In The Meantime...

We found out that our USCIS check was cashed on David's 3rd birthday ~ January 4. This means that hopefully we'll get our invitation to be fingerprinted for our federal clearance soon. Picture me running to the mailbox each day as our favorite mailman, Bill, arrives with our mail. I need to share our news or he will think I have a crush on him! Each step is one step closer to bringing our boys home...

In the meantime, we are not taking our lives for granted. We are enjoying each night we sleep well. We are enjoying each meal we eat while sitting down the whole time. We are enjoying planning our family vacation in March ~ it could be the last time we take an airplane on a family vacation for a while! We are enjoying our son who is rather independent at doing things like putting toys away, using the bathroom, getting himself a snack, buckling his own seat belt, etc. I am enjoying carrying just a purse and not a diaper bag, and my mornings "off" while our son is in kindergarten. Life is gonna change at the Oehlkers household and we can't wait! Bring on the chaos!

In the meantime, we are also not taking for granted things that our sons in China might not have right now. We are healthy. We can have whatever medicine we need if we get sick. We are not hungry. We can choose whatever food we want if we have a "taste for something". We are warm. We have plenty of clothes and bedding no matter how cold it gets. If we are "chilly" we just turn up the thermostat. We have a warm, safe, clean house. We have plenty of love and plenty of hugs and plenty of kisses and plenty of snuggles. We pray that our sons have these things too.

1 John 4:19  We love because he first loved us.