Defensive Driving

This is what doing defensive driving at home looks like!

I got a ticket at my brothers the day before we left for Tanzania. 

Preparing for Bukoba

We head to Dallas tomorrow to get Lillian settled with John and Emily and then we head for Bukoba Saturday evening.  I spent today trying to balance packing, laundry, cleaning and holding Lillian. This is what I wanted to do all day...

But packing had to take place and laundry and cleaning needed to be done.  When we arrive home I will have a week or less to get our house ready for our homestudy. Seeing as our kitchen currently looks like this...

And thus our dinning room looks like this...

Causing the rest of the house to be a disaster zone... I am feeling really stressed and overwhelmed!  I know Satan has been attacking Stephen and I as we are preparing for this trip and using the adoption process against us at every turn; but by the grace of God if you are reading this post, Lillian is officially ours and we have made it through.  No one can take her away and we can parent and go about our lives without being under a microscope!  I know there will be more bumps and stress but I am trying to not let Satan get a foothold on this trip or my marriage (but it has been difficult). Lillian is our everything and so it is a scary thing to always live in fear that something will go wrong and we will lose her. That we can't adequately prove we are good parents and that our house isn't good enough and we don't live a tidy enough life to meet caseworkers and the states standards. 

If you could read this in real time I would ask for your prayers that I would not be stressed about the homestudy, that we will be granted and early adoption and that God will use our story with Lillian to bring those we meet in Bukoba to know him!

How Much I Love You

Lillian, if you ever question how much I love....

know today at 1:20 AM I carried you a half mile while you were sleeping down and up a HUGE hill just so you wouldn't have to be unswaddled and woken up to be put into the car seat to be driven home from Tammy and Ray's house. 

Not only do I love you to the moon and back but also from 2918 Dogwood Drive to 2400 Dogwood Drive!

My Little Swimming Swan

She wasn't quite sure what to think about waking up from the car seat and getting a wardrobe change outside. But she didn't cry and I think it's safe to say she loved it!  Aunt Dee and I were thrilled:)

Who wore it best?

I think it's safe to say Lillian!