pictures from our week

cameron had a very busy week. he is doing wonderfully in the church nursery on Sundays and for my Bible study during the week. cameron is also enjoying his time at mother's day out twice a week. in addition to his normal schedule he had a follow up with his eye doctor and a couple trips to home depot and lowes.

cameron enjoys taking the animals off the ledge

at the doctor's office

on a "tra-tor" at lowes

inside on a cool day but not wanting to take off his jacket

(he also enjoys changing his activity table from english to spanish)

tractor at home depot

(do you sense a theme with our visits?)

"...I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

saturday morning

cameron had quite the full morning today. here are some photos to highlight our time.

i see a camera!

walking with daddy

"delivering" a newspaper to our neighbors

mail truck

watching our u-box being delivered

fork lift!!!

driving daddy's childhood tractor

(football season is here again!)

"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it..." Ecclesiastes 3:14

e.b. at 11 months

our beautiful daughter is growing so quickly. it was so wonderful to see that her foster mother brought our photos for e.b. to look through while she was in for her monthly check up! we are blessed to continue to receive monthly updates with photographs as we wait for her to come home.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10

preparing a birthday box...

we are busy preparing a birthday box for e.b.! this is something we weren't able to do while we waited for cameron to come home. we are thankful for this opportunity although it is still bittersweet as we will miss our daughter's first birthday.

the box is 12 in x 12 in x 5 1/2 in. we are trying to fit in as much as we possibly can. thanks to marshall's fine packing skills so far everything fits. below there is a photo of most of our items...bright & beautiful recordable book from hallmark; recordable cell phone; rabbit book board with stuffed rabbit; praise baby c.d.; photo album with family photos; pair of pink kitty robeez; skidders skid proof shoes; 2 bibs (1 with birthday theme); 1 sweater; 1 brown velvet jumper with long sleeve cream t-shirt; 1 tunic with pant leggings set; 2 pairs of tights; 6 pairs of socks; gift for foster mother; musical/talking toy tea pot with 2 teacups, plate & 3 cakes (have been told by friends with little girls that this is perfect!). not pictured: crocheted hat with flowers, birthday t-shirt, pink bow to match birthday t-shirt (of course!); card for foster mother; cards for e.b. from mom & dad, cameron, grandparents, uncle/aunt/cousins (with photos included); gift bags.

i just want to add that we have been so blessed by our new friends, k & g. they provided the boxes, the customs forms (and helped us with filling them out!), and the mailing labels for us! k also shopped for e.b.'s hallmark recordable book after i had told her that it was not available at our local hallmark store when we visited it earlier. they celebrated cameron's birthday dropping by a sweet gift for him and also gave us some wonderful books for e.b. and cameron! k and g live just a few streets over from us and they are waiting for their precious son to join them. he and e.b. are just a couple weeks apart in age! isn't life just amazing sometimes? THANK YOU so much!!!

one more thing to add...the quilt in the photo below is from seoul! my brother, nathan, spent over 2 weeks in seoul the past two summers. last year he brought back some beautiful items for cameron (a baby book; 2 special pillows; a quilt; and towel). this year he brought back many items for e.b.. this quilt is one of them and we think it is perfect for her room. we look forward to getting her room ready for her.

it is a privilege for us to know our daughter is loved by so many even before she arrives home, and that she is loved so by her foster family! we are blessed.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

a year ago today we became a family of three!!!

the morning we were to become a family we woke early and snapped the photo below from the window of our hotel room. we wondered anxiously what was in store for us once cameron was in our arms. we were soon to be parents to a 13 month old. we had been waiting over 4 years for this day.

our meeting with cameron was delayed until 4pm which happened to correspond with his nap and feeding schedule. he was tired and cried a lot. his foster mother calmed him until he fell asleep. thankfully for us all that is how cameron came into our arms...sleeping. his foster mother held on to cameron's arm and mine as we were in the van waiting to leave for our hotel. she was sharing her heart with me through tears and i could not understand what she was saying. it was a sweet moment between us as we all had such love for this little boy. she had given cameron a year of care and love and we are grateful to her always.

"For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord." Psalm 117:2

and a year ago today...

we were stepping through the doors to...

meet our son!!!

Yes, a year ago today we met Cameron for the first time! The meeting went well, but looking back at the video made us remember how naïve we were that day. We will never forget those first sweet moments.

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1: 8-9

a year ago in seoul...

we have such wonderful memories of our time in seoul. it is amazing to us that we have almost been a family for a year. below are some photos from our trip.

"'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.'" Revelation 4:11