Thankful for my many blessings....even on the crazy days!

Well....yesterday day was an eventful day around the McNabb household. Every day is full and never boring, but yesterday was just funny...that's the only way I can describe it. It started out with Caleb waking up with a nice "shiner" from hitting his eye on the bathtub drain the night before. Then....Colby opened the basement door and I heard him say to our big dog, Shadow, "No Sadow, you don't go out that der!" So I proceeded to try to "tackle" Shadow before he escaped, but I failed. I did manage to hit the door facing as hard as any linebacker in the NFL would hit their opponent!! I have a nice sore, scraped up, bruised shoulder and bruised toes to prove it ;) Shadow had a nice frolic around the neighborhood before my husband managed to tackle him in the next door neighbor's yard. Then to top it off last night...Caleb broke out in some weird funky rash. It was crazy and a little scary. He started developing streaks and whelps under his arms, down his legs, and on his chest and back. I tried to think back to what he had that was "different" yesterday and the only thing we could think of was that his papaw had given him a bag of Hot Tamales and he had eaten almost the whole bag. So....we think he was allergic to the red dye or the cinnamon in them. Thank goodness a little Benadryl helped. Also, we were under a tornado watch for the millionth time this week. We did have some tornadoes touch down in the area a few days ago and it was pretty scary.

As for our adoption process...our paperwork is in Manila!!!! We have confirmation that the embassy in Manila received it on April 7th!! Woohoo!!! Now we are awaiting Joy's medical checkup and visa interview appointments. Once she is issued a visa we can travel to go get her. It may still be anywhere from 6-8 weeks, which seems like forever, but it IS getting closer each day!!!! We are so excited! Although we still have no idea where we are staying and so forth! Eeeek!!!

I am just so thankful for my many blessings, even for all the little quirky, crazy things that have happened this week. I just hope Joy is ready for an adventure because it is always an adventure with her three little brothers!  They can't wait to welcome Ate Joy home!!!

Trusting and waiting.......

Funny how you can get so obsessed over a little piece of paper! We got our provisional approval for our I-800 today in the mail. I actually already knew it was approved because I called them on the 25th and they told me of the approval! I just couldn't stand it until the actual paper came in the mail and I could see it for myself though. Now.....you guessed it....more waiting!!! I know...I feel like that's all I say. I was warned by people who have adopted before the wait is hard and they were not kidding. I was thinking, well...I've been pregnant before and remember how the waiting was tough, but this is a different kind of waiting, in a way it seems almost harder, for me anyway. Maybe it's all the "steps" or the anxiety of  "approval" that makes it harder, I'm not sure. And also someone told me the wait gets harder the closer you get and they were right. It sure does. I cannot wait to bring our sweet Joy home!! In the meantime, I'm praying that God continues to work in wonderful ways preparing us for our daughter and preparing our daughter for her family and her "new world". I've tried so many times to TRY to put myself in Joy's shoes. It's not possible. There's no way I can feel what she's feeling right now, but I continue to try to feel it......the excitement she is feeling of knowing she now has a family after so many years, the sadness of leaving her school and the friendships she's developed there, the sadness of leaving her caregivers and the only family she's known for the past several years, the excitement of coming to a new country, the anxiety and sadness of leaving a country and culture for one quite different from hers.....the list could go on and on. I know God will place His hand upon Joy and give her the strength and the peace she will need. I don't expect it to be easy, but I know it's God's plan, no matter what the course may be and just knowing this gives me a peace. I've seen God's hand at work throughout this whole process and I'm sure He will continue to guide each and every step.

More waiting and preparing....

Our I-800 application is set to arrive at the TX lockbox in the morning! Hopefully it will be approved in a few weeks. I just hope and pray that I did everything right and didn't leave anything out. It was over a pound a half of paperwork, so surely we got it all covered. I hope so!!! I won't breath easily until we get the provisional approval.
In the meantime we are STILL working on Joy's room. It's still purple ;) We've added pretty multicolored beads over white sheers and I'm trying to decide between a hot pink rug or a light purple rug....decisions, decisions....lol!!!! Her papaw and dad are still working on her home made bed. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure it will be beautiful. Papaw Harold can build beautiful furniture :) I can't wait to take a picture of her room and send it to her! I'm hoping to send her a package soon.
We still don't really have an idea of when we will be traveling. There seem to be many variables as to how long it might be. After we get our provisional approval of the I-800 we may have a better idea. In the meantime, we are praying for the transition process of bringing our almost teenage daughter home! I still can't believe we're going to have a teenager!! YIKES! :) :) :)

I hope she likes purple......

