All Because Two People Fell in Love

Life in pictures

2012-01-26T00:17:00.001-06:00

Zoo babies!!

2012-01-16T22:41:00.014-06:00

Today, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we took Gianna and all the rest of the crew to the zoo! We had a wonderful day with Uncle Sal, Aunt Mindy, and Samee. Gianna loved all the animals and was such a doll baby! This girl amazes me every day as she adjusts to all of the changes and takes it all in stride.

17 months!

2012-01-09T16:08:00.000-06:00

Today Gianna is 17 months old! In honor of 17 months of cuteness, here are 17 things you may not know about this chunky monkey:

1. Girlfriend loves to dance to anything, especially country jams!
2. loves to sing too!
3. She really likes her prune juice :/
4. Her favorite stuffed animal is her lion from her FF in Korea
5. She has a love/hate relationship with her big brother, Jackson
6. She adores her big sis, Britten
7. She gives kisses freely when she is in the mood
8. As of today, she can say mommy, uh-oh, yay, thank you, and no,no,no
9. She will bow when you tell her thank you in Korean sometimes and it is soooo cute!
10. She has big, beautiful eyes and she KNOWS how to use 'em
11. Bath time is her favorite ( 2 or 3 times a day)
12. She has been sick twice in the last 5 weeks since Family Day
13. She LOVES Pororo the penguin
14. She is a Saints and LSU fan, of course!
15. Her favorite toy right now is the ball popper
16. She loves her bedtime bottle and singing lullabies with mommy
17. She is a mommy's girl for sure!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and a long overdue update!!

2011-12-27T15:20:00.000-06:00

Christmas has come and gone and now I have a few moments to breathe! Well, we have been home 3 weeks tomorrow!! Wow, time flies when your having fun :) I have not completed all my blogging yet from our trip but intend to soon. I have little time now that I have 3 kiddos to run after! The trip home was long...really long. I felt great on the way to Korea! The flight was easy breezy. I guess I was amped up with all of the adrenaline, excitement, anticipation, and any other adjective you can think of. We were all exhausted on the way home, not to mention a little anxious as to how Ms. G was gonna do on the loooong ride home. Let me just say, she was a champ!! Granted, she was doing a lot of grieving and she was so so sad, so she slept most of the way on the 11 hour flight. Seriously, this girl did some sleeping. I guess I should be thankful she was a sleeper and not a screamer :) Once we were home and had our airport moment things started to settle down and slowly her little personality has started to shine! She laughs a lot, loves to eat, and loves loves music and dancing! We have a little ballerina on our hands. She loves her big sister for sure and is slowly warming up to her big brothers too! Jack, the youngest, is having a little bit of jealousy issues, so we are dealing with those as they come. Overall our Korean princess is doing great!! We have had our first post placement visit with our Social work, and Ms. G is slowly falling in love with her Daddy! It was touch and go at first, but she is over the hump for now. We are taking it one day at a time and learning as we go. I pray you all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the time spent with family and friends. This has been the best Christmas yet for us, and we are looking forward to a wonderful 2012! Happy New Year!!!!

Going home

2011-12-06T15:59:00.000-06:00

We are getting ready to head to the airport, so I will update more later on! We have had an awesome experience, but we are ready to get home to our boys and family! We love you Seoul :)

Family Day

2011-12-05T10:00:00.001-06:00

Today was a day none of us will ever forget for the rest of our lives. The day went something like this...We were able to sleep in since we had nothing planned. We ate breakfast, wrapped gifts for the FF and Holt staff, and nervously waited for the minutes to tick by before meeting our new little one. It felt like we waited forever. I felt a combination of excitement, nervousness, and physical sickness. Really I felt like I was gonna puke all morning. I don't even know how to explain it actually. How do you put into words how you really feel when you are about to meet someone face to face you have dreamed about for what seems like forever. There are none..I promise! Finally 1:15 pm came and we went down to our quiet hotel lobby and had the guy behind the front desk take our pic. We piled into the taxi waiting for us in front and drove the 15 minutes to Holt's office. Looongest 15 minutes ever :) We climbed out of the taxi and walked up to the front door. As soon as we walked in we saw our sweet baby girl standing in a corner next to her foster mom. She looked up at us and just stared. Meanwhile, I didn't even know what to do with myself because the moment was so surreal. Foster mom was telling her over and over, Appa and Umma. I felt the tears come but I held it together. At the same moment, our wonderful Social worker, Ms. Seo, came out the elevator and led us all up to a small room. We all sat and talked, got to know each other a little bit, and I was able to ask my million questions. At the same time, we were taking pics and video and playing with our girl. She was so cute, quiet, reserved, but not scared at all. She had no tears either. Her FM remarked that she thought G knew us from the pics we sent because normally she was scared of strangers. She came and sat by us, played with the toys we brought, and ate a snack. Her FM was very sweet, and you could tell just by watching her and her reactions that she truly loved our little girl well. We could not have asked for a better caretaker for our special girl. She was and is truly an angel. A short while after our initial meeting, our SW took us all down to the little medical clinic where the doctor checked her over for her pre-flight physical. Once again the nurses remarked how calm and content Gianna was with us even though she did not know us. Apparently they had met her before a few times, and she always cried when they fussed with her. After the pre flight physical, we went back up to the little room to say our goodbyes. I will tell you now, this was the saddest thing I have ever done in my life. Her FM gave her a last goodbye and hug and we did as well. She cried, we cried, and Gianna cried for just a second. She reached for her FM when we got to the front door, but she pushed her away back into my husband's arms. Heartbreaking. It was at this point, after foster mom left, we said farewell to our Social worker and got into a taxi headed to our hotel. G still hadn't started to cry yet, and she fell fast asleep in the taxi. Once we reached our room, however, she woke up and started to realize her umma was not there. She cried hard and looked all around for her, but she was not there. I cried, she cried, we all cried. The rest of the evening was spent comforting her as best as we could, however, nothing we could do really made a difference. Our beautiful baby girl was broken. I kept her in the same clothes, and she finally fell asleep that evening with her stuffed lion clutched tightly in her arms. She actually slept all night, only waking for her bottle once in the middle of the night. When she realized who was giving her the bottle, though, she was not happy and cried more. That night we all slept good, mainly from the emotional exhaustion we all had endured that day. Family day was unforgettable. It was a day that dreams came true for our family, but a day that held a lot of loss for one tiny little girl. Yes, she gained a forever family who loves her very much, but she also lost the only family she knew since she was 3 days old. I am so very thankful, though, that God promises to give beauty for ashes. We can not wait to see the beauty that unfolds from our story.

Grace ✝

For this child we have prayed.....

2011-12-05T06:46:00.000-06:00

Seoul Day 4

2011-12-04T22:56:00.028-06:00

Today we did the DMZ tour with Sunburst Tour Company. It was a great tour, very educational, and I learned a lot about my daughter's birth country. Our tour guide, Eugene, was so sweet and very educated about what we were doing and seeing. We were able to go to the third infiltration tunnel and walk down into it until you get to the first blockade. There are blockades to prevent N. Korea from ever trying to use the tunnels again to come into South Korea. They have only discovered four tunnels but believe there are many more in the area. North Korea dug them all to try to invade South Korea and make them communist as well. We were also allowed to go to the observatory where you can see North Korea way in the distance. You can see there "propaganda city", which is a fake city that looks so nice and pretty. N. Korea wants everyone to think that their country is doing wonderful when in reality they are all starving to death under their "great" ruler. It is so sad that the country is split and you can tell that South Korea would love to one day be unified with the North again. We visited the unification station which is the last subway stop before N Korea. It is not really used much now but hope is alive that one day it will be bustling with people. No one except certain military/political people can go into N. Korea and there is no contact with anyone who lives there. Our tour guide has an aunt in North Korea that she has not seen or heard from in years and does not even know if she is still alive. Such a tragic situation is this great country! After the tour, we were dropped off in Itawon, which is a small area that has lots of American stuff like Taco bell, dunkin donuts, nike, etc... We ate at a Korean barbecue restaurant for lunch, and it was sooo good! We got some Paris Baguette for dessert, and I can definitely say everyone was right (it was delish!) Even though we were tired, we decided to head over to the COEX Mall to check out the largest underground mall in Asia. AMAZING...it seemed to never end! Just when you thought it was coming to an end, there was another corridor. And people like crazy!! One thing I have noticed is there are a ton of people in Seoul and a million little kids running around. My description of Seoul so far is NYC on crack! I don't know if I could live here for too long, because everyone is so in a rush. I think I would hibernate in my house if I did :) After our mall experience, we caught a taxi and headed home for the night.......EXHAUSTED! Tomorrow is Family Day, can hardly believe it!!!!

Day 3 pics

2011-12-04T18:04:00.000-06:00

Nam market

My mom's dream land...shoes everywhere!

underground grocery store

huge dept store/grocery

The subway

kinda like Super Super Target

Dinner

Name chop

Seoul Day 3

2011-12-03T16:01:00.000-06:00

5 am seems to be the magic number around here for me! Every morning I am up around the same time, alarm clock or not! I was way too tired to post last night after the hours of walking we did all day :) We got up early yesterday and skyped with family,went down and had breakfast, and then packed up all of our luggage for our move to another hotel, DMCville :/ We really didn't want to move cause the Somerset is great, but we didn't have a choice. Our confirmation email for the hotel came right before we were on the plane, so we just had to go with it...we will survive ha! Anyway, we brought all of our luggage downstairs for them to hold for us until 2 pm when the driver came. We walked back to Insadong to order Dal-nim's name chop and found a pay phone on the way. Our cell phones are not working out here, even though we set it up for international use, so we bought a ten dollar calling card at the convenience store for Bri to call her mom and check in. I thought 1 1/2 hourse of talk time for $10 was pretty cheap! We went over to the famed chop store I've heard a lot about and a young guy helped us. He was nice but had to call his girlfriend who spoke english to fully understand what we wanted :) We then caught a taxi to Nam market to do some shopping. That was a crazy experience! It is basically a giant outdoor flea market with anything and everything you could ever want that goes on for blocks. Each block has different categories like kids, women, men, jewelry, etc. And the clothes....Oh my! Anything you could prob think of you could find there. If I was by myself, I could stay for hours :) We spent about 3 hours there and then walked to a indoor mall that was once again amazing! Every high end designer you could imagine was there and there was an awesome grocery store at the bottom with attendants on every aisle. America does not know what it is missing out on... these people have it together! After our mall experience, we caught a taxi back to our hotel, picked up the name chop which came out very pretty, and ate some waffles. Very yummy (might have to get one more of those before we leave!) We got back to our hotel just in time to get a little lunch and meet our driver. He drove us about 30 minutes to DMCville where we checked in and rested for a few minutes. DMCville is very nice, room is bigger than Somerset as it is a two bedroom. Oh, and we have the cool toilets here with heated seats and bidet LOl..never gets old!! But, we are wayyy out compared to Somerset. We had to walk about 20 minutes to subway station then wait about 30 minutes for it to arrive to take us to Seoul station. The subway is different.... no one speaks really, everyone is either sleeping, listening to ipod, or hanging their head down looking at the floor. We rode in silence for about 10 minutes and arrived at Seoul station, Lotte Mart! Another interesting experience. It's kinda like a giant target with groceries on bottom, house wares, toys, etc at top. Another store with everything you need and tons of people in it. It is like a mad dash...I felt like I was on that grocery game show :) I have noticed that most people seem to be in a rush and everything is fast paced in the city. A lot like NYC I would say! I found a flat iron for $8 and then we went in search of an Outback for the two little Americans. Walked a while and finally found one, Jarred wasn't too impressed with his meal, but ours was good! We were all pretty tired at this point, so hopped in taxi and made it back to our room. I stayed up to skype with My mom and the boys, they were getting ready to go to J's basketball game. I really do miss those two little ones, even though they were fussing with each other almost the whole time we talked :) The general consensus with us here is that we LOVE Seoul! I don't know if it is just so magical because of the reason we are here or what, but we are having an absolutely wonderful time. There is tons to do and definitely not enough time to do it all. We are going on DMZ tour today and then Itaewon to find the scroll guy. Wish us luck :) And on a positive note, tooth has been very cooperative since we have been here. Only had to take ibuprofen once today. Can hardly believe tomorrow is the day we become a forever family...so surreal! Peace out

Seoul City Tour

2011-12-02T02:58:00.000-06:00

Jarred woke up bright and early this morning (around 5 am) and woke us up too! We went down and got some breakfast at the residence lounge and then came back to the room to skype with my parents and the boys! I miss them alot already! Our tour guide, Daniel, was waiting for us in the lobby around 9:30am with another couple who are here from Pennsylvania adopting a little boy! It was nice to be able to communicate with others and Daniel spoke pretty good english. He is actually a businessman who works with Siemens but took off today to volunteer with Holt as a guide. It was his first time as a tour guide, and I must say he did a really good job. He said he was volunteering to learn more about Holt and the process as he and his wife want to adopt one day :) I was so happy to hear that! We went to a palace, toured the Korean Folk museum, walked through Insadong market, and ate lunch at a Korean restaurant. Daniel ordered our food for us as the menu was a little confusing. It was definitely different, but a good experience! I love learning about the culture, seeing and hearing it all! It is strange to be in another country, but everyone has been very kind and helpful. We are back at the hotel right now and Britten and Jarred have crashed in the bed! I am going to try to get them up and moving in a few minutes so we can get out and explore a little more before bedtime. So much to do, so little time! Hoping to get a little bit of shopping done tomorrow.

Grace ✝

Welcome to Korea

2011-12-02T02:35:00.000-06:00

We made it to Seoul!!! Our driver was waiting to bring us to our hotel, The Somerset, which was about an hour from the airport. We settled into our room and then headed out to get some dinner. We were all tired, so thankfully there is a little sandwich shop next to the hotel where we were able to eat quickly and then head up to get some sleep! We did not have any trouble with the sleeping part :) After dinner and a shower, we were all out for the count. The room is nice, and they upgraded us so that we would have two beds. I still don't know how much I am paying for it, but hopefully nothing crazy! We have to switch hotels on Saturday, so we will be at DMCville the rest of the trip. We are okay with that though! I am interested in checking out as much of Seoul as I can in the few days we are here and DMCville is in a quainter part of the town from what I am told! It's all just one big adventure....oh, and it is cold here, very cold!

Grace ✝

In the Air!

