The Start of A New Year ...

It is almost 2009 and I just wanted you to know that I think of you daily ... I pray for your sweet hearts and those loving on you during this time ... I pray for your birth parents and the journey they are on ... I pray you will feel instantly loved the day we meet ... There are days when I feel you so strong that I think when I turn around you could actually be standing there ...

I love you my sweet angels !!!

Merry Christmas Sweet Children of Mine ..

I am not even sure if Christmas is something you will know about till you come home, but I will be thinking of holding you all day tomorrow ... We are a blessed family for sure and the day you come home will be a day of celebrating the mightiness of the Father ... I love you beyond what I can even understand on some days ... You are a piece of me ... And today we are one day closer to being a forever family !!!!

love you Mommy !!!!

Sleepless Nights ...

I am going on 5 nights of not being able to sleep and much of it has to do w/ thinking of you and longing to have you home ... I have the most amazing person for you to meet Auntie Katie ... She lives in Uganda and has opened our eyes and hearts to so much over the last 3 months ... I can't wait for you to meet her ..

I love you so much sweet angels ... I know God has big plans for you... I know you will touch many hearts and change many lives ... I am already so changed just by praying for you ...

love, Mom !!!!

Tonight I See You

I was given a sweet picture of a brown angel and it makes me think of the two of you ... I pray and think of you everyday ... You are in my heart and will one day be in my arms ... love you both!!!

kisses in the wind

it has been a while since i have written ... i have working on ways to raise money to bring you home ... i have been praying for Daddy to see our future as a family ... and praying God continues to keep me in the day and see all my blesses that are here today ...

i know the day we meet it will be a moment like a dream because i will have thought about it so much ... i love you sweet angels ... i pray for you my angels ... and i will come get you one day !!!

hope you are catching my kisses in the wind !!!!

A Note Arrived Today ...

I was at your brother's football game today and I went into the bathroom and found a note that said, "I want to be adopted please help me, please find me." ... Of course this note only makes me think of you ... I pray for whoever wrote this note ... I pray they are OK ...

Love you Angels !!!

Anxious ...

Feeling anxious these days sweet angel to bring you home ...I have begun working on the book that is to raise money to bring you home ... I feel an urgency and I don't know why ... I love you in the very depths of my heart and soul .. You are real to me and I pray for you and think of you every moment ...

Seats At The Table ...

Each time we sit down to eat our meals I can see the extra two chairs at the table and the high chair ... It makes me long to see you there ... My friends just came home from Ethiopia and they have visited the most amazing children's home ... I just know that is where you will come from ... I have begun praying for KIV ... I love you angels ....

A Ground Breaking Day

My dear sweet angels ... today was a ground breaking day ... I have begun efforts to bring you home ... Of course, I am praying, but I have also started working on the funds to bring you home ... I feel the Lord pressing me to move forward and it has been a joyous day ... You are w/me through out my day and most decisions made about our future include considering you are home !!!

I love you more each day and we are another step closer to being together ...

A Memorable 24 hrs ...

I think their are some lightening bolt moments ... I received some whispers from the Lord that laid out a plan to bring you home ... I can't tell you how happy I am to really feel one day closer to you!

My friend Emily is on her way to Ethiopia to pick her up her son right now and I have asked her to hug every brother/sister she sees in hopes that slightly there may be a chance she sees you !!!

Sweet dreams my children !!!

Confirmation ...

Today was a confirmation day that you coming home ... I still don't have the time, but I know God is bringing you home ... I love you so much ... I think of you constantly and we always always pray for you ...

Abigail ... precious you are amazing, strong, and beautiful I know ...

Joseph ... your smile will bring happiness to our day I know ...

Pin Pointing My Blues ...

There are days when I am just moving right along .. Taking your brothers to school, working out at the Y while your sisters play in their class, doing laundry, picking up the toys for the 100th time that day, talking w/friends, going to football or basketball practice, preparing dinner, talking on the phone, planning something and it just hits me ... I am sad ... I have come to realize it is in those moments that I miss you most and just want you home ... I ask the Lord everyday if this is the day we begin to bring you home ... Know that I am thinking of you constantly ... You are part of ME !!

On Your Sister's Birthday

Today is your sister's birthday ... She had a wonderful day !!! She was honored and adored by many .... As we sat in church today there was a sweet family sitting beside us w/ two children from Ethiopia ... So needless to say I had a hard time listening in church today for thinking of you ... I wonder if you are born yet, I wonder what you are doing today, and I wonder when you will be home ... I love you so much and I am praying for you everyday ...

I promise to throw you the biggest birthday parties ever !!!

Faces ...

I have been looking at waiting children from Ethiopia ...Each face I see I ask the Lord, "Are these my babies." ... Although I feel the Lord saying "These could be Oatsvall children" I do not feel Him leading us yet to you ... Please know that I am praying for you each day and the love I have for you is real ... I picture you in your room, in your car seats, sitting around the table, and so much more ...

Your brothers and sisters and daddy pray for you also ...

There are days of tears ...

There are some days when I cry for you ... I know God has you in His hands, but I also want you in my arms ... I want you safely tucked in bed, w/ a full belly, a prayer prayed over you, and a kiss on the cheek ... THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE DAYS ...

To You Both ...

Just a simple a little note to say, "I love You." ... I have had several friends get their travel to pick up their children in Ethiopia and there is this little pang of jealousy ... I am over the top excited for them, but I just long to be in your country holding you ... I know that today we are one step closer ..

