SENIORS... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!

Well, it's happening tomorrow.  I have honestly been dreading this since I started teaching.  The 2nd graders from my very first class will be walking into high school as SENIORS!!  WHAT?!?!?!  How can this already be happening???  At least it is just half of them, I suppose.  My first class was a 1st and 2nd grade split class so watching them finish up school might be like pulling the bandaid off a little slower.  Yeah... probably not.  LOL!

Here's a more zoomed in version of the class picture.  Weren't they precious? :0)

Yeah... they are STILL precious!  :0)

So, you are probably wondering why I am so sad that these sweet babies are seniors.  Why am I so sad that they are growing up?  I don't guess I am sad that they are growing up.  I'm just sad that it has happened so fast.  I am pretty sure that these pictures were just taken last year.  HAHA!  You might also be wondering why I am so sad to see kids growing up so fast that I had so many years ago.  I mean, I was just their 2nd grade teacher.  They were just my students.  Right?  You see, there is this myth that has been told for YEARS.  It's that the teacher is the one that teaches the lessons.  I always believed this to be true as well because I had amazing teachers and I learned all kinds of things from them!  

And then, I became a teacher.  I became a teacher to this group of incredible kids... 

... and the craziest thing happened.  First of all, our little class became a FAMILY!  It was also then that I (the teacher) really began to learn.  I learned so many wonderful things from these kids and their families!  I have learned so much from all of my students and their families over the years and that is one of my favorite things about getting to do what I do, but this group of kids changed my life.  

You see, these precious babies (and they know that I will always call them "my babies") added a big piece to my heart that I didn't even know was missing.  It was so quickly that they taught me what it was like to love children unconditionally.  They taught me to always remember that every kid is somebody's baby (God's baby, their parents' baby, and my school baby) and should always feel safe and loved!

To all of you in this picture (Seniors, Graduate, and Juniors), I AM SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF YOU!!  Enjoy your time together!  Be kind to one another and find the great things in every day!  Cherish it all and make great memories!  I hope that you all have a WONDERFUL year and remember that I am always here for you and I am cheering you on every step of the way!  I love you all so much!

Love,
Mrs. (Lambert) Cherry   

We are HAPPY! :0)

We are waiting.  We are waiting for news about our next steps in our adoption journey.  We are waiting to be matched with our sweet baby.  We are waiting to hear... something.  I knew that waiting would be a BIG part of this process.  I expected it.  I've known many people who have done this before or who are also on their own adoption journeys now.  Waiting is "just part of it."  

What I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS expected, though... I am HAPPY in this period of waiting.  Did I seriously just think that?!?!  Did I seriously just type that out loud?!?!  WOW!  I think I did.  Believe me when I tell you.  NO ONE is more shocked by this than I am!  I'm not patient by nature.  Tyler is.  He is so good at waiting.  He can wait for anything and I think he can sometimes be a little too patient.  LOL!  Honestly, though, God truly blessed me when He gave me such a patient husband!  Me, on the other hand... I am NOT patient on my own so I REALLY never expected this!  

I know that I have said this before, but our adoption journey has already been the most incredible experience of our lives (and we haven't even gotten to the best part yet) and I truly mean that!  Even in the waiting... especially in the waiting... God has been moving so visibly in our lives!  During this time of waiting to become parents, Tyler and I have grown closer as a couple with God at the center of our marriage and growing family.  We have learned to rely on God COMPLETELY and to truly have faith that He has the most beautiful plans for us and our family!  We have become more involved in our church and we have been blessed by the most amazing, loving, and accepting small group that anyone could ever hope to have.  We have made and had time to nurture friendships with other adoptive parents who have become so special to us.  People have come from all over, old friends, new friends, just to show us that they love us, support us, and are praying for us every step of the way.  

If someone had told me a year ago that I would be writing this blog post today, I would have said that they were crazy.  LOL!  I would have NEVER expected to be happy with waiting.  It's just not ME!  I guess that's the point.  It's GOD!  It has absolutely felt like God has just scooped us up in a little bucket and has carried us every step of the way!  I don't know how I could be anything but HAPPY!

Now, don't get me wrong.  I will be ELATED when the time comes for us to move on to the next step!  I don't have words to describe how happy I will be when we finally get to hold our precious baby in our arms!  Until then, though, we will continue to wait and grow in our faith as we do.  I have been asked by a lot of people how we do it (meaning wait).  (Just a little side note - I know that SO MANY families have and are waiting SO MUCH LONGER than we are/have!)  We (Tyler & I) don't by ourselves.  We can't.  We (GOD, Tyler & I) can only do it because God gives us our strength!  He gives us our joy, our happiness!  HE gives us our HOPE!!  

*Just for fun, scroll all the way down for Pharrell Williams' "Happy" - Taiwan style!*

  

LOVE NEVER FAILS!

