The Meeting Monday...

went good. Please continue to pray for Heather and Carol.

Also, please continue to pray for Brandy and Vicki. Brandy has a LONG row to hoe...and I don't know if she realizes how difficult things will be once she goes back to work. I spoke with Vicki this weekend and Nathan is growing. Brandy is not calling him Nathan, she named him Ayden Benjamin. *Sigh*....he'll always be Nathan to us. Alex has taken to sleeping with the soft fuzzy blanket that a friend, Michelle, gave us for Nathan....and we still have the little "Nathan" bicycle tag we bought when we were at Disney in Florida.

Life is getting somewhat easier. I still get sad when I think of Nathan....I think about what he is doing...what is he thinking...how would he feel in my arms again. But I know God is in control and that is the safest place that I can rest in.

Love,
Lori

Some websites that I have been visiting...

Thought it would be fun for you to visit these sites....

Grace Walk Ministries

Christian Families Today

Mike and Debbie Pearl...parenting and child rearing, the God way

The Grocery Game....save some dough!

Bzz Agents....try free products!

Get rid of those email spamers!

More than a do it yourself site!

REALLY works! Home organization!

Google Earth, a REALLY cool tool!!!


Also, a prayer request...please pray as we meet with some folks on Monday for a personal decision....their names are Heather and Carol. Please pray for favor and clear direction!

Thanks!
Love,
Lori

Had a good day today...

Jody, Alex and I went to Woodstock/Kennesaw shopping...we had a blast. It was so good to get out as a family.

Today, we also caught up on laundry (from our Disney trip in Jan. and the Ohio trip) and it felt SO good to have it all done again. So now, my kitchen is clean, sheets and clothes are clean, refridgerator is full again, and the trash has been taken out. Aaaaahhhh.....life is GOOD when the house is clean!

I have to say (again) how blessed that I am that I have Jody for my husband. He did as much laundry as I did and he is SUCH a joy to have around....

Ok, you married ladies out there...I have a book to recommend. It's called "Created to be His Help Meet" by Debbi Pearl. You can find it at www.nogreaterjoy.org. It will TRANSFORM your marriage! (Ask Jody...LOL)

Also, as a prayer request, since we are now paper ready for an adoption, we are putting the word out again. Please pray that if God's plan is more children for us through adoption, then it will come to pass.....

Blessings on all of you this evening!

Love,
Lori

Going to bed just after 2 AM, we were TOTALLY surprised to wake up to this:





Of COURSE they forecast snow a lot this time of year, but for the most part we don't actually see it. There was a little dusting and slush late yesterday afternoon when I went to Wal-Mart, but when we came home around 2 this AM, it was fairly clear out....there were some clouds, but we could see the moon.

So, you know we had to go and enjoy it. Here are some outtakes...







And, yes, there were slips and trips...





And more dips and dives...




And double dives...


And the perfect dumping series for the day:







And one for the road...on the way back to the house after Alex says "mom, my nose is froze!" LOL


Thank you for your prayers this week. We are doing much better and are trying to get back into the swing of things.

Please feel free to leave comments on this site! Let me know if you enjoy reading about our life!

Love,
Lori

I have to make this known.

I have THE most AWESOME husband in the whole world. Not only does he put up with my junk, he understands his roll as the leader of our home. And that gives me SUCH peace of mind knowing that he trusts God for the direction and leadership for our family.

We still have a lot to learn about each other and ourselves, but I must say...we are headed in the right direction.

Lori

Weeeeeeeeeeeeellll.....we have added some critters to the equation of our life.





Alex has become quite obsessed with fish. From knowing what an angler fish is, to seeing the Disney Electromagic parade with fish passing by and saying "look daddy, it's a school!!!!!". So, we got him a tank for his room. It's only a 20 gal...but he LOVES it. He gives me play-by-plays of what is happening while I am in other parts of the house. We got 3 itty-bitty zebra fish to "test" the water and condition the tank, so to speak. We also got a Beta...because, well, to be frank about it, they are die hard. So, Larry the Beta is welcomed into the tank with Eeny, Meeny and Miney (no clue if those spellings are right. Thank God for phonics). Anyhow, Eeny, Meeny and Miney are the three zebras and for right now, we have no MO...LOL.

Sorry for the stinky images. Had to run the ISO way up, so they are kinda grainy...and besides, fish are NOT natural posers AT ALL!!!!

Wanted to share some images from the trip home. Remember the storm I was talking about? It was storming, literally, the day we left Ohio...

Here are some candids of Alex and Jody waiting to board the plane...



And this is after we flew above the storm. I believe this is where the Lord will have us...above this storm in life, and we will look back over the clouds and see how beautiful His plan is and how perfect His hand works.


My Alex
This is a typical afternoon for my boy when it's nice out. He and Symphony LOVE to pitter-pat around the yard in the "Gator". As soon as I ask Alex if he wants to go outside to ride the Gator, guess who makes a bee line for the door? Yep! Symphony....and up into that thing she goes and doesn't get out until he is back in the garage with it. LOL. I love my afternoons with my boy!

Family and Friends,

Jody and I want to thank all of you for the outpouring of love and support
we've received over the last week and a half and especially the last few days
when we've had to deal with losing Nathan. Friday was one of the worst days
of my life, and I wouldn't want to go through it ever again.

We actually are doing better than I thought we would. All the time we had
Nathan, we constantly were concerned about his birthmom changing her
mind. While we were staying with our friends in Ohio, my stomach was in
knots and now my jeans are all a little too big for me! I don't think we could
grieve any deeper for the loss of this child. But, Jody and I are also filled with
such a great peace knowing that we have favor with God and are in His will.

