Merry CHRISTmas Emily Margaret!

Good morning all!
This post was written a week ago today.
I had some technical difficulties posting pics
so I'm just now sharing it with you. :)

It's Christmas Eve,
when all the magic and wonder begins.
In final preparations yesterday,
I mailed Emily Margaret's first care package.

Now in case you've never sent
a care package before, let me just tell you
it's much more complex than appears.
You get the clothes... will they fit?
You wash everything... after purchasing special detergent.
You tell the boys to pose with Emily Margaret's package...
they see you're emotional so they willing participate.

You pack the box... and it takes you two hours?!

You enclose a card... her first card must be special.

You write a letter... what does one say to the
caregivers of your precious child??
You venture to the post office... address and package in hand.
You tell her story... because this adoption is all about sharing God's love.
And while no one is looking,
you smooth down all the tape on the box.
You look at the package on the scales,
and imagine your heart being shipped off.
While the clothes and toys are nice,
the package you sent was really to share the love of a family.

Emily Margaret,
I'm really having a hard time this year.
Seeing your sweet face has caused my arms to ache.
The emotions have been overwhelming.
But I won't allow the sadness to linger this Christmas.
We have a Baby JESUS to celebrate! 
So let's recount all that God has done.
1. Our family has been matched with you by China.
2. You will spend your last Christmas in an orphanage.
3. We'll enjoy sharing the tiny moments like care packages 
and pictures until we finally meet.
4. Last, but certainly not least,
God has sent His Son Jesus Christ to wash away our sins.

Join me today in celebrating all that God has done.
Happy Birthday JESUS!!!
God's blessings & love,
Sarah :D

I Wasn't Prepared

Good morning all!
Yesterday was our first family get together of the CHRISTmas season.
We had a wonderful time at Nana & PaBill's.
It was the perfect combination of family and fun.
I spent most of my time with Claire.
She's almost two and doesn't talk much.
I usually try to coax her into talking.
Yesterday I decided to use reverse psychology on her...
I taught her sign language in hopes that she'd speak.
I don't know that we got anywhere,
but we sure had a good time playing SaSa's game.

During lunch, mom & I ate at the kiddie table.
Because really, that's where the party is.
Addison (4) said, "Aunt SaSa,
my mama showed me some babies that
{insert the most pathetic sad face imaginable}
don't have a h-o-m-e."
As my heart broke I said, "She did?!"
Then Addison perked up and said
"But it's OK SaSa,
my mommy said they're coming to live with YOU!"
Now it's one thing to have a heart for God's work,
but it's totally different to hear a orphan's story explained by a child.


We stayed for hours.
Enjoyed a relaxed celebration together.
And really had a great time.
SO, here's where I'm stumped.
Why did I tear up over the butter as I helped clean up??
I know I might not be the cleanest person around,
but I certainly don't cry over it!
Is it because I'm overwhelmed with joy for the
precious child that God has blessed us with?
And just maybe that joy turns to sorrow
as I remember that this year our family
consist of the Hinsons - 1??
Whatever the reason, I feel sad and then silly.
How can you miss someone you've never met?
How can a gathering seem incomplete when
Emily Margaret's never attended with us before?
But I guess most importantly
and the emotion that always wins out is,
how can you forget a face once it's captured your heart??

Emily Margaret,
I can't even put into words how much you're loved.
I loved you from the first moment you fell backwards
coming down that mean old slide.
There were times when I tried not to.
Even now there are times when I still
find myself trying to protect my heart.
But it's not for selfish reasons.
From the moment I looked into your eyes,
you had my heart.
I prayed, and still do, that God will bless you with the very best family possible.
Even if that family isn't mine.
So you see Emily Margaret,
this year you will spend one last Christmas in your orphanage.
The difference is that God has revealed to us the
home and family He picked out for you.
And this family He's designed, loves you very much.
Your part of the Hinsons now,
God bless your sweet soul.
And we will carry you in our heart
until the time arrives when we hold you in our arms.
Emily Margaret, not only does God love you,
your mama loves you too!!!

I'm sorry I wasn't prepared for these emotions.
But then I guess you can never fully understand
the emotions you'll experience while parenting a child,
until you've looked into their eyes.

God's blessings on your day friends,
Sarah

A Word From Big Daddy

Good morning all!

I was just deleting some emails 
when I came across this one.