My sister, Kaci, got married today.  She was the most beautiful bride ever and it was so obvious that her adorable new husband, Seth, agreed because he just beamed throughout the entire wedding and all of the other wedding festivities!   Aren't they just the cutest little newlywed couple ever?  :0) 

With any wedding (but especially with those that you love so much), we are reminded of our own weddings.  My own wedding was the BEST day of my life and I hope that Kaci and Seth are able to say the same!  There are MANY things that I have learned about being married, though, and these are the things that I have thought about a lot today as we celebrated Kaci and Seth's new union.  These are things that I have learned that have caused me to fall more in love with my husband the longer we have been married and the longer we have grown together. 

The preacher today really focused on 1 Corinthians 13.  I have always loved this passage but whether or not I realized it, I used to only see this as a beautiful passage.  It took a few years (and several trials) of marriage to truly understand this passage and to learn to really live it out in our marriage.

1. Love is PATIENT.  

    I sure do praise the Lord for the EXTREMELY patient man that I married!  He knows that any husband of mine would most definitely need this virtue.  This is something that I have to remind myself of often.  If I'm not willing to wait or be patient... it may not be love.

2.  Love is KIND.

     That's pretty self explanatory.  Just be nice.  Even when we have an argument, I know that I can't say something that I know would hurt my husband.  I love him.  Therefore, I should always strive to be kind to him and to build him up instead of tear him down.

3.  Love DOES NOT ENVY.

     There's no room for jealousy in a marriage.  I can't say it never happens.  I'm human.  He's human.  Envy and jealousy, however, do not come from love.

4.  Love DOES NOT BOAST and it is NOT PROUD.

     We can't brag about being better than the other or be to proud to admit our mistakes.  Pride has crept in way to many times.  It's so hard not to be stubborn and wait for the other person to apologize first when feelings get hurt but we must set our pride aside.  It is toxic!

5.  Love DOES NOT DISHONOR others.

     We are silly and we both have a sarcastic sense of humor so it's very important that even in joking and kidding that we don't dishonor one another.

6.  Love is NOT SELF-SEEKING.

     Our parents have been teaching us to share since we were little but if we are completely honest, it's so hard at times not to be selfish.  Love is putting someone else before ourselves.

7.  Love is NOT EASILY ANGERED.

     Sometimes this is hard, but I know my husband's heart and his heart is good.  As for him, let's go back to #1.  God sure did bless me with a patient husband!  There are so many times that my crazy self could so easily anger him, but he truly is SO PATIENT!  :0)

8.  Love KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.

     Oh goodness!  God is working on me every single day with this one!  It is so easy any time a disagreement arises to just come up with a list of all the things that my husband has ever done wrong in our relationship since the day we met.  I used to do this.  I would be lying if I said that it NEVER EVER happens now but this is detrimental to any marriage or relationship!  The thing is... when I do this, do I ever bring up the list of the things that I have done wrong?  Nope.  This is just bad.  Very bad.  Love forgives and doesn't keep a list.  :0)

9.  Love NEVER DELIGHTS IN EVIL.

10.  Love REJOICES WITH TRUTH.

       I have yet to ever hear of a solid relationship built on lies.   I'm really bad at lying anyway.  I've been told that I should never play Poker.  LOL!

11. Love ALWAYS PROTECTS.

      It is our job to protect each other and our marriage.  

12.  Love ALWAYS TRUSTS.  

       Again, just be honest so that trust isn't broken.  We MUST be able to trust one another!

13.  Love ALWAYS HOPES.

       There is ALWAYS something for which to HOPE!  ;0)  

14.  Love ALWAYS PERSEVERES.

       We can make it through even the toughest times if we love by this definition.

LOVE NEVER FAILS!!

I have read this chapter of The Bible HUNDREDS of times!  It wasn't until I got married, though, that I really dissected it and understood the meaning of true love.  I often think of this chapter and this definition of love.  I remind myself of it every time I lose my patience and also with every HOPE!  Love isn't just a feeling.  It does take hard work.  Love is SO WORTH IT, though, and the best promise of all is that LOVE NEVER FAILS!!  

Kaci and Seth, I am praying for you all and I am so excited for you all as you start this journey of NEVER FAILING LOVE together!!  I love you both!

Dreams of Tea Parties and Golf Clubs

I don't know how many of you watch the TLC show, "The Little Couple," but I am just so inspired by this sweet family and their beautiful children!  Will is adopted from China and Zoey is adopted from India and they are both just absolutely adorable!  I love to watch the whole family interact as they not only face life's daily challenges but as they adjust to being a forever family through adoption as well.

Last night, Jen (the mother) and her precious baby girl, Zoey, got dressed up and had a tea party.  To some, this might seem like no big deal.  This is something that moms do with their little girls all the time.  During this episode, Jen talked about how special she wanted this to be for Zoey... and how she wanted her to remember dressing up... and how she wanted her to remember drinking from her tea set... and how she wanted her to remember getting to eat in her room... and how she wanted her to remember this very special time of the two of them just enjoying this moment TOGETHER.

