Across the Ocean

We received our update on little sister...after days of obsessively checking my email!  Opening those emails is like Christmas, they are the one link we have to our little girl.  We of course looked at the pictures first so here they are.  These pics were taken in June at 18 months old.

 

Hoping we are just posing on this and not going for a ride!

Yes this look will get me anything I want

Look at all those teeth

pouty lips!

So sweet, don't you just love the shoes!

Love this girl

Our beautiful daughter.

My heart leapt a little when I saw she was wearing the little dress we sent in the first care package. Isn't she an absolute doll, the only thing missing is a huge bow which of course would not fit flat in a gallon ziploc bag! Then I cried.  Seriously, look how big she is getting.  She is growing up in these pictures and it makes me acutely aware of how much we are missing.  In the next six months if everything goes smoothly (crossing our fingers, toes, eyes as well as saying a prayer or a 100), we will bring her home.  She now has our pictures too.  I am praying God is preparing her little heart and that somehow she is forming a bond with the people smiling back at her in that little pink album.  

Her update reports she is a talkative child.  Haha!  I mean is anyone surprised?  She is my daughter, no?  We also learned little miss still does not like to drink out of a cup thank you, and insists on wearing a little pearl necklace everyday.  She loves to wear dresses:) and take a walk with her foster family during which she stops to talk to everyone she meets along the way.  After measuring long at birth and fairly tall for a one year old she has slowed down and now isn't much more than a minute gaining only 1 pound, weighing a whopping 22.5 pounds and standing at 2 feet 6 1/2 inches.  She ranks in the 10-25% for her age in weight and height.  

Our agency recently estimated we should get first approval between Nov and Jan, and travel between Jan and March depending on first approval.  My prayer was to have her home by her birthday in November, which at this point would be a miracle.  I'm a believer though, God has already worked numerous miracles to get us where we are.  Therefore, if He says the time is right it Will happen.  So we wait, we pray, and we blow kisses in the wind to our little girl across the ocean.

  

Running for Isabel

In May we were so blessed to be sponsored by a local chapter of Room for One More.  The fundraiser Running for One More, and we are SO thankful for the team of people who coordinated the 5K/10K walk/run.  We helped get sponsors and people to sign up for the race, and a portion of the funds will come back to us as a grant.  Two other families were being sponsored as well, and we had the chance to meet with them and others involved in advocating for adoption. 

I confess, I am not much of a runner.  Okay, truth, I HATE to run.  Aerobics, Pilates, Body Pump, bring it: run...ugh.  So, me running a 5K marks a significant milestone in my life.  With so many friends and family members coming to run and walk to support us, I was determined to finish as well as I could.   Obviously I survived (in 36 min no less, not bad for this anti-runner), but emotions I hadn't prepared for hit me when I crossed the finish line. Tears started streaming down my face, and my worried husband (who finished a good 10 minutes before) kept saying, "Are you okay, you need to walk it off".  For several minutes I was too overcome, or maybe just too out of breath, to respond to him.  I finally managed to pant out, "I'm just being emotional!"  He just grinned and pulled me into a (very sweaty) hug. Fact: I would gladly run 5K every day to bring our girl home.

Our team did great! Ian placed first in his age division, and 10th overall finishing in 25 minutes.  Peyton placed 2nd in his age division and 18th overall finishing in 27 min! Way to go Big Brothers!  Uncle Travis and Uncle Dakota both medaled as well, and our friend (a.k.a. Travis' girlfriend;) also brought home the gold!  My friend Cindy ran the 10 K (whew) and placed first in her age division.

A group of adoptive moms from around the world.

 

Our support from our family was so special.

Starting out

Emy, a fellow therapist and friend ran with me the whole race and kept me going!

Cindy Drewett, long time friend, kicked butt in the 10 K

Peyton came to run with us for the final lap!

                                      The devoted walkers                  Big Brothers, so proud

 

 It was such a joyful moment, albeit an emotional one crossing the finish line.  (On a side note how does he look so good after doing all that running?)

Many others bought T-shirts to help support us.  The grant will be sent to Holt and I can't wait to decrease those numbers even more over there on the side column.  We are getting soooo close, both financially and in actuality of travel.  Soooo close it's a little nerve racking to say the least. 

We are coming baby girl, we are coming!