Agencies, Daycare, and A Husband Coming Home

In case anyone was worried, I have fully recovered from the crib incident. In fact, I went to Target yesterday with four kids and saw several pregnant women. Not a one of them made me cry!

Four kids. It makes for an interesting day! It seems that God knows my heart and hears my prayers. He has blessed me with the opportunity to care for four wonderful children five days a week until Nathan comes home. Through a series of God directed events, I am now the home day care provider for these four children, ages 10, 8, 7, and 1.5. They are amazing children to watch and to share my days with. I feel so content, so relaxed when they are around. It is odd how a house full of children can make you feel so complete. I still very much long for our own children to come home but caring for the children of friends is such a blessing. It has been such a wonderful experience, poopy diapers and all, that Nathan and I are discussing the possibility of starting our own home daycare business in the Fall once he gets settled in. The only concern I have on this issue is how it may affect the families once our adoption takes place. I know that we will need to have our children be the only children in the house for a while and I don't want to put other families out once it is time for us to go pick up our babies. If anyone has any thoughts on this issue, please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

On another topic, Nathan and I have been researching agencies and initially felt very drawn to AAI out of Washington state. The more I read, the more I become interested in the Gladney Center for Adoption. For some reason, my heart keeps pulling in that direction. Nathan said yesterday that he is feeling the same way. There are so many decisions that can and will affect the rest of our lives. It seems that chosing an agency is one of those decisions. We believe that God has chosen our children, that He knows them and therefore, knows where we must find them. I need to know that our decision about an agency is God directed and NOT Kelly and Nathan directed. So, there we are with the agency issue. No decisions yet. Just prayer.

My last topic of the day is the most exciting one of all! Nathan will be home in just over a month. A month from today, he will be out of Iraq and in the process of returning home to me!!!! As with all things Army, we know that timelines are always subject to change but I'm getting excited just the same. The one interesting tidbit is that I will be traveling July 14 - 20 taking my youth from church on their very first mission trip to Las Vegas. I know...I'm taking teens to Las Vegas...For those of you who think I'm nuts, just remember this: We are called by the most high God to bring the Gospel of His Son to all people, even the least of these. The people in Las Vegas need Jesus. They desperately need Jesus. My youth are on fire for Jesus and they have a wonderful faith that He can change lives. Most of these kids I spend my teaching time with have serious issues. Nearly all of them would be considered "high risk" for things like drug and alcohol use, crime, teenage sex. But none of them want to give in to the labels the world puts on them. They want to succeed and to live their lives for Jesus. I'm so proud of each of them and I can't think of a better group of people to bring Jesus to a lost and dying world. So, how does this pertain to Nathan's grand return? It appears that he will arrive here in Kansas while I am in Las Vegas. I wait two years for this man, and the one week the Army decides to send him home is the one week I positively cannot be present and accounted for. But isn't that the way things go...

Until next time...