Here's a picture of Jen and Zoey enjoying their tea party.  Isn't Zoey just too cute with her diva sunglasses on?  Jen looks pretty adorable with her hat and boa, too!  :0)

I LOVE TEA PARTIES!!  I'll admit it.  I got a little misty-eyed last night as I watched this (I know everyone is SHOCKED by me getting emotional!  HAHA!) because as cliche' as it may sound, this is truly something that I look forward to... something that I DREAM of doing with my own little girl (should Baby Cherry be a girl) some day!  Ok!  OK!  While I'm being completely honest, I'll just say it.  Baby Cherry may or may not already have a tea set (just in case).  :0) 

There are plenty of other things I dream of as well.  Anyone who is or who ever has longed for a child has wishes and dreams for things that they would like to do with their child(ren), things that they would like to teach their child(ren), and special traditions, morals, and values that they would like to instill in the lives of their child(ren).

Tyler LOVES golf!  He loves all sports, but golf is really his thing.  I've gotten a few little shirts that say, "Daddy's Little Golfer," and other golf related things.  He doesn't get super excited about the baby clothes, but I do know that he has hopes of teaching his son or daughter how to play this game that he loves so much.  I know that is something that he is looking forward to doing... just like I'm looking forward to tea parties!

Right now, we continue to dream... and HOPE... and PRAY!!

Holy Spirit

My brain is like a popcorn popper.  I have thoughts and ideas popping up here and there and all over the place.  I rarely finish one thought without another one popping up.  People say that this is a symptom of a creative mind.  I don't know about that.  Maybe my brain is just super full (but I've always been this way to a certain extent - lol) or maybe it's due to my very short attention span or my self-diagnosed ADD.  Whatever it is, it annoys me.  I can be thinking about how I want to plan a really fun math lesson and in the span of five minutes, I will have at least 20 random thoughts that stemmed from that original thought of the math lesson that take me in a COMPLETELY different direction and I will be thinking of why we need to buy a new handheld vacuum cleaner!  What does a math lesson have to do with needing a vacuum cleaner except that the money needed for the vacuum cleaner doesn't add up to the cost of the said vacuum cleaner... UGH!  Here I go again!  Anyway, you see the point... I think.

Because of my popcorn popper of a brain, I sometimes find praying to be difficult.  I sit down to talk with God and my prayers, just like my thoughts, are just popping up here and there and everywhere and I often lose focus and to be completely honest... I get a little frustrated.  I get frustrated because my prayer time is special.  It's sacred.  I feel like I'm causing a bit of a barrier between myself and God when I lose focus during my prayer time and it breaks my heart.  

One way that I often pray... a way that always holds my focus and a way that I always feel His presence a little stronger... is through song.  Sometimes I sing and then there are other times when I just play music (on my iPhone or other musical device - I do not have instrumental talent as badly as I would LOVE to have it!) and listen for Him and just be in His presence.  The music calms my thoughts and helps me to focus.

In the last couple of weeks, I have been praying more specifically and intentionally for The Holy Spirit and the peace that He provides (not just for Tyler and me in our adoption journey, but in other areas of our lives and for other family, friends, and people that God has placed in our path).  One song that has been a great part of my prayer time has been "Holy Spirit" by Jesus Culture.  Francesca Battistelli also sings it.  The lyrics are as follows (More of my blog post follows the song.):

Verse 1:

There's nothing worth more

That could ever comes close

Nothing can compare

You're our living Hope

And my shame is undone

Your presence Lord

Verse 2:

I've tasted and seen

Of the sweetest of love

When my heart becomes free

Your presence Lord

Chorus:

Holy Spirit You are welcome here

Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere

Your glory God is what our hearts long for

To be overcome by Your presence Lord.

Bridge:

Let us become more aware of Your presence

Let us experience the glory of Your goodness

*Chorus*

I know that The Holy Spirit has been with me from the very beginning of this adoption journey.  I know this to be absolute!  I know this because the fruits of The Spirit (The Holy Spirit) are love, joy, PEACE, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness, and self-control.  I am not naturally a patient person.  I am NOT good at waiting for something that my heart desires.  In the case of our adoption, I have never had a greater earthly desire than to be a mother!  It is not in my nature to have PEACE about PATIENTLY waiting for that... but I DO!  I have such a PEACE that I know that ONLY The Holy Spirit can give!  That peace makes it so much easier to be patient and faithful as well.  I can't truthfully sit here and say that every day is so easy to wait... because it most definitely is NOT... but I have a peace in knowing that "in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him (and we most certainly do!), and who have been called according to His purpose (and we feel like we have been)."  


He also calms those annoying "popcorn popper thoughts" and helps me to focus!  

Oh, how I love Him!  :0) 

Missing Grogery...