It's the email Andy sent out Friday night

after learning that China had granted us Pre-Approval 
to adopt our Emily Margaret.

It was too beautiful not to share. :)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Just got home about half an hour ago.  It has been a long day.  It is God's blessing that I have received the kind words and encouragement from each of you.  It is the blessing of moving forward with the knowledge that each of you is steadfastly praying His blessings upon me and my family.

I want to be the first to tell you of the most AWESOME blessing we have received on our Little Man James' birthday.  God has seen through to impress upon the Chinese government that they should endorse and approve our request to bring our "Baby Girl," Emily Margaret home.

The next time you see me or Sarah, ask to see her picture, as we go nowhere without her.  She was born with, Tetralogy of Fallot, a heart condition that has been surgically repaired without complication. She also has a hearing deficit which may be severe or total deafness, we will not know until we get her home and evaluated.  God has rained down his blessings through many tears of joy, as we are beside ourselves in anticipation of bringing our sweet baby home.  Our request was for a child with special needs as we feel that God has put us where we are so that we may bless and be blessed by Ms. Emily Margaret.

Continually lift us up in prayer.

God's Blessings!

Andy

Emily Margaret,

Today the boys are out of school due to weather.

We sure do wish you were here.

But until you join us,

I'm praying God will send His angel's to care for you!

Stay warm friends!

God's blessings, Sarah :D

Thank You

It's been 2 weeks since the
first time we saw our Emily Margaret.
I find it hard to believe that much time has flown by,
and then again it seems like I've
been looking at her sweet picture forever.

While doing the morning drop-off
I reminded Joseph of today's anniversary.
We discussed his reaction to her video...
"Can we have her?!"
"Yes?? Well then what are we waiting for?!!!!"
So to express to him just how much
I appreciated his honest, loving heart I said,

Thank You.

You see the Hinsons have gone full forward in

preparing to be the best family possible for Emily Margaret.

We haven't tackled painting her room yet.

We'll go there after Christmas. 

But what we have done is to begin learning sign language.

It's been such a fun way to "do" something to help her.

And in case you didn't know, 

we're quite competitive.

Andy and I love to see who can learn the most signs.

Thank you as well to everyone for their prayers and support.

It's taking a community to bring this baby girl home!

God's blessings friends,

Sarah :D

Introducing Emily Margaret Hinson

Good morning all!
Sorry I left you hanging last night,
without a picture.
I needed time to soak up
God's awesome action plan first. :)
Isn't HE absolutely amazing!?!!!


Now world, I present to you the baby girl
that China Pre-Approved the Hinsons to adopt.
She still needs lots of prayers so keep them coming.

SqEaL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just look at that gorgeous, kissable face.
Her beautiful pouty mouth reminds me of James'.
And she has a dimple in her chin,
just like big brother Joseph.
Oh mercy little girl, you are L-O-V-E-D!!!

Here are a few quick stats:
Her birthday is February 9th, 2008.
The last update she weighed about 18lbs.

I'm a little unclear on some of her other measurements.
The report said her foot was 12cm. IDK??
Last night as I tried to figure out what size shoe
she'd need, my sweet brother-in-law chimed in
"Can't you just buy her shoes when she gets here?!"
The Mama Bird in me said "NO,
I want to take her some shoes."
But thinking it over this morning I realize
that John was actually the voice of reason.
Because really, with a face like that who cares
whether she needs barbie shoes or snow skis!?? 


Gotta run.
We've got 2 birthday parties to attend today.
Oh Emily Margaret, you're gonna meet the world today!


God's blessings loved ones, Sarah :D

Glory to GOD for a Pre-Approval!

Oh my,
what a day.
Today is James' 8th birthday.
We celebrated with a family/friend party at home.
As we were finishing dinner
(Dominos Pizza & Mama's Sante Fe Soup no less)
I checked my phone.
As I clicked on an email from Amy at our agency,
I couldn't believe my eyes.
So I did what any mature mama would do...
I began reading in a very loud voice.
Because seriously, some news just requires an audience.


Here's what it said.

"We received your Pre-Approval Congrats!!!!!  

This means that China has matched you with your daughter."

What followed was an explanation of how

to send care packages and request updates.

Boompa is all over sending Emily Margaret 

her very own potato chips. :)

So let's recap.

