Ah, June

A couple leftovers from Memorial Day:


"Oh, Papa, could we just throw one rock into your pond?"

The Ultimate Frisbee players: Brian, Kevin, T.J., Chad, Megan, and Ellen

H's tenth birthday party included the Birkland cousins, Gram and Papa, Grandma Wee, Gammy and Papa, Nana and Papa, Aunt Meg, Uncle Brian, and Aunt Ellen. Aunt Meg sent the kids on a treasure hunt.

The Spore family's Fifth Annual Last Day of School Breakfast on the Deck

Happy Father's Day to the Wrangler of the Bathtub Bandits. Love you, Honey!

H turns ten! I think that officially makes us old.

June is my favorite month of the year. With the end of school, ripe strawberries in Nana's patch, birthdays, Father's Day, ballgames, and swim meets, we have stayed busy...... a good kind of busy. It's the kind of busy that acts like an epidural for the labor pains of international adoption.:)

We would love to hear something from the Ministry in Rwanda this week, giving us official approval to adopt one or two of their country's treasures. At that point, we will know that our paperwork has been sent to an orphanage where they will match a child or children with our family. Please pray for favor for the Spore family in the eyes of the Ministry and for our child/ren in Rwanda ....for their safety and that someone would be loving on them tonight.

Memorial Day Very Much Belated

These pictures are from our Bradfield family get-together over Memorial Day. The Pennsylvania Baileys came, too!


Micah, Ethan, Jack, and Kayley were the sandbox kids.

C, Jared, C, and H were the pool cousins (in extremely cold water!).

Papa had fun pulling his "train".

All the cousins minus Baby Jenna. In the next few months, the Baileys will add one (Natalie Kate) and the Spores will add one or two to this bunch (wish we knew:).

Beautiful Baby Jenna and C

Spore Adoption Fundraiser

During our adoption process we have been so blessed to have the support of our families and our church. Last weekend Chad's sister, a professional photographer from Kansas City, came to Iowa to do a photography fundraiser for us. She charged her regular sitting fee, took photos of eight families from our church and community, and gave us the sitting fees to go toward adoption expenses. Her generosity and the generosity of the families who were photographed overwhelmed us, humbled us, and will probably pay for our child's flight home from Rwanda! Heather hopes to have a sneak peek at some of the photos by June 15, so keep checking http://heathernelsonphotography.wordpress.com/

Yesterday, Chad and I visited an occupational health clinic to get started on our travel vaccinations. We took the two boys along and left the girls with my friend, Suzanne. (Have I mentioned how blessed I am by her friendship?) It was a long appointment, and trying to decide which shots to get and which to decline was difficult. We decided on Tetanus for me (Chad was current), Hep. A for both of us, a polio booster for both of us (have to go back for that one), and Yellow Fever (required to enter Rwanda). My arm is sore today, and we both felt a little junky yesterday, but we're doing well today. Typhoid pills will have to be started soon....and I'm dreading it. A fairly large percentage of people get really sick to their stomachs after taking them.

I'm enjoying having all the kids home for the summer. We are staying busy with softball, baseball, swimming, swim-team, and staying in our jammies until 10:00. And, since it's 9:52 and Hayden and I aren't dressed, I'll sign off.:)

Certifiably Insane?

Today feels like summer in Iowa! It's 87 degrees and really windy. Both hands were required on the steering wheel as I traveled to Des Moines and back to have our physicals and guardianship statement certified. Since I couldn't talk my running buddy into riding along with me, I had three hours of travel time all alone. I tuned in Life 101.9 and sang along at the top of my lungs.....except for when cars pulled up alongside me. Then I dialed it back significantly.:)

"When God Ran" is a song that always touches my heart, and today was no exception. It is sung from the perspective of the Prodigal Son, and the chorus goes like this: But then He ran to me, He took me in His arms, held my head to His chest, and said, "My son's come home again." Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes. With forgiveness in His voice, He said, "Son, do you know I still love you?".... It was the only time I ever saw Him run.

Can you imagine God pursuing us like that? He's always on time, so we know He never needs to run. But when He sees one of His children coming back home to Him, He runs! When He takes us in His arms, He calls us by name...."Heidi, do you know I still love you?" I'm so thankful that happened to me early on in my life. Three of our four kids have professed their faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross. We long for the day little H and our Rwandan baby turn their hearts toward their Father, and He runs to them.

Worth It All

What wouldn't we do for our little ones? I know that most who are reading this blog entry have done the following things without thinking twice: wiped noses and bottoms, sucked the germs off a piece of dropped bubble gum before depositing it back into his mouth, holding back her hair and stroking her back while she vomits in the middle of the night (to name a few). What would cause us to do such things for someone who has so little to give in return? Isn't it crazy the capacity for love God has given us?! What a picture of His love for us....pursuing and loving us, despite the fact that we have so little to offer Him!

Chad and I are once again having to gather more documents and redo our physicals because Rwandan adoption law has changed. With our dossier being safely delivered to the Ministry of Gender and Promotion of Family in Rwanda, we really had reason to believe we were done with the paper chase. While this is an inconvenience (and will involve trips to Iowa City and Des Moines, two physicals -one not paid for by insurance, and dragging my sister and her husband to a notary), we would do these things a hundred more times to bring home our little one. By the end of this process, the cost will be great. But what cost is too great to give our little Rwandan Treasure a forever family? It will be worth it all, we have no doubt!

DTR

As I was recently visiting with a new fellow Rwandan adoptive mom, I realized I have learned quite a few new acronyms since the beginning of this journey. Without a doubt, my favorite one so far is DTR. Today, our family is officially DTR! Today, April 29, 2009, the Spore family's Dossier made it To the right desk in Rwanda. Two to five months from now, we will (Lord willing) be approved by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion. Shortly thereafter we will see pictures of our newest family member/s. We will then await a court date and decision. After that, we will travel to Rwanda to unite our family forever!