We know what Ethan wants for Christmas !

A NEW SON !

While there were many great things that happened on National Adoption Day, the greatest in our family was the adoption of our son !
Quinton James !

This day was again surreal ! Volunteers were all over the courthouse to welcome the families. There was a balloon arch ( like at the prom ) that we entered under. There was food , family pictures and all the kids received a sweet teddy bear. Our courthouse has very long pew benches that lined the hallway and our courtroom was at the end. The benches on that day were filled with families and kids. If I had to guess I would say 90 % of the families were African American. It was a precious scene all of these parents taking these children into their homes. There were families with 8 kids in them . There were families with several teenagers. I was so moved I could not help but tear up at what was taking place in this building on this day. I know some of these kids will not have to live in the cycle of sin that their parents were raised in. Like our babies many of these kids were removed from horrible situations and placed into families that love and adore them. I am so thankful for these people who have opened their hearts and homes to these children. Who like most of us just want to be loved and accepted. But , who unlike most of us have experienced awful situations .

We had many sweet people celebrate with us on Quinton's special day ! Matt's sister and her husband and their kids , our favorite worker at our agency and Quinton's sweet CASA worker who drove in from out of town . As well as Poppy and Grammy , Aunt Ann and Uncle David, our pastor and his family who had been at a sporting event all day and came over anyway, my closest friend Tiffany (who has prayed over all the kids we have been submitted on, probably 75 ?)and her family, and many other sweet friends who came over to celebrate our adoption.

We are so excited and we really cannot believe we get to have this little cutie in out family. We are of course thrilled to have all the paperwork, visits, and caseworkers over with for now.

People have asked us , if we will continue to open our home to kids. We are open to however many children the Lord would bless us with ! We do pray there will be more, we would of course, like to even out the 5 to 2 guy /girl ratio in the house.

Thank you for all of you who have supported us so faithfully on this long, bumpy road.
We feel blessed and totally overwhelmed at how good the Lord is to bless us with people like you !