Several weeks ago James asks for a picture 

of Emily Margaret for his birthday.

I kindly explain it wasn't gonna happen,

but allow him to pray about it any way.

I read a blog post.

It talks about the matching process.

Take home message:

adoption is not the same as special 

ordering your new car,

these are children.

The post leads me back to our agency list.

The very list I prayed over intently months ago.

(There were two children on the list 

that God confirmed were NOT Emily Margaret.

I was baffled but stayed faithful to HIS timing.)

I clicked on a file that I knew wasn't my child.

I watched her video...

and I fell in love.

What I saw in that 8 minute 30 second clip

was a baby girl who needed a family.

She wasn't a post-op pt or 

a hearing screen follow up,

she was a baby who needed love.

I must have felt my heart leave for China

because I immediately set sail for DE-NIAL.

Oh I had such great reasons why she wasn't my child

and God had even better reasons of why she was.

But He was so kind and so patient.

Every time I hesitated, 

He sent a burning bush.

When I felt more pain than I thought possible, 

I stood firm in His truth.

Most importantly, He held me tight. 

Last Thursday I completed our Letter Of Intent.

Last Friday our agency sent it to China.

On Monday we got the news that China needed 

letters from our physicians summarizing our 

surgical and medication history.

I stalked physicians, smiled sweetly 

and praised His name.

Within 3 hours the agency had what they needed. :)

Tuesday I was busy at the hospital.

By Wednesday my heart was heavy,

so I emailed Amy.

She hadn't heard anything else from China,

but said we'd either get a request for more info

or our Pre-Approval.

She followed up by saying the normal 

processing time was 2-3 weeks.

What followed next was nothing short of pathetic.

My heart was broken.

What if Baby Girl wasn't Emily Margaret?

Could I move on and find peace?

Yes I would.

I'd seek comfort in knowing 

that His will was being done.

I prayed for God's wisdom.

I wanted Him to provide Baby Girl 

with the perfect family for her...

whoever they were.

But selfishly I prayed that if Baby Girl was Emily Margaret,

He'd would send us Pre-Approval for James' birthday.

I claimed His victory everyday

because I knew with Him anything was possible.

And He did it.

He beat the timeline 

and rewarded the child that 

prayed for his sister.

He soothed my soul

and gave confidence to my steps.

Now I will give Him ALL the Glory,

and praise His name for ever and ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Emily Margaret,

Congratulations on becoming the 

newest member of the Hinson clan. 

We love you so much and 

can't wait to hold you in our arms.

Your gonna LOVE this crazy family!

God's blessings friends, 

Sarah one proud mama :)

Only GOD

Hi prayer warriors,
I'm here to sing HIS praises.
I'm sure you remember is that earlier this week,

we'd been praying for God to rain down HIS blessings.

As a family we felt led to request the opportunity 

to bring home a certain little girl.

The only problem was the probability

that things were about to start moving really fast.

We had a little money set aside

and the promise of bonuses and such in the future.

Our concern was that we didn't currently have the money.

We double checked our motives.
And we knew God had called us to adopt.
Again, we prayed that God would equip the called.

I made bold requests for donations,

all the while feeling guilty for doing so.
As a family we made the decision to step forward in faith.

Thursday morning I got up and went to pack the boys' lunches.

As I made sandwiches at the counter,

something caught my attention.

My stove hood was dripping water,

at a pretty steady rate.

So I did what any mature adult would do...

I busted out laughing.

As loud, hysterical laughter filled our home

the boys came running.

"Mom, what's so funny?!" they asked.

"Well boys, we prayed for God to rain down His

blessings on our family and He took us quite literally!"

Long story short I located a roofing man.

He said the vent had gotten clogged up

and rain water was dripping through the pipe.

He emptied it out, replaced a part,

cleaned out a few gutters and 

left our home with $100. 

I found comfort in the statement:

"That was all."

As you know I spent Thursday filling out our
Letter Of Intent paperwork.
My "office" was my king size bed.
I needed a large place to spread out.
And since the roofer was coming,
I wanted to be out of the way.
I remember getting the mail that day
and placing it on my hope chest,
at the foot of the bed.
In the pile was several Christmas cards.

Fast forward several days.

Minutes ago I was straightening up the living room.

I finally put our Christmas card holder in place

and grabbed the cards that came throughout the week.