Today, March 26th, would be my Grogery's birthday.  Grogery was my grandmother (my mama's mama).  My older brother, Will, named her Grogery.  She was supposed to be called Granny but he liked Grogery instead... so Grogery she became... to everyone who knew her.

Grogery was one of those people who just made everyone's life so much happier just by knowing her.  She was so loving, kind, patient (Oh my, was she patient!), caring, funny, and a million more wonderful adjectives!  She gave the most comforting hugs.  She had the most contagious laugh. (Oh, how I miss that laugh!)  She had such a beautiful bedtime story voice and knew how to tuck us into bed just perfectly.  She was a pretty good referee when we had the occasional sibling or cousin squabble.  She was an EXCELLENT cook!  I could go on and on...

Many of my BEST childhood memories are memories with her.  Teaching at Gold City Elementary School (the play school that she and our grandpa let us have in their basement) with my cousins, Orange Crush (with crushed ice) and popcorn while watching TV at night when we spent the night, my cousins and I having our pretend Olympics in the front yard while she judged and gasped because she was so afraid that we might get hurt while doing a cartwheel :0) are only a few of the wonderful memories that I have with her.   There are so so many more... way too numerous to name!  My life has been so beyond blessed because she was my Grogery!

I was 16 when she passed away and I will be 32 in June.  It has been weighing heavily on me lately that soon I will have spent just as much of my life without her as I had with her and it breaks my heart.  :0(  I know it may sound a little selfish to be sad when my life has been so blessed, but I can't help it.  I am so thankful for the 16 years that God gave me with such an amazing Grogery!  I am incredibly thankful that He has blessed me beyond measure with all of the wonderful grandparents that He has!  There is no question that I am blessed!

I see more and more of Grogery's precious spirit in my Mama and Aunt Debbie every day as I watch them interact with their own grandkids.  Although it makes me sad that my niece, nephew, cousins' children, and my own child(ren) won't know Grogery, it does make my heart smile to know that her memory lives on and that they will always know the love that she shared with us as it is passed on to them.

Here's a picture of my Grogery.  Wasn't she beautiful?  :0)

Happy Valentine's Day!

I really just need to take a minute and brag on my husband.  He and I are VERY opposite, so it is rare for him to surprise me with something.  He is always kind and sweet and he works very hard to take care of us and our home.  However, he isn't really into the cheesy, ooey, gooey, over the top romantic stuff.  I am.  LOL!  That being said, the thoughtfulness that he put into Valentine's Day... HUGE!!

When I got home from school on Friday, there were flowers on the counter.  They were red and white roses.  I know it is a bit cliche', but roses really are my favorite.  I wasn't totally convinced that he would remember that, though.  I suppose I shouldn't underestimate him.  :0)  I looked at the flowers and thought, "Oh, that's nice and just said thank you."  I am ashamed to admit it, but I honestly assumed that he suddenly remembered that it was Valentine's Day on the way home and stopped at Kroger and just picked up what they had.  Regardless, they were pretty and it was nice of him to get them.

Later on that night, he said, "You never asked me why I just got five flowers."  I looked at him strangely and said, "What are you talking about?"  He said, "You never asked me why I just got five flowers.  Nobody just gets five roses.  It is either six or twelve.  And you didn't ask me why two are red and three are white."  I still had a really strange look on my face, I am sure.  I had no clue what he was talking about or WHO even had taken over his body!  It is so unlike him to even count how many flowers there are, much less know how many are red and how many are white!  LOL!

"Ask me," he said.  So... I asked him.

He said that the two red roses were for he and I and the three white roses were for Maggie, Lucy, and our baby that is yet to come.

I couldn't even say anything.  I just started BOO HOOING!!! (I mean, UGLY CRY!)

And then he gave ME a strange look and said, "Well, there's no need to cry about it." LOL!

Seriously?!?!  You don't get to bring up my pups AND my baby and expect me not to cry!  LOL!  It truly was the most thoughtful Valentine EVER!!  I really do love that man and I am falling more and more in love with him as we go through this adoption journey together!

Wrong Numbers

I never noticed just how many wrong number phone calls we received at this house until we started waiting...  waiting for THE MOST IMPORTANT PHONE CALL OF OUR LIVES!!  I am still shaking right now because every single time the phone rings (especially when it is an unknown number), my heart skips a beat and it literally takes my breath away...

I am still trying to catch my breath as I type right now.  Tonight, it is taking a little longer than usual and  though I haven't blogged in a bit, I felt the need to get my thoughts down in writing.  Yes, waiting is tough, but God continues to lead us on the most amazing journey of our lives!  I know that God's timing is PERFECT and that He has a PERFECT plan for our family and maybe these wrong number phone calls are a reminder to keep OUR HOPE in HIM... and that we need to be waiting on HIM and HIS timing and not simply "waiting for a phone call."  HE has called us on this journey and we are excited to follow Him!  We will continue to praise Him in this time of waiting!  

