Is It Bill Nye the Science Guy?

I am not sure how you all are spending your Saturday, but at our house Josh is teaching a small course on electricity. This is the kind of fun you get when your dad is an IET.

I am hearing the words volts, wires, current, and electromagnet being used several times. I just hope I don't find my girls trying to rewire the house in the next few days! They love and eat up every minute of time when they get their dad's full attention.

I hope you all are having a great weekend! We have a Deacon's dinner, church meeting, soccer, and electricity class already and it is just a little afternoon on Saturday!

The wait list has been busy this week. Several new families were placed on it, just like us, and many on it have received referrals. It is such a blessing to be a witness to it all. At least six children have been matched this week (through AGCI) with their forever families and a few went to court and were permanently made a part of a family!!! God's plans and provisions never cease to AMAZE me. What a mighty God we serve!

Big News!

We have been praying for this moment. Knowing all the while God knew the perfect time for it to happen. As Josh has said "It is official, we are paper pregnant!" That is why my face has looked like this since I talked to our AGCI case worker this afternoon.

First off I must say my cell phone laid out on my office desk all day in anticipation of "the call". Then while I was out of the office talking to a dear friend that stopped by the agency, I missed "the call". Now while it was not "the call" that leads directly to the viewing of our child, it was "the call" that signifies that we are waiting for our child. So I was really bummed when I had missed it. So bummed that I called the case worker's number about 15 times until I got an answer and not just her voicemail. I know, maybe a bit much....but I really needed to know if we were on "the list". When she told me that everything looked good on our revisions and gave me our number I let a squeal and told her about a 100 times that I was really HAPPY! I think she might have already figured it out, without me stating it.

So without further ado, I give you our first official number:

Dossier Finished!!!

I am so excited to say that tomorrow morning I will be sending off our dossier!!! This has been quite a process. We have completed many documents, have had many others complete documents for us, visited the notary a hand full of times, made trips to the doctors office, police station, and even a trip to Springfield. Yesterday when I got the call that the State of Illinois had endorsed our home study I was on cloud 9. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. So today I met our case worker in a near by town and picked it up. Our case worker has been so good to us and so very helpful. We also finished taking our pictures for our dossier and making all of the copies. It has been very busy around here. But I am so glad it is all together!! Now we have to pray that it will be reviewed on Friday and there will be no request for revisions.

This is the amount of paperwork in our dossier!

Some fun pictures taken this evening!

Didn't get any individuals of D. She was done after the family pics.

And a few pictures of the local festival (Corn Days) this past weekend. Our "hippie chicks" in the doll & pet parade

The children's home float that went through the big parade. This year's theme was Corn Pioneer! My two oldest "pioneer" children rode on the float while D rode along side via the jogging stroller!

Please continue to pray for us. I hope to be posting Friday night again with our waitlist numbers!

Video you have to take the time to watch

This is a shorter version of a video that was sent to me today on FB. I wish I could have found the full length video.

What a powerful example of life, adoption, and God's perfect plan. Please watch.

I want to make clear though a few things. Not ever adoption happens because a birth mother has the desire to get rid of her child. Many, as most of us know, happen because a mother is incapable due to illness, death, critical circumstances, severe poverty, or they simply are not prepared to take on the role. Whatever the circumstance I commend those who choose to give their child life.

Again please watch and be reminded that God's hand is in every bit of his creation, even those that some mark to be without purpose.

Your hands made me and formed me; Psalm 119:73

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 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, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13

Overwhelmed by God's People

It has been quite a week here at our household!

As you know our adult t-shirts came in at the end of last week and they are selling very well. On Monday our youth shirts were delivered and they also are going quicker then I imagined. I think it has to do with the adorable models that have been wearing them! ; ) They are the same shirt just in navy. We have sizes small-large left in the youth. They are $17 and adults are $20. ($1.50 per shirt to ship anywhere) A BIG thank you to all of you that have purchased!!

G-bug was freshly bathed and had to be the one to "model" the t-shirts!!

(she made a seriously great plead on her own behalf ..we just might have thought a little more and at least combed the hair!! LOL)

We also received a card and a donation from the great people at New Hope Church. They are rural church about 25miles away from us. It was so sweet! They stated that they were "so honored & blessed to be a small part in bringing her (Alexandria) home". It totally blessed our socks off!!! Josh got the mail the day it came and right away texted me to say "God is so good". Every time we think we have seen the best. He amazes us and calls those we would have never have suspected. We are thankful for the financial gifts but are even more honored that He has given us the privilege to share with others his passion for the orphan. Our prayer is that all those we come in contact with might also discover this passion.

We have truly been blessed by your generosity in many ways!

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:12-15

Fall Festival & True Love

Yesterday was the Fall Festival at the Baptist Children's Home. During the Fall Festival the children's home campus and staff host many churches through out Illinois that come and set up booths. Everything from hamburgers, funnel cakes, lemon shake-ups, inflatable rides/games, a dunking booth, volleyball tournament, and much more. All of it is for free and it gives the community we are based in a great opportunity to come visit with us. Yesterday as in years past, turned out to be a wonderful day on the campus.

Genna with some of our friends' little girls.

I am pretty sure the girls visited each booth a couple dozen times!

Delaney took this pic with a little help. She said she wanted a shot of her BFF!! ; )

D standing around the horse area, but not getting on any of the horses. She called for the horses, but really wanted nothing to do with them.

This morning I heard it said from the pulpit, that love is not a feeling but something we choose to do. I know that we live in a world where more often then not, love is conditional. It is based on what one can do for us and/or how someone makes us feel. This kind of love is not only present in marriages today but also in families and friendships.

The only real example of love is what flows from the Father. If we are to have a true love in our lives it must come from beyond us. We have to tap into the true source to find it. Thankfully He gives the opportunity freely. We just have to be willing and open to receive it.

1 John 4:7-12 states Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

So whether it is within your marriage, with your children, your parents, your neighbor, your best friend, or a total stranger remember it is not simply a decision each day as to whether you feel in love or not, but if you choose to love. We are not only loved we are also commanded to do likewise.

Check them out!!!

They are here!!!!

Our t-shirts arrived yesterday afternoon.

They are $20 each if you are in the area or $21.50, if we are shipping them to you.

These are not only going to be a great way to help us raise some more funds, but also to get the word out about adoption.

Here is the front of the shirt:

It says~ BRING HOPE HOME

This is the back:

At the top~ FROM LAND TO LAND
REACHING HAND TO HAND

At the bottom~ IN HIS NAME NATIONS WILL PUT THEIR HOPE MATT 12:21

They are lake blue color. If you would like to order for us to ship click on the paypal link on the right hand column. In the "Purpose" field put the size (S-XL) and how many you want. If you are in the area shoot me an e-mail ( jabigg_98 at hotmail.com ) and we would be happy to meet or bring them by! We will have some kids sizes but they will not be in until next week.