I LOVE Christmas cards

but I'd just been too busy with baby girl 

to do anything other than stick them in a pile.

OK, here's where it gets crazy.

I ripped open the first card

and as I began to attach it the holder,

I realized it wasn't a typical Christmas card.

This card said "All things are possible with God."

As I turned to Andy, 

I opened the card only to find a $500 check falling out!

I was speechless and we both began to tear up.

I shared the news with the boys

and we were in AWE of God's provisions.

Our family said a prayer of thanksgiving 

and sat in amazement as I retold this story to them.

How absolutely unbelievable is it that 

the very day we were stepping out in faith,

God was raining down His blessings of provision?!

Only God could have crafted such an amazing story

and I will spend the rest of my days singing His praises!

Thank you sweet friends

for your prayers,

your kind words

and for following the nudging of your heart.

The Hinsons are bolding doing His work,

and others are gladly stepping along side us.

Praise GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God's blessings on your weekend! Sarah :D

LOI Completed

Whew, we did it!
Our LOI is completed.
I sent it in to the agency yesterday. :D

I think I struggled most with the care plan.
Hello nursing skills, don't fail me now!
Of course I had several examples to go by.
I assumed I would rewrite what I'd been given.
Negative!
When I began writing about our marriage, parenting,
network of support and our available resources
well quite frankly, my heart took over.
I drafted what I am certain was the most beautiful,
heart felt letter ever sent to China.
It was the first time in this l-o-n-g process
that I wasn't just talking about a theoretical child,
I was describing OUR CHILD.
Now, let's just pray the translator doesn't charge by the word.
Mama's heart got a little wordy. 

Every step of this process prepares us a little more.
It's tedious work.
But after each stage I find my heart smiling,
feeling certain I am following HIS lead.
And HIS will is so much better than mine.
We can't wait to share our home with one
of God's most precious angels.

Next Step: Await PreApproval letter from China.

The normal time frame is about 2 weeks.

I'm praising God for HIS timing. 

Keep praying!
Mama's got an ornament on the tree
just waiting to add baby girl's picture.
God's blessings on your day friends, Sarah :)

Today's Message

This week has been a dance.
GOD is leading, and I am very cautiously following.
I hesitate, HE guides.
So it would only make sense that this morning's
devotional would offer me more confirmation.


"Just tell Jesus you are willing. 
He's very capable of handling all the details. 
Our job is obedience. 
God's job is results."


Philippians 2:4, 
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, 
but also to the interests of others." (NIV) 


God's blessings on your day friends.
I'm off to complete our LOI!
:) Sarah 

The One Who Stole Our Hearts...

Mary Beth from Amy Dummier on Vimeo.
Password: mb2010

Because HE's Cool Like That!

Do you ever just sit back in wonder of all the
amazing things God has done in your life?
As a family we are already so blessed.
But even if we're just looking at our adoption,
HE has taken so little, and done so much.
Today I've trusted God for more than I ever knew was possible.
I boldly approached HIS throne,
offered myself as HIS willing servant
prayed to be equipped
and then began moving forward claiming HIS victory.
And oh what a sweet victory it was.
I have literally watched hard hearts soften.
As if that wasn't enough,
HE sent prayer warriors to encourage me along the way.
Friends who have texted or emailed
just to say they had Emily Margaret on their mind today.
Seriously?! 
Yeah, I'm certain that SOMEONE has been showing out.

But HE can,

and I love it...

because HE's cool like that!
Yes my friends,
it will take a lifetime for me to sing of all HIS praises.
HE has exceeded my needs.

Now, what's next?
There's a special little one the
Hinson family will be sending in their
Letter of Intent to adopt.
Oh I can't wait to hear back from China!
My little angel is just too precious to continue
to be referred to as "the little girl in the video".
But, we're not quite to the point of calling her Emily Margaret.
Come on God, do your thang.

Thank you for all your prayers.
Please continue to pray that God will
equip those He's called to parent the orphans.
And should you feel led,
please contribute to our adoption fund
via our sidebar widget.

Praise be to God,
for His grace is sufficient
and His mercy is unending!

