Thursday, October 29, 2009

Pumpkin Patch and Pumpkin Carving!!

At the pumpkin patch- It was actually a pretty cold day! We had a great time on the haunted hay ride, gem mining (for those brave enough to sift through some COLD water), and hot chocolate and pumpkin cookies.


I didn't realize how blurry this picture was, but here are some of the pumpkin carvers.


We always have a little friendly, family competition, and here are a few of the pumpkins.



Friday, October 23, 2009

Just wait and see.....

If ANYONE ever reads this blog anymore, I wanted to share that soon the name will be changed from Cate Comes Home to Cai Comes Home. A very sweet and talented girl named Alexis is updating our blog. So, we will have a new look, a new name, and best of all another sweet little girl. I can't wait to share with you what we know about Cai, and I would like to do it when we are able to post her picture on our new blog. I will say that we have completed our Home Study and all of the appointments and paperwork that go along with it, and Ch*na has granted us Pre Approval to adopt Wu EnRong (Cai). Basically, they have said that with the information we have already given them, they will allow us to proceed with our paperwork and adoption. Now, we are having our Home Study reviewed by our agency so that everything will be perfect with no hang-ups later, it will then be sent to Columbia for state approval ( hopefully this will not take long), and then they will send it to US immigration who approves it and sends us the last piece of paper we need to make up our dossier. Our dossier will then be sent overnight to a courier in Washington DC who will take it to be authenticated there, overnighted back to us and THEN mailed to China. Whew! At that point we sit and wait for our L*OA. It is such a process, but SO, VERY worth it.
I have so many thoughts and feelings on adoption and orphans that I want to share, and I have read other adoptive moms who can speak of it so eloquently. I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving that God has called us and allowed us to adopt. It has opened our eyes to the plight of orphans and aside from the pure joy that Cate has brought our family, it has opened our eyes to the rest of the world. He took a regular,old,boring Mama and Daddy who live in a tiny community and showed us the rest of His children. Children who will never,ever be able to call anyone Mama or Daddy, who will never have a family. And that breaks my heart. Several people have said, well, you can't save them all. And it's true. But we can be a family to two more. And if asked, Why? I can't help but wonder, Why not? We would love your prayers on this exciting, sometimes scary, but wonderful journey.
"From the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another." John 1:16