Her Name Will Be Emily Margaret

Praising GOD for Sparkly Ears!!!

2012-01-31T11:53:00.001-06:00

Emily Margaret has her sparkly ears! Girlfriend is LOViNG all the sounds to be heard. Will post video later!
God's blessings,
Sarah :)

Comforts of Home

2012-01-28T15:45:00.001-06:00

With a little one at home my love for days spent in jammy tales is deeper than ever. I'm not sure if it's the comfort I enjoy or the slower pace I crave. Either way, today provided the perfect opportunity.
Ah, gotta love a much needed lazy Saturday. :)
Now just because Mama stays inside that doesn't mean the kids do. Actually, that's probably the perfect reason for them to head outdoors after lunch. ;)
Check out Emily Margaret & James cheesing it up before heading out. Oh sweet babies!!!
Now we're off to enjoy a movie & some pizza. The look on Emily Margaret's face when she realized a man just delivered food her house was adorable. Yes little one I agree,
the comforts of home should never be underestimated!
God's blessings on your night!

GLORY!!!

2012-01-19T10:56:00.001-06:00

It if my sweet hubby were writing this post it'd just contain one word...
GLORY. Because after yesterday's appointments, we're certain this is all about God's GLORY!
We started our day at the International Adoption Clinic. All our blood work came back normal. We did have a mildly elevated thyroid level. No worries, we're certain it'll correct itself with good nutrition. Most importantly all of our HIV, parasite tests etc came back negative. Holla! I just can't say enough good things about the IAC staff. They know their stuff and do a thorough work up. I'm SO glad we made the commitment to start out there. :)
Our second stop yesterday was at the Pediatric Cardiologist's office. The intake nurse was less than jolly so i was afraid we were headed for a long afternoon. But from the xray tech on it was smooth sailing. Dr.Romp was amazing with Emily Margaret. She warmed up to him immediately & even helped him do her ultrasound. Throughout the procedure I heard mumblings like surprised, better than expected, normal function. Once they finished up Dr.Romp explained what he saw. He was absolutely perplexed by Emily Margaret's heart. He said if it weren't for a chest scar, a few wires in her sternum & one visible repair, he'd never know she had any heart problems. Given her diagnosis he was blown away by what he saw She has zero restrictions & merely has to follow up with him yearly. After delivering such good news I had to claim it for what it was, God's GLORY. Her condition wasn't misdiagnosed or documented. We'd just seen God's mighty hands at work... GLORY!!!
Now let's be real, our daily life is chaotic. We've had more car trouble/broken appliances/sickness/unexpected debt/blah,blah,blah since we came home from China than is legal. But every time I see the progress our baby girl has made I remember this quote "Where God be blessing, the d*v*l be messing." And in this family, God is blessing again & again!
Now I'm off to shower, we're being given a Homecoming Shower today. I can't wait to share Emily Margaret with the friends & family that have been praying for her. :)
GIving GOD the Glory!
Sarah

PS A special thanks goes out to Nana Popins, we couldn't make it through all these appointments without you!

Sparkly Ears

2012-01-10T08:57:00.001-06:00

Written January 9th...
Good morning all,
I've got a sleepy, cranky girl on my hands so I'll make it brief.
Yesterday we made our way to Oz.
As we drove down that yellow brick road that is I65,
Nana & I contemplated what we should call Emily Margaret's new found hearing.

Then this morning,
it came to me.
Emily Margaret's ears are perfect just the way they are.
Any hearing we gain is merely expanding her God given ability.
So I've decided we'll refer to her hearing aides as Sparkly Ears!
Dorothy had red ruby slippers & baby girl's going to have pink glitter Sparkly Ears.

SqUeAL!!!
Our newest accessory will be ready the 31st. :)

Added today...
In the mean time we're still working hard.
Emily Margaret's made the connection between sound & responding.
We can thank our hard woods floors and our handy dandy foot stomping for that.
Two quick stomps is the equivalent of me calling out "Emily Margaret, come to mama."
It's a bit barbaric, but it works!

Our sweet girl can easily say Mama & Bubby.
We do lots of mama-ma-ma babbling and that seriously cute animated chattering she does without making a sound.
What can I say??
She's adorable!
(Which comes in handy when she sucks up the dog's water in my Dyson.)
EEK!!!

Since today's update was all about hearing, I leave you with a video.
I think you'll see that although our Dorothy awaits her sparkly ears, her big brother isn't in need of a heart.

Enjoy & God's blessings!
Sarah (The Good Witch)

War Eagle Baby Girl

2011-12-31T14:02:00.001-06:00

Hi all!
First things first,
I wasn't very good this year but
Santa Daddy got me my 1st iPhone.
I'm actually posting from it now,
SqUeAL!!!
Who knew??
Ok, so I knew I wanted the iPhone.
I actually held onto my dinasuraus phone longer than necessary.
It was all in the name of love.
And now that my LOVIE is home,
it was time for mama to get an upgrade.