God's blessings friends, Sarah :)

The 411

Hi all!
I promised an update and here I am. :)
Well, I'm bringing you the most pathetic attempt of an update anyway.
Here's the 411:
Several months ago a European couple traveled
to China to adopt this precious angel.
As they prepared for her adoption physical,
they thought she couldn't hear & requested a hearing screen.
The hearing screen results showed at least partial hearing loss
and they knew she needed medical follow up.
For whatever reason, they didn't have the resources
to provide her with adequate medical care.
So, she was returned to the orphanage.
That's right, she made her second trip to the orphanage.

Now I've got to tell you,
we have thoroughly scrutinized this from every angle.
Here's the part that holds true:
The child I thought needed a family yesterday,
I now realize REALLY needs a family.
Corrected heart defect,
possible hearing deficit,
whatever!
That baby girl needs the warmth of a home
and the love of a family, a forever family.

Please pray that God will send provisions.
He's located the willing bodies,
now He just has to equipt them. :)

God's blessings, Sarah

P.S. Wanna know the coolest resource thus far?
My sweet cousin is a Sign Language Interpreter
and is willing to teach us the basics.
Is God crazy cool or what?!

Please pray for the financial backing to take the next step.
My body needs to travel to China to bring that baby girl home...
and recover my heart.

An Orphan That's Real

An orphan is not real,
until you let them in your heart.
And then they become so vivid
that you awaken during a rain storm,
wondering if they're ok.

It's been pretty crazy here the last 24hrs.
The kinda peaceful, quiet crazy
where everything just falls into place.

You read a blog post.
God speaks to your heart.
You check the waiting child list
and a child that has been there for months,
catches your attention.
Her eyes pierce your heart
and you can't turn away.
You watch her video,
you review her file
all the while thinking,
I can parent that child.
She needs a family and a home.
She needs the love of a mother
and the one on one time of being worked with.
That little girl needs brothers who love to play ball.
She needs a father to teach her
how to slide without falling.
And hair bows, she needs a hair bow.

There comes a point in all this where
you began to feel like a deer in the headlights.
You keep thinking, is this really "it"?!
In your heart you know,
but in your head you approach cautiously.

You tell your friend you'd love to see
a burning bush right about now,
and God speaks through her saying
"No, that would be too easy.
And this isn't suppose to be easy.
It's a faith journey."
The minute the words leave her mouth
you know Who authored them.

The boys watch the video,
James is bothered by the children's cries.
You resume the video later with Joseph.
The boys love her plumber's crack
and how she runs in tiny little steps.
And several minutes into it they ask
(just like they always do)
"Can we have HER?!"
When you reply that she doesn't
have a family yet,
Joseph becomes your burning bush...
"YES, we can have HER?! 
Well then what are we waiting for?!!!!!"
So you send the email and receive confirmation,
she is on hold for your family.
James spends the rest of the night
practicing his ball playing skills
and shopping for her Christmas presents
in the toy catalogs.
He thinks he can get a deal on
one of those Pottery Barn pink & green
polka dotted rolling suitcases,
the small one of course...
she'll need it for the beach he explains.

Every time you wake up during the night
you hear this song playing in your mind.
"I wanna love because you love,
I wanna give because you gave,
I wanna reach my hand to the lost,
Because I know your love can save."

And you know.

Today I'm praying for God to rain down
his provisions for our family
and for a certain little girl.
Because I know His love can save.

God's blessings friends, Sarah :)

Thankful for...

Good morning all
& happy Thanksgiving!
This year we have SO much to be thankful for.
But the one thing I'm especially thankful for is this...
I'm holding a copy of our home study draft!!!

Is that not the happiest, 

cheesiest mama you've evah seen?!

The emotions right now are c-r-a-z-y.

I feel like I've been working 

my whole life for this moment,

and then again I'm blown away that it's here.

God is so good!

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Now, if you find any loose change in the 

sofa cushions during your Thanksgiving nap,

send it my way.

I've got a payment to make before we send this bad boy off.

Feeling SO very Thankful!!!

GOD's blessings, Sarah :)

Thankful For God's Grace

Good morning all!

It's me, the mama in continuous pursuit of her baby girl.

It looks like we might really be
almost through with our homestudy.

As you know we finished the visits months ago,

but it took forever to finish all the paperwork.

Our latest snag has been
updating our financial section.

Not because there's so much to write. 

Just trying to document all Andy's job changes.

Advice to others: 

Unless you're asking to take the slow route to China

never, ever change jobs mid-homestudy. 

The past couple of weeks has been wild
trying to tie up the loose ends.

