USCIS Fingerprints

Last Friday we got our fingerprint appointment from USCIS. The appointment day was for the day we are supposed to leave to take Ryan to school. So we decided to try to "walk in" without an appointment to Naperville and "wait" until they could fit us in.

Today was the big day! We made the boys get up and be ready to leave by 6am. (Matt and Ryan both have to be fingerprinted too since they are over 17) We arrived right at 8 am when they opened and we were told by the receptionist that we'd have to wait for the immigration officer to talk to us, but that he wasn't in yet. There were about 15-20 people ahead of us and more coming in behind us. It wasn't looking good. When the officer got in he came over to talk to us and told us it wouldn't be possible to be printed today because they had 100 people scheduled and only 3 workers. I politely asked if it was ok if we just sat and waited, even for several hours to see if there was time for us to be printed. He said we could wait but we had to understand that we might not get seen all day.

So we sat and read and watched "UP" on the tv. We continued to pray as the time ticked away, 9:00, 10:00, people going, new people coming. At 10:30 I looked around and for the first time there were only 5 people waiting instead of 15-20 like there had been all morning.

At about 10:40 the receptionist called our name and then stamped our papers! We were all going to be printed TODAY! The worker who printed Shawn said, "I thought it was supposed to be packed all day. I'm surprised to see it so slow right now." THANKS GOD!

We were out by 11am and on our way to treat our 2 oldest to Portillos for lunch!

Please pray that my prints were good enough quality. They were much better today since it isn't winter, but every other time I've had them done they have rejected and have to be re-done! I am so hoping that I don't have to go back there again!

Another (Successful) Garage Sale!

Woo hoo! We made it through the heat and the stuff is gone and the garage is back to being a garage again! (Complete with parked vehicles, bikes, mower, etc!) I don't think I've ever sweat so much in all my life, ok, at least not in a lot of years! But it was worth it! We made $1600!! Praising God!

THANKS to all who helped, by donation of stuff, time and purchasing! :)

HEAT WARNING!

It's a little hot to be outside! 96 degrees with a heat index of 110 or something.

Not a day I would plan to have a  garage sale! I couldn't believe how many people still came out garage sale-ing! So thankful for them, and those who donated "stuff", and those who stayed around to help me keep my sanity this time! (Verneal, Irene and Kaitlin) Kaitlin and I even waded in our "baby pool" to try to cool off!

God provided a packed garage and the customers who were willing to pay to take it away! Praise God!
Now to make it through tomorrow and Saturday!

Another Garage Sale!

Every year after school is out I get time to do some major cleaning project! This summer it's been decluttering and reorganizing the basement. I've found LOTS of stuff to get rid of, so....another garage sale is in order! It will be July 21-23. If anyone has "stuff" to get rid of we'll gratefully take it!!

YIPPEE!!!

I got a call from Sara at Madison in Rochester yesterday. We usually email so I was worried that she called because it was bad news.

It was GOOD NEWS! We FINALLY have our homestudy approved! On to the next step, sending off our I800a (which is ready and waiting) with our homestudy to Immigration Services. Praying to get fingerprinted before Ryan goes off to school!

Then to get this dossier to China! So excited!

Thinking about school!

Summer is always a busy and fun time of year, but this summer is different than usual.

Yesterday I went with Matt to register for classes at Heartland Community College! What a great campus! He will take some gen eds there before transferring to Lincoln Christian University. I am so excited for this new journey for him. He is gonna do great!

A few hours later, Ryan and I drove to ISU (Iowa State) and are now at his orientation/registration. ISU wasn't his first choice, but it's gonna be a great fit for him. I am impressed! A great school and beautiful campus. (This is my first visit)  I think he will do really well here and it seems like he will make the transition pretty smoothly!

Josh is all set and so excited to start his freshman year at NCHS. This will be his first year in public school after being homeschooled for 9 years!

In less than 9 weeks I will have 3 boys at 3 new schools!

Words of Affirmation

God's never spoken to me with an audible voice, but I am so thankful He speaks! I was reading my Bible tonight  to prepare to teach the 4-5 year old Sunday school class. Inside my Bible I found a paper I had written on January 20, 2011. Back in January we were making "the decision" to adopt. One of my 18 year old sons was sitting in the kitchen doing homework. I had asked him, "What do you think about all this? What do you think we should do?" He responded, "What does your heart say to do?" Another son, age 7, was eating a bowl of cereal for a snack and started singing, "Go for it. Go for it. Go for it!" Later that night he was singing Chris Tomlin's "Our God is Greater" with the lyrics:



Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God… 

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against? 
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against? 
What can stand against?

Then, I was reading the "Teacher Connection" in my 4/5 year old Sunday school book. It's a little devotion section/mini Bible study for teachers to help you prepare for the lesson, which was about Jesus healing Bartimaeus. 

At the end of the devotion it said: "Genuine, Christ-like help involves hearing the cry of beggars, seeing persons with great value in God's eyes, and acting to meet a person's needs. Jesus healed people. Jesus helped people. Jesus loved people. Whom do you know that needs to hear these truths." 

Of course, I thought of a little girl from China, who needs a home. 

Who needs to hear that Jesus LOVES HER.

Who needs to hear that she is special and loved and wanted and belongs to a family.

A crazy family of 8 who wants to be a family of 9!

I can't wait to meet her, to show her Jesus' love and to introduce her to the Savior! 

Thank you, God, for speaking!