Talk about perfect timing.
It just so happens that my mini-me
just inherited her 1st apple product.
That means she doesn't touch my phone because she has her own.
And if I touch hers??
Let's just say I get a good scolding!

So now that I have this handy dandy blogger app, you can look forward to more frequent postings.
Yes mom I know, it's about time! ;)

Now onto the real reason for my post.
Check out this sassy little Auburn cheerleader.

When I asked her to let me take her picture I got this.

Uh MOM can't you see I'm texting right now?!

Luckily after a few mommy-monkey-motions I snapped my sweet girl.
She absolutely lights up our home.
And her pink?
Let's just say it's taking over!

Now I'm off to rescue the boys.
They were trying to throw the baseball.
That is until a charming lil' sister lured them into swinging with her instead.

God's blessings on your afternoon
& War Eagle,
One Blessed Tiger Mama :)

Emily Margaret in 2 Pics

2011-12-29T12:15:00.001-06:00

If I were to pick two recent pics to sum up this precious wild child of mine, these are the two. :)
We absolutely adore this girl!

Quick Update :)

2011-12-20T06:35:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had our appointment at the International Adoption Clinic.
We were a whopping 24lbs and in the 3rd percentile.
(That's ok, Nanny will fix that!)
We bombed our first round of hearing tests,
as we out smarted the system and started responding
before the sound was actually made. :)
We got the compliment of best clinical presentation
of bonding and attachment. :) :)
AND when we had our 10 vials of blood drawn
we refused to pull our sleeve down so that
EVERYONE could see our boo-boo!
Yep, that's my child all right. :) :) :)

Today we're heading back to Birmingham
for another round of hearing tests.
Today's test will be more precise as it will determine
exactly how much auditory brain response she is having.
Please pray for my girl.
She was a trooper yesterday
as she charmed the staff &
won new found admiration in the heart of her mama.

Gotta run before my princess wakes up without me!
God's blessings, Sarah :)

No Place Like Home

2011-12-17T12:26:00.000-06:00

Good morning all!
I'm still sporting my jammy tales
as we enjoy this lazy Saturday.
While the boys continue to play catch up
with their homework assignments
and baby sister helps them,
I'm sneaking away for a quick blog update.

First off I gotta say,
Dorothy got it right when she said
"There's NO place like HOME!"
This first week home has been b-u-s-y,
but nothing the comforts of home can't soothe.

Emily Margaret loves it here.
She knows our routine
and thrives on it.
She doesn't even cry when we
take her "bubbies" to school anymore. :)

We're still figuring out the nap thing.
But more importantly we got the
sleeping all night under control,
HOORAY!!!
She even slept late with me this morning.
We'd wake up, snuggle and go back to sleep...
PURE BLISS!!!

Today she's already learned to
give eskimo kisses.
She's rough as a cob but loving as an angel!

We had our first home study
follow up on Thursday.
Stella said Emily Margaret's doing great.
I think the biggest help is all the
sign language we've been teaching her.
There's something to be said for effective communication.

We're using the Signing Times videos
thanks to the recommendation of a friend.
We have episodes 1 and 4
and we watch them A LOT! :)
If I had a life savings,
I'd gladly trade it for the remaining
DVD's, flashcards & books.
Yes, they're making that much of a difference. :D

I'm off to see what my munchkin is up to.
I promise to be back soon with
lots of pics & details.
If I owe you a phone call or email
please be patient with me.
My little diva requires mommy's undivided attention. ;)

One last thing.
Thank you for all your prayers.
They have been heard and answered.
Our heavenly Father has been raining down
the most abundant grace imaginable.
We sing His praises daily!

God's blessings loved ones,
The Hinson Family of Five!!! :)

Another Update!

2011-12-07T11:32:00.001-06:00

Hello All! I got to iChat with Sarah this morning-- they were getting ready to go to bed. They had their visit at the consulate and took their oath and EMH is officially a Hinson and a US citizen-- once she touches down on US soil.

They took her to the zoo afterwards and she loved it. Sarah said she is mischievous but extremely loving. She had her physical and they pronounced her with perfect hearing... Sarah informed me that their hearing test involved squeaking a rubber duckie by her ear. So scientific! ;) Andy says she can't hear a lick... Sarah seems to think that it's some hearing loss as well as selective hearing. :) She is totally paying for calling my girls DIVAS!

They've been to the circus and played in the park. EMH is very active and apparently quite the busy body!

They went on a river boat cruise last night. Joseph had his first run in a cougar. ;) Sarah said that the locals are a little on the rude side and are quick to tell you if they think EMH doesn't have on enough layers or if they are feeding her things that they don't deem "acceptable". They told Sarah and Andy that they were going to make EMH fat and implied that they wouldn't get to keep her if she did! Sounds like an interesting time, for sure.

I don't have any pictures... I think things have been a little crazy for them. They leave for Hong Kong tomorrow, spend the night there and then they get to come home!! YAY! They will be home Friday evening. I'm not sure when she will have time to post an update-- James' birthday is Saturday.

