Monday, February 22, 2010

Faith Like Potatoes

When I told my sister-in-law, Kimberly, what a miracle it was that we now had the money cash to pay for Forest's sibling's adoption when just 2 months ago we had nothing, she said, "Faith like potatoes." I had no idea what she meant until she explained that it was a movie that I should see.

Kent and I watched that movie last week, and I'm really starting to feel like we need faith like potatoes right now. At the end of the movie, the main character who is a farmer decides to plant potatoes during a drought. Everyone around him tells his he's crazy; the potatoes will never grow without lots of water. He plants those potatoes and right before harvest, as he and his friend are walking the fields, his friend asks him, "How can you know there are potatoes growing under the ground when you can't see them?" The main character answers that you can't; you have to have faith that they're in there growing. When harvest comes, they break up the earth and find that the potatoes did grow, and they have a very successful harvest.

Right now, we are still waiting to hear about our baby. We have no idea what the birthmother will decide, and all evidence is that she may not place the baby since she hasn't responded to the agency's phone calls in weeks. But Kent and I still feel like she may show up at the last minute and place her baby with us so Forest and his sibling can be together. It really is a matter of having faith like potatoes. There's what your head is telling you, and then there's what your heart is telling you. I tend to listen to my heart.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

When it rains, it pours

What a crazy ride it's been lately.  I was released from being RS president Sunday, but had to do it alone at church since all the kids had pink eye.  Kent got to be the "lucky" one to stay home with them Sunday morning.  Just as the kids were getting over pink eye, a second cold hit all of us so now everyone's got sore throats and are especially grouchy.  How fun!  

Of course, the big thing weighing on our minds is when the baby is coming and whether or not Forest's birthmother will choose to place him or her.   My friend said to me, "Boy, Satan is really working on your family.  This must be one special baby."   Within an hour of her saying that over the phone, Kent calls me to tell me that he's been in a car accident.  He is fine, thank heavens, but the same can't be said for his car.  Sorry Barb.  The Honda was originally hers.

Kent and a coworker were driving between work sites and sitting in a left turn lane.  There were 2 lanes turning left and when the turn signal was green, Kent and the other car began to go, the car to his left suddenly slammed on his breaks.  Kent couldn't see that a driver coming from the left completely ran the red light and was headed straight for them.  The car on his left had seen her, but Kent didn't know what was going on until he ran into the lady's car who had run the red.  He said that she drove right into the front of his car.  Luckily, or more like the Lord watching over Kent, she hit the front left of the car.  A few seconds' difference, and she could've run right into Kent.   Maija and Bekah say in their prayers every day, "Bless Daddy at work that he drive home safely."  I can't help but think that their prayers were answered today.  

So... the Honda is totally smashed in in the front and not drivable.  It was towed to Owen's shop, and the lady's insurance will pay for repairs or just give us a check for the value of the car.  We think the repairs might actually cost more than the car is worth.  We'll see...  While all of this is sorted out, we'll be sharing the van.  Makes me grateful I'm not going to be driving around doing Relief Society stuff.  Kent also said, "I just want the adoption to happen now, so we can take off for Utah and not deal with the car right now."  :-)   One more reason we're waiting to hear about the baby.

The end of the story is that we're all safe and sound.  We're grateful for the Lord's protection and His answer to prayers.  And we can't wait to hear about baby #4.  I think it's a girl so I'm already calling her Kiira (pronounced "Keera") but Kent wants a boy and can't seem to pick a boy's name.  Maija said to me, "Mommy, you and I know it's a girl, right?"  Ha!  I have her brainwashed.  Excellent.

We'll keep you all posted.  

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Waiting for Baby

I haven't posted in the last week and a half for a reason. Not much has changed. The adoption auction went very well. We are so grateful to all who participated, donated items and/or made straight donations. We're also grateful to those who wanted to donate but just aren't in a position to do so. We know how that is.

So, now we wait to see what happens. I've been grateful to have the peaceful reassurance that whichever baby ends up coming to our home is the child that was meant to be in our family. It was that way with Forest, and it will be that way this time around too. That much I know. Now, the rest of it (when? who? how?)... that I have no idea about. Keep us in your prayers.