2011-12-01T05:15:00.000-06:00

We are only about an hour from landing in my daughter's birth country, and I could not be more excited! We are exhausted of course, but so ready to take in all that Seoul is and all that it will be when our baby is in our arms. The flight has been bearable, much better than I had anticipated. I must say for those who will be traveling soon, it is true what they say about the plane being hot. I am a very cold natured person normally, but I have not had use my blanket at all this flight. My sinuses are acting up and my legs are stiff, but for the most part you kinda forget you are even on a plane. I've read a little, watched a couple of movies, and slept off and on! Our Asiana experence has been great! We originally were going to be flying Korean Air, but the price difference was enough to change that. Everyone has been so nice and accomodating. They bring you anything you need, always with a smile. And the flight attendants are all so pretty and professional. It will definitely be interesting to see how Dal-nim does (and us too) on the way home. My travel buddies are both asleep right now, but I am too ready to go to be bothered with sleep anymore! Britten has done really good on the plane, especially for it being her first time up in the air. I think she is super tired though, and we will all feel better in the morning after some rest. Jarred has not had anymore flight sickness thankfully! I am thinking alot about our baby's foster family and all that they must be feeling right now as they prepare to say goodbye. I can only imagine how hard it must be to take care of a little person for 16 months and then hand them over to complete strangers. Whether you know this reality from the beginning or not, it still must be heartbreaking. These foster moms still continue to do it day after day, baby after baby regardless of the emotions involved...That is selflesness at its best. Of course her birthmom is on my mind as well as we get closer to Seoul. I wonder where she is living, what she is doing, and if she thinks about her baby often. Will I walk by her on the street or sit next to her for a meal? Regardless of her situation or life story, I know as a mother too that her heart must hurt when she thinks of her little one. I pray that she knows, someway, somehow, that her daughter will be so loved and that she already has been by many people in her short lifetime so far. I have no doubt that this little girl is something special and that God has brought us here at this very time to complete what He has started. While I do not necessarily believe that this was God's original plan for our daughter, I do believe that He placed this desire in our hearts to care for His child who is in need of a forever family and a forever love. In a perfect world, adoption would not exist. But this is not a perfect world and we are not perfect people. Thankfully, God can choose to use these imperfections in humanity for His ultimate glory.

Jarred and Bri with the boys' animals on the plane

The new sleeping position..Bri style!

Grace ✝

Leaving on our jet plane!!

2011-11-30T13:21:00.000-06:00

Practicing their chopstick skills :)

Our Jet plane!!

Today is the big day! We left New Orleans at 6:15 am to San Francisco....Flight was actually good! And I am not a flyer :) My hubby gave me a slight heart attack when he broke out in cold sweat, shaking, almost passed out. But he is okay now so not sure what was going on! We leave at 12 noon from here on Asiana and arrive in Seoul on Thursday @ 6pm Korean time (4 am NOLA time). I am kinda in a daze right now and trying to soak up this experience as best as I can. I did not get much sleep in the last few days, so that is definitely starting to get to me! Hopefully I will get a little sleep in the air :) We are scheduled to have our city tour on Friday morning and then our Family Day will be Mon, Dec 5th at 2 pm (Sun midnight for yall)! It is actually my late Father In Laws birthday..it will definitely be even more memorable now. I will try to keep yall updated as much as possible...cya in Seoul!

1 more Day till take off

2011-11-29T01:23:00.000-06:00

My thoughts 24 hours out: I am in super crazy mode right now trying to get everyone and everything taken care of before we leave. At 3 am on Wednesday we will be leaving our home to board the first plane that will take us to our sweet Dal-nim! The anticipation is building, and when I take a few seconds to really think about it amidst all the other things I am coordinating I get tears in my eyes! This journey has been so long and now this part of it is coming to a close. We are anticipating holding our baby girl for the first time on Monday, December 5th! We haven't received the official word, but I think it is the plan. Still don't know what hotel we are staying at, but our SW in Korea is supposed to be taking care of it for us. Awaiting our confirmation on that as well :/ I am a nervous wreck about leaving my boys for a week, as I have never been away from them longer than 36 hours. I know they are in good hands, but it is still so hard to think about leaving them. I just pray that they fully embrace their little sister when she is home and that they learn to love her with everything they have. I always knew that God was calling me to adopt and it has taken huge leaps of faith to get us where we are right now! I also know that God will continue to be with me through this journey every step of the way. He will not leave me or forsake me! Thinking on these things as I continue to clean, pack, and pray :)

Grace ✝

TRAVEL CALL!!

2011-11-27T00:05:00.000-06:00

We are leaving on a jet plane, ladies and gentleman!!! We got the travel email on Friday morning. My agencies office was closed Friday, but my wonderful social worker sent me the email as soon as she could on Friday morning. I was sitting at the table doing some paper work, when I picked up my phone to check email. I was totally not expecting it, because I knew my agency was closed! Needless to say, we are thrilled and panicked at the same time. I have so much to do in so little time. But, as long as I have my baby girl in my arms nothing else matters! We leave New Orleans on Wednesday the 30th at 6:15 am and fly to San Fran, from there we fly Asiana to Seoul! We will return home on Wednesday the 7th at 4:45 pm. Not sure on hotels yet, but will keep you all updated as I find out the details! Stay Tuned......

What are you thankful for?

2011-11-24T11:46:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!! Today is an extra special Thanksgiving for our family, as we are adding another little person to it really soon. In honor of Turkey day, here are the top 10 things (in no particular order) the Licciardi family is thankful for in 2011:

#1 Family, near and far (Daddy)

#2 Our health (Mommy)

#3 "my friends" (lil Jarred)

#4 "Violet and Blitzen and Chloe Our doggies" (Jackson)

#5 My sanity (Daddy)

#6 Our home (Mommy)

#7 My food (lil Jarred)

#8 My hunting boat (Jackson)

#9 All our Social workers in the US and Korea (Daddy)

#10 Our baby sister in South Korea..Dal-nim (Jarred and Jackson)

We are on our way to spend the day with my parents and extended family and look forward to lots of good food, laughter, and love. We hope all of your days are extra special too!! We are waiting patiently for our travel call now that Dal-nim has had her Embassy appearance and Visa Interview this week. We are anticipating good news on Monday or Tuesday...I'll keep you posted!!

Grace ✝

Our Journey Home

2011-11-19T08:21:00.000-06:00

I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish he didn't trust me so much

-Mother Teresa

This is kinda how I have been feeling lately! Things have been going a little crazy as we get closer and closer to travel call! The devil is working overtime to stop was God has started....But, we all know how that will end! He will finish what He has begun! Enough said :) This morning is quiet, while the little ones still snuggle in bed. I thought I would take advantage of the silence and update you all on our upcoming plans and what our family and friends can expect when we finally make it home with our Korean princess. Thankfully, My last day of work is this Wednesday and then I officially go on leave Woohoo!! We will spend Thanksgiving with our extended families and do some black friday shopping of course :) We are praying to have our Travel Call by Mon, November 28th or earlier...please pray with us! Our plans at present are to be on a jet plane, Wednesday, November 3oth, Seoul bound!! If we leave Wed am, we will arrive in Seoul on Thurs pm due to the time difference. Korea is 14 hours ahead of us. While there we will have a city tour at some point, a DMZ tour (demilitarized zone between North and South Korea), an Ilsan tour ( Holt's special needs orphanage for children and adults), and of course lots of shopping and other touristy things! We are hoping to get custody of Gianna half way through the trip and be able to spend a few days in her birth country with her! The way Holt does custody transfer is just a one visit thing....we will go to Holt and have an hour or so to spend with her and her foster family asking questions, etc and then she will be handed over to us forever :) We will board our return flight home on that following Thursday and travel for 19 hrs or so and make it back to the US the same Thursday! Gotta love international time change!! At this point, we will have our airport moment with friends and family and head back to our home sweet home.....for a while. We will be hibernating at home for a couple of weeks with just our family in order to get to know our baby girl and for her to begin to feel some sort of security and trust in us as our family. We plan to be the only people meeting her every need for a while in order for us to begin the long road of attachment and bonding. We know that everyone has waited a long time to meet our little angel, and we are so excited that she will have lots of extended family and friends who will love her. We will be out and about soon enough and look forward to seeing you all for the holidays! Our biggest concern is keeping Gianna's world as small as possible for a short while in order for her to begin to make a healthy adjustment! We thank all of yall for understanding and keeping us in your prayers while we go through this exciting, scary, stressful time in our life. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and remember to count all of the little blessings in life!!

Grace ✝

A Different Perspective....

2011-11-15T23:11:00.000-06:00

If you ever wonder how an adopted baby may feel continue reading below:

A Different Perspective

Immense Loss; Walk a Mile in Baby’s Booties

Imagine for a moment…

You have met the person you've dreamed about all your life. He has every quality that you desire in a spouse. You plan for the wedding, enjoying every free moment with your fiancée. You love his touch, his smell, the way he looks into your eyes. For the first time in your life, you understand what is meant by "soul mate," for this person understands you in a way that no one else does. Your heart beats in rhythm with his. Your emotions are intimately tied to his every joy, his every sorrow.

The wedding comes. It is a happy celebration, but the best part is that you are finally the wife of this wonderful man. You fall asleep that night, exhausted from the day's events, but relaxed and joyful in the knowledge that you are next to the person who loves you more than anyone in the world…the person who will be with you for the rest of your life.

The next morning you wake up, nestled in your partner's arms. You open your eyes and immediately look for his face.

But IT'S NOT HIM! You are in the arms of another man. You recoil in horror. Who is this man? Where is your beloved?

You ask questions of the new man, but it quickly becomes apparent that he doesn't understand you. You search every room in the house, calling and calling for your husband. The new guy follows you around, trying to hug you, pat you on the back,...even trying to stroke your arm, acting like everything is okay.

But you know that nothing is okay. Your beloved is gone. Where is he? Will he return? When? What has happened to him?

Weeks pass. You cry and cry over the loss of your beloved. Sometimes you ache silently, in shock over what has happened. The new guy tries to comfort you. You appreciate his attempts, but he doesn't speak your language-either verbally or emotionally. He doesn't seem to realize the terrible thing that has happened...that your sweetheart is gone.

You find it difficult to sleep. The new guy tries to comfort you at bedtime with soft words and gentle touches, but you avoid him, preferring to sleep alone, away from him and any intimate words or contact.

Months later, you still ache for your beloved, but gradually you are learning to trust this new guy. He's finally learned that you like your coffee black, not doctored up with cream and sugar. Although you still don't understand his bedtime songs, you like the lilt of his voice and take some comfort in it.

More time passes. One morning, you wake up to find a full suitcase sitting next to the front door. You try to ask him about it, but he just takes you by the hand and leads you to the car. You drive and drive and drive. Nothing is familiar. Where are you? Where is he taking you?

You pull up to a large building. He leads you to an elevator and up to a room filled with people. Many are crying. Some are ecstatic with joy. You are confused. And worried.

The man leads you over to the corner. Another man opens his arms and sweeps you up in an embrace. He rubs your back and kisses your cheeks, obviously thrilled to see you.

You are anything but thrilled to see him. Who in the world is he? Where is your beloved? You reach for the man who brought you, but he just smiles (although he seems to be tearing up, which concerns you), pats you on the back, and puts your hand in the hands of the new guy. The new guy picks up your suitcase and leads you to the door. The familiar face starts openly crying, waving and waving as the elevator doors close on you and the new guy.

The new guy drives you to an airport and you follow him, not knowing what else to do. Sometimes you cry, but then the new guy tries to make you smile, so you grin back, wanting to "get along." You board a plane. The flight is long. You sleep a lot, wanting to mentally escape from the situation.

Hours later, the plane touches down. The new guy is very excited and leads you into the airport where dozens of people are there to greet you. Light bulbs flash as your photo is taken again and again. The new guy takes you to another guy who hugs you. Who is this one? You smile at him. Then you are taken to another man who pats your back and kisses your cheek. Then yet another fellow gives you a big hug and messes your hair.

Finally, someone (which guy is this?) pulls you into his arms with the biggest hug you've ever had. He kisses you all over your cheeks and croons to you in some language you've never heard before.

He leads you to a car and drives you to another location. Everything here looks different. The climate is not what you're used to. The smells are strange. Nothing tastes familiar, except for the black coffee. You wonder if someone told him that you like your coffee black.

You find it nearly impossible to sleep. Sometimes you lie in bed for hours, staring into the blackness, furious with your husband for leaving you, yet aching from the loss. The new guy checks on you. He seems concerned and tries to comfort you with soft words and a mug of warm milk. You turn away, pretending to go to sleep.

People come to the house. You can feel the anxiety start to bubble over as you look into the faces of all the new people. You tightly grasp the new guy's hand. He pulls you closer. People smile and nudge one other, marveling at how quickly you've fallen in love. Strangers reach for you, wanting to be a part of the happiness.

Each time a man hugs you, you wonder if he will be the one to take you away. Just in case, you keep your suitcase packed and ready. Although the man at this house is nice and you're hanging on for dear life, you've learned from experience that men come and go, so you just wait in expectation for the next one to come along.

Each morning, the new guy hands you a cup of coffee and looks at you expectantly. A couple of times the pain and anger for your husband is so great that you lash out, sending hot coffee across the room, causing the new guy to yelp in pain. He just looks at you, bewildered. But most of the time you calmly take the cup. You give him a smile. And wait. And wait. And wait.

--Written by Cynthia Hockman-Chupp, analogy courtesy of Dr. Kali Miller

Attention Family and Friends:

2011-11-06T23:05:00.000-06:00

This blog post is awesome! Couldn't have said it better myself....Enjoy! http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/11/02/how-to-be-the-village

Random Thoughts

2011-11-06T22:06:00.000-06:00

We are still here...waiting! We are waiting for our official travel call which will hopefully be this week :) It is 11 am in Korea, and I am praying GiGi is on her way to her embassy appearance right this second! You never know, a girl can dream right?! I would love to travel and be home for Thanksgiving with our baby girl! It would be perfect...but I still don't know if it is a possibility. As the days pass one by one, it is getting so hard to focus on my work days. My mind is constantly wandering to the possibilities, scenarios, plane tickets, hotels, leaving my boys, the list goes on and on! I have had two years to prepare for this, but at the same time I feel so unprepared! I think I am freaking out a little bit..ahhhhhh! Ok, now that I got that over with let's move on. So random thoughts for the week go a little something like this:

* I am about to be on a plane for 14 hours straight- need to get some xanax
* I am about to leave my two little boys for a week with my parents and MIL - must get some more xanax
* I am about to have another child (who I am for all practical purposes kidnapping) who has no idea who I am -- probably should get something stronger than xanax
* I am about to be living off of one income for 2 months -- oh heck, no amount of medication is going to fix this!!
* What have I done??

