Another Natalie-ism

Okay, have I ever mentioned how stinkin' funny my Natalie is? For an 8 year old she has a very quick wit. Brian says she reminds him of me. I might see that a little. For a funny Natalie story go to this post and go to the bottom. Anyway, I wanted to jot down a quick Natalie story so I won't forget it and you all can see what I get to live with. On Monday I was going over Nat's math homework with her. There was a picture of some money. She was to write the dollar amount that is was and also write it out in words. The money totaled $3.75. She wrote "three dollars and sevendy five cents". I said "Natalie. what's wrong with the word seventy?" She looked and said "OH! Right! But see, I live in Texas and down here we say SEVEN-DY!" Mind you she said it with the strongest Texas drawl she could muster up!! We both laughed and she corrected her word. Silly girl!!


While we're on the topic of Natalie I just wanted to mention her last gymnastics meet. It was a couple of weeks ago and it was her best meet yet! She came home with all blue ribbons (which means she made a 9.0 or higher) and scored the highest overall score on her team! We are so proud of how far she has come in one year! Actually all of the girls on her team had a very good meet. Of course, Brian had to actually total it up on the sheet and put a blue box around it so you all could see it! During her last event, which was her floor routine, she twisted her ankle but kept going and finished. Brian said "Just like Mary Lou Retton! She hurts herself yet finishes strong!!!" She's fine by the way. No lasting injuries!

18 months

I got this from my sister's blog so thanks, Sara! Happy 18 months, Adiah Hope LoLiang Woods!!

The FedEx Man Thinks I Love Him

Either that or he thinks he woke up famous today! The FedEx truck pulled up in front of my house at 9:20 this morning to deliver the RA! What joy! I had asked my mom to come over and wait with me so she could take a picture of me and the FedEx man. Yet another reason why he thinks I love him. When I heard the truck my mom and I began flailing around looking for the camera. I remember hearing my mom say "what do I do?". I opened the door and began snapping pictures of this poor man. He had no clue. He said "I guess these are important documents?" You got that right, buddy! So after a small photo session I opened the package and there it was. Simple as can be but oh, so valuable. I trucked it out to where Brian is working right now and he and I signed them together. I then hauled it back home and FedExed them right back to our agency. Good times!! Oh, and I noticed that the day this RA was signed in China was the day I wrote the Deep Thoughts entry. I love the Lord!!


Poor guy! What a trooper!!

The RA!!

Dr. McSteamy taking his turn to sign....

Now my turn!

Praise Jesus! We're going to CHINA!!!

Yes, you read it ladies and gents, we're going to China! After 97 days we received the call about our RA today at 2:34! Brian and I were in the car together when the phone rang. It was a 703 area code and I got so excited! All I could say was "oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh". When I answered, it was our new Family Coordinator, Stephanie and she said "Well, I have some exciting news...." And thats when I lost it! I kind of wrote off the idea of getting it this week because our agency got ONE on Monday and they usually just get them once a week, as far as I know. She said "isn't it ironic since we were just talking about this yesterday?". I thought...."no, its Jesus!" So basically what happens now is they overnight us some paperwork, we over night it back, they send it to China and then we wait a little bit more. She said anywhere from 2-6 weeks before getting our TA but with Chinese New Year coming up there's no telling. China closes down for 2 weeks starting Feb.7 for CNY. So let's pray they want to clean off their desks and get us a super speedy TA. So maybe early March before we can go???? But we can pray for sooner, right? Anyway, China says Yes and we get to go get our sweet child very soon! The end is in sight!!!!!!

Thank you, Lord!! We're coming Adiah!!

Bubblicious Bubble Gum!!

Remember those days when you were a kid and bubble gum was a common thing? I do! It seemed like I had a piece of gum in my mouth during all waking moments. I chewed a piece of grape Bubblicious bubble gum the other day and it sent my back in time. To those care free days when you played outside until the sun went down and life was simple. To those days when you would see who could blow the biggest bubble. So I've decided we should all give it a try. Go to your nearest store and buy a pack of Bubblicious bubble gum and go at it. See how big of a bubble you can blow and enjoy life!! Be a kid again!! Leave me a comment and tell me how it went. (I promise I'm not being paid by this company...I just think it would do a body good!)