Also, for those of you who don't know, Andy's dad passed away yesterday morning. He has battled cancer for years and been in and out of the hospital. I am not sure of all of the details, but I do know he was in the hospital when he died early Tuesday morning. Andy does know and his sister Christine has flown in from Hawaii to help his mom out. They are cremating him and his memorial service is Sunday afternoon.

If you would, say a prayer for Andy and his family. They could also use some happy traveling vibes.. I feel certain a 14 hour flight with an active toddler is going to be quite the adventure!

First Airport Experience

2011-12-04T10:49:00.001-06:00

I received an e-mail from Sarah that was this post, complete with captions! Enjoy!

Hello. My name is Emily Margaret. I'm from a small province of about 3.5 million people.

Today is my first flight. Mama made sure to layer me up, so as not to ruffle the locals. They are quite opinionated. Mama always gets stopped on the street. At lunch, the waitress even told Mama I looked kinda Chinese. Umm. yeah, ya think?!?! Anyway, laundry was running scarce so Mama did the best she could. :)

While my people were acting dignified, Mama and I had a little airport picnic.

I'm SO glad GiGi got me this handy dandy cup/snack bowl.

And Nana keeps me full of REAL goldfish crackers. See, I LOVE goldfishes. :)

And yes, just to keep Mama on her toes we multi-tasked. We snacked, played toys, and learned a few new signs. After all that fun, I was ready for a nice long nap on the plane. Hooray for family fun!!!

Last Day in Jinan

2011-12-01T19:11:00.001-06:00

Everyone went site seeing in Jinan on their last full day.

Pa Bill is never in front of the camera!

The River where everyone gets their drinking water

Sarah and EMH got tired and went back to the van

The site where they found EMH

Mama and daughter where she was found

Daddy, Mama, and daughter

Celebration kisses

Emily Margaret helped James with his homework.. how stinking cute is this?!?

I know everyone is hoping that their next stop is more tourist friendly. :) Sarah is so thankful to have her in her arms and would like for everyone to keep the prayers coming! I know they are a little worried about EMH's first flight, so keep them in your thoughts! :)

Lazy day at the pool

2011-12-01T18:57:00.001-06:00

Hi all! Rachel again.. sorry I've been a slacker with the updates, my life got a little crazy with decorating for Christmas, kids, running a business and all that. As I sat down to write this post, Sarah sent me some more pictures! Geez.. ;)

They spent the day swimming in the hotel pool. Mom said it's like a third world country once they get outside of the hotel and aren't venturing out too much. They leave for Guangzhou tomorrow. It's been snowing in Jinan too and supposed to be in the 60's in Guangzhou, so I know they are ready to get to warmer temperatures!

EMH during nap time

The boys had to wear swim caps, per hotel rules.. They are stylin'!

How sweet is this picture?!?

Umm.. Hinson face, footie pajamas, purse on her arm, hand in some chips.

She is behind developmentally, but seems to be picking things up very quickly. I think she is giving Sarah a run for her money and I think Sarah is ready to take back calling my girls divas. :)

A Quick Update

2011-11-29T12:16:00.001-06:00

Hi all! It's Rachel again...

I finally heard from Mom last night. She said they ended up crashing all day. I begged for some more pictures for you guys.

She said EMH's first night went awesome! She slept in between Sarah and Andy and went to bed with zero problems! She loved her bubble bath too.

They have officially signed the adoption paperwork and she is officially a member of the Hinson family! The next few pictures are of them doing all that.

Doing her handprints

getting on some princess make-up

signing the final paperwork!

Mom says she is ready to come home. The culture is very different! The only offer chopsticks as eating utensils and they don't give you napkins in restaurants-- you have to pay extra for those, which are really just kleenex if you can get them. She also says that Diet Pepsi is very hard to find. She has also been washing clothes by hand in the bathrub- crazy!

The boys went out with the tour guide while the girls stayed around the room yesterday.

She said that EMH is slowly warming up to the rest of the group and will almost let Sarah get out of her sight. She seems to have some hearing in right ear. She had been mouthing the word "Mama" to Sarah and in the e-mail from Mom last night she said she actually said the word!!!

Mom also said she just wants to cuddle her up but EMH gives her the silent scream face-- which Mom said was losing it's effectiveness on her. ;)

All-in-all, I think they are having a good time and spending lots of quality time with the family. I'm ready for them to get home!

The Day is FINALLY here!!

2011-11-27T10:48:00.001-06:00

Rach here again! I am happy to announce that EMH is with her family and doing great!!

Mom said she is super sweet but the guy that brought her to them said that "She could be a little naughty". I think she'll fit right in! :)

They said she loves to climb and appears to just be extremely interested in everything that is going on. She started the cry when the guy left, but they brought out the goldfish crackers and Twizzlers and she was all good. (She is TOTALLY a Hinson, right?!?)

She is playing with the boys and is bonding with Sarah already-- sitting in her lap as they play. She loves her hair bows, too! At one point, she had 4 on at once.

