We have been provisionally APPROVED! again

Pedro visa is finally been approved and this time it is for real!!! WHat a ordeal this one has been! In the end though what matters is our son is coming home and will be home for Christmas WOOHOO! Through all of this what the Lord keeps on and on having to teach me is pray without ceasing even when it doesn't feel like he is even there because he Always is! He never leaves and I am so thankful. I am so thankful for my prayer warriors that carried us through as well, what would we have done without them. I am so thankful that Pedro will no longer have to worry over wether he will ever really get to come home or not! I am so thankful he didn't give up on us as well. I am so excited for this new chapter in our lives. I just hope to slow down and enjoy all the moments we have to come. What a wonderful December! We hopefully will travel next week to bring Pedro HOME!

My Favorite picture of some sweet times!

Hunting Season

Josie loves to touch them believe it or not!

Josie's First hunting trip

Christian's 10 point

Corie's First Buck

Hunting Season is something my crew looks very forward to and this year has been a great one! Fun Times in our home.
On the Pedro front.......Looking very positive is all I can say right now since I don't want to get my hopes up to much again  but My Hope lies in the LORD and Pedro is coming home soon!

Halloween 2010

This was such a fun Halloween/ Fall time. We did hayrides, pumpkin patches, fallfest, ate lots of candy and had lots and lots of fun with our friends and family and strangly even with all the drama of trying to get our son home I am very much looking forward to the rest of the holidays coming up! It is a time to be thankful and I am that! Very Thankful! I am blessed with such a amazing heathly, happy family. I have the best husband a person could ever ask for and even though all my prayers arent' being answered the way I want them to I know they are being answered and in the time I am ready for the answer GOD will reveal them to me!

Pedro's case update

We are still very active fighting to bring our son home! we have alot of action going on now, we have a I-601 waiver active waiting for response in Juarez, We have our1800-A active again one becuase we expired and have to be refingerprinted and to because we are still fighting his I-800. and last but most important we have filed for Humanitarian Parole.  Humanitarian is were we are putting our biggest effort right now, the waiver is possible but since USCIS never officially denied our visa we don't necessarily qualify for but with the right person we could be granted this because it is up to reviewer descreation. The Humanitarian Parole is granted normally to those only in dire need such as starvation or fatal disease etc, but again up to reviewer descreation and considering our case since Feb. our son has been denied being with his family becuase of one small paperwork mistake of our attorney it is definatly a humanitarian case that our 14 year old son doesn't have to remain in a drug cartel raging country one the US warns Americans not to go into. He has been a orphan since age 7 and now still no answers for him, no guarentee that he will get to be with the family he has for son long desired, everyday we risk losing him to the horrible things he world has to offer. It is only humantarian that the US would let this one innocent mexican boy come and this with his US citizen parents and brother and sisters. HE deserves that We deserve to be able to grant him that!.
 So yesterday my attorney had a hour long meeting with some influencial person in washington advising us on how to get the humanitarian parole and I am believing this Will happen. If it does we will get to go get him immediatly!  I am told hopefully by Friday we will know something. PRAYING!!!!!!
 Please pray for Pedro as his momma I a concerned about his heart, how he is coping and feeling. We don't hear from him very often anymore and financially we cannot go visit again so I know God is in control and we are not to fear so I just pray in Jesus Name that the enemy fighting so hard to keep my ever so obvious special son away from is family WILL BE DEFEATED and all the government officials keeping this from happening will be defeated and GOD will prevail and this wait will be over soon.

We Love you Pedro and will not stop fighting till you are home with us, we have our boxing gloves ON!.

Christians 1st Homecoming Dance

October 16, which happened to be mine and Carrol's 17th wedding Anniversary! Christian went to his first homecoming dance. He met up with a big group of friends that he has went to school with since kindergarten. They all looked so beautiful and so grown up. It is so strange sometimes when you look at your baby and see all these first grown up things happening, like driving, hunting in his own stand, going to his first dance, his first job! wow!  This is such a fun stage though, we have even been getting up and working out together. The thing about it is although it is so cool to watch as a momma you have in the other part of your mind that your time with them at home is sliding by.... and that makes for lots of mixed emotions  Makes me think of the song "Happens in a blink" so when I get alittle frustrated that I can't get Josie out of my bed all I have to do is look at Christian and i remember it Happens in a Blink! So I will hold on to my kids as tight as I can for as long as I can!   Christian is such my Delight! He is my boy! I love him with everybeing of my body and couldn't imagine having anybettter of a son and am humbled everyday that I am his momma!

