Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ
2 Peter 3:18

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Mississippi Fall

Thanksgiving week in the park
Thanksgiving morning- wearing next to nothing (because it was in the 80's)- sitting on the deck coloring turkeys
Morning after Thanksgiving- sitting by the fire (because it was in the 30's)-wearing sunglasses "so the fire won't burn my face" with Blah Blah



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New Family Hobby

The Ethridge family has begun a new hobby. "Treasure hunting" if you ask Miller or Wilson- better known as Geocaching to the rest of the world. It has been a great way to spend a few hours outside on the weekends. Here are few pictures of Wilson at our first find. He traded a mini etch a sketch for the cool red car that was left in this cache.


Removing the hidden cache from a tree trunk

Miller "flying a kite" while everyone else hunted for the cache. A piece of caution tape hung in a tree- she's a clever one!



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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

Instructions for Thanksgiving Dinner From "Marney"!


Wow- I'm now a little unsure of what I should put my squash casserole in for our family's dinner!! Guess I'll put the large blue dish back- wonder if I even have a "regulation size" casserole dish.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Another Big Day!

Sadly, no pictures to commemorate any of it, though. 

Wilson lost his 2nd tooth- and pulled this one himself!

I got a HUGE chunk of Christmas shopping completed!

We got a letter from Holt saying that our Home Study is officially approved and was mailed to Korea on the 19th!  Wow- our names are on their way to our sweet little one's birth country.  I definitely feel one step closer today!


Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Happy Birthday, Phil!

This is a belated Happy 32nd Birthday blog wish to my sweet husband.  The big day was actually yesterday- and I hope it was great.  It started out with Miller telling him what his birthday present was before he opened it while eating breakfast.  Then donuts with coworkers, chick fil a at work for lunch, and dinner (Chilis) & a movie (Megamind) with the fam last night

All I can say is "wow" when I look back over what you've accomplished in your 32nd year.  Completed your first marathon, knocked a big hole in the wall of the kitchen and learned to hang drywall, made the decision to adopt a third child, and completed a rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon- just to hit the highlights. 

We love you and are so proud of you.  Thanks for being our fearless leader!!  Hope your 33rd year is as fun filled as teh 32nd was!
Birthday Boy with his "sweet precious"

Saturday, November 13, 2010

So, why are we celebrating?

Thursday was a great day- we finally received a draft of our home study.  This was an email that we had been promised a lot sooner.  The author said she'd write it and send it on to our agency ASAP and that we could just add in that we had clear FBI backgrounds when we got those reports.  Instead, she put our file somewhere to wait until the FBI reports got here, many weeks later.

So our home study made it to our agency in time for our case worker there to email me saying, "I got the rough draft, I'll forward on any changes that need to be made, and we've just given the last referral for the rest of the year- but thanks for trying."

Phil called home from work and said, "you know I've been thinking, we should celebrate finally having the home study- let's go out to eat."  We decided on Keifer's because even bittersweet news tastes better with a gyro and pita mozz. 

I went across the street to get Wilson and we got home and I started putting clean clothes on the kids for our night out.  Wilson wanted to know why we were going out to eat.  I told him we were celebrating that we had gotten the report that told the people that have our baby that we're not bad guys.  And it said that we're such good guys, we'd make a great family for our baby and to please let us come and get them.  He got excited and said, "so we can go get them now?"  To which I said, "well we're actually going to have to wait awhile before we can get them- it won't be as soon as we thought."  "So, why are we celebrating, mom?"

Oh just eat your pitta mozz and stop asking me questions. 

That's probably pretty close to what I answered.  Because at the time I didn't really have a good answer for why we were celebrating.  We had a hastily written document laced with gross grammatical & spelling errors (if I can catch them- it's REALLY bad!) that said we'd make a fit family for a baby.  But a wall was being stacked up in front of us that wasn't supposed to be there.  We'd been told we'd probably get a referral this year.  Now, the emigration permits have all been handed out (so no one else can travel to get their children until next year) so the next logical step is to suspend referrals so there is not a huge back log once the EP's get flowing again in 2011. 

Why ARE we celebrating!?

Now FAITH is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see- Hebrews 11:1

You are all sons of God through FAITH in Christ Jesus- Galatians 3:26

We live by FAITH, not by sight- 2 Corinthians 5:7

Have FAITH in God . . . if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go through yourself into the sea,' and . . . believes what he says will happen, it will be done for him- Matthew 11:22-23

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through FAITH. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.- Ephesians 3:17-19

We celebrate because we have been blessed by Jesus with the gift of FAITH.  And what a gift that that faith can be placed in a God that is all powerful, all present, and all knowing.  That that faith does not have to be placed in men with file folders or government stamps.  He has called us to bring this baby home and that day will come.  There will be trials and troubles and frustrations along the way, but what better way for the Lord to display His power as he bursts through all these walls & mountains that are placed in our way by the enemy and mere men!  Shine, Jesus, shine and don't let my frustration with your timing be a hindrance to others!

Well, I feel better.  :)  I love the image below.  It serves as a reminder to me to pray diligently for our child and for the many caregivers they will have before they reach our home.  Please join me!



Thursday, November 11, 2010

We Passed!


Our social worker emailed Phil a draft of our home study this afternoon.  Hopefully it's also made it's way to our case worker at Holt.  The best line is on the last page: 
"Mr. and Mrs. Ethridge are recommended and approved to adopt a child of either gender from ages 6 months to 2 years of age. The family is approved for a child with minor to moderate correctable special needs, including but not limited to a child who had complicated birth conditions. They are also approved for a healthy child. It is my pleasure to recommend that Korea place such a child with the Ethridge family of [our home town]."   

It is OUR pleasure that this child is a part of our family. 

So now, well, we wait.  :)

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

What a BIG night!

Phil FINALLY got home from a nine day hiking trip to the Grand Canyon tonight at about 6:30. Less than an hour later he had pulled the first tooth Wilson's ever lost! What a night!

Little sister was close by giving coaching advice. It was too funny!

Bring it on, Tooth Fairy!
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