Eli is THREE!!!!

Again... this will be out of order (you can forgive me later) but I wanted to post this on his actual birthday.  More posts to come soon..... I promise!!

Dearest Eli,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE BUDDY!!!  You are a challenge and a joy.  You are our baby and yet such a big boy.  You are exceptionally smart, extremely witty and funny and you are the biggest blessings we've ever received.  The last three years of watching you grow has gone incredibly fast.  You are definitely God's handiwork in action!  We love you with our whole heart!
Always and Forever,
Mommy and Daddy

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We began his birthday with a candle in his breakfast muffin.  He thought this was GREAT!  He is still young enough to be easily impressed....

blew it out all by himself!!

Eli and I did errands all morning which included going to the library story hour/craft time and picking out books, going to the post office, picking up another batch of chicks from the farm store (which Eli assumed were his gift...) and then visiting Daddy at work (another treat for him since he loves seeing the big equipment.)  After Daddy got home from work this evening, we went to Joplin to eat at Applebee's.  Eli picked out his own dinner (cheeseburger... no surprise there since he is constantly asking for one), fries and apple juice.  He played "eyes" with the lady sitting in the booth behind us and when she overheard us say that it was his birthday, she came over to our table to talk to Eli, wish him a happy birthday and gave him a dollar!  I don't even have a witty comment to follow that... just that I am impressed by whatever gene he inherited to get random women to just hand him money!!!!  After Eli finished his meal, the waiter brought a group to sing to him and bring him his birthday dessert.  He wasn't so sure about them singing, but he was ecstatic when he got to pick his own dessert!  The waiter thought he was pretty cute with how confident he was in his choices and how easily he "ordered for himself".

No, in case you are wondering, he didn't share! :)

Adoption Update

Sam and I have agreed on what our new Bible theme verse is:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance.  Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

We are going to be the. most. mature. people ever by the time we get through this! ha! I only laugh at this because my alternative is cry...

Yesterday marked 19 months of waiting.  19.  That is twice (plus one) the longest average wait that they boast on their website.  I know each situation is different, but for once in our lives, I sure would've liked Sam and I to be "average".  However, we seem to be "exceptional" at everything!

Here is a portion of the update I received yesterday:

Adoption Center of Hope has been very busy with babies being born and new birthmothers calling in to our 24 hour birthmother helpline! We know the calls are greatly in part to our radio program!

Your update:

We have presented your profile to 4 birthmothers this month. Those 4 have chosen families.

We are faithful that our new birthmothers will be ready to view profiles very soon.

So, I read that to mean that no one is currently looking at us.  Disappointment, anger, frustration... just a smidgen of the feelings that we deal with.

 

Back to Bible verses, our hope lies here:

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  

1 Peter 5:10

I know that this isn't the "suffering" the context is referring to, but regardless, we stick to the hope that this suffering is only a season (albeit a very long season) and soon He will restore us.

We love each of you that are following along is this journey with us.  Thank you for sticking with us.  This road is long and bumpy and not pretty, but the destination is worth it.