Someday

Well baby moon went home to family:( It was great though, sad to see him go but he went home with  family that I am sure will love on him everybit as much as we did.
30 minutes after dropping him off the phone call came again with 2 other littleones in need of a safe haven for a while so we lost one gained 2. They are doing great. Sweet kiddos just takes alittle adjusting when you add one so to add 2, well things get alittle busier!

USCIS!!!! if you can believe first rejected our 1800 this time becuase we have to pay filing fees again then we did that and after another 2 week wait the rejected it due to the fact I over paid them $10.00!!!! Can you believe that! for $10. my child remains without his famly for a minimum of 2 more weeks. PGN well let me tell you the USCIS is definatly giving you a run for your money. So we just continue to pray the Lord's timing is perfect althought it doesnt' always make since.   Our son has remained in Mexico 8 months now  longer than he should have and people wonder WHY we have so many illegal immigrants!! well we have done everything the legal way and you can see what we have been going through not to mention the Money that has had to be spent! So we don't know what to do I have made all the contacts I know how to with no results and going to the Media, well I am just so tired!

Everyone wants Pedro home! My youth group at church that I love dearly have been praying continuously for him  Some day I am going to get to hear YES Pedro can come home now and what a celebration we will have!!!!!!!!!!!! Someday I am going to get to walk through those church doors with my son! Someday I want have to miss anymore of his soccer games and someday I will no longer have to worry he has given up his faith in God and with knowing he gets to come home! Someday!

Family Picture's

Friday August 27

Friday afternoon August 27 our family brought home the sweetest little guy home from the hospital. 2 days old!!! It has been such a long time since I had one that little 13 years to be exact. Talking about anxiety! but it did all come back to us and today sweet baby boy is 1 week old and doing amazing. He is so tiny weighing in at 5lbs 15oz at one week old. He is doing so well, loves sleeping on Carrol's chest and loves his bottle. My sleep well that is taking some adjustment but he does sleep well just the normal every 3 hour bottle. Sweet baby "Moon" as he is known in our house thanks to Josie is brought  to us from DCFS. we have no idea what the outcome will be just continue to pray over him Jeremiah 29:11. As with all our foster babies we love him dearly!!!!!!!!! No matter the outcome we wouldn't change one minute with him. I will say he is the first baby I have had that I wanted to take to get his pictures made and fix up his own nursery Etc. don't know what that means I know he fits so well with my family, even waiting to pick him up felt just like the moment we sat in Guatemala waiting to meet Josie for the first time. I know that I am putting my heart out there and is subject to be broken but if not and the Lord does plan for us to be his forever family I don't want to miss any of these moments and thoughts I have of him. I read something in a adoption magazine yesterday talking about Foster/adopt and it said although it is tough and has its own challenges at least you get to be with your child while you wait! So This is the deal if baby moon does get to remain in our family forever I would be so sad if I didn't document and if I didn't let him sleep on my chest and if I didn't get his picture made all the time. I missed all the moments with Josie and Pedro so  what will it hurt right! We love him no matter what and he will always be part of our life!

And as for Pedro, well it seems I am always saying this but maybe next week we will have a answer. Still waiting and will continue to preservere until he his home!!

Josie started Gymnastics and preschool this month! she is doing so good. She thinks she is going to be a cheerleader when she grows up so we are getting a head start. It is so much fun to watch her just wish I could slow things down!

Corie started Jr. High  OH MY GOODNESS! but is loving it. She is a social bug so she loves being there to hang with her friends.

Christian, well talking about wanting to slow things down!!!! High School now and he just got his first vehicle!! boohoo!  but I do enjoying watching him growning up. I love his age and watching the kind of mature man he is growing into now I am just getting alittle nervous about the dating thing he is about to be in.

Overall life is good! I feel I am in my sweet spot.  5 families from my small church are now becoming foster families which is a dream of mine and I think the Lord would be proud!

My Montage 8/20/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Aug.6th

Happy Birthday to our sweet sweet girl Corie! A Teenager today. Man the time flies.