Mom said she does appear to have some hearing loss, but CAN hear. She hasn't spoken yet, but is full of giggles and smiles.

First jammies!

James was blowing bubbles at her and she loved it.

I am hoping to have some more updates and a LOT more pictures soon!

Thanks again, everyone! I know the Hinson's now feel complete with their family of 5!

We made it to China!

2011-11-27T10:40:00.001-06:00

Hi All!! Sarah's sister, Rachel here! Just wanted to give you some updates on how the Hinson's are doing.

They made it to China.. great but exhausting flights! Sarah sums it up best by saying, the gal who bathes twice a day, went TWO days with NO bath and they slept in chairs in the Beijing airport.

They did get up and do a little sight seeing on Sunday.

By the time I am posting this, they DO have Emily Margaret! I am posting some pics of that next!

Sarah would like to thank everyone once again for their support and prayers and e-mails. I know it really means a lot that so many people care about her FINALLY getting her sweet baby girl!

Thankful

2011-11-24T04:00:00.000-06:00

Dear loved ones,
I'm writing this in advance
because there a just a few words
I need to share.

You'll be reading this on Thanksgiving Day.
So I'll format this post to share how I'm thankful. :)

First off I thank GOD the Father
for all He's done for me.
But above all else I thank
Him for sending His Son,
Jesus Christ.
Because of Jesus,
my sins are forgiven.
I can skip through this life
loving & laughing
as I follow God's calling.
I find peace in knowing that
I don't have to be perfect.
God's grace was and is enough.
And for that, I am thankful.

I give thanks today for
all who have joined me on this journey.
Your prayers, kind words,
donations in every form, love & support
were always sent by God
at exactly the right time.
And for that, I am thankful.

For my family
and yes, I mean
every-single-one-of-you,
I am thankful.
You've helped shape me
into the woman I am,
the woman God's created me to be.
I wish I could list each of you by name
{but then I'd be flying to China without packing my panties.}
So, you know who you are
and for you, I am thankful. <3

To each of you reading this post.
I can't tell you how much your
prayers and emails of love will mean to us.
My heart is full,
and for that I am thankful.

Now go,
eat your turkey and dressing.
Sing our special turkey song
and gives thanks to God the Father.
Because God is good my friends,
ALL THE TIME!

See ya soon!!!
God's blessings, Sarah :)

Attention...

2011-11-23T06:46:00.001-06:00

Attention, attention...
in less than 24hours
Emily Margaret's 6 turkeys
will be on their way to China.
One word for ya,
Gobble, gobble!
(Wait, maybe that's two??)
Well regardless,
in celebration of our Thanksgiving trip
I leave you with a song.

To the tune of Thanksgiving Day...
"A family boarded a 777
as they sang this happy tune,
Thanksgiving Day is coming
gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble
and we'll meet Emily Margaret soooooon.
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,
gobble, gobble, gobble
we can't wait to fly away.
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,

gobble, gobble, gobble

it's almost our Gotcha Day!!!"

Big smiles!!!!
GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One Happy Turkey Mama :D

Once Upon A Time...

2011-11-22T17:31:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time there was a mom.
And way across the ocean blue there was a daughter.

The mom knew all about the little girl.
She loved her,
caressed her cheeks in photos
and prayed for her daily.

The daughter lived her life unaware.
She played,
grew bigger and stronger
and soaked up everyday joys.

The time has finally come for one dynamic
mother/daughter duo to come together at last.
The mother worries about silly things like
going days on a plane with NO bath... gasp.
And the daughter,
she continues to on, same as usual.

I can't help but giggle every time I catch
myself panicking about insignificant things.
But the big things?
Nah why worry too long about those,
because they always fall right into place. :)

It's sinking in that God's got these two Hinson girls
right in the palm of His mighty hand.
So really there isn't any reason at all for them to worry
their pretty little heads.
Nope, not even for one minute.
God's providing all the grace they need!

Emily Margaret, mama loves you.
James' is X'ing off days until the final leg
of our journey begins.
Joseph is coming to grips with the fact that his
REAL boss is about to clock in.
Daddy taunts me by saying he's gonna be your favorite.
And then there's a whole slew of family and friends
that are lifting us up in prayer.

Baby girl, we got this.
It's gonna be rocky.
I'm bound to stink...
you're bound to cry.

But the God who authored this story
is about to finish knitting our lives together.
And when we look back years from now
we'll realize we got through the hard part,
TOGETHER!

God's blessings sweet prayer warriors,
The Hinson (Soon To Be) FIVE :D

This Face

2011-11-19T12:18:00.001-06:00

This face,
is the face of a mother.
In it you will see tender lines.
Mostly from smiles but
a few from worries untold.

This face,
is the face of a child of God.
The love sent down from heaven
have lit up this face too many times to number.

This face,
is the face of a woman.
A woman who has worked
hours on end in preparation
for her new arrival.
A woman surrounded by family
and friends who kept her going this week.

This face,
is the face of things to come.
In the upcoming weeks this face
will see sorrow and joy.
Pain and peace.