New Car ... W/ Seats for YOU !!!

This has been a crazy week sweet angels ... Car disasters, your brothers/sisters fighting non-stop and lots of other stuff ... But the fun news is your daddy got us a great deal on a Tahoe that has 8 seats in it ... It brings a little smile to my face, because I can envision where you will be sitting ... I love you so much ...

I SEE YOU ..

As I am reading these days about the plight of the orphans and God's calling for us to care for them I see you more clearly .... I see God standing in the gap till we get there ... I pray someone is showing you love till I get there ... I can almost see your face, feel your touch, and hear your voice ... I know it will be a great gift one day to bring you home ...

love you mommy !!!

A NEW DAY ....

This just another new day that I have prayed for you and feel one step closer to bringing you home ... A sweet friend gave me some bracelets today from Africa ... I have them on and will wear them each day and think of you !!!!

I LOVE YOU SWEET ANGELS !!!

Wrapping You In My Heart ..

It has been a very busy week here little ones, but as always you have been in my every thought ... I adore thinking about you as you grow deeper in my soul ... There is much going on here and I make every decision based on your coming home one day ...

God is sitting w/ you till we get there ... You have an amazing daddy here, who will teach you about life, love, and the Lord ... You have two great brothers that will aggravate you, play w/ you and protect you w/ their lives, and two sisters who will make you giggle, cuddle w/ you and share all they have (at least they say they will) ...And you have me, a mommy who prays for you, loves you, and will give her last breathe to see you safely home ...

love you sweet babies !!!

THE BOOK

Sweet Angels your mommy is writing a book about adoption to help bring you home ... I had a fantastic meeting today w/ some dear friends that help me to dream big ... I know this project can touch many lives and hopefully bring more children home to their forever families ...

We are another day closer to holding you !!!

Making It Real To Everyone

Well I have updated our family blog and put you in the header ... Now many will pray w/us till you get home ... I love you sweet angels ...

Sunday ...

I tried to post yesterday, but it wouldn't let me ... I just wanted you to know that when I sit in Church and feel God's presence in the quiet moments of the singing you are so real to me ... I pray for you and it seems everything I hear I relate back to you and your brothers and sisters ... I love you angels ... I feel as if I am in the paper chase to you, but I am not ... I am one day closer to you whenever that day may be ...

Love, Mommy

Love

Just wanted you to tell you "I love you" .... I have been lazy the last couple of days and spent a lot of time thinking how you will change our life ... What it will be like when you get home ... How old will you be ... When will we begin the paperwork ... And so many other things ...

Just simply "I love you" and think of you all the time ...

Mom

Happy 4th Joseph and Abagail Oatsvall

One day you will feel a new kind of freedom and we will teach you how it came from Jesus Christ!

Will Be In Your Country One Day !!!

Baby Steps ...

Your daddy and I had a great talk the other night ... I think you are growing in his heart like a small mustard seed .... You see God created man and woman differently ... He has burdens to carry that I can not see and I have emotions he can't understand .... We are one though and God will direct us to you in His timing ...

I worked on THE BOOK all day today ... I think this project will be one way that helps us bring you home ... I love you sweet angels ... You are with me everyday ....

Things I Will Love About You ...

1. I will love all your heart has been through ...
2. I will love your beautiful skin color ...
3. I will love that you have survived unimaginable circumstances...
4. I will love your sweet smile and your sad frown ...
5. I will love you till the end of time ...
6. I will love your sweet hands ...
7. I will love how you show your personality in a giggle or a cry...
8. I will love Ethiopia your birth country ...
9. I will love your birth parents ...
10. I will love how you change us as a family ...

I will love you because I am your mommy !!!!

A Typical Saturday ...

It has been a nice day filled w/ lunch w/ Nana, your brothers and sisters playing together, and dinner w/ friends, but my mind has wondered all day to you ... I have days when I try to focus and I definitely enjoy the blessings of the day, but part of my heart is thinking of you and wondering when you will come home, if you are born yet and if you are then what are you doing ...

I love you sweet angels ... I pray you feel God's strong presence around tonight ...

love, Mom

Crazy Day ...

We had a busy day and I always think of you as we are busying doing life and receiving blessings from the Lord ... I have no idea whether you are even born yet, but I do know you live in my heart ... God has been so faithful to guide me daily and give me the strength I need each day .... I will teach you all about the loving Father when you get home, but I suspect that you can feel His presence ... I love you sweet angels ...

Joseph, I have named you my STRENGTH .... I know you will bring so much strength to our family just by your presence ...

Abagail, I have named you my PEACE ... I feel that you will bring me to that point in my life where I will feel God say, "Well done faithful servant." ... You will help me show peace to others just by how you look at them ....

Praying for you each day !!!!

Good Morning Sweet Angels ...

(This is a picture of children from your country ... Those sweet faces make me smile...)

I feel so fortunate that God has placed you in my heart so early in this journey ... I pray for your country, I pray for you biological family, I pray for your safety, and I pray for your health ... I pray you will know my voice the day you meet me in person ... I pray you will feel my touch and know you are home here on earth ... I can't wait to share w/ you about the LOVE of the heavenly Father... Blessings today my sweet Abagail and Joseph ...

TODAY I START

To my sweet angels in Ethiopia ... I decided to start a journal to you and share w/you how my heart already feels you, how I feel you are already part of our family, and how God is leading our family to the great country of Ethiopia to find you.

PSALM 139:13-16

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

I LOVE YOU SWEET ANGELS !!!!