Corie,
 Your are the most precious girl, with a amazing heart. You are definatly set apart and i am so proud of the way you never wiaver from your values. I wish my faith would have been as strong as yours at your age. I just pray it remains that way. I am always here for you. I love you with my whole heart

 Mom. 

our trip is winding down

We have had a great trip together as a family. Sadly tomorrow it will come to an end. So far we have not heard anything from USCIS or our waiver. So who knows we could still get our miracle in the morning but if not we will continue to know that the Lord knows best. We did make great new friends here in Mazatlan that serve with YWAM here. We got to spend a very nice day at th Ranch. Carrol, Pedro, and Christian got to work alittle doing carrol's favorie job Painting! and Corie got to love on te kiddos, which she loves!  Josie said "mommie I like that ranch!' which was so cute. Pedro will also be getting new house parents at the Ranch which we are very excited about.

We also got to celebrate Corie and Pedro's birthdays while we were here. It was so cool to see the smile on Pedro's face. I am not sure what his past birthday's were like but we have had the priviledge of spending the last 2 with him and we are so grateful for that.

Rain Rain go away!!!

Well  we finally got a smile so I am so excited to share it!  Pedro is feeling much better but now the rain has started and doesn't want to go away. So anyway we will make the best of it surely we can find something to do.

Not too bad the Things God has allowed our family to do!!!!

We are seriously visiting Pedro I promise not just on a amazing tropical vacation! Seriously Pedro is still recovering and having to stay in bed but I believe maybe today he will be able to get up and around more. He has had to get shots for the past 3 days and take lots of meds but thankfully is feeling and looking lots better.

Today as I was walking and talking to the Lord I had to thank him so much for how amazing he is and just realize that although Pedro hasn't got to come home with us yet He did allow us to be here when he needed us. And so for that I am so grateful and just realize that we are Pedro's family how ever that means even if it has to be long distance. we are thankful he is part of our family and for the first time in a long time Pedro does have a family to call his own.

We are in Mexico!

Well what a relief... we are together as a family at least for a week so for atleast a week I don't feel like something is missing. We got here yesterday Monday the 26th for a family visit since the kids haven't seen each other in a year and since the us goverment hasn't allowed Pedro to come home yet we felt it was necessary to come to be with him. well I was right about one thing we definatly needed to make the trip this week. I know God ordained it becuase my trip started with my alarm going off at 3:30 am Monday morning becuase we had a 6;00am flight out Carrol's alarm was set for 3:40 and at 3:37 in the morning Carrol was woke up not by his alarm but by a text message from US immigration stating that our case was infact in process again. So at that time of a morning there is no way that wasn't God reminding us he was  infact still at work in our behalf. So we will have to continue to trust in that. then when we got here Pedro was very sick so sick we had to take him to the Dr. as soon as we got here. the Dr. said that 15 more minutes and Pedro would have been in convulsions. He has a severe sinus/bacteria infection. So thank you Lord for your provision for this trip.
so as far as the trip and how it has been, well so far Pedro has been in bed the whole time but it has been nice to be the ones taking care of him and nothing against the ranch because it has been such a blessing but lets just say i know we needed to be here to handle this.
So I am dying to post pictures of us together as a family but I don't have any yet so they will have to wait. And yes there is a possibilty if the right people get a holdof our case we could bring him home but as we know so well it will only be if it is God's perfect will and we are praying for that.

I think I haven't posted pictures in so long on here because my computer wouldn't read my memory card that I forgot how to post pics and write a post at the same time. We've just been been having busy summer fun around here. This pictures are from my dad's wedding celebration that we had on the river. WE had a great time but it was soooo stinkin hot! I have to laugh when I think of how many times in the freezing cold I will say I don't care how hot it gets it soo much better than the cold, well NOT. I am over it.
 Christian made it home from his trip and of course had a awesome life changing time again I will post pictures from that soon.
 Pedro is doing well but ready to see his family so guess what? we  are going to visit next week. We will be celebrating his and Corie's birthdays while we are there at his special request and after all the poor child deserves a few priviledges. So No we still don't know when he is coming home, yes it could be possible with us but after all we have been through we are just going to focus on this being a family visit and if it works out we will be overwelmed and Thrilled! but we will just be happy to spend one wonderful week together as a family. I would ask that if you read this to please continue to pray for us and specifically that he could come home with us this trip, but we know the Lord has a perfect plan and we will as hard as it is sometimes continue to put our trust in that!