Then yesterday, our file finally made it
to the Senor Social Worker at our agency.

It's my understanding that she picks everything apart
and then puts it back together again.

She was thorough AND exact.

But the best part?

She was patient AND kind.

Exactly what this gal needed!

If you listened in on our conversations you'd hear me saying

"... does all that make sense?
... Yes mam, if you'll just tell me what it needs to say
I'll make those changes and email it right back to you."

Really, I'm not internationally wise,

but I am willing to follow someone to is.

Today Ms. Lea Anne will be in the office for a few hours,

before she leaves for a week long vacation.

She's hoping to have us all wrapped up before she goes.

Me too! 

Now on to the good part.
I need to share my perspective on what will

certainly go down as the longest adoption process ever.

Ok, maybe not. But it sure does feel like it. 

For the majority of the past year,

I have been trying to do things myself.

Granted, I got the word from God to adopt.

We prayed about it.

We were led, and we started the process.

But somewhere between the calling and 

the foot work, I was missing it.

Here's an example of my daily thought process... 

The agency emailed, they didn't recieve our "___".

If I don't get "____" done today,

there's no way they'll finish our homestudy this month.

Then when the next list comes out we won't be matched.

If we're not matched soon then there's no way we'll travel by "____".

Yes my friends, that was this mama's thought train

every time the agency needed something.

Hello koo-koo bird.

Until a quote from Beth Moore's
Esther Bible Study played out in my mind.

"If ______, then ____."

Her study taught me that even if everything comes apart,

then there's still God.

It doesn't mean we won't fall to pieces,

kicking and screaming in the floor.

It just means that when we get back up,

we'll seek the Father.

His grace will always guide us through those hard times.

So here it is.

The statement that changed how 

my heart handles this bumpy road.

If we never adopt, then we'll still praise God 

for His unfailing wisdom.

Finding comfort in His mercy and grace.

As you make final Thanksgiving preparations today

I pray that you're hands & feet will work busily for God,

as your heart allows Him to fill in the details.

God's blessings friends, Sarah :)

Still Going

Good morning all!
I'm here with an update.
After more paperwork was sent in
and files updated, we're still going.
We're  r-e-a-l-l-y close to
finalizing our home-study.
I should know more on Monday. :)

Now a quick letter to Emily Margaret...
Sis, the Bearcats made it to the playoffs!
That's big stuff in boy world.
We checked your brothers out early
yesterday to have some family fun.
Big Daddy treated us to a
delicious lunch at P.F.Chang's,
YUM!
We made a stop at Dick's Sporting Goods.
Don't panic, they have super cute girl stuff too.
Then we headed to the stadium for the game.
It's was seriously cold.
But the Bearcats pulled through and we won.
All this to say,
I missed you yesterday.
I know it's crazy to miss someone I've never met.
Maybe a mama's heart is another one 
of God's amazing creations??
Anyway, we LOVE you sis
and can't wait to bring you home.
You're gonna love being a Hinson! :)

Friends, I'll keep ya posted on our progress.
Thanks for your prayers.
God's blessings & Love, Sarah :)

Finalized Homestudy Drawing Near

Good morning all!
We just got off the phone with our social worker
so I'm here with an update.
It appears that there are only a few items
still missing before our homestudy is finalized. :)

When I got the email from Jennifer this morning
saying we needed to talk, my heart dropped.
I arranged an immediate call time
with a lump in my throat.
When she called she explained it was to get
a better understanding of Andy's current job situation.
Yeah, in all honesty we're living it 
and it still confuses us.
After a review of numbers
which by the way was almost as fun 
as revealing my undies size,
we moved on to the other necessary items.
Along with Andy's new job documents
there are still a couple of reference letters are missing.
The good news?
She hopes to knock this out in the next couple of days!

