If Home Is Where Your Heart Is. . . .

Baker's Bridge. . .my favorite place in Durango! Yesterday I took my kids and the Willis kids there for the afternoon--I just knew we would get some SUPER Fall pictures. Well, I was a few days early for the real Fall colors, but the pics turned out great regardless! (This weekend I am planning on going to Ouray to see the breath-taking colors!) P.S. Did I mention that I head to Rwanda with Hays to pick up my boy in thirty more days?!?!?!

YIPEE!!! NEWS!!! Hays and I will be heading to Rwanda on Halloween (I think we'll leave the US on the 30th)! So, for Halloween this year I will be dressed up as a crazy blubbering white mother of five with jet lag who is meeting her six year old son for the first time! Ruk DOES know that he is being adopted (he actually thought we would be coming to get him this summer--poor guy). I'm not sure what he feels about being adopted, but he does know. He will be finishing up his school year the last week of October, so the timing will be perfect. He has been learning English all semester and I'm sure he'll pick it up quickly. My contact in Rwanda has met Ruk and she says that he is a sweet and tender boy. She said that he is very adorable and that he is very tall and skinny. She is going to get me his profile as soon as she can so that I can know all kinds of things about my boy! I cannot wait! She will be doing much of the leg work for me before I arrive, so my tri

I just got back from our third annual GIRLS' TRIP! It was so much fun! Each year my mom takes her girls on a little trip! This year all of us got to go and we really had a great time! The cast included my mom, my sister (Courtney), and my two sister-in-laws (Missy and Jennafer). We spent the weekend in Chicago shopping, eating, relaxing at a spa, eating, shopping, seeing a musical and then some more shopping and eating. It was a great weekend to get away and to just be together as the girls! THANK YOU, MOM!!!! At the Melting Pot right after we arrived. . .what an AMAZING way to start a girls' weekend! YUMMY!!! The Lego Store. I had to take these pictures for Dax. Darth Vador made out of Legos! R2D2 made completely out of Legos! I'm sure she was pretending that was my dad! :) We got to run up to Wheaton for breakfast so we could see Cooper (my brother--not pictured) and his kids. So fun for Aunt MiMi (me)! Jennafer at the spa in between services (massage and facial)

We went to court! Everyone showed up and it is over. I don't know if we passed court or not. I should hear that next week. Another step down. Prayerfully we will have passed court (I cannot imagine why we wouldn't) and then I will have to request travel approval from the Ministry. Once I get travel approval (usually takes about two weeks), then I can head to Rwanda. Hummmmmmmmm. . .my contact in Rwanda says that the bright side to all of this taking so long is that Ruk will have finished his first semester in school that he began this summer. That will be some good closure for him and he should be back in Kigali during the break (instead of being two hours away where his school is). So, I'll dwell on that bright side. Hopefully he has been learning a little bit of English in school. . .that would be another bright side! So, specific prayer requests: 1. Thank you, God, that our court date is over! 2. Pray that we passed court. 3. Pray that we get Travel Approval

Okay, go to www.gap.com/castingcall and then enter branerpartyof7. That will bring up my kids' pictures and then you can vote. . .DAILY!!!

Okay, folks. . .please vote for my kids to be the next Gap Kids models! I basically just want the shopping spree and the trip to Disney for the family! Click right here on GABBY's name to vote for Gabby and right here on DAX's name to vote for Dax!!! Go vote! Thanks!!! (Just click on their CAPATIALIZED names above and vote for each one of them! Thanks!)

These are our "little" neighbors. They came around this afternoon. . .not as exciting as the "big boys," but it is always fun to see wildlife coming to the front or back door!

Four games this morning. The weather was perfect! Hays played goalie and it was pretty much Hays vs. the blue team. He did awesome! Maggie had a double header (yes, a third grade girls soccer double header). They won both games and she had fun. Dax's team did much better today. . .only one parent had to hold his daughter's hand throughout the entire game this time! Good day. Good friends. And now I'm off to do laundry! And for the first time in my life I can say, "YIPEE!" about laundry! We just got our washer and dryer delivered and hooked up and I am so ready to have clean clothes!!! Yipee!!! We had Hays's birthday party last night. It was really fun. No pictures. . .so sorry! Good friends. Fun gifts. Good pizza. Great cake! Good movie. Below are the pics that were too big for the slide show! Oops!

Well, for all of my adoption blog followers, you are going to notice that my blog has become a little less about adoption and more about everyday life. . .I've moved across the country from my family, so more pics will be showing up! Adoption news will be on as it happens (prayerfully TONS in the VERY NEAR future)! Enjoy the pics!!! Wild flowers from our back yard. Maggie LOVES to pick flowers for me EVERY day!!! The climbing wall at the rec center: Hays and his friend, Kenna. A picture is worth a thousand words! Dax took this picture with my phone while we were waiting for the big kids to get out of school. Dax having breakfast at Starbucks.

I am doing this great Bible study with some ladies here in Colorado. We are reading "No Other Gods" by Kelly Minter and it has been so good. II Kings 17:33, 41 "They worship the Lord, but they also served their own gods. Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols." Kelly says, "God and gods: the people were living split lives, worshiping the One, while serving the others." We get so discontent and disheartened when we allow things in our lives to be gods about God. . .to be (according to Ken Sande) "something other than God that we set our heart on, that motivates us, that masters and rules us, or that we trust, fear, or serve." Kelly says also, "A professed god is who or what we say our god is; a functional god is who or what actually operates as our god." Richard Keyes says, "It (an idol) may well come in the form of an overattachment to something that is, in itself, perfectly good."

