More Wisconsin Pictures!

We finished off our time in Wisconsin camping at Jellystone Park, a very family friendly campground. We actually left the campsite one night and went back to the McGuires because of thunderstorms and tornado watches. One of the highlights of being in the mid west was catching fireflies. I hadn't done that since I was a child and it was so much fun. Brayden was able to have a birthday celebration with his cousins. One of his gifts was going to see the CARS 2 movie. I personally thought the movie was boring but the company was good.

We have arrived in Wisconsin!

We finished off our time in Colorado by going to:
-Indian Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde
-Chuck Wagon Dinner with Blue Grass Band performance
-self-guided tour of Silverton, numerous mines and a Ghost Town
We woke up early Saturday morning and began our journey to Wisconsin. We are staying with my sister's family and enjoying every minute.

One Week Down, Three to Go!

We are having a wonderful time on our road trip. Our first stop was Utah where we spent Thurs. through Mon. morning. Upon arriving in Bryce Canyon, Providence stated, "Mom, is this where Mary laid?" I didn't understand what she was talking about so I probed her further. She said, "You know, where Mary laid God?" Dallas sarcastically responded, "No, Prov, God was laid in Bethlehem!" You have to remember they are around chickens alot and apparently think babies are laid. Anyways, we saw many beautiful sites in Utah and then headed to Ourey, Colorado. I have never been one to take many pictures of scenery, but I have to say that Ourey, Colorado is the most beautiful place I have ever been too. It resembles Switzerland. We are so thankful for our jeep because it has allowed us to see things off the normal trail that we wouldn't be able too without four wheel drive. We have hiked, fished, swam, gone on a mine tour, traveled many trails in our jeep and look forward to the many more activities that we will be doing in the next three weeks. If you look closely, you will notice that Selah gave herself a "bang cut" when we were driving to Colorado. I was sitting up front and looked back and saw scissors on the motor home table and a chunk of hair lying next to it. Lovely!!! I will try to post when I can. Internet access is inconsistent at these campgrounds!

Summer Road Trip: Week One

Meet our newest addition: ASLAN!!

This is our new sweet golden retriever, ASLAN. He was named after the lion in The Chronicles of Narnia. Hopefully, he will live up to his name, as ASLAN in the Narnia, represents God. We expect perfectionism: No chewing our shoes, or eating our drip lines, or jumping on kids and making them cry, digging holes, running away, ect... As you can guess, we have experienced all of the above with our other puppies who were named wrong. "POWER", was the worst and most disobedient. I still have images of Jason chasing him around in a circle with much frustration. (I must abmit, it was a hilarious sight, seeing my calm husband get so frustrated." I could completely relate because I had done the same thing and wanted to strangle the dog. Never, ever name a dog, "Power".

Progress!!!

What do these numbers signify? Well, our Dossier (adoption paperwork) has finally been approved and we are officially on the waiting list for Ethiopia. We received the exciting phone call yesterday. We are #91 for a girl, #71 for a boy, and #39 for siblings. We are praying specifically for twins. We do not yet know what the new waiting time frame will be due to the changes that have occurred. But, we have made significant progress, and for that we are very thankful.

Remember Abraham!

For the second time this week, in different devotional books, I have come across the story of Abraham. He was man of faith, who followed God's leading despite knowing what the outcome would be. First, God asked him to leave everything he had known and travel to a new country. This new country was not revealed to him before he left. He was just to follow God's leading and he would find out later after he daily obeyed and traveled, where God was taking him. He was tested later, in regards to his son Isaac. God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, and though this was against anything Abraham wanted to do, he took the necessary steps of obedience and before he laid a hand on Isaac to kill him, God provided an alternate sacrifice. His test of obedience was really a test of his faith. Did he trust God completely? The past week has revealed much to me about my faith. I have been confused because Jason and I really have felt called to adoption. Yet, there have been continuous roadblocks. I got to the point last week, where I was ready to forget it all and see the signs as a closed door, before the door had completely shut. It just seemed easier and justified. But circumstances seem to be changing and there is still hope of Ethiopian children being adopted. I have been reminded to take one day at a time and just follow in obedience, with many unknowns, until God shows us differently. Today, in my devotions I read My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. These phrases really stood out to me. I hope it is encouraging for any of you who are walking through situations that seem foggy. "Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason- a life of knowing Him who calls us to go. A life of faith is not one glorious mountain top experience after another, like soaring on eagles's wings, but is a life of day-in and day-out consistency; a life of walking without fainting. It is a faith that has been tried and proved and has withstood the test." I don't know about you, but I sure need to work on my day-in and out consistency and not constantly be looking for BIG ways to serve God. I need to get to know God better and the only way I can do that is by spending more time in the Word and praying. So, I will try to remember Abraham and his faithfulness.