This face,
is the face of a newly adoptive mother.
A face that just can't wait
to be pictured with this gorgeous face!

I wanted to take a moment to say,
we're running like crazy people
and singing GOD'S praises all the way.
Thanks for all your sweet words & prayers.
Please continue to pray for Emily Margaret.
That the sorrow she feels over the loss of the life she knows,
will quickly be soothed by the love of her family.
This has been a long time coming,
and I'm glad to see we're getting to the good part. :)

God's blessings, Emily Margaret's Mama <3

Praising HIS Name

2011-11-15T09:35:00.001-06:00

We just got our confirmed consulate appointment!
Gotcha day planned for Sunday November, 27th!!!
Praise be to the God and author of this beautiful story.
I'm going to get my daughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God's blessings & Love,
The Happiest Mama in the World :D

Two Letters for Ya!

2011-11-14T16:17:00.001-06:00

Hi all,
I'm here to share just two little (but very important) letters with you.
Are you ready??
T-A!
That's right sweet friends,
that'd be the two letters that equal Travel Approval.
Holla!!!

Please join me in prayer for a supernatural moving
that will allow us to travel Thanksgiving weekend.
I'll be back as soon as I know more!
God's blessings, Sarah :)

Happy Halloween Baby Girl!

2011-10-31T10:26:00.001-05:00

Today I'm here with

a Boo for my baby girl.

Sadly Emily Margaret won't be joining us

for Trick-or-Treats this year.

***Insert Charlie Brown's voice

saying"I gotta rock." :(

Because that's pretty much how

us Hinsons' feel.

Every celebration is merely bittersweet.

Good thing we'll have lots of

candy to drown tonight's hallow-sorrows. ;)

When Emily Margaret FINALLY comes home

this will be her 1st Halloween costume.

TaDa...

a lucky ladybug!

So, when you see the newly formed Hinson 5

trick-or-treating the Christmas tree,

just know it was bound to happen.

Because next year she'll need a whole new costume. :)

Happy Halloween

Baby Girl,

your Mama loves you more

than a hog loves slop!!!!

The Good, the Bad & the UGLY

2011-10-17T18:02:00.002-05:00

Hi all it's me,
Emily Margaret's weary mama.
I wish I had the wit to make this post more palatable,
but I just don't have it in me.
So I give today's update in the form of
the good, bad and ugly.

The good: Emily Margaret's Visa came through today.
Talk about praising the Lord.
This mama even busted a couple of touch down dance moves!

The bad: We're still 2 weeks away from our Article 5
and then another 3-4 weeks away from our Travel Approval.

The ugly: When I asked for a possible travel time,
the answer was mid-December.
Not the October I was praying for
or the November I was told,
but December.

Believe me when I say there aren't words that could describe
the roller coaster of emotions that today has ridden.
I feel sorry for myself.
And then I remember that it's really my daughter
that's paying the price.

Emptiness,
disbelief,
sorrow.

So I come before you to ask for prayer.
Please pray for Emily Margaret,
her fast journey home
and strength for our family.

God's blessings prayer warriors, Sarah

I800/I800A Approval!

2011-09-26T14:50:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon all!

In the past 30mins

we've experienced some yucky moments.

Joseph just shattered the screen on his new ipod,

James is kicking my booty in Monopoly

and we're all prepping for a rainy football game.

So in the midst of all the boo-hoo,

why are we all grinning ear-to-ear

and praising God??

Because our I800/I800A approvals

just came in the mail.

Praise GOD with me,

HOLLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm off to scan the originals for Karla

and find my rain gear for tonight's game.

Watch out Emily Margaret,

we're getting C-L-O-S-E-R!

God's blessings, Sarah & The Boys :)

Welcome to Emily Margaret Land

2011-09-22T09:39:00.000-05:00

Good morning all!

I'm here with a quick tour of

the only pink room in our house.

We'll call it Emily Margaret Land. :)

If you remember,

this room used to belong to James.

In the ultimate big brother sacrifice,

he & Joseph gave up their solo rooms.

Last year we combined them into Joseph's room.

In return they gained the man room as their den

and MOST importantly, a SISTER.

Here's how it came together.

Shortly before school started back,

we were blessed with a wonderful contractor.

In three days he replaced Emily Margaret's ceiling

and repainted everything in her room.

*For those in our Sunday School class

this is the perfect example of how God

takes something bad {April's tornado}

& uses it for good {Emily Margaret's room makeover!}*

Here's the Hinson clan basking in our new found P-I-N-K.

Ok, so maybe Mama was really the one glowing.

It's funny to me that James didn't mind

Emily Margaret inheriting his room,

he just wanted her to keep it blue.

Poor guy's lived in a boy world for so long

he just can't understand the whole girly concept.

Now I welcome you to

Emily Margaret Land...

Upon entering you'll be graced

by her over-the-top,

mama made chandelier.

I seriously LOVE it!

One perk of this being a 2 year pregnancy,

is that I've had plenty of time

to collect fabulous ideas & thrifty treasures.