Yep, that pretty much sums up what has been going through my head the last week! Kinda like when you get pregnant for your first child, and you have a great 9 months of waiting for that sweet baby, and then the doc says "ok, we r gonna induce you on November 7th" and you walk out of the office terrified and wondering who's idea having a baby was anyway?! That's where I am right now, right smack in the middle. I KNOW it will be ok, I know it will be great....but Ima be honest with yall. I'm a little nervous! I'm a lotta nervous! Some moments I feel like I am gonna puke. Some moments I can't stop smiling. I KNOW we are in God's will, and I know this is going to bring our family together even closer. I just have to let go of the fear of the unknown. I have to give it all to HIM!

So I will try..I really will! Tomorrow is a new day full of new possibilities!

Grace ✝

EP approvedddd!!

2011-10-25T23:32:00.000-05:00

EP approved in 2 weeks, 1 day! That has to be some kind of record!! Our SW thinks we will be traveling in two weeks or so..this is totally insane and crazy :) It's all starting to sink in now that this family is growing reallly soon! I am excited, nervous, terrified all at the same time. This is a totally different experience that giving birth but at the same time some of the same feelings. I have a million things to do and don't know where to start. I guess I better figure it out real quick :) Tomorrow we go to beg the immigration office in NOLA to let us get our fingerprints done early....we need them ASAP! Stay tuned for more updates coming soon.

My two cowboys at the rodeo

2011-10-22T17:26:00.003-05:00

EEEEPPPPPPPPP

2011-10-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, by the grace of God, Gianna has been submitted for her exit permit this year! This means she will definitely be home this year instead of January or February 2012!! It was touch and go, we really weren't sure it was going to happen.......but it did!! And we are thrilled of course!! So this is how it all went down.....

On Thursday, October 6th, Jarred and I went on a fieldtrip with the big boy to a corn maze in Poplarville. Of course, even though I was off of work, I still had my phone with me just in case. They are always calling me for something! We were having a great time enjoying the beautiful fall weather and eating lunch when I noticed I had some new emails. I couldn't help but check them, since I knew any day now there would be news of the next EP batch submission. Sure enough, right there on the screen was a post from another momma over HERE about her EP submission!! Of course, I did a little happy dance right there in my seat, and my hubby called our Social worker right then and there to see if she had any news. Naturally, she had not heard a thing from Korea which made me a little queazy :( The other ladies who had been told one way or another are with a different US agency but the same Korean agency as we are. Needless to say, I was sick all day and all night. I was completely convinced that we did not get an EP, and we would not travel until next February. I had resigned myself to the fact that we would wait! I was physically sick and my heart just ached. Every time I thought about it I would just cry. I am face book friends with other adoptive mommas who have already known for a while now that they were going to have to wait till next year to travel. In those hours, I truly felt how I know they must feel every day. My heart breaks just thinking about it! After a restless nights sleep and getting up and checking email through out the night, I woke up and started my day of work with my mind somewhere else. I think I literally refreshed my email every 5 minutes from the time I woke. Around 10 am I emailed my SW who had told us yesterday she would find out from Korea whether we had been submitted. Normally, she emails me back right away, but i got nothing. At this point, I just knew that it was a no! I knew our SW would have already had an answer by that morning from Korea, and she had not responded to me. I knew it was all over! Imagine my surprise when I opened my email at noon again for the 100th time that day and saw a message from Ms. Ellen. I was practically shaking as I opened it and read this......I've been running all morning but there is good news! You were submitted for EP yesterday!! YAY!
I almost jumped out my car and ran in circles I was so happy!! I called the hubby and everyone else to let them know we would definitely by traveling in 2011!! So, now the next part of waiting begins.
There are still a few things that have to be completed before we get our travel call. Our exit permit has to be approved which can take 3-4 weeks or longer. We're obviously praying for the shortest time here. Normally, the visa physical would be done after EP is approved, but G has already had hers done! So hopefully that will shorten our wait time between EP approval and actual TC. Once she makes her embassy appearance and visa interview, we will get a phone call saying she is ready to come home. We will hop on a plane and go get her!! We are hoping to travel sometime between Thanksgiving and 1st week of December..... stay tuned for more excitement as we get closer.

Grace ✝

So excited to be going here............

2011-09-26T22:31:00.000-05:00

Created for Care March Retreat!! The story goes something like this......never heard of it at all until a few weeks ago when some blogging mamas posted about the January retreat they were signing up for! After fishing around and checking out the website, I figured out real quick that I wanted to go :) It looked like such an awesome time with a bunch of wonderful mamas who have the same heart beat! Unfortunately, it was booked up before I could blink, so I sent an email to add my name to the wait list just in case a spot came available. So, I kinda jumped up and down when I got an email on Sunday morning telling us they had opened up a 2nd retreat in march! I am so so excited to spend this weekend with other women who are on the same journey and hopefully get to meet up with some new friends I have yet to meet in person! Let me know if you are going...can't wait to see everyone there! Check it out if you are interested...registration opens on Wednesday 9/28.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3: 14-21

Grace ✝

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T23:34:00.000-05:00

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ;)

즐거운 추석 되세요! Happy Chuseok

2011-09-13T17:32:00.002-05:00

Chuseok, originally known as Hangawi, is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Sorta like our Thanksgiving! Like many other harvest festivals, it is held around the Autumn Equinox. As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food such as songpyeon and rice wines such as sindoju and dongdongju.

In modern South Korea, on Chuseok there is a mass exodus of Koreans as they return to their hometowns to pay respects to the spirits of their ancestors. People perform ancestral worship rituals early in the morning. They often visit the tombs of their immediate ancestors to trim plants and clean the area around the tomb, and offer food, drink, and crops to their ancestors. Harvest crops are attributed to the blessing of ancestors.

One of the major foods prepared and eaten during the Chuseok holiday is songpyeon (송편), a crescent-shaped rice cake which is steamed upon pine needles. Other foods commonly prepared are japchae, bulgogi and fruits. A variety of folk games are played on Chuseok to celebrate the coming of Autumn and rich harvest. Village folk dress themselves to look like a cow or a turtle, and go from house to house along with a Nongak band playing music. Other common folk games played on Chuseok are tug of war, archery, and ssireum (Korean wrestling). Folk games also vary from region to region. The Ganggangsullae dance, forming a circle under the moon is performed by women and children in southwestern coastal regions. Chuseok was celebrated this year in Korea on September 11th-13th! Happy Chuseok, Gianna and Family!!

Life is hard

2011-09-11T23:29:00.000-05:00

I try not to wine and complain too much, but sometimes you just have to let it all out!! So tonight I am putting it all out there and saying, Life is just plain hard sometimes! No sugar coating, no fancy pants tonight...just simply the truth. The God's honest truth that life is not always rainbows and butterflies. I have been dealing lately....alot. Alot more than anyone might see on the surface. My days run into each other and half the time I don't know whether I am coming or going. It is mostly my fault, since I have been running overtime (to say the least) with my job. It is so hard to find balance between career, family, friends, house work, and bank accounts. Just when I think I might have it all under control, there goes my phone right into the toilet and my world is turned upside down again. I spend my days now that school is back in running around like a crazy lady in order to get done my work by 3 to pick up my little guy! I long for a pause button or sometimes rewind to take back that nasty attitude I just had with the lady in starbucks who got my caramel frappacino light with no whip wrong. Really...seriously??! And the house......well, let's just say that something has to suffer for my insane schedule and the kids won't let it be them (thankfully). So the dishes pile up, the clothes turn into small mountains, and the dogs stink! Oh well, that's life.
With all this chaos, it is so easy to fall into a black hole of depression and doubt. It is so easy to just give up, climb in bed, and watch DVR all day. But there is someone who gets it all and understands that life is hard. There is someone who gives us exactly what we need, HOPE! Hope that tomorrow just might be better, that the rainbow may come out again, and the butterflies will fly. His name is Jesus, and without Him there is no hope. I am so thankful that every day I wake up is another chance to try it again and maybe get it right, to slow down just a few seconds and breathe deep, and to smile sweetly at the lady at starbucks (even if she gets it wrong AGAIN)! Thank you Jesus for my life, my husband, my children, and your saving grace!

For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows grace and favor and glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84: 11

Grace ✝

August remix

2011-08-31T22:26:00.001-05:00

That's good stuff

Enjoying their bday cake

The goods!

Geez, where have the days gone? I haven't posted since July 25th, and I can hardly remember what exactly I did since then until now. Nevertheless, I shall do a quick recap if I can slow my caffeine addicted brain long enough to recall the details. We had the boys' birthday party the first weekend in August, and it just happened to fall on G's 1st birthday weekend! I decided at the beginning of the year I was going to do a joint swimming party exactly half way between their two actual birth dates. J is Nov 8th and Jack is May 9th. After much calculation, it was determined to be the weekend of August 6th! So we showed up to the pool with our pizza and cake and had a great day! G's 1st bday was August 9th, and she had her own little cake set up with her picture and party hat of course. A girl has to have her party hat :) Bri and J started school that Monday, so we officially have a middle schooler (ahhh) and a kindergartener. Fun times at our house for sure!! Jack was very upset that he could not go to big boy school yet, so I have been having to pack his lunch in his little lunch box and strap his back pack on to make up for it. I love that kid! Thankfully the Korean government began processing exit permits again on August 8th, however we were not in that batch. They just approved the August 8th group last week, but we have still not heard any info on when they will submit again. It's definitely kinda depressing, because we really can't plan anything. We are still hopeful for November travel, but with all this craziness you just never know. We were able to send Gianna a birthday care package in August, and we received new pics and a video that were simply breath taking. I love this little princess. She seems so mellow and calm. Not sure if that is reality, but a momma can dream can't she?! So August came to a close and now fall is upon us. I am so very excited for all that fall brings and look forward to cold days, warm fires, big pumpkins, and all the love and joy the holidays bring.

Gianna's birthday care package

Grace ✝

Diet Coke and an update

2011-07-25T01:51:00.000-05:00

Tonight I can not sleep! Let me tell you why. Diet Coke. Yes, I am addicted, and, yes, I drank a large $1 size from the golden arches while doing my Wal Mart shopping at 10pm. Yes, I know that was a dumb idea. So, here I sit completely unable to close my eyes. I WILL pay for this tomorrow :) Since I am high on caffeine right now, I figured I would give a lil update instead of watching the latest Kardashian antics. Our I 600 has been approved and sent to the National Visa Center and then on to our Korean Agency. Once again.............we wait!! Nothing else we can really do until we are submitted and approved for EP. Good news is Holt stateside is saying that Korea should start processing EPs again in August. We don't know when in August, and we still don't know if we will be in the next batch. It's highly likely and would be the best case scenario if we are, but in this game you just never know. If we are in the August batch, we could be traveling by late Sept., early October!! Geez, time is going by really quickly. I can hardly believe we are nearing the end of this part of the journey. It seems like we have been on this adventure for so long now and all of a sudden it is coming to an abrupt end. I mean, don't get me wrong, I know the adventure is no where near over, but it just seems like we started this process decades ago and now we are so close I can taste it! I can't wait to get on that jet plane and cross all those different time zones :)
Gianna will be 1 on August 9. We have already missed so many firsts, it is hard not to be a little sad that we won't be there for this one. I am happy, though, that she will be able to experience a traditional 1st bday in her birth country and hopefully have pics to look back on as she grows! We will celebrate here without her. We will sing happy birthday to her picture, blow out the candles for her, and leave her presents wrapped for her to open when she comes home! We will also light a candle on that day for another special person. A woman who brought life into this world and gave HER a name with a purpose, "to be a light in the darkness" Sweet Dal-nim, I pray that your light will always shine as bright as the moon in the night sky!

Time to get some rest if I can manage to shut my brain off for a little while. Oh, and please say a prayer for me as I slowly try to break the chains of the diet coke addiction. Seriously, it starts tomorrow (hence the 10pm binge), and I need all the support I can get! Thanks in advance :)

Peace out

Grace ✝

Respect....

2011-07-24T08:28:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been thinking a lot about "respect" and "honor"....mainly about how our world seems to have completely forgotten about both. I am guilty! I find myself being nicer to complete strangers sometimes than my own family. Why is it that we can respect our animals feelings more than our spouses? I have been reading a book, Love & Respect, and I guess it has opened my eyes as to how I speak to others and the body language, tone of voice that goes in to it. I can tell you it is not always nice! And I also have been listening to my little people more closely...I can tell you that a lot of times they sound like mini-me. Whether I want to admit it or not, my children are learning everything FROM ME. Who they become and what they believe will largely come FROM ME. They are little sponges soaking up everything we as parents say and do! I need to be better for them. I want to leave a legacy of love, respect, and honor towards others. A legacy my children will be proud to carry on throughout the years. It doesn't matter if someone is a beggar on the street or the President of the United States, they deserve respect as a creation of our King. I challenge you today to take a minute to really look and listen throughout your home...make certain that you and yours are displaying Honor and Respect first and foremost to the Most High but also branching out to the least of these.....

Phil 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

Fundraiser.....yay!!!!

2011-07-19T19:31:00.001-05:00

My beautiful daughter posing for you all!

Well, we have jumped on the fundraiser wagon to raise yet more money needed to bring baby girl, Gianna, home!! We have had lots of people ask if we are going to make shirts for the airport homecoming, fundraiser, etc.., so we did! Below are the two we have designed and printed. The pink is more girly with the fleur de lis and girly writing, the blue is a little less girly :) I have had quite a few ladies buy the blue for themselves too, so feel free to have at it. I love the way they came out and have had lots of compliments just wearing them around town. Just comment or email if you would like one, and we will get them to you ASAP! We are selling them for $10 each plus S&H if needed. Thanks guys and feel free to pass it on...You know we can all use as much help as possible. Come back soon for a give away in the near future :) Updated: we also have little people sizes: xsmall, ys, ym, yl in pink or blue!!

Wordless Wednesday...His true feelings about baseball :)

2011-07-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday..well kinda!