Deep thoughts...by Amy

I woke up today and had something on my mind and I didn't know what to do with it so I decided to write it down.

This wait. This long wait for our daughter who currently lives across the world from me is hard. I've never been good at waiting very long for ANYTHING! I guess that's the culture we live in. Instant gratification! But this is different. I really don't have a say in how long this takes. I don't have a choice. And as hard as that is at times to accept I've kind of grown okay with it. I know...it sounds weird. I've been accused lately of *stressing* about this. But I'll say its more than that. Stressing in my mind is different. Its clawing, flailing, clinging to any sort of control you can have over a situation. Forgive me if that's not what you think. In this situation...its what I think. Just recently my friends Britney and Brad, went through a very difficult waiting phase as the doctor's were testing their unborn baby for a frightening defect. Britney and I got to spend lots of time together during the days before the news came. One of the things we talked about was what a gift this "season of waiting" was. Whatever the outcome, good or bad, she was never going to get THIS time back. This opportunity, if you will. Did she have to pretend that she wasn't scared or nervous or frustrated? NO. On the other hand, did she have to walk around sad because she was waiting on some potentially bad news even if she wasn't feeling sad? NO. This time was an opportunity to grow close to the Giver of Life. To take ALL that she was feeling and lay it at his feet and say "Lord, I trust you and the fact that you have all of this in your control. But here is what I have and I lay it at your feet as an offering. I give it to you and Praise you!!" When the tears came she cried. When the laughter came she laughed. The Lord did an amazing thing during their wait. He changed some ways of thinking. But it was a choice she had to make. A choice to walk into his arms and let Him comfort her. And that is what I am choosing to do. I have so much in life that I am thankful for!! I have a 3 wonderful children here that I get to parent everyday. They are my joy!! I have another child that is coming. Whenever that is! And I choose to let this time of waiting be an opportunity to grow deeper in love with my God. Do I have hard times? Yes! But I don't stay there. He wants me to honest with where I am. But He also wants me to learn from it and maybe the next time the sadness comes it won't be as hard. The Lord has been so faithful to give me exactly what I need when I'm struggling. And I find when I sit and read His word when I am it's like the words jump off that page and breathe life into me! And I offer EVERYTHING I have to him. Good and bad and ask him to use this time. Use it to change me. Use it to teach me things I wouldn't have learned otherwise. I don't want to get to the end of this waiting (and there is an end, folks) and wish I'd chosen to live differently. THIS is the day the Lord has made! I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!

If your wondering....Brit and Brad's baby is going to be fine!! Little Eli!! What an amazing God we serve!! Thanks for listening!

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Let all that I am praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.
Praise the Lord!

90 Days.........

waiting for our RA. Okay, I lied! I AM counting......

Let's Look At Her Again....

Just thought we all needed to look again at the precious one waiting in China for us. Adiah, we're getting there as fast as we can!!
(By the way, go check out my sister's blog if you haven't see it in the last couple of days!!)

Christmas 2007- TAKE 2!!

We had Christmas with my side of the family this past Saturday and it was such fun! My parents recently bought a house right around the corner from my sister. Literally. They have not moved into it yet as they are still trying to get theirs ready to put on the market but we had Christmas there anyway. The kids had a BLAST on the 8 acres of land. My dad's hunting rig thingy was out there and Emily got a crash course(pun intended) in driving it. She had the privilege of driving the other kids around in it all day. Good times! We opened gifts and did our annual gift exchange with the adults. This gift exchange gets a little competitive so I was proud when we left with all body parts in tact and smiles on our faces. Especially Sara, who was guarding her gift with her life. NO ONE was getting her gift. We then ate some Bubba Q BBQ and called it a night. Adiah got lots of really neat gifts, as well, this weekend. A towel with her name on it, a baby blanket with her name on it and another blanket plus toys. The girl already needs to clean out her room! Well now that Christmas is officially over for us we can look forward to the new year and all that it holds!



Ahhhh, the country life!


The tree...remember this in an empty house we were in. Gotta work with what you have!


Adiah's stash


My dad and his John Deere shirt. You know, he does live in the country now!

80 days....

waiting for our RA. I'm not counting! Are you counting?