If you look to the left you'll see her closet

and all her awaiting hair bows.

SqUeAL!!!

Once inside Emily Margaret Land

you'll probably want to sit and stay awhile.

I foresee lots of time being spent

rocking, reading & cuddling

with our princess in this cozy corner.

Speaking of the princess,

here's {a work in progress}

where she'll rest her sleepy head

pile all her stuffed animals.

You know, which ever she prefers. :)

And when she wants

to rock her own babies,

this is her Emily Margaret sized rocker.

{This rocker was mine as a child.}

Last spring it got a total-girly makeover.

The dresser is another piece that

benefited from a girly touch.

This was James' nursery dresser/changing table.

Remember forever ago when I posted

about dressing up Emily Margaret's drawers??

This lamp is awaiting it's frills as well.

It'll have black & white polka dot trim

added to the top & bottom of the shade.

You know, so it matches the chandelier shades.

As you can tell,

it's a work in progress.

I'm getting there,

just at a slow pace.

The best news is that this room

has finally transformed from the blue room with the door closed,

to a pink wonderland that smiles as I walk by.

Oh, but before we go, one last pic.

WHEN the TA arrives, we have these bags

ready to be stuffed full of Emily Margaret's goodies.

Wonder how I'll ever fit all her hairbows in one bag?!

Today when you pray for us,

please thank God for homeland security issuing

a fast & seamless I800 approval.

After a long 2 week delay,

I'm ready to sing some praises!

Now I'm off to tackle the day.

I hope you enjoyed your tour

and by all means,

let me know what you think.

God's blessings sweet friends, Sarah :)

2011-09-14T09:15:00.001-05:00

Good morning...

good morning...

good morning!
What's that?
An echo??
Oh yeah, silly mama hasn't updated the blog.
Sorry!

SO, I'll be Lucy and you be Ricky.
And I'll (attempt) to 'xplain it to you:
The Hinsons, while MIA,
have been working out all the last details
in preparation for travel approval.
Visas, check
Loan, check
Bedroom pink, check
EMH's monogrammed Vera bags, check
Hand me downs sorted, check
New clothes purchased, check
Panties/Pullups, check
I800, check/uncheck/in progress.

As you can see,
here lately I could update you multiple times a day.
I feel like the volleys that use to stay in the air forever,
now require me to play close to the net.
And on top of the constant back/forth
my emotions have gotten stronger.
The highs are high,
but the lows hurt like heck.

To keep you from volume overload
I'm working on a series of posts.
I wanna show you Emily Margaret's room
and tell you all the juicy details of my recent mommy meltdown.

In summary,
we're still here.
God's still doing His thang.
And we are still in need of your prayers.
I'll be back soon
but until then keep thanking God for His provisions!

God's blessings on your day, Sarah :)

Praising GOD for an update, a letter & a smile!

2011-07-25T16:08:00.000-05:00

Hi all,
I'm here with a quick update.
We received our Letter Of Approval today!
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isn't God just absolutely amazing?!!

I can't even put into words the emotions I feel.
It's sinking in slow, but it's sinking in deep.
And for all of this, I give Him thanks & praise!

Dear Emily Margaret.
Welcome to the family. No you're not actually home. But today does mark the day that this house was granted permission to be your home. HOORAY!!! As we eagerly await your arrival, I want to leave you with a few thoughts.
First and foremost we love you and we can't wait to learn all about you. We don't care if you have purple polka dots and a peg leg, you're a Hinson now (God bless your sweet soul).
In our family it's important to know, we'll push you to be your very best. Just remember, we'll always love you, ~~even~~ especially at your worst.
As your mama, I'm gonna do my best to teach you everything you need to know. But be prepared, because I will mess up. Just know that I'll go down trying & praying.
Probably most importantly will be the time I've spent in prayer over you. I've prayed for everything from a sprig of hair long enough for a hair bow, down to your sweet knees staying safe from falls until you know the love of a Mommy & Daddy who kiss boo-boos and make them all better. Prayers for your heart. That it will stay strong from surgery, but also that it would be filled with the Holy Spirit. I've prayed for your sweet little ears (the ones that look just like your brother Joseph's). I'd love for those ears to be able to hear my whisperings of "I love you" into them. Even if you never hear my voice, I pray that you'll always hear the voice of our Father.
Emily Margaret, I don't know what I did to deserve the honor of traveling across the ocean to bring your angelic face into my life. Please know, I will always thank & praise God for you, our Baby Girl Hinson!

Oh, and just so you know, God heard my prayers for hair.
How do I know??
Because he had Mrs.Vicki send me this

"Hello, my name is gorgeous and yes, you can just refer to me as that!" ;)
Thank you Mrs.Vicki!!!

I'll keep you posted of any news.
We've got more paperwork to do before traveling...
in 2-3 months!!!
God's blessings friends, Sarah :)
aka The Proudest Mama on the Block!

Emily Margaret's 1st Beach Trip {kinda}

2011-06-21T13:51:00.002-05:00

Hi all it's me,

Emily Margaret's mama

coming to you live from the beach.

