A lamb is in my kitchen...

...because you only live once. And because you only live once, I said "yes" to Farm Boy when he asked if the lamb could sleep in his room tonight! My aunt emailed me at 2am that she had found a lamb on craigslist. I promised her I would not name it after her. Since it won't be Nadine, it sounds like it could be: Oatmeal, Skater or Cardigan. By afternoon we had worked out a trade: lamb for goat and drove out to make the trade. It is a cute little thing. I can hear the kids in the kitchen. They have the food scale out and are measuring and weighing formula for dinner in the lamb's bottle. This evening The Hero and I took a drive in the country and ate an early dinner at a country pub. He talked about his dahlia garden and his plans for some rock work around our place. That and a lamb in our kitchen are music to my ears . That means we are getting back to normal around here! We have weathered the storm and come out to singing! Constantly. I can hear four simultaneous songs and a lamb baaing right now: I'm a Believer (we are all so sad about Jones), Gloria, Theme from Aladdin. And On My Own...

for the past month...

...we have been praying over our adoption situation. We prayed at home and adoration and read books about aligning our will with God's Will. We are changing scenery here...new country, same need! God is holding the compass!!

While I am sure...

...that waiting is both noble and virtuous. I am really not in this to adopt good habits, I am really doing this to adopt some kids. I can work on those other virtues all day for the rest of our lives together: waiting for them to get in the car, waiting at the doctor's office, waiting for them to get their pajamas on...

It's not funny. I'm not laughing.

We have been in this process for more than two years now. Now all we get to do is our endless piles of paperwork again. And pay more money. And deal with other unforeseen complications. Wouldn't it be great if we were waiting because we were not needed? This is sick! I know there are millions of children who can not heal because they are living with open emotional wounds in limbo land. Enough of this beauricratic horror. I think of all the families who have quit because "God must be shutting the doors." NO, people! God is not shutting the doors. God does not want these children left as orphans. It is ugly. It is not funny. I am not laughing, but I am not quitting either.

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Hello Fellow Reader (you know who you are) On a recent road trip I saw one of these! It is a new sweet ride for 12 passengers.

I can see clearly now that that burden is gone!

    We had to make some mighty big decisions in our family recently.  How God has rewarded!!  Peace and joy have bathed our fears and healed our wounds.  It is so much fun to trust GOD!  My children have experienced their father as a true hero and advocate for all children.  What more could you want as a child than to have a father like that?  It is incredible how much less is lost when you are not afraid to lose.  That is not to say that we have not all suffered with sadness, but an abundance of gifts has already been given.  Prune away, GOD!  Over the last few years I have felt this pruning going on:  letting the big house go, leaving my three best friends, shedding ourselves of material belongings.  Once again I feel so strongly that this latest pruning has been a very special way to prepare all of us to embrace our new children with UNCONDITIONAL compassion. My children had to leave their school last week.  They had mostly wonderful teachers at their school.  They have fantastic friends.  To tell you the truth, I was the saddest about them missing out on the two minutes here and three minutes there of their daily antics with their friends.  They love, love, love their friends!  I do, too.  We had been dealing with something unsettling for four months.  Unfortunately, the welfare of children was being put below the welfare of "the institution".  Unfortunately, despite great efforts on the part of the hero, our children suffered broken hearts.  The gift in this?  How much more compassion do you think they will have when their new siblings come home after having lost their parents, their culture, the familiarity of their surroundings and their new friends at the orphanage that they have made while waiting for us?  Losing a school is so much less than all of this.  Prune away!  We are ready to serve YOU GOD!

Rick Santorum

If I had readers, I would tell them to look up the Rick Santorum family on youtube ...