"My Hope is in You" by Aaron Shust has played over and over in my head throughout our adoption journey.  "My HOPE is in YOU, Lord!  A peace that passes understanding is my song.  My HOPE is in YOU, Lord!"  I have had such a peace every step of the way and I know that it can ONLY come from God!  If you know me very well at all, you know that peace in WAITING can ONLY come from the Lord above because this girl alone is NOT good at waiting!  (HAHA!)  So... I will wait on Him for He is my refuge!  I am also so thankful that God has blessed me with Tyler as my husband and partner in this journey because he is SO patient and calm.  He is a gift!

I can't say that I'm not still excited and anxious to receive a phone call saying that we have been matched with our child but I am going to say that I am no longer "waiting on a phone call."  I am waiting on GOD!

Fingerprinting Day!

Tyler and I traveled to Nashville today to be fingerprinted for our I-600a application (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition).  This has been our first BIG step in our adoption journey since our home study was finalized, so we were really excited about doing this today!  It was also nice to just get to spend a nice day together.  The weather was GORGEOUS and our appointment was at 2:00 pm, so we were able to take our time, relax, and really just enjoy our day together.

Now, I suppose we will just wait (We do a LOT of that these days!) and see if the U.S. and the Department of Homeland Security will give us their stamp of approval to proceed with our adoption.  I don't think we have gotten into TOO much trouble (with the exception of toilet papering a few yards ;0) ) - well, hopefully we haven't gotten into any trouble that would keep us from being granted permission from the U.S. government to adopt our baby anyway!  On second thought... maybe we SHOULD start praying that the results of our fingerprinting come back clean of any mischief!  ;0)
(Quick side note: If you are reading this and don't know me - I am SO just kidding!  No criminal activity here!  LOL!)

I was REALLY hoping to take some pictures of us being fingerprinted (You all know how I love taking pictures of every part of this process!), but there was a big sign and an an even BIGGER security guard right as we walked in that said "ABSOLUTELY NO CAMERAS, CELL PHONES, OR ANY OTHER RECORDING DEVICES!!"  It made me so sad!  I was even afraid to snap a picture OUTSIDE!  LOL!  The girls who did our fingerprints were super nice, though, and Tyler even made friends with that big, bad security guard (who turned out not to be so big and bad after all).  :0)  

I was kind of expecting Tyler to have some difficulty getting his prints made since he has a "unique" (I've been sitting here at the computer trying to find the right word to use - LOL!) pinky finger (It was torn off in a yard rolling - aka toilet papering - accident when he was a kid.  No worries, though.  They put it back on.  ;0) That's a whole new story for another day - now that I have you intrigued!), but I'm the one who they had to redo several times.  Apparently, my "ridges aren't deep enough" to get a good enough print.  I had no idea that was even possible.  Oh well!  I guess I'll just have to live with my deformed fingerprint ridges!  LOL!

Anyway, our fingerprints are finished!  We are praying that we only have to do them once (We would LOVE it if you would pray with us about that).  I believe they expire in 18 months.  We've known of a few people who have had to redo this part of the process a few times because of expiration.  As a matter of fact, we saw a lady doing that same thing today.  She was still smiling, though, because she knew that although she was repeating this step (and paying for it again - not cheap); it was bringing her one step closer to her child!  I'm praying that she gets to bring her child home VERY SOON!  :0)

We've Got Mail!

I typically don't love to check the mail.  As a matter of fact, I usually leave this chore for Tyler.  There's just rarely anything fun in there... mostly bills and such... and who wants those???  Not this girl!  LOL!

Lately, that has changed!  I have been checking the mail!  When I was still out of school for the summer, I will even admit that I was basically stalking the mail carrier even!  I have been anxiously awaiting our appointments from the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) for our fingerprinting!

After my BIG MISTAKE of not sending our home study with our I-600a application, I wasn't sure how long it would be before we got our appointments.  I was actually going to call today to find out if they received our home study and to make sure it got matched with our application.  Thankfully, I check the mail first before I called!!  Much to my surprise...

WE GOT OUR APPOINTMENTS TODAY!!!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

Thank you all SO MUCH for all of the prayers!!  This is a pretty big step in the right direction!  

HE'S GOT THIS!

If you read my blog post from yesterday, you could probably sense that I was a little stressed.  Ok, I was a LOT stressed!  I was just so frustrated with myself for missing something that seemed so big that was right in front of my face!  When I pulled the copies of our home study out of the envelope today, there was a BIG, YELLOW post-it note on the TOP copy of the home studies that said, "Send this copy with your I-600a to USCIS."  REALLY?!?!?!  I still cannot believe that I missed this when I am trying SO HARD to be organized (And I have to WORK REALLY HARD AT BEING ORGANIZED!  It does NOT COME NATURALLY!) through all of this!

I went to FedEx this afternoon after school to send our home study to The Department of Homeland Security to be matched with our I-600a application.  As I got in my car, I looked up and noticed this beautiful gift...

