Adopt or Not To Adopt? That is the question!

Our little Miss "I do it!"sitting like a big girl on the "park bench."

Yeah, yeah. I caught you again, didn't I? You're checkin' the blog, and checkin' the blog to see what the tribal council decided. Well, at this point, we do NOT yet know the results of the meeting. Is it any wonder my hair is the color that it is becoming?!! I will pass this along to you, though. We have been contacted by an agency that has been contracted to do an adoption home study on our family. This particular home study is contracted and paid for by the county. I have been told by a caseworker that this particular home study is similar to the home study that is done for foster care, but more in depth. This home study also costs very much and so the county will not issue one unless they are pretty positive that an adoption will follow shortly. Our caseworkers and supervisors believe this is a very good sign. This paricular home study is good for three years and for anywhere in the state of Pennsylvania. I promise. When I hear something more definite, I WILL post it. I guess you'll just have to keep checkin' in!

Travelin' To TLC

Daryl & Nevaeh
This is Nevaeh's HERO. She adores her big brother and listens for his voice and footsteps at all times. All dirt bikes are Daryl and anyone coming in our door (if she doesn't see them) is Daryl. This very morning, Nevaeh got up and told Daddy, "Bye-bye, Daryl." She ended up insisting all day long that we go bye-bye for Daryl and at one point she went and got my purse and drug it across the floor while saying, "Bye-bye, Daryl." We will see Daryl this weekend when we go to Florida for the commissioning service, then we will not see him for another three weeks. I don't know what poor Nevaeh is going to do!

This is right after we arrived at the airport before checking in Daryl's luggage. Do ya' like the party froo-froo I attached to the handle of Daryl's suitcase? He thought it was a little embarrassing but since his crazy but loving mother put it there, he would leave it. I wanted to make sure that he would have no trouble finding it when he went to baggage claim. Guess what! It worked. And he sent me a picture from his cell phone of his suitcase rolling around the belt before he picked it up!

We took time for a family pose before he left.

This is Chris (Clark) Lucas and myself. We were classmates in college. Music theory to be precise. Anyway, a couple of months ago, I received an e-mail from Chris, sharing that her oldest daughter was going on a TLC trip as well and needed to get to Florida. Chris wanted to know how Daryl was getting there. I had already purchased Daryl's plane tickets so I sent her a copy of his itinerary. She got on her 'puter and booked Tenee on the same flight. So Daryl did not have to travel alone. I think it was a great relief to both mom's to have this turn of events in the traveling arrangements. There's safety in numbers, you know!

This is Daryl and Tenee Lucas.
They were traveling companions to Florida. The interesting part of this for them was that this was the very first time they met. Imagine walking up to someone in the terminal and being introduced and heading off across the country together. But they managed quite well. They flew from Pittsburgh to Philly and after a two hour layover, boarded another plane and flew into West Palm. On the flight from Pitt to Philly, Daryl spilled half of his Coke on his lap! Tenee couldn't help but laugh. Then, of all things, on the flight from Philly to West Palm, Tenee spilled her drink on herself! Tenee's mom, Chris, "told" me that they have both been "baptized" and now are ready for service!

Daryl is in line and ready to board. Since Daryl is still 15, Mark was given a "parent pass" into the boarding area. That is how we were able to get these pictures.

Tenee is ready to board. While Daryl and Tenee were able to sit together on the plane, they ended up in different boarding lines.

They flew Southwest and were able to get round trip tickest for a little over a hundred bucks. I think Tenne's tickets cost a little more because hers were booked after Daryl's. Sometimes, I think the price is altered by the minute! My word! Oh, well. The price was still great.

Their plane.

After the kids boarded, Mark came out and we talked with Chris, Toni (another daughter) and baby boy (Oh, dear. I can't remember his name. And you should have heard Chris rattle through all nine of her kiddos names!!) for a few more minutes before heading to the parking deck. As we were climbing into our van, their plane flew overhead.
I have spoken with Daryl a couple of times since he and Tenee left. He is doing well. Arrived safely and without problems other than the soda spill syndrome. He "bumped" into an old friend Monday night while walking down the hall in the boys dorm, and he and JJ Paulus made plans to meet early the next morning. They went jogging on the beach together. Daryl called once more on Tuesday morning after his jog. He was waiting to be "trucked" to the land where they hold boot camp. Once the teens enter boot camp, there is no communication between parents and children. I'm fine with that. He's in good hands. He's in God's hands and we'll see him in just a couple days!!
Whooo boyo! Nevaeh just woke up from her nap crying for Daryl! Lord, help us!!

A Special Sendoff!

Being a kid is harder these days than when I was a kid many enough years ago. Making tough choices seems to be the norm anymore. Life just doesn't seem to get any easier as time goes by. And making the choice to find God's will for your life is passed by in the lives of too many of our young people. So seeing Daryl make this choice has been special to our family. Many will never know the battles he has gone through to get ready for his trip to the Amazon. It's been clear to us from the start that this experience was God's desire and it was also clear that the Devil intended to keep it from happening. But God has taught Daryl so much already just in preparations and now the time has come for Daryl to leave for boot camp. We will leave in the morning to take Daryl to the Pittsburgh Airport where we will meet up with another "TLCer" before flying to Florida. After a week at boot camp, Daryl will leave with his team for Columbia, South America where they will meet missionary Becky (Cooley) Stence. Daryl will be living on a houseboat and working in various jungle villages. He will return home July 1. Our special church family wanted to give Daryl a sendoff of love and prayer so a special time was set aside in our evening service. Daryl played his guitar and sang a song which he wrote in the past couple of days. I will share the words to his song at the end of this post.