Probably the best part of the conversation
was that she shared her personal story.
You see Jennifer and her husband adopted
a beautiful baby boy from Korea during the spring.
As we talked I explained and apologized for the
snail's pace at which things had been moving.
That when she told me that her
homestudy was the same way.
She said that after signing with their agency
they had to sit back for an entire summer
before picking up speed again.
She said the best part was that once they
started moving again they were matched in October.
That's the kinda pace I'm talking about!
So, I'll keep you posted as the week goes on.
Keep praying for Emily Margaret!
God's blessings,
Sarah :)

P-A-P-E-R-W-O-R-K Progress

Hello loved ones!
I'm here to do a little booty shake.
Today was a GOOD day.
We finally sent in the remaining paperwork
AND I just emailed our Certificate of Income & Property!
Hooty, HOO!!!
Insert booty shake {here}.
Now before I get all kinda crazy
and mislead you,
I'm certain the paperwork's not over.
We've just returned the serve and now
the ball's not in our court.
:D
We'll have to update a few things with
Andy's new job.
But seriously, who cares?!
I'm happy to celebrate one tiny miracle at a time!!!
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.
God's blessings, Sarah {aka the booty shake queen}

Walking His Path

Hi all!
I'm here with an update and a few thoughts.
First, we had our last garage sale
of the season yesterday.
I only had a one day sale in me
so all leftovers will be donated.
Sounds like a win-win, right?
I raised money for our adoption,
helped out a local charity,
AND got my garage back...
no wait,
that's a win, win, win
SWEET!

Secondly, I got an extra heaping helping
of love and encouragement from our
garage sale friends and visitors.
I LOVE all the stories and prayers
that I receive during our fundraisers!

Last but not least,
we're praying about Emily Margaret.
Not just our normal prayer,
"Lord watch over Emily Margaret,
keep her warm and safe.
Keep her belly full and her bottom dry.
Bless her with loving hands to care for her
until you bring her home to us."
We're praying for God's blessings
to be poured out for a specific baby girl.
I'm not sure that she's Emily Margaret
but I am certain that she needs our prayers.

Thanks to Gigi & Andy for your hard work,
friends and family for donations,
and everyone who made purchases.
Let's keep praying for our Emily Margaret
and that sweet baby girl...
if they turn out to be one and the same I'll let ya know!
God's blessings & Love, Sarah

Twinkle, Twinkle

Twinkle twinkle baby girl,

How I wonder how you are.

Way across the world so wide,

Praying you home with all my might.

-Mama Hinson

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary 

of signing with our adoption agency.

Who knew that we'd have come so far...

in our lives and our hearts?

Thank you God for choosing us!

Emily Margaret, I can't wait to meet you.

You're my little diamond in the sky.

Keep twinkling baby girl,

we're coming! 

God's blessings loved ones, Mama Star Catcher 

Pushing Through the Paper Work

Good morning all!
Thanks again to all who supported us
during our garage sale fundraiser!
I'm gearing up for another one the first of October.
You know the routine...
drop off anything you wish to rid yourself of.
If we're not home just leave it on the porch.
I'll clean it up and sell it at the fundraiser.
Anything left over will be donated.
That's right,
I promise not to call you to pick up the leftovers. :)

Now can I tell you a little secret??
I've figured out why I enjoyed that garage sale so much.
I was actually doing something,
working hard to bring Emily Margaret home.
Not that paper work isn't work.
It's that I'd trade the hot sun and sweat
over paperwork any day!


Yesterday I devoted several hours to that work.
When I pulled out the mess I immediately got chills,
felt my heart sink and tears fill my eyes.
I honestly thought I couldn't push through.
I prayed, grumbled and gave myself pep talks.
I likened it to being in the delivery room
after hours of pushing and telling the nurse
that you just can't do it anymore.
And that was when God said,
"Just like in the delivery room when not pushing
isn't an option,
you not pushing through this paperwork
isn't an option."
So what's a mom to do?
I decided to bear down and P-U-S-H.
What can I say?
Once a nursery nurse always a nursery nurse. :)


I'm not here to announce I've delivered that paperwork.
To the post office that is.
I'm still pushing.
Pushing hard in slow, steady, concentrated efforts.
Because my labor is not in vain.
There's an Emily Margaret waiting to meet this world.
Our world, her world.

I leave you with a wonderful and timely quote.
It's from Beth Moore during her Esther Bible Study.
"There are times when God works through miracles. Then there are times when He works through the natural person. When HE enables us to do something we know we can not do. Maybe there is no greater miracle than that!"

Keep praying friends
and we'll continue to push through
to complete God's good work.
God's blessings loved ones, Sarah :)

Garage Sale Fundraiser

Hi dear friends!
As promised, I'm back to share
all the details of our Garage Sale Fundraiser.