It was a much needed reminder from God saying, "Hey Leslie, I've got this!  I promise!"  It was a reminder and a promise that I needed so much today!  

I am typically a REALLY laid back girl, but I have been trying so hard to be a "list person" and to be organized and all these things that I am really not that I'm becoming so uptight... and I don't like it!

So... I'm forgiving myself!  I'm letting go of the control (that I'm really not good at having anyway) and I'm giving it back to God!  HE'S GOT THIS!!!  

OH, HOW THANKFUL I AM!!

HE'S GOT THIS!!!

Making Mistakes...

So, we've been waiting for our fingerprinting appointment from the USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services) after submitting our I-600a (That's the Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition.) form July 11.  We got a receipt from them July 16 that said that they had received our application and payment (which had already gone through the bank and been processed) and it also said that we needed to be looking for our fingerprinting appointment in the next 10-14 days.

We have waited...

And waited...

And those 10-14 days have passed so I called USCIS.  I called yesterday after school and was on hold for over an hour.  I couldn't leave school until 5 and they close at 6, so I hung up at 6:15 when I still hadn't spoken to anyone.

I called again today and spoke to someone.  I didn't hear the news I wanted, but I sure am glad that I called!  The conversation went a little something like this...

USCIS Lady: "Did you include your home study with your application?"

Me: "No.  Was I supposed to include our home study with our application?"

USCIS Lady: "Did an agency help you with this?"

Me:  "Yes, we were given very specific directions - that I read SEVERAL TIMES.  I really don't remember it saying anything about including our home study with the application, but I suppose I could have overlooked it.  I don't think I did because I REALLY read those directions OVER AND OVER AND OVER again so I wouldn't jeopardize anything in this process... but... I'm sure I could have made a big mistake..."

(I was having a TERRIBLE time holding in the tears at this point!  Those of you who know me well, I'm sure can imagine how fast I was talking too at this point!)

USCIS Lady: "You need to go the the USCIS website and download the directions there.  On your receipt, does it say that you missing your home study?"

Me:  "No, it doesn't say it anywhere."

(She was actually very nice and I was managing to remain calm - amazingly - and I was using a nice tone as well.)

USCIS Lady:  "Hmmm... They must have changed the form.  Well, it SHOULD say that.  I suppose it is good that you called.  Otherwise, your application would sit on a shelf for a year and then it would just get thrown away without your home study."

Me:  "I just want to cry right now."

USCIS Lady:  "Oh, there's no reason to cry.  This really isn't that big of a deal."

I just wanted to SCREAM!!  WHAT?!?!?!  NOT A BIG DEAL?!?!?!?  It's JUST MY BABY!!!!!  I managed to keep that on the inside, though, and she told me how to send in our home study and get it matched with our application.

When I got home, I immediately went to find those directions for filling out that form!  Guess what I found...

Does anyone else see it???

YEP!!  Beside the 4., it tells what to send.  It includes payment, documents, and HOME STUDY!!!!  How did I miss that?!?!?!?!  I can not tell you how many times I read this!!!  I have been so careful NOT to miss ANY DETAIL in this process because I have been so scared that I would jeopardize some crucial step in bringing our baby home!  It's no secret that organization and paperwork are not strengths of mine.  That's why I have been SO CAREFUL!  I just don't know how I missed it!

It really ISN'T the end of the world!  I know it isn't!  The nice lady at USCIS (She REALLY was VERY NICE!) told me how to fix this (and it really is very fixable)!  I am just so disappointed in myself for making such a careless mistake.  

I suppose I need to remember...

Oh, how I am TRYING!!  

Good thing I've got God, a ROCK of a husband, and an unbelievable village of family and friends to help me up when I fall!!

Counting Sheep...

I have counted sheep, cows, ducks, pigs... you name it!  I can't sleep!  It's driving me CRAZY!  There's definitely not a lack of desire.  That is certain.  I'm not sure that anyone loves sleep more than I do!  I just can't seem to get any!  This has been an ongoing problem all summer long.  I'll be honest.  I get my days and nights mixed up every summer (I'm pretty sure that I was meant to be nocturnal. HA! HA!), but I'm not sleeping well during the day either.  I have had more headaches this summer than I have had in quite some time and I have developed these beautiful (insert sarcasm) dark bags under my eyes because I just can't seem to get any good sleep.

The reason that I can't sleep is because...

I can't stop thinking about my baby.  That may sound SO CRAZY because we haven't even been matched with our child yet, but it is true.  I am constantly thinking and praying about my baby and his or her birth parents.  I am constantly wondering about him or her.

Is his or her birth mother still pregnant or has my baby already been born?  Could today be the day that my baby is born?  Could TODAY be my kid's birthday?  Are the birth parents scared?  How old are my baby's birth parents?  Is the birth mother all alone?  Does she have any support at all?  Is she a Christian?  What made her choose adoption over abortion in a country where abortion is so common?  OH, HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT SHE DID!!!