Now to finish the post I started before..

Fun on the River

Christian is in the Dominican Republic

Christian is on his mission trip with YWAM in the dominican republic. He is lovin it and I am lovin it through him. He definatly has the heart of a missionary and at age 15 knows that is what the Lords desires of him and to me that is awesome!! I am 3?? and am still wondering just what the Lord wants of me?? Anyway they are safe and now just getting busy being the Lord's hands and feet. I am so proud of him and today YWAM epic quest posted pictures on there blog and I love, love, love when they post pictures of my baby and the work they are doing. I would so highly encourage any momma that has a child with the desire to go on a mission trip of there own Youth with a Mission is the absolute best with the most amazing true and faithful hearts of God!http://www.ywamorlando.com/blog.asp?blog=100

And as far as Pedro.... progress is finally being made. We are appling for a waiver 1-601 that could possibly allow him to come home ASAP while we wait for a decision from USCIS to approve our new 1800 application.  So please continue to lift us up in your prayers I do feel the time is near so we will see.

Our life lately

Not sure if today is a good day to post after I haven't posted in a long time but my heart is so heavy today that i think i need to just to get it off my chest.
First Pedro's case.... nothing has been happening since my last post we have been working on how to respond to USCIS to please them to LET MY SON come HOME! We have made a decision on that but now seems that everyone working for us is dragging there feet!! Its like they forget we have been waiting since Febuary to bring my son home, so to them days, or weeks, or months don't seem to matter. I was told by next week we will be ready to send in our reply though and then we will just be waiting for it to get into the hands of our officer in the Hague Unit and pray for divine intervention in the hands of who recieves it so that they will approve this time and let this nightmare come to a end and we will be on the first flight out to bring my son home!
Second, my sweet little love that I have been fostering for the past four months, which I believe the Lord sent specifically to me so that I wouldn't go completely nuts, someone to keep me busy, and someone to spread this extra love I have in me on...Will be leaving me in the next couple days. She has not for one minute been a job of the foster mom but a sheer extra special pleasure!!! She should have been returned to her grandmother about 2 weeks into when I got her but I believe the Lord knew I needed her while my heart broke for my husband and my son. I know that if I hadn't said yes to fostering even when I was already of single mom to 3 while my husband was away, I would have missed the comfort the Lord was trying to give me. This precious little jewel will ALWAYS have the most special place in my heart and although I believe my home would be the best place for her I know the Lord definatly knows whats best for her. I love her so much!
 Thirdly, my Christian will be leaving Sunday for his mission trip with YWAM to the Dominican Republic. He is such a awesome kid and I love his willingness and Love for being in the presence of the Lord. I  love being the momma to a boy that has a heart like that. It is very humbling and sometimes my cup runneth over when I think do I deserve kids with hearts like that! Have a been that kindof momma! I could never count my blessings enough. So he will be gone for 3 weeks and I can't stand it when he is gone 24 hrs but Ipray that he will just be open to whatever the Lord wants him to specifically see and that others will see Jesus in him!
 Now, my Josie.... "Mom, when I grow up can I be a foster mom to E____?" That just melted my heart. I worry so much for her afraid sometimes she won't understand when a child has to leave and people ask me all the time "How do your kids feel about you fostering?" Well that's how they feel, they all get it and i don't believe God would have put that calling on our lives if they didn't.
 Corie, my sweet beautiful daughter. God has blessed her with the most amazing gift of singing. She sang in a talent show at her school and Blew everyone away. The thing about Corie singing is it is obvious it is a reflection of her heart. She is a amazing young girl and she will make an amazing adult and momma. She has a heart for special needs child and will always defend one being outcast. We are so proud of her.
 Also both Christian and Corie received Student of the Year at there schools and I may add we don't go to a small school. So although things are so tough and we don't understand why God hasn't allowed Pedro to come home yet He has blessed us beyond words on the homefront!
Pedro is doing well though. we do communicate with him through facebook and e-mails. He understands things and is mature enough to deal with it but we are just so ready to be done with it!
 Thanks for all  the prayers and those who have helped us financially it will never be forgotten and we are forever grateful.