The board members gathered in close and laid their hands on Daryl.
Nevaeh was greatly concerned about Daddy crying.

She kept watching him and patting him though she did not cry herself. I believe she knew that Daddy was praying.

The guy on the left with the shiny head is Jeff Shorts. He is our Minister of Outreach and the Youth Leader here at our church. Jeff led in prayer. The guy on the right with the gray hair is Jerry Ritchey. He is our church treasurer. He and Daryl share many common interests and spend time together whenever they can. Both of these men are very special to Daryl.

Daryl getting up after prayer.
We will share more of Daryl's adventure as it unfolds.

I Give It All To You

I give it all to You
I lay it all upon Your back
I give it all to You
REPEAT
*****
I know that it seems that I'm giving up my dreams
But I'm giving them to You
All of the tears that I cried was my fear from deep inside
I give them all to You
*****
I give it all to You
I lay it all upon Your back
I give it all to You
REPEAT
*****
I give You all my dreams - I give You all my fear
I know just what I need - I give it all to you
I give you all my dreams - I give You all my fear
It's Your grace that's all I need
I give you all of me
*****
I give it all to You
I lay it all upon Your back
I give it all to You
REPEAT
*****
I give my life to You

Biker Babe!

Nevaeh & Jeff
I thought that you would love knowing that Jeff is our Minister of Outreach here at Evangelistic Tabernacle. He stopped in at the house the other day and Nevaeh was fascinated by his bike. Daryl actually got Nevaeh started by sitting her on the dirt bike with him and revving the motor. Nevaeh LOVES the sound and even came in the house and tried to rev her tricycle! She made the cutest revving sound with her mouth.

Jeff reached up and revved the motor loud till it crackled and popped.
Below is Nevaeh's reaction!

Ooooooo!!!

This post is solely and completely for my dear friend, Kricket.
Bertha Mae is 39 today!

FINALLY! Some news worth sharing!

So much time has passed and for a while it seemed as if absolutely nothing was being done. Well, truth be told, absolutely nothing was being done for a while. And we sat and waited. Wow! Talk about learning to trust God. Our family has been learning together and God has been teaching each of us what that means for each of us personally. We all struggle differently and so our trust issues have also been different. Our great God is diverse and has proven Himself in meeting our family's diverse needs. THAT is a comfort. And as always, God is SO good!

Today, we spoke personally to the charge casemanager in Nevaeh's adoption situation. She had just spoken with the representative of the tribal council. A meeting has been scheduled to take care of Nevaeh's situation from their perspective.

Since they (tribal council) are the "powers that be" at present, we are greatly concerned regarding their perspective and decision. We will not receive the results of that meeting until Monday at the earliest. Daryl is scheduled to fly to Florida for boot camp and then leaves one week later for South America where he will live for three weeks in a houseboat on the Amazon. I asked the Lord if it was at all possible, would He allow us to find out something before Daryl has to go and be "out of touch" for a month. I can only imagine what it would feel like to be away from home with no way to communicate and wonder if your little sister would be there when you get home. I didn't want Daryl to have to spend his trip in that way.

We are asking EVERYONE to please pray NOW for this upcoming meeting. For those of you who do not know all the details as you have not been following our adventure, this decision is whether or not the Native American tribal council of which Nevaeh is a close decendent, will relinquish their rights to Mark and I and allow our adoption of Nevaeh. At the suggestion of a new but fast becoming dear friend, cover your prayers with the precious blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. The enemy of us all is out to destroy and discourage us all and has no qualms about interfering with our petitions to a Holy God. Satan trembles at the power that is in the blood of Jesus as he cannot compete with that! As soon as we are able, we will share the outcome with you. Please know how much we appreciate knowing your prayers are with us. God's family is incredible.

Oh! There's one more thing I wanted to tell you. Life is way too short! In spite of the struggles that we face and the rocks we encounter in our pathway, take time to "smell the flowers!"

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing - Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing - Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet - Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it - Mount of God's unchanging love

Oh, to grace how great a debtor - Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that grace, now like a fetter - Bind my yielded heart to Thee
Let me know Thee in Thy fullness - Guide me by Thy mighty hand
Till, transformed, in Thine own image - In Thy presence I shall stand

And MUCH More Birthday!

Princess Nevaeh Re'

1 year old

A decorated basement ready for a party with our church family.

A place was set just for the kids to be together.


And you just can't have a party without balloons!


Nevaeh's cake.

A close up of the "Little People" that we pressed into the side of the cake. After the icing was licked and washed off, Nevaeh had these cute toys to play with. And she even knows the sound that the dog makes! Thanks, Michelle, for the great idea!

I liked how the colors matched so well.

Every princess needs a crown!

The princess in waiting.

The plates.

The birthday girl!

Everybody gathered around to sing "Happy Birthday!"

More party animals!

Getting ready to blow out the candle with Daddy's help.

Licking off her "Little People."

Mmm! Good!

Blue stained chin. She's not a very messy princess!

Bria

Ashlynn & Nathaniel

Ethan & Austin

Chloe Cassady

(and Blake is to her right)

Chow time!

The trike bike from Mama & Daddy.

Bubba helped Nevaeh ride.

Nevaeh with Tia'.

Nevaeh liked when Tio' Steve sang to her.

Look at the disbelief on Nevaeh's face when she saw her very own telephone!

Thank you, Austin, Ashlynn and Michelle!

I'd say your gift was a hit!

Calling Mammy right away!

The celebration was wonderful and Nevaeh was loved by everyone. She received many cute and very useful gifts. Thank you everybody for taking time to care.

We love you!

Happy, happy birthday, little angel!