These questions and SO MANY MORE play over and over and over in my head every single night (and day).  I can only speak for myself, but I would imagine that most adoptive moms have similar questions that they think about often as well.  Although it may seem that way, these questions are not a product of worry.  They are simply a product of wonder and longing to know as much as I can about my child.  God has provided me with such a comfort and peace about this whole process.  I am praying that doesn't change!

I am going to TRY MY VERY BEST to get some sleep now!  Maybe I will try something new and count Zebras tonight/this morning! ;0)  I better figure something out pretty fast since school starts this week!!

It's a Small World...

Today has been a FABULOUS day!!  I got to meet someone today (in person) who has become an incredible friend and TREMENDOUS support to me in our adoption journey!  

This picture could be used on a billboard for "It's a Small World!"  You see, Tara and I "met" because she and her husband adopted their beautiful baby girl, Rossi Quinn, from the same orphanage in Taiwan where we are in the process of adopting our baby.  You might not think that's such a big deal, but they live in Muhlenburg County, KY (which is only a little over an hour away from Warren County, where we live).  What really makes it a small world, though, is that my really good friend and neighbor who lives RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from me is one of Tara's best friends!  Tara and I became friends because of our connection on the other side of the world, but we also had a connection so close to home as well!  It really is such a small world!  

I was SO EXCITED about meeting Tara and Rossi Quinn!  I had a hard time going to sleep last night! I couldn't decide what to wear and to be completely honest, I cried a couple of times before going over to Millie's house.  I think I was so emotional because this was the first time I have met (in person) anyone from The Home of God's Love (That's the name of the orphanage in Taiwan.) and it just made me feel that much more connected to this amazing place where we hope to be eventually going to adopt our own precious child.  Meeting Rossi for the first time and actually seeing her in person made it that much more of a reality!  If I was this excited, emotional, nervous, etc. over seeing them, I can only imagine how I will be when we travel to Taiwan!  I should probably start stocking up on tissues now!  Maybe I should buy an extra suitcase just for my tissues!  LOL!  I've been telling you all that these adoption hormones are out of control! ;0)

As Tara said today, I also cannot wait for our babies to play together!  I can't wait to see a third little one on this little couch!  They were too cute today!  I just love both of these precious girls so much!!

I am so thankful for Millie and Olivia and so thankful that Millie arranged for Tara, Rossi, and I to meet today!  It really was the BEST DAY!!  :0)

Cherry Hope Stepping Stones

My extremely talented friend, Gayle Miller, creates the most beautiful stepping stones! She asked me if she could do a fundraiser for our adoption and designed this gorgeous stepping stone! The picture is beautiful enough, but it doesn't even begin to do it justice! If you would be interested in purchasing one of these stepping stones, please let me know. They are $35 each. We will have to do local orders only as they are very heavy and shipping would be nearly impossible. This one is now sitting in my landscaping and I LOVE it!!! Gayle is AMAZING and I can't thank her enough for being so generous!!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Justin!

Warning... The flood gates have opened tonight!  Raw emotion lies ahead.  Don't say I didn't warn you...

My child will have an uncle that he or she will not have the chance to meet here on Earth.  Does that make me sad?  What an understatement!  It absolutely breaks my heart!  Today (well, yesterday now - July 10) is Justin's birthday and while I think about him EVERY day, significant dates like today weigh a little more heavily on my mind.

My train of thought today has been a little different, though.  All I have been able to think about all day today is how my baby is not going to know his or her uncle, my fun and charismatic brother and friend.  How will I tell my child about his or her Uncle Justin?  How will I do justice to sharing the memory of someone who was loved so much by so many?

So... I've spent the day thinking about things that I loved about him and it's been good for my soul!

You see, I prayed for YEARS that God would give me a little brother or sister.  God answered my prayers (it may not have been exactly the way I imagined He would when I was a little girl, but He did answer my prayers).  He gave me both in the way of step-brothers and sisters but in my family we don't have steps.  We're just brothers and sisters!  I couldn't be happier with the answer that He gave and my life has been so richly blessed because He answered my prayers in this way!

Things I want Baby Cherry to know about his or her Uncle Justin...

1.  He was FUNNY!  He had such a GREAT sense of humor and he could ALWAYS make me laugh!  Even when I tried to be, I could never be mad at him and he knew it.

2.  He loved to have a good time and he loved to make sure that everyone else was having a good time as well!  He knew how to make a person smile and he had a smile that could light up a whole room!

3.  He had a BIG HEART!  He tried to pretend like he was a tough guy, but he really was just a big teddy bear with a great big sensitive heart!

4.  He LOVED kids!  He loved ALL kids, but he especially LOVED his own boys (my handsome nephews), Aiden and Landon!  He loved them so much!  They look so much like him, but both in different ways, but I see so much of him in their sweet faces.  He was a fun uncle too and I know he would be a wonderful uncle to my baby as well!

