" I started looking at it and thought how pretty it really is. It is pretty because I have a daughter and a niece who enjoy playing together. It is pretty to me because there will be a day all too soon that I will look back at this picture and wish I could have this moment back. IT IS JUST A MATERIAL ITEM. Possessions can be replaced, my family can not!

AND~Her name will be~~~~

Melee FAITH Qi Nan McCroskey!!! Melee after my papaw---Melvin lee and Faith because that is our story to her..... How it took faith in God to start the process to adopt our daughter!!! We also know a sweet little girl named Faythe. It is my prayer that our Faith will be as sweet and caring as the FAYTHE she is named after.

Picnic Time!

The weather has been so nice! The girls wanted to eat out on the deck. I fixed them their lunch and went to put in a load of laundry. I peeked out and this is what I saw~~~Josy had went inside and got a bowl of water. She was washing Miranda's feet. It was the cutest! Look at the sunshine DIVA. Miranda was wanting to wear my glasses. She said the sun was too bright. So~~I gave her a pair and Josy a pair. Josy wore hers 2 seconds and gave them to Miranda. In process of trying on the glasses notice where a pair landed!!!

After lunch the girls wanted to paint.

I took their shirts off so they would not get paint on them!

I need to buy some aprons!

The girls making silly faces!! Hard at work!

Future ARTIST!!!

Thought for the DAY!!!!

The WILL of GOD will never take you where the GRACE OF GOD will not protect you!!!