2011-06-29T22:07:00.000-05:00

In honor of Kelly from over here (check out her current fundraiser..I smell success ;)

Sad :(

2011-06-26T22:06:00.000-05:00

Feeling sad tonight, as I think about my baby girl and miss her so much! I have noticed a trend of feeling really sad on Sunday nights :( How weird is that?! I think it is because I spend all weekend with my family and start to realize by the end of it that someone is missing! I am just ready for her to be HOME.....HOME with me!!

Two little letters....EP : an update

2011-06-25T18:12:00.000-05:00

We've had quite a few people asking where we are in the waiting game, so I thought I would post here with a little insight as to "what" we are waiting for and tentative timelines. As you all know we have a referral of Ms. G which we received on April 1st. Once you have a referral, there are MANY steps that have to be completed before we can travel to bring her home. I will try to highlight the big things and that little thing called an EP! So, after we received our referral we waited a week to officially accept in order to talk to a few Docs about her health history. Once we made our decision, our Social worker sent out the acceptance packet which had a bunch of forms and consents that had to be filled out, signed, notarized, stamped with blood, etc.....After she received the acceptance back, it was forwarded to Holt Korea and arrived around May 3. We then had to wait about a month to receive "legals", which is the custody papers, birth certificate, etc which proves that she is adoptable from a legal standpoint. Once we had legals, they were added to our immigration packet and sent to the USCIS for approval by the USA to bring Gianna home. USCIS received our I600 (official name) on June 20th and there it sits.......hopefully, not very long. It normally takes about 3-4 weeks to process and approve. When we have our I 600 approval, we will basically be done with all paperwork on the US side. Now, the Korean side is another story!! While our US paperwork is processing here, there are other things going on in Korea that are completely separate. The biggest thing is what is called the dreaded EP. I'll try to explain fast and easy! Once a child is referred to a family here in the US, their file is sent to the Korean govt and waits to be given an EP or exit permit. A child can not leave Korea without an exit permit. As some know, Korea is trying to close their international adoption program slowly. This results in a decreased amount of EPs given out every year to each of the three Korean agencies. They in turn allocate a certain amount of EPs to each of the US agencies they work with here! Babies are submitted in batches for an EP and it usually takes about 4-6 weeks for approval. Once a batch is approved, a new batch is submitted. Each batch that goes in are babies from all different agencies mixed together. As it stands now, according to my SW who I probably drove crazy this week, we WILL get an EP this year!!! However, she can not tell me WHEN we will get submitted. It is a bit of an unkown, as the Korean govt has put a halt on any new approvals or submissions from now until end of July. No one really knows why or what's going on. There was a batch submitted on 5/20 and it is still hanging out there waiting to be approved so the babies can come home. I am expecting a new batch to be submitted in late July when/if Korea starts moving again as planned. I am praying that we will be submitted then...this would be best case scenario :) Please please pray for July. If we are submitted in July, we will most likely travel mid September. Now, of course worse worse case scenario is we would not get an EP this year and have to wait until Jan or Feb. I don't think that would happen, but on this roller coaster you never know what's around the corner. Worse case scenario is we would be submitted in September and not travel until late October/ November :( But, we are going to speak what we believe and know we are going to be submitted in July! After I 600 approval and EP approval there are more steps (imagine that) before we get THE CALL! Will fill u all in later on that!
Have a great weekend!

Grace

2 months of nothing!!

2011-06-01T23:30:00.000-05:00

Today makes 2 months since we saw our girl's adorable face, and we are still just waiting! Blahhhhhh :0 No legals yet, no WBCs, nothing, nada, zip! Frustrating to say the least. I emailed my SW last week and asked about legals trying not to sound too whiny. She basically said "don't worry about it" in a nice way. It takes 4-6 weeks for her to receive them and yesterday was exactly 4 weeks! Not that I'm counting or anything. So I guess all I can do is wait and pray, wait and pray. I'm a tad bit nervous about this whole EP thing, although SW says we shouldn't have a problem. Everything is so unpredictable right now! A lot of people have been getting not great news about referrals and wait to travel times, so needless to say I am not feeling overly confident right now. One of these days I am going to learn to give it ALL to Him...I am such a control freak. We have gotten a care package together so hopefully we will get some pics of G with all of her goodies real soon. I am trying to read some attachment books and learn a few Korean words but my progress is slow. It is unbelievable how crazy my life is in this season. Despite the chaos, I am trying to enjoy it as I know it is just that.....a season. A season that will pass all too soon. A season that I pray will not be remembered with regret but with joy! We had a great Memorial Day weekend with family eating some yummy crawfish and spending time on the river with the little ones. Everyone had a blast with lots of fun in the sun...maybe a little too much sun for some ;) My love looks like one of those yummy crawfish we ate. I tried to tell him to reapply, reapply, but you know how those men can be sometimes. He is definitely paying for his stubborness now...I almost feel bad for him LOL! The kids are finished with school for the summer and are enjoying their time off so far. The boys are together again with Ms. Jackie and are lovin it! Bri is busy with cheer camp this week for the middle school team she will be on next year! Lots going on right now, so hopefully I can stay busy enough to keep my mind off of other things...like waiting!!

Good night Sleep tight!!

Grace

Happy Birthday and Happy Nine months!!

2011-05-09T22:17:00.000-05:00

Today is my baby boy, Jackson's, 3rd Birthday! Pretty hard to believe it has been so long already....Time just flies when you're having fun :) In honor of #3, three things I just love about him:

1. His beautiful smile with his big dimples all day long!!

2. The twinkle in his eye when he is up to no good (all day long)!!

3. His need to hug me and kiss me goodnight a million times in a row!!

My children are all different and unique, they each have special qualities that define who they are in this world! I love that God has such an imagination and sense of humor too! I love you, Baby boy, and pray that you follow Jesus all the days of your life :)

Today was also our princess, Gianna's, happy nine months day. We can't wait to see her, hold her, and kiss those chubby cheeks! I pray we do not miss too many more month celebrations, but at least it is one more day closer to having her forever! We love you beautiful girl!!

Grace ✝

Happy Mommy's Day!!

2011-05-08T22:31:00.001-05:00

Today was my 7th Mother's Day, and I can't believe I am actually writing that number!! It seems unbelievable that I have been a mommy that long. It feels like yesterday my big boy was born into this crazy world, and I officially became a Mommy! Although it's been seven years and some days are long and hard (ok a lot of days!!), I could not imagine my life any other way. Some women are not mommy material and are ok with that, and I totally get it. But for me, God has made being a mommy a primary part of who I am! Yes, I am a career woman, but above all I am a mom! My first priority every single day is my children and there is nothing that comes before them. I am so thankful that God chose this path for my life and blessed me with these beautiful babies. They make me laugh, they make me cry, the make me mad! But they make me who I am today! I pray that I am the very best mommy to them always. I hope all my mommy friends had a great day today :)

Grace ✝

Each Day....

2011-04-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

Just came across this in a book we were given as a wedding gift by a family friend. It is titled "Grace for the moment" by Max Lucado. After reading this it gave me some much needed peace and reassurance! Here goes....

Galations 5: 22

"IT’S QUIET. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.
I CHOOSE LOVE...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I CHOOSE JOY....
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I CHOOSE PEACE...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I CHOOSE KINDNESS . . .
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I CHOOSE GOODNESS . . .
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS. . .
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My husband will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their mother will not come home.
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS. . .
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I CHOOSE SELF CONTROL. . .
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest."

From When God Whispers Your Name
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1994) Max Lucado

Grace ✝

REFERRAL!!!

2011-04-15T23:09:00.000-05:00

So I know it has been a while, and I am a little late with this info!! But life has been very hectic :) However, for those who don't know via FB, we received our referral of a beautiful baby girl on April 1st! She is 8 months old and absolutely perfect, of course! We received our acceptance pack yesterday, so I am feverishly working to get that in the mail on Monday morning....man, I have a headache. For those who don't know the rest of the process from here I will give you a brief overview. Once CC Baltimore receives all of our documents in the acceptance pack, it will be sent to Korea. Korea will then send over "legals" which is more paperwork for us to sign. Once completed, "legals" will go to Korea and then we will file I6oo here in the US. We have to receive I600 approval before anything further can be done (I think). So basically once again we are waiting! We will hopefully be traveling in September or October at the latest. Our little girl is older than we expected, so she will be over a year when she comes home. I was a little saddened by this, but I am trying to look at the positive things. She will have a true first birthday party in her birth country, which is very important there and a really big deal! And, in reality, we will have her for the rest of her life. I know she is with a loving foster family in Seoul and being well taken care of...she weighs 22 lbs so at least I know they are feeding her :) This little girl is not so "little"! I was hoping for one of those chunky monkeys since my boys are so petite. Finally a baby after my own heart!! I love her already and yall will too when you see her big, brown eyes. I hope to be able to post some pics after we officially accept our referral..I will let yall know. Praying for some referrals real soon for a few special friends and some TCs too! Good night bloggy world, lights out..............

Grace ✝

Fasting and prayer needed!!

2011-03-28T20:17:00.001-05:00

Prayers and fasting needed on behalf of a little boy in Russia who has DS and the judge has denied his adoption! Please help :

www.aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/2011/03/will-you-join-us.html

no news is good news..not always!!

2011-03-14T22:27:00.000-05:00

No referrals in February! BOOOOOO! It really stinks when you anticipate opening up that monthly update to see what number you are and you find a big "0". HIS time not mine, HIS time not mine!! Gotta keep reminding myself of that one. Anywho, in other news, Mardi Gras came and went, the weather was horrible, and we stayed indoors almost all day playing games. It was nice to hang with the kiddos and my parents and just laugh together. We don't get to do that too often, because people are always running here or there. My newest countdown is until Easter, when we will be "hopefully" bathing in some rays of sun on the beach in Alabama. Every year my grandparents rent us a condo on the beach so all the family can get together for the holiday. We always have a good time, so I am looking forward to my mini vaca! We are having another garage sale in April and are already collecting lots of good stuff! Hopefully we can make some cash :) Nighty Night peeps, this daylight savings has got me crazy.

Grace ✝

Cute things kids say...my kids anyway :)

2011-03-04T16:14:00.000-06:00

Got off of work early today and no one is home yet (it's so quiet..kinda creepy). Just turned the tv on so now I can think :) Isn't that funny how some people just can't think in the quiet?! I am one of those freakish people. Anyway, wanted to share a few funny things my kids have said lately, mainly for me to remember! You might get a little laugh as well. My five year old came home a few days ago with some red Xs on his school work. I asked him what happened and why his answers were wrong. He so sweetly and innocently proceeded to tell me that it was not his fault that he got the answers wrong. Apparently, it was Mallory's fault (the girl he sits next to him).... "Mommy, she just didn't have the right answers on her paper!" I must admit I laughed! I didn't mean to, but it was so cute and sweet. I did make sure to tell him that cheating is a big no no, but it doesn't seem to have sunk in all the way just yet. He came home a few days later with a big smile and a paper with big red check marks. I asked him to tell me how he figured out the right answers. He happily said, "Mommy, Matthew (the boy on the other side of him) had them all right this time!" Geez....I have my work cut out for me, huh? ;) The other little, Jack, seems to have picked up my affinity for the word freakin'. I know, I know...it is such a bad habit, and I am really trying to stop. But I've been saying it since I was a teenager, and it just slips out. I didn't realize just how much I say it until my two year old asked me, "Mommy, where is my freakin' grandma?!" I almost died. Thankfully, we were alone, and I told him that freakin' was not a nice word. So, not he makes sure to tell me when I say something I'm not suppose to, "Mommy, don't say that word!" So stinkin cute! I love these boys :) My eleven year old step daughter is not so entertaining anymore with her thoughts. Can we say Attitude with a capital A?! You never know what is going to come out of her mouth. Well, I guess I'm gonna get situated for a fun filled, rainy night at the parade catching a bunch of junk! Fun times

Grace ✝

Waiting..........

2011-03-03T22:01:00.000-06:00

Wow! I am so tired of waiting!! Really! So, now that we've got that over with, we can move on in the conversation :) I am so excited that others are getting their referrals and travel calls. It seems as if a lot of the people we started with on our timeline are slowly but surely getting to see their babies for the first time. I am beyond thrilled that God willing we will be one of those families too! In other news, I started back to the gym tonight! Yeah me!!!! It feels like I haven't been there in a lifetime, but it was great to be back! I prob won't be able to walk tomorrow after Body Pump, but it was still fun to just move again. The kids are off of school next week for Mardi Gras, but unfortunately mommy is not :( We are gonna head out to the local parade tomorrow night, so that should make them happy for a few minutes. It's so interesting to watch your children grow up and become the little people they are destined to be. I've been thinking a lot about how in the beginning of parenthood you have a picture in your head of who you want your children to be. As time goes on, though, you realize that your picture might not be reality. Reality might be a better picture or possibly a not great one. You just never know.......so you have to give it to God (like everything else in life), pray hard, and try to be the best guide you can possibly be to your little ones. Good night bloggy land!

Grace ✝

January update

2011-02-12T23:36:00.000-06:00

Ok people......#3!! For Real!! As much as I love #3, I really want it to move on :) I know we teach our children that it is not all that important to be #1 in life, but right this minute it's all a lie! #1 is where we need to be...now. It's really driving me nuts I think! Between the anticipation, worry, nervousness, confusion, excitement, etc. , I think I'm gonna lose it. I'm trying hard to stay composed and actually if you ask any of my family and friends they would probably say they have no idea all of this is going on inside my head. But it is, I promise. I usually have no trouble wearing my heart on my sleeve, but for this I do. And I'm not sure why. Any one have an answer for me? Is this normal? Then I start to worry that something is wrong with me..I dunno! I just want to at least have a picture, a story. I need to know SOMETHING, just one little tiny detail would hold me over. Ok, so maybe I feel a little better now that I have that off my chest! Anyway, moving on...to recap January, it was kinda slow and lazy around here. As you can tell from my blogging, I haven't really been doing too much lately. And honestly, it's not because I've been too busy. I mean I'm always busy, but I just haven't felt like sitting down and writing. I think it exhausts me to think about putting my thoughts on paper (or should I say computer :) I guess I normally try not to think about all of this craziness, so if I sit down and write it's thrown in my face and I am forced to think about the whole thing. And then I get consumed and can't sleep! This journey is definitely a roller coaster. So, January didn't have too much excitement, except for the part about meeting my bloggy friend, Emily, and her little family in person! We had a Lunar NY celebration with our agency, and we were finally able to come face to face. Loved it, and yes her little girl is even more adorable in person! Can't wait to get to know them even better over some play dates in the future :) February has rolled around and is already speeding through..Mardi Gras is on the horizon and that always means lots of fun, family, friends, and parades! My daughter, Bri, is having a birthday soon too. Hard to believe she will be 11 this year, and half way to middle school in the fall! Somebody get me a xanax, it's gonna be a long year!!!!!! Happy early Valentine's Day to you all.