Well, we had a court date today. The nuns showed up (from the orphanage), but our lawyer did not (money well spent, apparently). So, we are going to try again tomorrow. What a blessing if everything worked out tomorrow!!! Also, the Braner family has a big meeting with some people this afternoon at 4:30 (Mountain time) and we could really use your prayers (God knows the details that are not blog-appropriate). Thanks for your faithfulness! Pray on!

One of my sweet campers, Kristen, is surprising her brother and sister-in-law with money for their adoption! Her heart is so genuine! She is selling these shirts and then she is going to give the money to them to go get their child!!! If you like the shirt, please email her (bubearsis@yahoo.com) and order one or two or three! Her goal is to sell 200 shirts!!! With all of our help, she can for sure do it!!!

We had three soccer games today! It was really fun. . .the best part was topping the games off with Dax's team of 4-year olds. . .90% of them were bawling AND had their moms on the field HOLDING THEIR HANDS. Really. I am proud to say (and yet, surprised just the same) that I was NOT one of those moms and that Dax was not one of those kids! Enjoy the pictures!!! Check out the view behind Dax's head. . .that is the kids' elementary school and the view they get to see EVERY morning!!! I love this picture because Dax isn't even looking at the ball. . .he is checking out the girl on the other team! I think we're off to take a walk. The kids need to get out, the dogs need a break and the Annual Durango Parade of Homes has four houses in our neighborhood today. I can't wait to meet the neighbors!

Okay, well I just heard from Rwanda (Becca Nimrod called the lady working on our adoption). NOTHING!!! Nothing as in that court date I thought we had on August 31st didn't happen and there isn't one scheduled anytime in the future. Nothing as in NOTHING! I am so sad and so frustrated! Our paperwork expires in just over two weeks. Expires as in I can't just do an update because we have MOVED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. Expires as in we have to do a big new-ish Home Study and everything. New house. New school. New doctors (we don't have any yet). New job. This is so ridiculous! I know that God has a plan and is in control. The spiritual side of me knows that. The flesh side of me is so frustrated right now and I just want to stay that way for a bit. I also think this bit of news has triggered a "I've moved" switch and the tears are falling. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I've been so strong for everyone and I knew the tears would come. . .

I just made my first cake in the high altitude! I even had to figure out the high altitude directions by myself. I haven't tasted it yet, but it at least looks yummy (not flat and nasty like my first-day-of-school brownies I attempted). Butterfinger Cake 1 box Devil's food cake mix 10 oz. Coke 1 egg white 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk 2 tbsp. peanut butter Cool Whip Small Butterfingers (Halloween size) Combine cake mix, Coke and egg white (for high altitude, use the ENTIRE can of Coke and add 1/4 cup of flour). Bake according to cake mix instructions in a greased 9 X 13. A few minutes before the cake is finished baking, combine sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in a saucepan. Cook and stir on low to make creamy and warm. When cake is done and still hot, poke holes in top and pour peanut butter mixture over top of cake. You may have to spread the misture a little to help it go down into the holes. Sprinkle top with 2-3 of the Butterfingers (crushed). Cool cake c

For those of you who are getting as impatient as I am getting about new from Rwanda (about our court date), I got something. . .it is something of nothing, but something none the less. I heard from my agency (yes, I am kind of using an agency now) and they are trying to contact their lady in Kigali. That's my news. I know, it isn't anything, but at least I know that someone is trying to check for me. So, there you have it. Nothing. . .but official nothing! :)

What a weekend! BeBe and PaPa (Andy's parents) drove in from Tulsa. We had a super time! They were SO helpful. . .we unpacked EVERY box that the movers dropped into our garage. It feels so good to be moved in. . .and to sleep on SHEETS! BeBe and PaPa were wonderful help and they were SO much fun! We hung Andy's HUGE elk and 2 of Hays's mounts. Our house is now Bass Pro! One of our kampers, Laura Lester, was killed in a plane crash with her parents and her sister on Saturday. That was sobering. Please continue to pray for the Lester family and all of their friends! There are many camp kids in Tulsa (and around the country) mourning the loss of their friend tonight. Our friend, Jake Armerding, came to visit after his concert in Pagosa. It was fun to see him again. If you haven't heard his music, go to iTunes! He is great! And we just got back from the lake! The VERY COLD lake! Hays was the only one brave enough (or silly enough?) to tube and wake board. I

This slide show is in honor of my friend, Melissa (she LOVES caramel apples)!!! The kids and I had to get out of the house today while they put carpet in the basement. . .so after I went to Starbucks, the kids got a treat at RMCF!!!! Yummy!!! Dax walked out with white chocolate and Oreo covered marshmellows on a stick and Gabby scored with white chocolate and M&Ms covered pretzel stick!!!

For those of you asking, here is one picture of our house. . .of course, it doesn't look like this anymore. . .it is packed with boxes and furniture and toys and cracker crumbs and all kinds of things. . . once I get settled I'll post current pics. But for now, this is our living room. The stairs go up to a loft office that I love. The kitchen is to the left of the picture (kind of behind the stairs). The dining room is empty (hypothetically. . .it actually has boxes in it right now). We are waiting to find the perfect table. I think I've found it. . .now waiting for the perfect money tree to arrive! :) I love this house! We get carpet in the basement on Friday (playroom and the 2 kids' rooms) and I cannot wait for that! Mattresses on concrete are no fun! Once the carpet comes, we should be able to get totally unpacked and settled. I am thrilled! Happy to be here! Happy to call this house home! I love it!!!