This is Emily Margaret's 1st beach vacation...

well, it was supposed to be.

You see last summer I was certain would be

our last without packing floaties and hairbows.

I just knew that Emily Margaret would be here with us.

I even bought our baby girl a yellow ruffled bathing suit.

Needless to say, our sweet girl didn't

make it home in time for this year's trip.

So what's a mom to do?

Throw a fit and

refuse to vacation until Emily Margaret joined us,

OR continue living and honor her too??

After some mental pouting,

I decided I had to do what was right for the boys.

Just like having her birthday party without her,

I knew I had to keep moving forward.

It wasn't the present time that made me the saddest,

but the days to come when we looked back.

My mama's heart broke

as I thought of the Hinson five

looking back on years of vacation photos.

We'd flip through all the fun memories

and finally stumble upon 2011.

She'd see photos of Joseph flexing

and James bungee jumping.

We'd laugh and recall the fun.

Then it would happen.

She'd say "Mama, why wasn't I in those photos?"

I'd dance as fast as humanly possible

explaining that we were waiting to bring her home.

Oh I'd tell her how our vacation was incomplete,

but there'd be nothing tangible to prove it.

That's when I remembered my mini-me,

Emma Grace Speakman & her dear friend Kit.

Kit is Emma's American Girl doll.

You'll often see them together at the ballpark.

Unless of course Emma decides to play red rover

and Kit has to stay behind.

So as I was packing for our trip,

I thought back on a recent conversation where Jennifer

& I laughed about her being a grown woman

and carrying around a baby doll in her purse.

We couldn't help but imagine the

crazy looks she earned.

Ultimately we decided that if they knew the

Emma/Kit bond, then they would understand.

And that was it.

Exactly the piece I needed to

link Emily Margaret's wait time

together with our everyday life.

So with all the background info behind us,

look who joined us for her first

beach trip after all!!!

Emily Margaret,

this morning you took your first bike ride.

While the boys road through the sprinklers,

we stayed back & snapped pics.

You'll come to find that us Hinson girls

can hang with those boys.

We just do it in style

by adding a splash of pink & a dab of lip gloss!

And don't you worry,

once you're really here

there's a purple bike with ribbons and bows

just waiting for you at Werner's.

Oh yeah baby girl

even Daddy agrees,

we've got some lost time to make up for!

(Daddy & the Princess

at the Hangout's Pirates & Princesses breakfast.)

Pre-Approval Dec. 10th, 2010

James' Birthday

Log-In-Date May 23rd, 2011

Mama's Birthday

Keep those prayers going up,

Daddy's birthday is on July 8th

and we sure are ready for our Letter of Approval!

God's blessings & love,

Emily Margaret's Beach Bum Mama ;)

Definition Gives Direction

2011-04-19T09:44:00.003-05:00

Good morning all!

I'm here to share a definition

that was just brought to my attention via

an email from our agency, Lifeline.

Definition of calling:

a strong inner impulse
toward a particular course of action

especially when accompanied by conviction
of divine influence.

(Meriam Webster Dictionary)

The email referenced the following scripture:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you,

we have not stopped praying for you

and asking God to fill you with the knowledge
of His will through all spiritual wisdom
and understanding. And we pray this in order
that you may live a life worthy of the Lord

and may please him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work,

growing in the knowledge of God,

being strengthened with all power
according to His glorious might

so that you may have great endurance
and patience."

Colossians 1:9-11

Needless to say, it spoke to my heart.
I am so blessed to have felt that strong inner impulse.
I admit it took much prayer & meditation
before I realized it wasn't just my desire,
it was our family's calling to adopt.

It's been a long road.
But as we wait, we pray.
And as we pray,
we're strengthened by His spiritual wisdom.

So today while you ponder God's calling for your life,
please continue to pray for Emily Margaret.
Our dossier is currently making it's rounds here in the USA,
before heading off to China.

God's blessings friends,
we're getting closer!
Sarah :)

And We're OFF!

2011-04-02T10:07:00.000-05:00

Good morning Emily Margaret fans.

We did it!

Our dossier has officially left Cullman

and should be arriving at the agency today.

Inclosed was a stack of paperwork,

family pictures and of course a handful of checks.

After our dossier visits with the agency and receives a few tweaks,

it will begin it's journey.

The Hinson dossier will spend approximately

three weeks traveling the United States.

Once it's certified and authenticated

the REAL journey begins.

Are you with me??

In less than one month our dossier will be headed to China!

SQUEAL!!!

Now remember,

the abreviated version of the Hinson family

was PreApproved to adopt Emily Margaret

back on December 10th.

Our dossier is the L-O-N-G version

of the Hinson family.

And peeps,

you've seen our baby girl...

isn't she fabulous?!

She deserves to have her family thoroughly investigated.

SO, our timeline to travel once the dossier

gets to China is about 6 months.

During that time we'll be approved

and receive our travel arrangements. :D

But I need you to be prepared,

because I'm certain she's coming home sooner.

