I am signing off till I reach China ... My to do list is growing and my time is winding down and need to focus on the kiddos for the next 7 days...I am leaving Nov. 4th and Gotcha Day is Nov. 7th, and I arrive back home on Nov. 18th at 4:30. I am taking my computer, so I hope to updated the blog or email ...

Please pray for Maggie, myself and my friend Kristie as we travel. Pray for our health, pray for Maggie to like her mama, pray the web cams work, so Maggie can see her daddy and brothers and sisters, pray for Scott and kids at home, pray for my friend Suzanne, who will be helping out tremendously with my kids while I am gone(she has 5 of her own).

I am so grateful for you all and I appreciate more than you know you prayers and words of encouragement !!!! The next time you hear from me I will have my sweet daughter !! Thank you Lord for this amazing journey and please protect us as only the Father can.

I have known Anna for over 6 years now ... She was in 5th grade when we meet. She is beautiful, loves the Lord, is a super Athlete, and loves my family to death. She played volleyball for me for 4 years and now I get the privilege of coaching her in basketball as well. I think of her like my little sister. She really is just part of our family. She goes everywhere with me and just loves on my crazy kids and helps me not to lose any of them in a public setting ...lol .... She helps me pick up the house and organize it about once a month and she just fits in my family !!! I just want to say thanks to Anna for loving us so well and for being such a fabulously godly young lady ... I will just fall apart when she graduates from high school and moves away to play college ball. I am asking God to give her a scholarship to Trevecca or Belmont, so she can stay close by and I can continue to watch her play ball and she can hang out by the pool with me in the summers ... She has prayed for my sweet Maggie from day one and I know she will just be like the best big sister to her !!!!

Love Ya Bunches Anna ....P.S. If you have ever been around me long enough, you have probably meet this amazing young woman !!!! God thank you for the treasure of Anna and for allowing her to be in all our lives in the Oatsvall house !!!

Departing Nov. 4th and coming home on Nov. 18th at 4:30 ... Can you believe it is almost here .... Will get Maggie in less than 24 hours of landing !!!!!

Thanks everyone for your sweet words and praying for my family !!! My mind is feeling very whirly, but in a fabulous way ... SW says all my papers look good, just need to finish getting my meds and pack my suitcase ....

Maggie get ready ... crazy, hyper, happy Mama is on her way to give you kisses and hugs... LORD YOU ROCK !!!!!!!!

Is this not the most beautiful head you have ever seen ... I may wear bright Red lip stick and put kisses all over it !!!!

The mountains that we have faced during this adoption have been only grains of sand to the Father. I am beyond thankful to the Father for all of His provisions. He is the ultimate Father to all the fatherless/motherless.

My precious daughter, I can almost feel your touch. I have been praying for you before you were ever ours. I am honored to be your mother and I promise to always walk through life's windy roads with you. You have a heavenly Father and fabulous earthly daddy. He will hold you on his lap and scare all the boys away from you. You have a big brother that is amazing. He will carry you around, protect you and always make sure you are safe around other kids. You also have another brother, who will keep you laughing and always play fun games with you. You are blessed with a sister, who looks just like you. She will share life with you and her toys (not always happy about that). She will understand why you cry now or why you laugh. I am you mother, who already thinks you are just a perfect precious angel from God. We are your forever family and nothing breaks that hold!!!

Update ... Should receive schedule on Monday with exact dates and time of departure and arrival. I think her wound looks great...

A million things running through my head ... Will be leaving in about 11 days with the Shockley's to get our precious children !!!!!!! So much to do and my mind is exploding with Praises for the Father !!!!

Will be back later just had to share the news with my Blog Family !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, apparently I have to have another POA (power of attorney) to take with me to China. I ask my SW about this yesterday and it has to be notarized, state sealed, and authenticated. She said I have plenty of time, but then I reminded her of my prayer to travel quickly and she contacted the China team.

My SW is learning a lot about me and my faith. She emailed me back and said she will no longer take my prayers lightly that the China team has told me to expedite my authentication by using a courier service because we could travel quickly !!!!

The journey of adoption, to claim our children, to pray for all those who are Fatherless/Motherless is no easy task. We are called to this and I gain strength from so many of you.

This picture was taken only a couple of months after Emily came home. This child changed our lives, our hearts, and our faith !!! I know the journey to Maggie will strengthen us and teaches us even more about God !!!

Please continue to pray for the Wheelers. They are building a Faith Team to pray with them and encourage them on this journey. They are asking for a miracle and we should all do the same for them and Xio.

Special Thanks to Laura Nipper, Jennifer (baseballstobows.blogspot), and Nikki Doctor for their sweet gifts to Maggie. I haven't had time to take pictures of them, but Laura sent a sweet coat and gifts for the orphanage, Jennifer sent the ultimate Dora Doll that speaks in 5 different languages (one being Chinese of course)and things for the orphanage, and Nikki sent gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods for my double jogging stroller. I can't wait to push my two princesses around in it ...

We will be starting basketball practice in November, so things will get very hectic, so please pray that as our travel comes in that everything will fall into place with the children while I am gone and Scott has basketball.