Grace ✝

My little one

2011-01-09T02:48:00.001-06:00

Dear little girl,
I have never felt your fluttering kicks or heard your tiny heart beating. I have never touched your sweet, chubby cheeks or listened to you and your brothers laughing. But still. You are mine. I do not understand how it happens, and I probably never will. How is it that I can love you so much, although I have never even looked upon your beautiful face? I know most people don't get it, and I wish I could explain all that is in my heart so they would. I just don't know how. Nothing I can say or do will ever make others understand what I feel for you. It is impossible. There are times I feel like my heart is so heavy for you it physically hurts. Some may say that is crazy, but it is so true. Right now it is aching, and I can't help but cry tears for you. I do not know why, but I pray. I pray for your little heart that is broken, that it will find peace. I pray that you somehow know that you are so loved, so cherished, and that we will be there soon to hold you and squeeze you. Sometimes I am so torn by this path that God has placed you and me on together. I long to have you here with me, but I know that it comes with such pain and heartache for you. I wish so badly that this world was a different place for not only you but your sister and brothers too. Nevertheless, I promise to do and be everything I can for you all forever. I can not wait to meet you, baby girl, and I just wanted you to know how much I loved you before I knew you!

Momma

Happy 2011!!

2011-01-04T20:17:00.002-06:00

I pray everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! Our Family had a blast on vacation in Gatlinberg, TN for the Christmas holidays. We packed the kids, luggage, and presents up and made the 10 hour drive to the Smokey Mountains. We all enjoyed the tubing, skiing, and sledding, as well as the beautiful cabin we stayed in for five days and four nights. My parents and sister, along with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, joined us on our little adventure! Santa definitely found us up in those mountains, and the kids woke up to lots of goodies and some fresh fallen snow. In fact, the snow came in on Christmas Eve night and didn't stop until we left on Monday! All that snow made for great sledding behind our cabin, accompanied by quite a few bumps and bruises for all of us "big kids". Let's just say I learned that I am no spring chicken anymore :) This trip was the first time I ever attempted skiing, and I must say I loved it!! I could definitely get addicted to it if I lived in the right time zone. I can't wait to go on an adults only ski trip one day soon. The little ones loved seeing the snow and sledding, however, they were so not use to the cold climate. We got home on Monday night and thankfully I did not have to go back to work until Friday. We relaxed and enjoyed a nice quiet new years eve. Well, not really quiet if you count all the fireworks the kids shot. So now it is back to reality! the kids went back to school and mommy went back to work. I guess I am kinda glad to be getting back into a routine though. We received our update today from CC! We are now sitting at #4 :) I had been praying for two referrals for December and sure enough that's what we got! Things are definitely moving right along, hopefully it stays that way. I'm hoping for two more in January so send up some prayers for me. Hope everyone has a great week.

Oh Christmas!!

2010-12-16T23:11:00.002-06:00

Well, Christmas has been extremely hectic around here this year! It's hard to believe it will be here in just a few days. My shopping is no where near done....if we r going to be honest here, I haven't even started!! We are leaving for Tennessee next week and the clothes still need to be packed, gifts that haven't been bought yet need to be wrapped, and the pups, who still need their yearly shots ASAP, are headed to Mary's Bed and Biscuit. The to do list goes on and on!! 2011 needs to get here quick before I lose it. Amidst all this chaos, however, I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and blessed new year from our home to yours! HappyHolidays :)

Grace ✝

Down, down, down we go....on the list that is!

2010-12-02T20:52:00.001-06:00

In honor of Jackson, his friend, Ernie, has stopped by to give the good news....#6 it is! Our SW sent the November update yesterday which originally stated there were no referrals for last months. I was kinda disappointed. So, I was happy to see a new email in my box this morning with yet another update. She had made a mistake and there really was 1 referral and it was a girl! Yeah :) We are well on our way to a spring referral...fingers crossed!

Grace ✝

Unsuspecting moments

2010-11-28T22:54:00.001-06:00

So, as most of you already know our God is pretty awesome! And for those who don't know that just yet, please read on. (And everyone else who just wants to smile). Anyway, I have a little story to share that might just remind you that God is concerned with everything in life, even the small things. After our first garage sale in July, we decided to do a raffle for an Ipad since we were on a fundraising high :) Before we decided to do the raffle, though, we had a young family call us a few days after our sale to tell us that they had stopped by, bought a few things, and took a flyer with our story and phone number. They said they were touched by our story and our blog, and felt God leading them to help us however they could. So they mailed us a check! It was one of our first heartfelt donations from complete strangers, and it made me feel so happy to know that there are still people in this world who care about others! ( I know I tend to draw things out, but I'm almost done..promise) When I received the check, we had just had the raffle tickets printed up, so I thought I would put two in the pot for them just because. Now, they had no idea about this whole raffle thing. So, fast forward to tonight...after mixing allll those tickets up really good (even threw them in the dryer for a few secs lol), lil Jack pulls the winning one and guess who it was.......yep the sweet couple who sent us that check a few months back. Let me tell you, people, when I saw who's name was on the ticket I just couldn't help but smile and feel so good inside. Isn't it just like our amazing God to take the ones who gave without expecting anything in return and bless them fully!!! I still haven't been able to stop thinking about it, and I really need to go to bed. God is present in every moment of every day if we just stop and listen to the little"whispers". It's not just the big things he is focused on but all the details too! I hope this little story makes you smile inside and remember that He is there in every unsuspecting moment of our lives! Have a great night bloggy friends and get plenty of rest. Lots of prayers going out tonight for North and South Korea and all of its people, especially the babies who are waiting for families and waiting to travel. Prayers for the families who are still here in the US waiting to go pick up their little ones as well. God is in control.

Grace ✝

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T08:27:00.000-06:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving today! I am reflecting on all I am thankful for today, and I can tell you the list goes on and on!! I am praying that next year I have one more BIG thing to be thankful for! For today, though, I will be thankful for the knowledge that my baby girl is most probably out there somewhere hopefully spending this wonderful fall day being loved on by her foster family. Today we will pack up and head over to my in laws and enjoy good food and good family while being thankful for the life our God has given us!! He is truly amazing :) The big boys are duck hunting this morning, and Jack and I are relaxing in bed while getting ready to watch the Macy's Day parade. Life is good, and I pray everyone else out there is feeling the same way too!

Grace ✝

Just a quick post....

2010-11-10T18:48:00.000-06:00

I so wish I had time to leave an updated post, but I just don't! I barely have time to breathe....I have got to find a way to make life a little less complicated. Anyway, just wanted to leave a post for anyone coming by to get info on our garage sale we are having on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12th and 13th. It will be from 7 am till at 1111 Rue Rochelle in Slidell, La. We are also still selling raffle tickets for the Ipad giveaway and will have them at the yard sale! We have a little of everything so feel free to stop by and check it out! Thanks

Grace

gapeyton@hotmail.com

And our new number is......

2010-10-13T22:20:00.001-05:00

Yes folks, # 7 already!! We are just moving right on up. I was getting slightly impatient yesterday, since I still had not received our September update. I was actually getting down right mad! So, thankfully, it showed up in my inbox this afternoon. I just love the wonderful world of technology and all of the instant gratification that comes with it, don"t you?! Anyway, there were no referrals in Septembers, but two boys so far in the first two weeks of October. I wish I lived closer to Baltimore CC, as they are getting ready to have their annual adoption celebration in November. I would love to go to meet others who are in the process or have done this before. They are also having special guests from Korea at the celebration. Two of the Holt SWs and Foster Moms will be attending, would love to meet these special women. Maybe one day..... I am happy to say Lil J is doing much better in Prek 4! The last two weeks have been tear free, Thank You Jesus!! I started giving him just a lil more attention, and it has done a world of good :) You don't realize how much the little things matter to your children at times. Sometimes they just need a little extra love to grow, kinda like that rose bush in my backyard! A little TLC and it is growing like crazy. Jack is getting so big and starting to sound just like his big brother. He is so funny and laid back. He just goes with the flow and laughs alllll the time. Everything is hilarious to him! Bri is cheering at school and was even chosen to be the captain of her squad in her last year at the elementary school. It is both amazing and scary to think she will be in middle school next year! Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday I was meeting this spunky, 3yr old little girl for the first time. At that time, I never dreamed that one day I would be her stepmom. I was always the girl who swore she would never date anyone with kids, because it was too much drama! Well, one think I can tell you is this...YES, it was a lot of drama! LOL BUT...I wouldn't trade it for anything! The first few years were very challenging to say the least. It didn't have to be that way, and it shouldn't be that way for anyone. But all of us "adults" involved were merely kids trying to act like adults....who really acted like kids!! Got that?! haha I am thankful that times have changed, and time has matured us all! Bri has taught me alot in the past 7 1/2 yrs and has definitely helped prepare me for this new journey on the road to adoption. Having a step child is a little like having an adopted child, I guess. You do not automatically love your step child the first time you lay eyes on them, like you usually do with your birth children. It takes time to develop a relationship and attachment with them, and it also requires a choice. You have to choose to love the child everyday no matter what! Needless to say everything we have been through in the past has all been worth it! Recently, I have started to become impatient with this wait! But the more I thought about it, I realized that it really is all a part of God's plan! This wait is so important for me and my family. During this wait, I am learning and growing as a parent, wife, and individual. God is molding me into the person I am suppose to be when this baby comes home, so I can be everything she needs me to be. I am learning patience, gentleness, compassion, true love, and the importance of slowing down. All things that are going to be so vital for this baby and all of my other children. It is just amazing what God reveals to you when you seek Him. I can hardly wait to see what He has in store for our future!! Congrats to Heather and Bill on their speedy travel call...their little guy is too cute :) Lots of prayers for all of the other bloggy land families who r waiting, waiting, n waiting. By the way, we DO have an approved I600A finally! The US gov. must be as crazy as our SW ;)

Grace ✝

Long time...no blog!!

2010-09-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

As you can tell, life in the Licciardi home has been busy, busy, busy!! Also, the internet satellite card was broken in half by my precious baby boy. This has made blogging quite challenging, especially on a palm pre. It takes you like 3o minutes to write a paragraph! No thanks. Not to say I haven't been lurking, though. I have been keeping up with my stalking when I have extra time. Haha...extra time (yeah right). Well we have officially moved up to #9 on the wait list, yeah for single digits! We received that update on September 1st. Bad news though is our I600A was not approved, because our sweet SW left a few tiny details out of the HS! It was kinda silly, but you know how the Federal Government is about their rules and regulations. So she updated it real quick and mailed over to us new copies to send back to USCIS. It is officially on its way now! We'll have to see if they can find something else to complain about :) I am just relieved that I am not waiting for an approved I600 in order to be put on a waiting list. I would be going crazy right about now. So that's the adoption world news for today's post. Oh, and I also found a new name I am really liking these days...it fits perfect with our family names already and the meaning is awesome, "God's Grace". I don't know if this is the final one, but it is going at the top of the list for sure. Jarred Jr. is hating pre k :(. He got out of school today to go duck hunting with his daddy for the first time and loved it! Then he wanted to keep the duck he shot in his room..he was broken hearted when his daddy had to clean it, poor baby! Not really sure what to do about the hating pre k thing. He says it's boring, and he wants to go back to Nanny Jackie's house. I feel so bad for him when he cries in car line. I want to just take him home with me, but I know he has to grow up and learn to deal with change. I really think it's the change that has got him so upset. He's like me in that area, we just don't deal to well with change when we're comfortable. Nevertheless, this is life...full of change. Hope everyone is having a great Monday so far, and I hope to be back to bloggy world soon. Peace
Grace <3

Reflections (warning: a long post)

2010-08-20T09:49:00.000-05:00

Right now I am laying in bed with the cat sleeping on my head, computer on my lap, tv rolling in the background, thinking! I have already had my wonderful Percocet this morning and my mouth is thanking me for it. I had to have oral surgery yesterday to remove a fractured tooth. Percocets are definitely my friend today :) I don't have the greatest pain tolerance. Anyway, back to the thinking! I have been reflecting this morning on life and how it never seems to really go the way we planned. Isn't it interesting how you can have this whole life story imagined in your head....but God has something totally different in mind? When I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to get married, have kids, and ,of course, adopt a couple too. I just had a different plan on how to get there. I didn't want to get married until I was about 28 or 29, and I wasn't planning on having kids until I was in my thirties. Boy, how that changed real quick. I originally wanted to be a veterinarian, then it was a pediatrician, but somewhere along the lines I became a nurse. Don't even know how that happened really. I guess once it came time to take the MCAT, I thought about what I really wanted in life, and being a doctor was not top of the list. So nursing fit in with all of the classes I had already taken and that is how it came to be.... a whim I suppose. I am not going to lie and say that I dreamed of being a nurse since I was a little girl. Not true! I have always wanted to be the top dog, and a nurse didn't fit that picture in my end. In all actuality, I hated nursing when I first started! Really hated it! Now, however, I have come to realize that this is my call in life. Everyday I go to work, I get to serve others. The sick, lonely, poor, hurting. Every single day! I didn't think about my job in that way for a long time, until I took the Crown financial class through our church. The class makes you think about your job and why you do it and who you are doing it for. We should be going to work as if we are working for the Lord, not man. Trust me, I know that is hard at times, especially when you want to tell your boss, coworkers, or even patients how much they stink! But the reality is, we are not working for them...we have a bigger Boss! When you have that mindset, it really makes a difference in your attitude, quality of service, and even joy. I can't say I wake up everyday and am overjoyed to go to work, but I can say by the middle of the day I am usually feeling good about what I have done for others and how I have shared Jesus in my actions, not necessarily words. We, as Christians, are called to be different. We do not have to run around preaching to everyone (or even condemning as some do) to get our points across. A stranger should be able to look at our lives and know that something is different, something is special, without us saying a word. I have been that stranger in the past looking at others' lives, and I know how it feels to be empty inside and searching for that missing piece. I am so happy to say that I am no longer in that place, and I pray that I can be hope for someone else one day! Peace

Grace ✝

And our updated number is......