I really hope Joy likes purple! A couple of weeks ago when we sent our photo book to Joy we didn't have a picture of her finished room yet. I had to describe her room since I couldn't send a picture. Well....it was hard to describe a room that you haven't started yet.....so in that description....I told her her room was painted a very pretty blue. I had every intention of painting her room blue because blue is her favorite color, however I was going to use a island blue...or a turquoise because I found a comforter set that has turquoise, teal, purple, pink, etc. It's very pretty. Anyway, we picked out some very pretty turquoise paint for her room, but when we put it on the wall......MINT GREEN...so I went back to the store, got more paint which was a lighter blue and had no green in it....put it on the wall......LIGHT MINT GREEN!!! It was very strange....almost like her room was not supposed to be blue, but I was determined to paint it blue so we tried again........PALE MINT GREEN!!! I gave up. Chuck said, why don't we paint it a lavender purple....so I went to Walmart, picked out  the first purple that caught my eye and it worked! I think it looks really pretty. I just hope Joy likes purple!! If not, we are in trouble. I hope I get to talk to her and explain why I said her walls are blue, but they are really purple :\

We are supposed to be able to send her a picture of her room when we have it completed. So hopefully I can explain then. I can't wait to get it finished! Chuck is working hard painting the trim and doors now. The trim was an off white and we are painting it bright white to go with the purple. I got a very pretty purple bean bag to go in there as well.....Oh...I hope she likes purple!!!! :) :)

After the trim is painted, we have some pretty white furniture to put together. A white chest of drawers and night stand. Joy's papaw is making her a daybed. When he gets it finished Chuck is going to paint it white. It will have a trundle bed underneath so we can sleep in there with her if she wants us to. It's so much fun fixing up a girly room! I will be adding more pictures as we get it done. It's coming along though. Also, we are going to find a white desk to go in the dormer area because Joy loves to draw. I thought that would be a good spot for her to sit and draw and study :)

Finally...I800-A approved! Now....news for Joy :)

Finally got word today that our I-800A has been approved, after 11 looooong weeks of waiting!!!!!  This means that we are suitable to be parents (I should hope so !) and may adopt a child internationally. One step to mark off the list. Now.....we file the I-800. First, we have to wait until we get the rest of Joy's paperwork to complete the I-800. I have no idea how long it will take to receive those papers. Hopefully, not long. This is a very exciting time right now. This past Monday, our adoption specialist mailed out our fees, along with a photo book and letter to Joy. Joy is learning for the first time that she has a family! I wish I could be there to see her reaction. I wonder if she will be happy that she has a family, or I wonder if she will be sad that she will be leaving her home country and the only home she's known for the past seven years, along with all her friends who've been her brothers and sisters. I'm sure it will be bittersweet. I just hope she knows how much we already love her and can't wait to have her join our family. We've had several months, since August to be exact to look over her picture and her paperwork and we've become attached to her emotionally already. Before that, we had decided we would adopt and had already developed a love for a little girl whom we had never met. We were just waiting on God to show us who. I'm praying that Joy can sense the love and care we already feel for her and the transition will not be too hard on her. I don't expect it to be a piece of cake, but I just hope God will provide a peace for Joy and an understanding for us.

Excited for a very special friend.......

I am so excited today for a very special friend of mine, whom I've had the pleasure of getting to know "virtually" in the adoptive community. She and her husband are leaving today to meet their precious little girl!!! I am so happy for them! Praying for a safe trip and smooth transition for this precious family!  <3 <3 I can't wait to see pics of the family together!!!!

God is always right on time........

Since my post a couple of days ago when I said we signed the acceptance form, but were still a bit short from the full amount we had to send out, things have changed :) We now have enough to send the checks out on Monday!! This is amazing! We were actually short a little over $1000. God has once again proved He is faithful and we should never doubt that if it's His plan He will make it happen! I have said this over and over, but I can't say it enough. We are so thankful for the generosity that people have shown to help us bring Joy home! Thank You!!