We and I know that many of you have wondered why something that was so
covered in prayer from the very beginning could end up this way. And why
did God even bring him into our lives if he wasn't here to stay? Well, from the
moment we brought Nathan home, we prayed over him. Every time I rocked
him I prayed for him and claimed his life for Jesus. Many of you prayed for
him and are continuing to do so now. Someday the sadness of this time will
pass, and Jody and I will have more children that God has chosen for us. But,
the prayers that we said for Nathan are eternal. I believe God placed that
sweet angel with us for four days so that we could cover him in prayer before
he started his life's journey. Before he went back to his birthmom, we asked
God to protect him and lead Nathan to Him. Jody and I will pray for him for
the rest of our lives, and we ask that all of you please continue to pray for
him as well.

Not only were we able to pray for Nathan, but we were able to be a Godly
witness to Nathan's birthmother and grandmother and mother's sister. Only
God knows their hearts...but we ask you to continue in prayer for this family
as Brandy has a long road ahead of her...and she will need Jesus in her life to
make it. We are praying for their salvation.

We are sad, but our hope and trust is in Christ. We feel that God has a perfect
plan in all of this, and there is great comfort in that. We loved Nathan
enough to let him go.

We love all of you too, and thank God that such wonderful people care for us
and are a part of our lives.

Love,
~Jody, Lori and Alex

I want to email each of you back that have left me the sweetest emails. But it will take a while. I have almost 300 emails to catch up on. So PLEASE don't think that I am not getting back with you, but it will take me some time.

We love you!

Lori

Dear family and friends,

We want to thank you for your prayers. Life today has been hard.

After giving him back at 1:30, I spent the day crying and trying to beg God for answers. He was silent. I tried to reason. He was silent. Finally, I was still...and He spoke.

We decided to go home tomorrow. Well, not directly home...we are going to Charlotte to be with Jody's brother and sister-in-law for a few days to get some loving. They graciously offered for us to come and grieve before returning to life in Blairsville.

When I say God spoke, it was a gentle nudge to call Brandy and her mother and ask if we could come pray for them. So we went tonight. I have to tell you, it took every ounce of who I am in Christ for me to walk up to that door. Knowing that I would probably never hold this child of my heart again, we went in to pray. We shared some stuff about how we felt...and we truly believe that God brought us here to be an instrument for Him in this family's life. I shared that she carried this child for 9 months, and had the pain of childbirth...and that I have carried him in my heart and have labored in my heart for this child and that I will always love him as my own. We then prayed, and I have to tell you, the prayers that Jody and I prayed literally came from our Father. We didn't pray anything from ourselves...God was in that room with us.

After praying for them, I held Nathan and was able to pray over him....that God would bless him and protect him...that the angel's of Heaven would guard him. I also prayed that one day he would know about us and how we loved him and how I hope in some small way that he would remember us.

Then we left. I was able to hold myself together untill we left. Then, I lost it again and it was all I could do to not pass out. I can only describe the pain as what it feels like to have a death...or possibly what it feels like to loose a child. I hope none of you ever have to experience this....

My sister-in-law, Bridgett, left me the sweetest voicemail about a song she had heard on the radio today and how it was fitting to our situation right now where we are. Jody had just downloaded this album from iTunes, and we happened to have it on our laptop and I listened to it when we got back to our friend's home. I want to share it with you, as I hope God will touch your heart through our experience.

It's called:

"Praise you in this storm"


I was sure by now, God You would have reached down and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day but once again, I say amen, and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls, I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, I'm with You.
And as Your mercy falls, I’ll raise my hands and praise the God who gives, and takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm, and I'll lift my hands
For You are who You are, no matter where I am
Every tear I've cried, You hold in your hand,
You never left my side, and though my heart is torn,
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when, I stumbled in the wind; You heard my cry to You and raised me up again.
My strength is almost gone, how can I carry on, if I can't find You.?
I lift my eyes unto the hills, where does my help come from.?
My help come from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
I lift my eyes unto the hills, where does my help come from.?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
And though my heart is torn, I'll praise You in this storm.

Please continue to pray for us. And for Brandy and her mother, Vicky. We want the best for them...and believe that somehow, someway, God has used us and our pain to touch their lives. And if they come to know him through this...then our pain was so worth it.

We love you,

Lori (Jody and Alex)

We had to return Nathan to his mother at 1:30pm in the Wal-mart parking lot.

I don't even know what to feel. I am sick to my stomach and hurt so bad....

Please pray for us...I don't understand this.

Lori

I received a call about an hour ago that the birthmother is having second thoughts. Her mother called me and said that she and her counselor still support her decision...she is having horomone and emotional shifts and her milk has come in and this is making it very difficult for her.

We are praying that God's peace would rest upon the family is such a powerful way. I have spoken with several friends now and Jody and I have come to the conclusion that we must pray that God's perfect plan for this little one will be fullfilled.

I am having a very hard time with this, as we are bonding as a family, and Alex has fallen in love with "his baby".

The birthmother has also decided to postpone signing the paperwork until Monday. This is very difficult for me, as it puts the 10 day wait past when Jody leaves for home to go back to work.

At this point, I don't know how to ask for you to pray. The only thing I can ask is that you do pray as the Lord leads...and that His perfect plan will be accomplished.

Thank you, and we love you all!

Lori