2010-08-17T13:52:00.001-05:00

Yep...up three spots from end of June! Yeah for # 10 :) I finally emailed my social worker in Baltimore, since we hadn't had any updates yet. Yeah, she forgot to put us on the email list!! BUT we are on it now, so we should receive monthly updates now at the beginning of each month. She sent me the most recent for the month of July. There was 1 referral in July, and I knew that already because they are on Holt BB. And it was for a boy, they were either gender. There is only 1 ahead of us specifically for a girl. I'm not sure where they fall on the list though. So we have raffle tickets available now for the Ipad. It is a 32 GB with 3 G wifi, which I suppose is good. Don't know much about the electronic, gadget world. But I know it looked pretty cool in the store! If anyone is interested in purchasing some you can email me at gapeyton@hotmail.com. I can give you my home address and send the tickets to you if you're not local. We are gonna draw on Nov. 27th, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I thought it would be good to do close to Christmas, that way if someone wins that is not a big fan they could sell it or give as a gift :) Good thinking, huh?! Anyway, tickets are $5.00 a piece or 5 for $20.00. Hope you guys are having a great August!! Peace

Grace ✝

Truth

2010-08-14T22:04:00.002-05:00

“...orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names.

They are easier to ignore before you see their faces.

It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms...

.... but once you do, everything changes.

So when you & I hear staggering numbers & statistics about the poor & needy around us & around the world, we have a choice.
We can switch the channels on our mega T.V’s and continue our comfortable, untroubled, ordinary, church-going lives as if the global poor don’t exist.

We can let these numbers remain cold, distant, and almost imaginary....

Or we can open our eyes and our lives to the realities that surround us and begin considering the faces that are represented by these numbers.”

-David Platt

A lil update

2010-08-08T11:17:00.000-05:00

A lot has been going on around here as usual! Our garage sale was a big success. We raised 1650.00 in one weekend! How awesome is our God :) I went into it hoping to make 750.00 because that is what we owed our agency. Of course God always has other plans. We are now gearing up for a raffle of an Ipad so please pray we reach our goal of making $2000.00. We are planning another garage sale for October so keep the donations coming. We are so thankful for all who participated with us this time around...We are so so blessed. Still haven't received any updates from our agency, but please keep our little one in your prayers as well as her birth family. I don't believe she is born yet, but she will be very soon. Pray that she is loved every minute, every second and that she will have wonderful foster parents. In current family news, JJ started big boy pre k 4 on Friday, and he really liked it. No tears from the big boy, but maybe a few from this crazy mama. Growing up is so bittersweet. Bri starts back on Wed and goes back to her mom's today. We had a busy, fun summer, and I'm sure fall is gonna be nonstop. Life is good!!

Garage sale

2010-07-31T03:23:00.000-05:00

For all of our local family and friends, our garage sale is being held today, July 31 at 7am till and Sunday 8/e at 7am. It is going to be at 515 Gause bLvd, First Financial services. Hope to see you there!

Life is Exhausting sometimes

2010-07-27T00:56:00.000-05:00

Wow, where does the time go?? Life has been a roller coaster lately....up and down and all around :) I have been sorting, pricing, boxing, etc. for our garage sale this weekend, our first official adoption fundraiser. I have a figure in my head of what I really want to make, so I'm praying we can pull it off. I know we are going to have more than one, because there is no way we are going to sell all this stuff in one weekend. We have lots of stuff! Everyone has been so generous and thoughtful, and we truly appreciate it. So, we have a party to go to Friday night before the sale that we can not miss, so I know we are in for a long weekend! I am willing to do whatever it takes though, and I know our family is going to be there to help which is wonderful. In current family news, Jack is starting to get the hang of the little potty, and he is so excited about it. He does the cutest potty dance when he tinkles and of course thinks it is hilarious when we crack up! Boys are so funny. Jarred starts pre-k 4 next Friday, so we are getting last minute things together. If anyone knows me, they know I am SO last minute lol. Bri is getting ready to go back to her mom's house next week, as she starts school in two weeks. She is going to a dance camp this week with my friend Sandie, who has a Christian dance company in Mandeville, Set Apart. They are really good, so she is hopefully gonna have fun and learn a thing or two. Not much new in the Adoption world :( I still have not received my monthly update for July, so I'm thinking I will prob hear something in August. I am expecting to be up to #10 or 11 on the list based on some other families I've met on line with CC who have received referrals recently. BUT, #9 would be great too!! I was able to get my fingerprints done on 7/15, but my hubby had a big cut on his finger and was not able to have it done. He already received his new date in August, so fingers crossed and protected. I told him he has to wear gloves 24/7 until after his appt...he thinks I'm crazy :)
Time to get some zzzzzz's, daylight comes early, especially around here.

Grace ✝

It's been a little while....again!

2010-07-09T00:52:00.000-05:00

I know I have not posted since last month, and I need to do better. If not for myself, for my little ones who will one day read this and want to know why I didn't include so many more memories, pictures, etc... When they do ask me, however, I will make sure to let them know all of the various reasons: 5 am wake up, breakfast, drop off at school, work all day, pick up from school, dinner, tae kwon doe (2 nights a week), bath time, story time, bed time, more paper work for work. All in that order, five times a week, every week! Need I say more?! It is presently 12:30 am, and I can not sleep, and I have to get up at 3 am to do MORE paperwork to turn in Friday AM. Dear Computers wherever you are, please hurry and get to my office. I can't take it much longer. Something's gotta give, or I'm going to lose it!!
So, now that I have that off my chest, I shall do a little update. Britten has been bored out of her mind this summer since she chose not to go to summer camp. She is kinda just going with whoever can take her, wherever, whenever. I think she'll go to summer camp next year :) Well, at least our bank account got a little break this summer as well. Jarred and Jackson are having fun with Ms. Jackie playing, splashing, and everything else they do in between. Lil Jarred is preparing to start pre k in the fall at the Baptist school near our house, and I am a lil anxious. I just don't know how he is going to adjust to being in a real school environment. I am praying his teacher makes it through the first week in one piece...he is a handful. I really want to stop at the bookstore tomorrow and pick up James Dobson's "The Strong Willed child". I think we are going to need it with him. Jackson is so so cute and lovable! As much as people talk about terrible twos, Jarred was really good and Jack is turning out to be super fun. I like this age, because they are becoming more independent but still loving their mommy no matter what. They are not as defiant or full of attitude as say a four year old. I hope it holds out the rest of year #2 for my Jack man.
We had a laid back, low key 4th of July this year. We usually go to my parents' house to celebrate both the 4th and my dad's birthday, but they were out of town visiting my mom's family in Ohio (Love and Miss you all Ohio peeps). The hubby was off to Vegas as well to help out a friend with some business, so we were home alone. We went to church, picked up a few fireworks for the kiddies, ate some All American McDonald's, and played on the slipping slide. I hadn't done that it a while, and by the next day I could definitely tell! I was so sore for the next two days, absolutely ridiculous. I was glad to be off on the following Monday and used the day to clean up and just hang out with the kids. Three day weekends are great, until you have to go back to work and play catch up all week long. So that's where I am now...playing catch up on paper work. In the word of Jackson, "uhhhhh nasty". That's his newest favorite phrase. It is so funny to hear his little voice, adorable. On the adoption front, fingerprints next week and continued waiting, waiting, waiting :) Congrats to all of the recent waiters out there in bloggy land who are no longer waiting!! So exciting to be able to follow your journeys...the web is a wonderful tool at times. Love and Peace to all

Grace ✝

Our first official Waiting Wednesday

2010-06-23T21:52:00.000-05:00

Now that our papers have gone to Korea last Friday, I guess today is our first official waiting wednesday! Waiting for our referral that is! How exciting :) It will be interesting to see just how many waiting wednesdays we have until we meet our baby girl for the first time. I am wondering tonight whether or not her birth mother is contemplating what decision to make right now, and I am praying that she has peace with her decision despite the heartbreak. I pray that she loves this little girl growing inside of her and talks to her all the time so that she knows that love. So much on my mind tonight! Still haven't decided what I want to do for my Waiting Wednesday posts yet, but I'll think about it! Peace <3 Grace ✝

God and adoption

2010-06-17T11:54:00.000-05:00

I just feel the need to post this today, because it is a subject that has been on my mind for a while now! I also belong to a yahoo group, adopt_korea, and this topic has come up in the past few days. Obviously, there are many different beliefs regarding this subject (and I might be asking for trouble here), but this is just my opinion. Actually, the post is written by another adoptive momma in bloggy land, but it is so well written I can't help but link it here. I completely agree with her thought process and definitely couldn't write it any better. I don't think she would mind me linking it, so here goes. :http://ourlittletongginator.blogspot.com/2010/04/god-and-adoption.html

Absolutely love it! I am so honored to be my little girl's plan B wherever she is!!

Grace ✝

Exhausted!!

2010-06-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

OMG! Can you say exhausted?! It is only Tuesday, and I am whipped out. Went out on the boat Sunday with the family and my cousins and had a much needed relaxing day. However, put sunscreen on everyone else but myself, go figure :) Now I am burnt to a crisp. Note to self: Do NOT do that again! Nevertheless, it was a good day, but we were all worn out by the time we got home. We are leaving Thursday to go camping in Florida at the beach, and we are hoping for no oil while we are there. Everyone say some prayers please. On the fundraising front, we have already accumulated some stuff and are expecting some more. It's so nice to see that there are still good people in this world! Thank you, thank you to everyone who has donated so far. We truly appreciate it more than you know. Some more exciting news in the adoption world: I thought we had to wait for our I600A approval before our home study went to Korea, but I found out yesterday our HS will be Korea bound on Friday! Yeah! We are #13 on the list, but only #3 on the girl's list. Our SW said realistically we are looking at 9-12 months till we get a referral. But it could always be sooner, because we are open to minor special needs. We shall see...all in God's timing :) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and happy Father's Day to all those Dad's out there.
Peace

Grace ✝

Fundraising and "Why Korea??"

2010-06-12T23:18:00.000-05:00

As many of our friends and family already know, we have decided to start doing some fundraising for our adoption expenses. Our first project is a yard sale we are having at the end of July. I am excited about this, because we have a business who is going to let us use their property on a main street to have the sale. So I had this "bright" idea to go around to other yard sales this weekend and ask them for their left overs basically. We actually had a few people donate some things to us, which was really nice! I also had time to rethink my strategy, so I am going to keep doing this for the next few weekends until we have our sale. Anyway, to get to the point, one woman I stopped to give a flyer to asked me why we were not adopting an American child, why South Korea?? I have been asked that a couple of times already, so I thought I would share that reason with everyone. First and foremost, I think it is a personal decision on why you adopt and where you adopt from. Now, it does not offend me in the least bit to have someone ask, because I know most are just curious. As for the why, I (Grace) have always wanted to adopt from as long as I can remember. I have always told people I would adopt one day even before I met my husband. Somewhere along the way, a picture evolved in my head of a little Asian girl. Maybe it came from working at a Chinese restaurant for years while in college...I really don't know :) At any rate, this is what I envisioned. Along came my husband, Jarred, and I made sure to tell him from the beginning that I wanted to adopt one day. I don't know if he really took me serious at first! As the years went by, we would talk about it now and then, but it never went further than just talk. When I became pregnant the 2nd time, I told Jarred that if it was a boy, that would be my sign that adoption was God's plan for us....I reaaaallly wanted a girl. Of course, on ultrasound day, a boy it was :) So here we are now! We were originally going to adopt from Russia, and it was going to be an Asian child. However, the program had been going through changes, becoming more unstable and more expensive, at the time we began to really research. Right when I was starting to give up and think that this wasn't going to happen, I found out Korea was an option for us, and we could request a girl because we had two boys! So we jumped in and have found ourselves here in the midst of a wonderful journey. Now, to answer another aspect of the question from a different perspective, "Why not an American child??" It is definitely possible to adopt from America, but a little more difficult in some ways. First off, a family like us (who already have biological children) would have a much more difficult time being chosen by a birth mother (and rightly so). Most birth mothers are looking for couples who can not have children. Second, you have to be ok with open adoption, as that is mostly what goes on now in the adoption world. Let me stop here and say I am totally ok with open adoption. In fact, I think it is great for everyone involved, usually! I'm just giving the facts here. You also are pretty much confined to your local area for domestic adoption which limits your options and can extend your wait times. Interstate adoption does not occur very often in private or foster care adoptions. Which brings me to another topic, Foster care. The Foster care system is a much needed organization, obviously, but the primary focus of foster care is to reunite a child with the birth family. I, personally, could not imagine fostering a baby for one to two years with the intent of adopting and then having to give them back to their birth family. It happens, trust me! I applaud those who foster children with the intent of simply fostering! I think it is wonderful and possibly an option for us one day..who knows?! I think that sums up the main reason as to why we are adopting, and why it is going to be from South Korea, God willing. Everyone has a different story, and I respect each and everyone! Peace

Grace ✝

Homestudy Finalllllyy completed! Yeah!!