I'll start by saying I LOVE garage sales.
Yes, it's a sickness I know.
But I'd be withholding information
if I didn't tell you I actually enjoy garage sales.
I love going to them,
I love having them.
It's a TON of work, but totally worth it.
How else can you meet such a variety of people,
clean out your stuff and make a little money
all in the same day?!

With that being said I feel confident to continue. :)

Since I had a total of 3 sales last summer,
I new I'd be back for more this year.
So along with all of the Hinson's stuff,
I've been accepting donations.
These donations spanned a nine month period
and filled a two car garage.
Friends and family supported our efforts
by the truck load!

Now it's been a long, hot, chaotic summer.
Which meant the easiest thing to
procrastinate doing was our garage sale.
That is until the first of September rolled around.
I was determined to pull this thing off.
I'm here to tell ya
that not only did we pull it off,
our sale was a HUGE success!
Armed with more stuff than I could find a place for,
a best-friend running the "register"
and a God who orchestrated all the details
WE DID IT!
In a mere two days,
between sales and donations,
we raised $1,000.00 to put towards our adoption!!!
PRAISE BE TO GOD!

Then as if the money raised wasn't enough,
God used the angels who shopped
to encourage my weary heart.
We had numerous people
that shopped twice, each day.
They brought their friends and family members...
shared stories of how they had been touched by adoption...
and one even introduced me to the child she had adopted.
Sometimes God isn't enough,
He's too much!
And this my friends was one of those times.

The amount of love God poured out
was exactly what I needed to keep going.
So thank you,
thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for the donations,
words of encouragement,
surprise visitors,
hard work,
and most importantly,
for not telling me how bad I smelt
when I through my arms around your neck! ; )

God's blessings loved ones,
Sarah
(the luckiest Mama you know)

Remember Me?

Hi friends, remember me...
The Mama called to China,
medical needs,
paperwork,
walking in faith
and Emily Margaret?!
Yes it's been awhile.
The past few months have included...
more paperwork,
waiting for a match,
even more paperwork,
still no match,
and sadness.
That's why I've been MIA.
My heart has just been to heavy to share.

But after a visit with a friend
who loves our adoption blog,
I'm back. :)
Because really,
God never promised me a rose garden.
And quite honestly,
the path I've been given is so
much more than I'll ever deserve.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
       Proverbs 13:12

"Should you fulfill your destiny,
it's gonna take some courage
and some perseverance."
       Beth Moore

I'll be back soon to tell you all about
our recent Garage Sale fundraiser!

God's blessings and love, Sarah :)

Emily Margaret On My Mind

Good morning friends!
Yes, I'm here with another back-to-back
post on the adoption blog.
It seems now that we're back from vacation
I have Emily Margaret on my mind a lot.
Hhmmm, let's think this through.
For one we saw tons of beautiful Asian
children while on vacation.
It provided the perfect time to talk more
about Emily Margaret with the kids.

My second reason for baby girl brain,
is that vacation served as a time frame.
As in, "When we get back from vacation
I'm going to combine the boys' bedroom.
So that they will be settled before going back to school.
Then this fall I can concentrate
on Emily Margaret's room."
Now it's time to get busy.
I've already decided to start this weekend.
Does that make us one step closer to a match??
I hope so!

Last but not least,
God is continuing to work in our lives.
Remember me talking about that awhile back?
Well God really is equipping us in every imaginable way.
August 1st Andy starts his new job.
New job as in leaving his home away from home
for a God led adventure.
Gulp! 
We're nervous and excited,
but mostly we're in awe.
We weren't even looking for this opportunity.
It's as if God said, "Will you lay down your old life?
Once we said "yes" He replied with
"Here, take this, you're going to need it."
And just like that we have better insurance benefits
along with more money to put towards our adoption.
Ooohhhh how I LOVE it when God shows out!


Last night we talked about how
l-o-n-g this process is taking.
I surprised myself by saying "I like it that way."
"What" Andy replied??
Because those of you who know me 
are fully aware that I'm the queen of impatient.
If we'd rushed right through this
we'd be inadequately equipped
for the daughter God prepared for us.

"Do not be afraid for I am with you,

I will bring your children from the east

and gather you from the west." Isaiah 43:5

So I'm off to rearrange bedrooms with the boys,
while mentally preparing for our job change.
I'll keep you posted.
Pray we see our baby girl soon!

God's blessings, Sarah :)