We have so enjoyed our Saturday morning Flag Football games ... Here is Jeremiah giving us a look at the future (He is in Texas Jersey) ... I love this young man .. I can still remember his first cry in delivery room. He is sweet, kind, honest, competitive, athletic, handsome, and loves his mama !!!! He is worried that people will make fun and stare at Maggie's head. I told them they would be we would just handle it. He then ask what do we do if a stranger tries to touch her boo boo. In my best mama bear voice I said, "We punch them in the stomach." If you have any other suggestions I will listen ... LOL...

This picture occurred the night we found out about our LOA for Maggie. Emily must have heard me on the phone all day telling people that I was getting my suitcase down. She said, "I ready for trip, but I not go to China.. I go to school." She is one smart little lady bug ...

This is my friend Suzanne's friend, who is adopting from Guatemala. As we all know the adoption situation in Guatemala isn't going well. The current President is prohibiting all international adoption. That leaves 5,000 families without their children. The Wheeler family just found out today that the little girl they were trying to adopt had her court date and the birth mother showed up and isn't from Guatemala and had originally tried to sell her. She ended up in the orphanage with fabulous missionaries which is where the Wheeler family saw her. They have made trips to visit her, started all the paperwork and in their heart this is their child. Please pray for them and for a miracle.

You make check out their site and story at wheelerjourney.blogspot.com

We all know the journey to adoption is spiritual, emotional, and physical, and very close to God's heart. Let's stand together and in the gap for this family as they take this journey.

It is my birthday and for the 8th year in a row I will be turning 29. I am one of those people who love, love, love their birthday. Starting on Tuesday this has been one of the best birthday weeks ever with the news of Maggie. On Wednesday my aunt Retta arranged a fun kid free birthday lunch at Panera Bread. My friend Yolanda took me out to dinner last night at Marconi Grill and a little hat shopping for Maggie at Old Navy and today Suzanne is treating me to a massage. I know Carlee has something up her sleeve because she is asking a lot of questions ... I will admit my honey is not a great birthday planner, but he is perfect for me in every other way that I have learned to let this slide. Although he is teaching my boys to be gift givers and they will make great husbands one day. Scott does currently take them to the Dollar Tree and tell they can buy Mommy any 3 things they want. They think that is just fabulous. When my boys are older I will educate them on the finer things in life ... Target, Gap, American Eagle, Old Navy and the ever wonderful Jewelry Store. But for now my little men love to surprise me with a fake flower, chocolate and something that smells good.

I tell you I have the best life. I love my friends and family and I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY! Endulge in some chocolate today and celebrate with me ....

UPS arrived at 9:00 and Maggie's letter was signed, checked, dated, and FED EXPRESSED by 10:45. I just want to take a moment to pray over everyone's paperwork. The adoption paper chase is hard, confusing, constantly changing, and always seems to be in this mystery vacuum of where anything is at anytime. I know it is scary, frustrating, and at times all consuming. SO ...

Lord Jesus, grant us peace in the midst of the winds that blow. We know your mercys are new each day and we ask you to shower us with your strength and help us to realize your presence in our everyday moments. I know you care about our paper work, you care about our hurts, you rejoice with us, and you hold us close when we cry. You were there when our children were abandoned and you will be with them till the end of time. Please shower our birth mothers with hope and love. Continue to love us as only you do. Amen....

Love You All !!!

Not sure I can put this into words .. If you have not read the two previous post then you must read them first or this won't be as huge at it really is ... SW (Social Worker) called today and said,"I don't know who you have been talking to, but we just received news that your LOA (Letter of Acceptance) will be here tomorrow!" ... I told her I was up till 2PM talking, crying, begging, and listening to the Lord... I surrendered to Him about 1:30 AM after reading my friend Tina's post...

I serve a mighty Lord, who is in the business of getting His work done !!! I am just so overwhelmed with His glory that I am speechless !!!! Getting the suitcases down !!!

Love You All and am so thankful for all your prayers and support ... I love how God has used you all to minister to me and speak words of truth in my life !!!!

Late in the mid night hour God is going to turn it around ... Emotional day and of course I can't sleep, so I visit my friend Tina's blog ... I encourage every one to visit .. She is on my side bar ... God has placed this woman in my life in a mighty way. What she has to post today effects us all !!!

Love Ya Tina ... To all my blogger friends, your encouragement is very real to me .. THANK YOU !!!

Well, friends it has been a day of crying and lots of emotions. I asked my SW to check in with our file just to see how the progress was and she let me know that we really won't be able to check on it for another month. She wants me to be prepared to wait the entire 5 months for my LOI (letter of intent) to arrive and then approximately another 8 weeks before travel. Just so you don't have to do the math in your head that is February. Right now that just seems like an impossible wait, but I know the Father will be holding us and Maggie in His arms. Because it was He who was there when she was burned and it was He who was there when she was left on the door steps.

Lord give me strength !!!! And now time for my soap box ... For all those out there that think adoption is a Fad right now (per the Ladies on The View), I would invite them to come and camp out in my heart for awhile .... To all the adoptive families out there waiting to bring children home matched or unmatched ... You are strong, compassionate people who are right now acting as the "Hands and Feet" of Jesus. I love you all ....

P.S. Praise for my friend Pam, who will be receiving their LOI tomorrow ... They have had a long journey ...