2010-06-07T23:52:00.000-05:00

We finally received our home study in the mail on Saturday, it feels like it took forever!! I was starting to get really impatient as my sw said it was mailed out on Tuesday. I was stalking the mail box Thursday and Friday....nothing! Then I start thinking of all the possibilities. Did I accidently throw it away, is it lost in the mail, does the post office have it, I was making myself crazy :) Then sweet Saturday rolled around and there it was in perfect condition. If this is how I am going to be in regards to this waiting game, I am in big trouble. I definitely need to get a grip!! Now I am feeling nice and calm since the I600a is on its way to the lock box in Dallas and the formal app to CC Baltimore is in route as well. I can relax and let the stalking go for the next twelve weeks. I am counting on twelve weeks, but am obviously praying for sooner than that. Six weeks would be wonderful, eight would be great...who knows?? All in God's timing not mine. That's my life's motto lately in everything!! I had a big realization this weekend in regards to who I am and who I want to be. I have a bad habit of blaming others when things go wrong, namely my hubby. Unfortunately, he is the only other adult in the house and is an easy target, because he is so laid back and sweet to me. Thinking about it right this minute, I really can't think of one time he has said something really hurtful to me. It's just not in his nature. Sure we argue, but he never says anything to put me down or make me feel bad. I on the other hand have had times where I did not hold my tongue, and I am not proud of that at all. This weekend I just had a great realization that I do not want to be that person anymore. I have a wonderful husband who loves me so much and our children that he would do any and everything he could to make life perfect for us! I am truly blessed to have him in my life :) Peace

Grace

Memorial Day weekend

2010-06-01T12:17:00.000-05:00

On Sunday we took the boys to the aquarium to see all of the fishies! It was the last day to use our year membership, so we opted for the aquarium over the zoo. It was just too hot for the zoo. As you can guess, I'm not into heat and sweat :) So after church we headed to New Orleans, as did everyone else in the metro area. It was packed! I'm guessing the holiday weekend and kids out of school for the summer had everyone else thinking the same as us. Nevertheless, we had a fun time, and the boys really liked seeing the fish, penguins, sharks, etc. Jarred hadn't been in about a year and a half, so he was really into it. He wanted to know all of the fish names and where the live. I was excited to see him so interested in something. It was cute. Britten was with her mom this week before she comes to stay with us for the summer. It ought to be interesting having all 3 of them together the majority of time this summer. It should make for some good entertainment! We celebrated Memorial day yesterday afternoon at my bro and sis in laws house. I had to work for a little while during the day, so we couldn't make the boat trip with my cousin and her family. So instead we headed over to the other Licciardi household and everyone went swimming, including me. My wonderful hunny couldn't pass up pushing me in by the end of the evening. There was lots of food and conversation, and the kids had a blast. My children love to swim, two water babies definitely. In fact, Lil Jarred ran right to the pool and jumped in...again!! No floaties, nothing. That child has no fear. Thank goodness my sis in law was there to pull him right up. Later that evening, I made him take his floaties off and learn to swim. And yes he did! He did so good, he just picks things up so fast. By the end of the night he was like a little fish himself. But he is still going to swim lessons soon :) I took a few minutes yesterday while I was driving for work to really think about the holiday and why we recognize it. I only know a handful of military families and soldiers, but it really touched me to think of them and what they sacrifice for our freedom. I made sure to say extra prayers for all those I know! I also made sure that lil Jarred understood why he was going to a party. I really want my children to understand what goes on in this world they are living in and to respect our country and its soldiers. I hope everyone out there had a great holiday! Stay tuned for more.

Grace

Birthday fun

2010-05-29T18:32:00.000-05:00

We had Jackson's 2nd birthday party on May 22nd, and it was HOTT! We all had a good time despite the drenching heat. The kids played on the bounce around, slip n slide, and little pool and enjoyed the pony rides courtesy of Peanut Butter. I don't think Peanut Butter was too excited though. All in all it was a nice day with family and friends. However, that will be the last party at home until the little miss arrives. I am done with home parties; too stressful!! I am seriously considering doing a joint bday party for the two boys next year, a swimming party at the end of August which is about half way between both of their actual birthdays. I think they would love it. My mom says I'm crazy, but I think it's genius :) May has been a crazy busy month for us. Aside from the birthday party, we've had other birthday parties, baby showers, Mother's day activities, end of school year events, etc.... I'm ready for June to be here! However, I don't think it is going to slow down much. We are going camping in Pensacola, Florida for Father's Day weekend. We are really excited about that. I can't wait to lay on the beach and read a good book while my hubby chases the little ones around :) It ought to be very relaxing (lol). Jarred and I went to a wedding last night for one of his cousins and had a really nice evening. Sometimes you just need a break from the kids to do grown up things and be around other adults. We even got to sleep in this morning...didn't get out of bed until 12 pm. Now we didn't go to sleep until after 1 am, which is waaayyy past my bedtime, but it still felt good to have some uninterrupted z's. In the adoption world, our home study is complete and suppose to be notarized and dropped in the mail on Monday. I have the I 600a filled out and ready to go along with all of our pics, official app to catholic charities baltimore, etc. as soon as it arrives. Hopefully it will be here by Wednesday! I am so excited to be crossing another step off the list. I try not to dwell on the whole process a lot, because it seems so overwhelming at times. I am glad that I have my other crazy kids to keep me busy. I would imagine it would be even harder to go through all of this waiting if I didn't have these kids to drive me nuts. My prayers go out to all of the other families who are adopting and are at different stages of this adventure. It is such an awesome journey! Till next time....Peace <3

Grace

Sleep--What a wonderful thing

2010-05-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

Sleep would be great right about now, but doesn't seem to be happening at this point. I can't seem to turn my brain off like everyone else in the house. So I blog... Mother's day weekend was busy as usual. We did some house chores on Saturday and I went to a new market in the neighborhood with my momma and the boys. There was a little amusement park area set up with a few different rides for the little ones, and of course, my mother could not resist the begging from my son to ride. I could have easily tuned it out, because I hate all of those things (bad experience :). But Nonna let them ride..and ride..and ride! A FEW dollars later they were all out of tickets, so we made our way home. Later that night I was suppose to make a special cake for my baby boy's birthday, but the well broke AGAIN! No water uhhhhhh! Now this is not the first time the well malfunctioned. Since we have lived here it has probably broken 4 or 5 times. Jarred was ready to rip the whole thing out after trying to fix it in the dark Saturday night. He finally gave up, and Jack got to blow out his candles Sunday morning on a store bought cupcake! Oh well, life happens. Sunday was a really nice day. We went to church for the early service and had an awesome guest speaker, Christine Caine. She is from Hillsongs church in Australian and is an amazing woman of God. I wish I could get a pep talk from her every morning before leaving the house :) We ended up having lunch with my parents, little sister, grandma, and cousin and her husband at the Sushi/ hibachi restaurant we like, because we failed to make reservations anywhere else. We usually don't go out to eat on Mother's Day so didn't really think to make reservations. I guess we were thinking it was just another Sunday...silly little girls! Not a bright idea. But it turn out okay because my mom had never had sushi or habachi and she really enjoyed herself. As always, the kids loved it. They love watching the guy cook everything, he always gets a few laughs. We were able to go see our kitten after lunch at my cousin's house. A stray cat started hanging around Shannon's house and she was pregnant. A few weeks after showing up she had five little kittens, so cute. But she is having a real hard time finding homes for them. Lil Jarred realllly wanted one, so I caved and let him pick. Good thing he picked the one I really wanted. She's really cute and unique looking. Her name is Izzy for Isabelle. I'll post pics soon. I must be crazy I know, another living breathing thing in this house. My mother's day present from my husband was quite a surprise. He bought me the big lens I had been wanting for my camera. I really wasn't expecting it, but I was def happy. A little guilty because I knew it wasn't cheap, but he really loves doing things like that for me when he can. And that my friends is number 258 on the list of reasons why I love him so! In the adoption world, we are just waiting on our rough draft of the homestudy so we can approve it and send it on its way. It should be in the next few days! I am getting impatient...but holding on to His promise always. Well, I am feeling tired now, so nighty night bloggy world. My dreams await me!!

Finally another post!!

2010-05-04T14:10:00.001-05:00

Once again...it's been awhile! You just don't realize how time flies when you work full time and take care of kiddies. It's amazing. I am able to get on here often and follow up with others' posts but rarely have time to make my own. There is always something else to be done. It's been hectic in our little world! The boys were sick about two weeks ago for a whole week with a horrible stomach virus :( I thought little Jack was going to end up in the hospital with dehydration. He couldn't keep anything down or in..he was just so pathetic. They were out of school almost the whole week, so Jarred and I had to take shifts staying home with them so we could both still work. It was a mess! Homestudy is finally completed as of April 23 and now we are just waiting on our copy to approve in order to send our USCIS paperwork. It should be ready this week...crossing my fingers. Everything takes soooo long! Work has been nonstop which is good in the grand scheme of things. If you don't have patients to see, you don't have money to spend (or save). As most everyone knows I'm sure, the oil spill in the Gulf has caused a lot of problems in our neck of the woods! It has not directly affected me or my family at present, but lots of friends and acquaintances in our hometown of St. Bernard are feeling it. It is predicted to only get worse over time and is being compared to Katrina for the state of Louisiana. It is so sad for the families who lost loved ones, the families who have lost incomes, and the animals that are being poisoned. Thankfully we serve an awesome God who can make any bad situation turn around for His glory! Please keep everyone affected by this disaster in your prayers!

Grace :)

P.S. For any local friends and families who are following our blog and would like to help bring our little girl home, we are planning on having a yard sale in June to begin fundraising for our adoption expenses and would appreciate donations of anything we might be able to sell at our sale. You can email us at gapeyton@hotmail.com or facebook us or leave a comment here and we will be more than happy to pick up any donations! Thanks in advance :)

Wednesday again!!

2010-04-14T22:19:00.000-05:00

So..it's been forever and a day since I posted on here and unfortunately don't have time once again to do updates, but I will this weekend. Life has been crazy busy lately! I have my last interview for the homestudy tomorrow and then we wait for it to be written and sent to us! Can't wait, but so glad it is over. It is been rough the last few weeks scheduling these sw visits around my job...I'm going nuts. The visit with the kids was good, they all like our social worker a lot and she was very engaging with them. Jarred did tell his big sis he was going to punch her in the face....how's that for sibling love?!?! I almost died I think. Kids will always embarrass you when given the right opportunity :) Hopefully she doesn't hold it against us and think we are horrible parents. Good night all and better posts later. Wednesday's wisdom:
Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Grace

Wednesday's wisdom

2010-04-07T12:43:00.000-05:00

Phil 4:19 (NAS) And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

One home visit down, one to go!!

2010-03-27T10:08:00.000-05:00

We had our first home visit on Thursday and everyy thing went great! I was definitely nervous, but our social worker is great and very easy to talk with. It kinda felt like a couples therapy session :) I stayed up all night Wednesday cleaning. My house is spotless and now I don't want anyone to mess it up, not even the kids. I think I may be getting a little OCD...who knew?! So now we have three more meetings over the next three weeks and then our HS will be completed. I didn't think I would want it to go faster having the two little ones and being so busy, but I find myself hoping things move quickly. I guess when you feel like a part of your family is missing, you just want to complete it no matter what else is going on in life! Jarred and I are on our way to New Orleans to help out at the church's Dream Center. They are having a block party for the community, so it should be a fun time. As the song says, "I will serve you while I'm waiting". Have a wonderful, sun filled spring day :)

Grace

I can't sleep!!!!!!!

2010-03-22T03:19:00.001-05:00

BLAH, BLAH....I can't sleep!!!!!!!! It is 3 am, and I can not sleep. I have been trying to fall asleep unsuccessfully. I suppose I have a lot on my mind. Spent all weekend cleaning the house, trying to make it look half decent for our home visit. Three kids leave a whole lot of mess behind. I can't even begin to imagine what four will do to a place! And you know once you start cleaning you just go all out. I guess I've started spring cleaning by force :) The boys received their new bed on Friday by way of Mr. UPS. It only took J and I 3 hours to put it together this afternoon, and we didn't even argue at all in the process. I think it was a first for us. So the boys were able to sleep in their new bed tonight, and they were happy. We bought a captain's bed with trundle and three pull out drawers. It's perfect for them, and I don't have to worry about them breaking their leg. I had to skip the bunk beds for now, as they still think they can fly like superman and scale large pieces of furniture like spiderman. Bri spent the rest of the weekend with us after her soccer game on Saturday. She played really good according to Dad, but they still lost the game. Can't wait to see her play on Tuesday, so I can get some good pics. Tomorrow I am off of work for Dr. appts for Jack and me. Good thing, huh?! Good night/morning all my bloggy friends! Have a good one.

Wednesday's Wisdom

2010-03-17T22:17:00.000-05:00

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."--- Philippians 4: 6-7
So, I've been really anxious all week, because we are getting ready to do our first home visit with the social worker. I guess I don't really know what to expect, and of course I want everything to be perfect, so I am driving myself crazy. I will be so glad when it is over!! I opened my Best Life for Mom's book this evening and saw this scripture which filled me with peace, so I wanted to pass it on!! A little bit of wisdom for this wonderful Wednesday. If anyone has any tips or info regarding what to expect for our home visit it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)

Weekend pics

2010-03-10T16:46:00.000-06:00

Operation Christmas Child

2010-03-10T16:33:00.000-06:00

I know it's odd to see Christmas in March, but I just had to post on the update I received in the mail today regarding Operation Christmas Child. I think I mentioned in an earlier post about how we packaged shoe boxes this Christmas for the charity through Samaritan's purse. The boxes went out to children around the world who were in need and were filled with toys, necessities, candy, etc. The kids loved the project. We received a little booklet in the mail with stories from this years experiences and they are just great. It brought tears to my eyes to see all the children who received their special gifts, as well as the most important one, the gift of Christ. Samaritan's purse and the Grahm family are just awesome. I can't wait to do it this year, and we are definitely going to try to do more this time around. Just wanted to encourage anyone who is reading to get your children involved with this charity...it's fun for everyone. The weekend was absolutely gorgeous, weather was perfect. The sun was out, but we had a little breeze, so we headed to the zoo with the boys. I think it was the first time in a while that we had gone to the zoo with just us four. It was fun family bonding time! On Sunday, we went to the Irish Italian parade down in "Da Parish" where my bro in law and sis in law had a little get together with a whole crew of people. Once again, the weather was wonderful, and the kids had a great day catching beads, cabbage, potatoes, and every other type of produce imaginable. On Monday, my dad cooked it all and we had some yummy smothered cabbage and pork chops. um um good!!! Our Social worker emailed me with tentative dates for our home study. It's going to take a whole four weeks to complete all the visits and then we wait for our report. Things are moving slowly, but I try not to think about it. God knows I am busy enough. Today Jarred and I went to visit the Baptist preschool near our home. It is getting close to registration time, so we have to make a decision on where he is going in the fall. I'm not ready for my big boy to go to big boy school yet.:( I have to keep praying about the decision, so we make the right one. Well, I shall leave you with some new pics, Enjoy...........................

Someone's getting married!

2010-03-03T20:59:00.000-06:00

Today my son announced that he is getting married! Can you believe it? I never pegged him for a guy that would commit at such a young age. I am super proud and excited. And guess who the lucky bride to be is! His mommy of course :) I love it, especially because I know "it won't be like this for long". Another day, another dollar, another minute closer to our little princess, daughter of a heavenly King!! hugs and kisses Grace <3

2010-02-27T23:38:00.001-06:00

Ok...so I'm not so great at this!