5.  He was loved by so many people!  He had such a charismatic personality that just made people want to be around him!  He is STILL loved by so many!

If you knew Justin and you have other wonderful things you would like to add about him in the COMMENTS, PLEASE DO!!  My family and I would LOVE that so much!  :0)

While my child may never meet his or her Uncle Justin here on Earth, Baby Cherry will be very blessed to have him has her Uncle Guardian Angel!  I LOVE YOU, SWEET BROTHER!

I'm pretty sure this picture was taken at Justin's going away party right before he left for Afghanistan.

Shirts for Sale!

We will be required to travel to Taiwan two times, so travel is going to be pretty expensive.  That being the case, we are having to do a little fundraising to offset the cost of our travel and other adoption expenses.  If you would like to help us out and show your support for Baby Cherry and adoption in general by wearing one of these really cool shirts, check out our Adoption Bug store at http://www.adoptionbug.com/cherryhope/.

If you want to order, you will order directly from our store on the Adoption Bug website http://www.adoptionbug.com/cherryhope/ and your shirts will be shipped directly to you.  

Shirts come in regular t-shirt sizes and in women's sizes.  We've learned that women's sizes are a little tricky, so PLEASE follow the following sizing guidelines if you are ordering women's sizes:

Relaxed 2XL = 2XL (22-24)

Relaxed XL = XL (18-20)

Relaxed L = L (14-16)

Now, here's where it gets a little tricky...

Fitted XL = M (12)

Fitted L = S (8-10)

Fitted M = XS (4-6)

Fitted S = XXS (0-2)

If you are local, I also have some shirts that you can try on, if you would like.  

If you do purchase a shirt, please take a picture of yourself in your shirt and send it to me!  I would also LOVE to create a book of photos for Baby Cherry of family and friends who supported him or her in this way!  Thank you again for being such an AMAZING support to us!  WE LOVE YOU!!

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Again, here is our site!  If the shirt isn't on this page, it will NOT go towards our fundraiser.  http://www.adoptionbug.com/cherryhope/

*IF , for some reason, you receive your shirt and it does not fit or you need to return it for any reason, let me know ASAP!  We only have 14 days to make returns and we can only return shirts that have NOT been worn (except for being tried on) or washed!  I will make returns for you.  It's really not that hard, but I do need to know ASAP!  :0) *

Heather and Annee

Auntie LC2

I am IN LOVE...

... with a child that I haven't yet met!  I am completely and totally, head over heals, IN LOVE with a child who has most likely not even been born yet!  While I may not physically feel this child moving inside my belly, I certainly (and without a doubt) feel this child growing inside my heart!  I have a desire and a longing for this child that I cannot begin to put into words.  This child is all that I think about; my first thought each morning and my last thought each night.  I dream about my baby.  Every decision that I make, I make with this child in mind... even the smallest decisions.  I am IN LOVE!

This is WHY I am writing this blog in the first place.  Yes, I want to share the story of our adoption journey with our family and friends and this is a very efficient way to do that.  And yes, I have come to realize that this is a very therapeutic way for this waiting mommy-to-be to share my thoughts, feelings, hopes, and desires and to share our excitement with you in this journey.  Let me be clear, though.  I am NOT a writer.  I am not a novelist, although I do have a secret dream to write a children's book or two (I suppose it isn't such a secret now.  Is it?  HA!).  I don't even like to journal!  The extent of my daily writing comes from lesson planning and updating my Facebook statuses.  The TRUE reason that I am writing this blog is for MY BABY!  You see, this is not Tyler and Leslie Cherry's story.  This is the prologue to OUR PRECIOUS BABY'S story!  I am writing this blog for MY BABY!  My hope is to make a book out of this (I'm pretty sure that I saw a way to do that on Pinterest or something. Ha Ha!) and to give it to my child as a gift so that he or she will never have any question just how much we love him or her...  even before we ever met!  I am IN LOVE!

This is a necklace (created by Kate Clayton at The Adopt Shoppe)  that I purchased from another adoptive mother.  Now if you see me wearing it, you will know exactly what it means.

I am a children's book fanatic!  I am an elementary teacher and I LOVE children's books!  I spend WAY more of my personal money than I probably should on children's books for my classroom.  When I see them, I can't help myself!  Today, I bought a new children's book for MY BABY!!  And you know... when you buy a child his or her first Curious George book, you MUST buy the stuffed animals that go with it!  I am IN LOVE!

Here is Baby Cherry's VERY FIRST Curious George book accompanied by his or her VERY FIRST stuffed animals!

OH... AND WE HAVE MORE REALLY BIG NEWS!!

(Technically, it was yesterday!  It was already past midnight when I published this post.  Oh well!)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!  We have MUCH to celebrate!!  :0)
Love,
Leslie and Tyler
(and Maggie & Lucy too!)