2010-02-27T23:10:00.000-06:00

I know, I know...I really stink at this blogging thing!! BUT, I am determined to get better at it, I promise. I was so excited to see on my little counter that people are actually viewing my blog. I haven't been on in a lil while as you can tell, but that gives me some more motivation seeing people are actually stopping in. There were a few reasons I started this blog, one being the fact that I love to write. My mom always says I should have been a writer; English was my fav subject in school. I've been reading this really good book I picked up at Target the other day, and it helped me remember just how much I love to write (and read). I don't have much time to read, so I stayed up till about 2 am finishing this book last night, Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. I had been about half way through it when I started and was planning to just read a few pages, but I couldn't put it down. It's been a long time since I read a book that I literally couldn't put down. Of course, when I grabbed the book off the shelf the other day and read the back I had to buy it. It's about a single woman who adopts a little boy and then a couple years later receives one of those little cards in the mail with missing children's pics on them. The little boy looks just like her adopted son, so she sets out to find the truth. Amazingly good in my opinion and thought provoking. I was a crying mess by the time I made it to the end and thank God I was the only one still awake. They would have thought I was crazy! When I was done, I couldn't sleep because all I could think about was my own children and what I would do if I was in that situation. If you thought your child belonged to someone else and was taken from them without permission, what would you do? My husband said he would throw the mailer in the garbage and never think twice. As a mother, though, I don't know if I could do that. When you become a mother you lose that selfish part of you. Everything is about your children and what's best for them, not you! Would it be better for your child not to know the truth of their life story so that you would not have to feel the pain of loss if you had to give them back to their biological parents? It raised so many interesting questions for me, not only about my biological children but also about my pending adoption. Just food for thought, but if anyone is looking for a good read, grab this one. Anyway, about those SAINTS?!! Superbowl was awesome. So exciting for this city and the whole South I think!! We enjoyed every moment of football season this year and can't wait until next year. The whole experience was truly amazing for the Who Dat Nation. We definitely have the best fans in the world! We had my cousin Brett come down from Ohio to stay with us for a few days during Mardi Gras. We had a good time doing the parade thing and hanging out with him, and he really enjoyed hog hunting with Jarred. That is something I will never understand and a whole other post for another day :) Kids are good, work is the same, and the days are just flying by. It's crazy how fast a week goes by when you work 5 days out of 7. Unbelievable! On the adoption front, our social worker finalllllyyyy got all of our reference letters in which took forever and a day. So now we are just waiting to hear from her and get everything done and sent to Korea so we can get this party started! I get a little more anxious every day. I was never in a big hurry from the beginning with Jack being so little, but now I'm starting to get antsy. I know it is all in God's hands, though, so I am being as patient as possible. In his perfect timing....I know :)

hugs and kisses, Grace <3

Unfreakinbelievable

2010-01-25T21:40:00.001-06:00

Can you believe the Saints??? Cause I sure can't!! It still doesn't seem real that our Saints are going to the Super bowl. I knew they could do it, but they are one lucky team! Somebody must have been praying real hard for that win! The offense was so so, and the defense pretty much sucked, but I still love em :) Just wanted to remind everyone in the who dat nation and else where that it's a BLACK AND GOLD SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Catch up

2010-01-21T18:09:00.003-06:00

Hello all.... It's been a long time!!! Christmas has come and gone, and we did have a wonderful holiday. Santa brought the kids everything they wanted and more. However, we did have a scaled back Christmas this year. I just realized how much these kids already have, and I don't want them to grow up unappreciative of their things. So this year we did it a little smaller,and ya know what, my kids didn't miss a thing. Our families came over, and we had a good time of fellowship. We are now in 2010, and I am trying to be optimistic about the new year ahead. Life has been really stressful since I started my new job. I am hoping as time goes by I will get better and faster at all this paperwork. I know I have to do this for my family right now because it just works with our situation, so I'm trying to suck it up and just deal with it. I can tell though that this stress is starting to get to me. Jarred says I am much more on edge than I ever was at the hospital. I think the main reason is at the hospital you leave your work there, with home health you have to bring it home. I just keep praying for God's will. I know he has a reason for me being here, so I am walking in faith. On a high note, how awesome are the saints?? Their big game is Sunday, and I am definitely a little nervous. It should be exciting!! I was able to go to the game last Saturday and it was great. Thanks Danielle!!! Anyway, kids are great. Life is good. On the adoption front, I am putting all of my paperwork in the mail tomorrow...FINALLY. My time line didn't go as planned, obviously, but I know God is in control. So now the waiting starts! We wait for our home study to be completed, we wait for our UCIS application to be processed, we wait for our log in date.... and then we wait for a referral. Hang on baby girl, we're coming for you as soon as we can get there! I was thinking last night about our baby and her birth mom. She may not even be born yet, but I was praying for her mother, wherever she is. I was praying that as her baby grows inside of her that she would love her so much. That is my prayer right now. She will love her so much that our baby will feel that love and know that her mother did the best she could for her because of that love. Please pray for her mother when you think of us!! Before I close, please take a moment to pray for the devastated country of Haiti and all of the people who are there serving the victims. I so wish I could have went. If I could have gotten off a work I would definitely have been there. I cannot wait one day to go mission trips, especially with my family. Good night sleep tight.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.....

2009-12-18T01:52:00.005-06:00

So it's 2 am as I sit at the table and stare at my Christmas tree. I just love it (mainly because it was free this year)! No, jk, I really do love it. It is beautiful! I am seriously contemplating leaving a tree up all year round. Not a real one, but a fake one we could decorate for every holiday or season. It just looks so pretty and makes me feel happy;) Just a thought. Anyway, I am up because I can not sleep. I have way too much on my mind tonight. One week till Christmas, today. I would venture to say I have done about 1/4 of my shopping. I do this to myself every year. I think I might secretly like the craziness in a subconscious kinda way. It is Friday....TGIF, for real. We have a busy weekend ahead of us. The kids have their Christmas party today, and guess who's coming to see them. Yep, Santa himself. He goes by the name of hunny bun sometimes too ;) I think it's hilarious, he does not. I will definitely get some pics to post soon. My work party is tonight, fun fun and then we have the Christmas play at church Sat night and christmas cookies with Saints football. It ought to be fun! Early Christmas with my side of the family on Sunday, looking forward to it. So, as you can see, jam packed again. I'm taking January off for sure. On the upside, my mom is taking the boys to her house tomorrow night for a sleep over, so you know what that means. Sleeping in.......maybe! Night Night or Good morning, whichever works.

Unbelievably Exhausted

2009-12-12T00:16:00.008-06:00

So...it's been a while....I know!! Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it was a nice, quiet one. We went camping, which is not at all relaxing with a 1 1/2 yr old (for future reference.) All in all, it was enjoyable. I don't think we'll do it again for a while, though. We'll leave it at that. Jarred went out of town for a week to go hunting in Ohio with some of my family. He had a good time and even killed a couple of helpless, bambi -like deer. If you call that a good time!! I call it murder, but that is something we agree to disagree on. We'll save that for another post. My week was exhausting with him gone. The boys and I were on our own, and I must say it was challenging. I don't think I would make a very good single parent. God knew what he was doing went he sent My Love. I wouldn't last very long without him, though I don't like to admit that. Anyway, we did survive and J came home to a sparkling clean house and a very happy wife :) Well, Christmas is once again upon us, and I can't believe it. Where did the year go?? Before you know it, it will be 2010. A whole new year with new hopes and dreams!! I do love the holidays. I just wish life would slow down a little bit, so I can enjoy it more. Jack has been sick all week which makes for a cranky kid and a set of cranky parents. I'm praying he will be better by Monday, so he can go back to nursery and J can go back to work. Bri is busy with cheering, school, and counting down the days until her Christmas break. JJ is enjoying getting up every morning to search for our little elf, Scout. I think he is going to really miss him when he flies back to the North Pole. On the adoption front, we are almost done our classes and the mounds of paperwork. Next up will be our home study, and then everything will get sent to Korea. Once there, we will be put on the list, and then the waiting starts!!! Exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. Tonight I came across a new blog, and I have to post the address, because I was completely blown away by this young girl. Her name is Katie, and she now lives in Uganda and is "mom" to 14 orphans. By the way, she just turned 21! It is amazing to see what God is capable of when we put him in charge of our life!! Kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com, check it out. As I come to a close, since I can barely keep my eyes open, I want to leave you with this thought. Since we have been telling people here and there about our adoption plans, the most common response I get is "Why?" My challenge is "Why Not?" Each of the 140,000,000 orphans around the world is a child of God, made in his image and likeness. They have no one to tuck them in at night, no one to kiss away their bobo's, and no one to wipe away their tears. They have no one to love them. If I can give one of these children a home with a warm bed, a full tummy, and plenty of love, then that is my answer to why. What is your answer to Why not???????

Another Wonderful Weekend

2009-11-20T21:22:00.003-06:00

It's a wonderful Friday night as I lay in my bed with my computer, diet coke, and a good movie. Hunny bun is out bow fishing and the kids are sleeping, I hope! I love nights like this when all is quiet, and I am free to do whatever I want. This is my relaxation time. I was able to sleep in this morning, since I only had a few patients and HB took the kids to nursery. That was just what I needed to get myself back together again!! I did my work and dropped off the Operation Christmas boxes at the Baptist church. The kids really enjoyed picking out toys and other things to put in the boxes for a child their age. I hope it left a lasting impression; we will def be doing it again next year. I still have a lot of questions for the sw. I guess I'm gonna email her with my whole list tomorrow, but I am making progress (I think). I'm going Christmas shopping on Sunday with the moms and my cousin and am looking forward to it. Thanksgiving is next week, and we are going camping. ought to be interesting :) Chat more later......peace

Paper, paper

2009-11-17T16:55:00.005-06:00

We are on our way to our 2nd adoption class as I write, and I must admit, I am somewhat overwhelmed with all of the paperwork. I actually sat down last night and went over all of the pieces of paper the sw gave us on our initial visit. Talk about a headache!! And I have to have all of this done before we can start the homestudy. Well, we have a lot of work to do!!!! I have to get my butt into gear if I am going to get this stuff finished by the new year. In other news, I won a nice little speeding ticket today for going 34 in a 25 school zone. The cop was so not friendly and he did not even care that I was in my cute little ochsner car on my way to save some unsuspecting patient. Hopefully honey bun can take care of it, because the peeps at work will never let me live this one down. JJ and I went on a date last night(per his request), and we had a blast. I forget how nice it is to be able to spend one on one time with my kids. I have to do that more often. He chose to eat at Ryan's for dinner and then hit up Chuck E Cheese for some entertainment. The little guy even paid for my dinner and pulled out my chair. I am teaching him right now, so he can make some girl really happy one day!! I love my children so much; I am truly blessed.

Moving Forward

2009-11-12T14:16:00.003-06:00

Thursday....Thank God for Thursdays!!!!!! I think Thursday may be my favorite day of the week. It means just one more day until Free Friday :) Now to get back on track, a little update since I'm not the greatest at keeping up with this blog stuff yet. Halloween has come and gone, and the boys did enjoy all that the spooky holiday brings, especially the candy! JJ turned 4 on November 8th, and we had his party on the same day at the one and only, Chuck E. Cheese's. I must say the best birthday party for me as of yet. All I had to do was bring the cake and the kid, and they did all the rest. That was a nice break, since the last 3 years I have organized a Harvest party, a Tractor party, and a Carnival party. Talk about exhausting, not to mention costly. Needless to say, the kids had a blast and mom had some energy left at the end. Today, I took Jack took the Doc as he was running fever last night and I noticed a huge, swollen lymph node on the side of his neck. When I say huge, I am not exaggerating. It kinda scared me even though I'm a nurse. I keep trying to explain to people that I am not a pediatric nurse. People always say "shouldn't you know why, you ARE a nurse." They don't get it, though. When it's your own kids it's totally different. The doc said it was probably from teething, but did give us some antibiotics. So hopefully he will be better soon. He is such a happy kid that you never know anything is wrong with him. I must say I am def BLESSED :)

On the adoption front, we have started our training classes as of Tuesday night, and we have four more classes before we can start our homestudy. I turned in our pre-app and am going to start on the real app tonight. I want to get all this paperwork in as fast as possible to get the ball rolling. Our social worker is who we met with after my last post and she will be doing our homestudy. She seems really nice, laid back, and down to earth. So, I'm definitely excited to see things starting to happen, but a little nervous at the same time. Hope everyone has a happy Thursday.

Adoption Update

2009-10-30T01:18:00.004-05:00

Ok...so this is moving kinda fast! In the last or should I say first post, I mentioned Russia as the prospective adoptive country for us. Well, things have changed quite quickly!! Tomorrow at 1:30 pm we have a meeting with an adoption agency here in La who places children from Korea. I will know lots more after the meeting, but for now will fill you in real fast on how this all came about. Honey Bun and I have always wanted an Asian child from the start, however, we did not meet requirements for any of the Asian countries at the time I was doing research. Nevertheless, I had found out Russia placed Eurasian children, so we had decided to pursue that direction. I must be honest and say that I had reservations about Russia because of the price, amount of trips, orphanages, etc.. but was still praying about the situation. Recently I had started to research some more about Russia and the current state of adoption and found out things are starting to get real crazy and unpredictable in some situations. Someone mentioned Korea the other day, and, of course, googled it :) Come to find out, we meet all requirements and will be able to request a girl, although we were originally told we could not. Needless to say, I am very much excited about this. Korea is half the price, half the paperwork, and less travel time than Russia. The referral period is longer, which is actually perfect for us since we already have a little one running around. Of course, we are still praying and asking for God's hand in all of this, but you can't help but notice all of the "winks" we get all of the time. I have no doubts that this is God's plan for our family! Anyway, since I flew through all that sooo fast (lol) I will stop for now and pick back up tomorrow. Nighty night

At the beginning.....

2009-10-04T18:06:00.007-05:00

I have decided to start this blog to chronicle the life story of the Licciardi family from the very beginning. It all began in July 2003 when Jarred and I met at the Chinese restaurant I worked at while in college. We fell in love, etc., etc. and the rest is history! Jarred Jr. was born in November of 2005, right after Hurricane Katrina devasted Southern Louisiana and turned everyone's lives upside down. Britten, my husband's daughter, was 5 yrs at the time. In May of 2008, Jackson came along and made our already crazy lives just a little more hectic. Nevertheless, we love all of our children and couldn't imagine life without them. They make every day just a little bit better. We thank our God every day for their little hearts!

In fact, we love this chaos so much, we plan to have more children one day. We hope to adopt a little girl from Russia very soon, and maybe even have another biological child one day too! Only God knows what the future holds, so we are leaving it all in his hands!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future."