God is doing the most amazing things

for one beautiful baby girl!

How do I know??

Because God sent Mark 11:22-24

as my devotional reading this morning.

"Have faith in God, Jesus answered.

I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain,

Go throw yourself into the sea,

and does not doubt in his heart

but believes that what he says will happen,

it will be done for him.

Therefore I tell you,

whatever you ask for in prayer,

believe that you have received it,

and it will be yours."

I stand firm in the truth that God

was in this before I was.

If He says He's moving mountains,

then friend those mountains are moved!

Now I leave you with a smile.

Keep praising God for bringing Emily Margaret home.
We're ready to see those smiles in person!

God's blessings on your weekend loved ones,

Sarah :)

I800A Approval Notice!!!

2011-03-30T14:13:00.001-05:00

Hi all,

it's Emily Margaret's mama.

I'm sitting in the floor amongst a sea of papers.

Why you ask??

Because I'm assembling our dossier,

HOLLA!!!

So,

what was suppose to be my day to wrap up our taxes

turned into an Emily Margaret day.

Hooray for Emily Margaret days!!!

And the coolest part?

We needed $1,254 to send in for dossier fees.

When I checked our adoption account balance

we had exactly $1,141.46.

If you heard a SqUeAL, it was ME!

GOD provided us with what we need for fees.

Now all we have to worry about

is our third agency payment,

then this dossier is off to China.

I'm praising GOD for all HE has and will

continue to do to bring Emily Margaret home!!!

Keep praying for our girl, friends.

I'm determined to hold my baby

sooner rather than later!

GOD's blessings,

Sarah :)

Waiting... Is Hard To Do

2011-03-13T11:03:00.001-05:00

Dear Emily Margaret,

How's my girl?

Are you happy to see that Spring's on it's way?

I'll bet you can't help but smile when

you see the sun shining through the windows!

When you get home we'll spend hours playing outside,

soaking up that sun together.

Right now we're making our annual transition.

When we're jolted from cozy winter days to kick off,

BASEBALL SEASON.

Yes mam,

not only will you know the love of football

you'll enjoy the thrills of baseball too.

Brother James is working hard this year.

You'll love watching him play!

Now don't worry about what you'll wear.

Ms. Allison already sent you a baseball hairbow &

Ms. Jennifer's determined to teach me how to sew cute pants.

You'll be well entertained AND well dressed. :)

I've got to be honest with you baby girl,

sometimes I think I can patiently wait until

November to bring you home.

Then other times I want to jump on a plane

and scoop you up.

There's just so much we want to protect you from.

Not to mention the things we want to share with you!

I'm still working on your Emily Margaret book.

It's the girl-iest book I've ever seen.

There's more pink, glitter, sass

and bling than is legal.

Yep, you're gonna love it!

It's Mama's way of bonding while we're apart.

Well it's your bedtime,

so I'll let you run.

Daddy's sick so I need to check on him.

Be good baby girl.

Play sweet with your friends.

Obey your teachers.

And when you see the sun peeking through

the windows, think of your mama coming to get you!

Sending prayers, hugs & kisses your way.

God's doing His thang baby girl.

Oh how sweet He is!

I love you more than a hog loves slop,

and that's a lot of love,

Mama

Biometrics Fingerprints

2011-03-05T10:24:00.000-06:00

Good morning all!

I'm here with a quick recap.

Thursday Andy & I made our trip to Birmingham,

where we got our biometrics fingerprinting done.

Now I gotta tell ya,

if Disney is the happiest place on earth

then the USCIS office is the most miserable.

It was so bad that when Andy & I got to the car

we looked at each other and said

"Was it just me or were those people mean??"

We were the only two customers in the building

and you'd thought they were slammed busy.

I focused on the knowledge that we were doing

God's work, and continued to smile and share our story.

I must say that by the time I was finished

with the officer working the desk

he'd turned from the grinch into a grinning fool. :)

Regardless of the details the outcome was

exactly what Emily Margaret needed,

her parents biometrics fingerprinting is done.

Hooray!!!

As far as I know,

this is the last step in the process.

Next we wait for immigration clearance.

Once we've received clearance then our dossier

will be completed and ready to go to China.

SqUeaL!!!

Please keep praying for our sweet baby girl.

Everyday she is woven tighter into our family tapestry.

We're looking forward to wrapping her up

in the love of HER forever family!

God's blessings,

Sarah

Giving GOD the Glory

2011-02-21T11:49:00.000-06:00

Good morning all.
Remember when I posted about knowing the kind of
God that would send you exactly what you need?
Well today I'm here with the details.
So, grab a cup of coffee, some tissues
and get ready for goosebumps.

It all started several weeks ago when
I visited my sweet friend Lauren.
While we played with Tessa,
we chatted.
She mentioned I should join the yahoo group for
Emily Margaret's orphanage.
That was Friday afternoon
and by that night I was all signed up.

Over the weekend I received numerous emails
from other moms who shared pictures and stories.
It was wonderful to have more pieces to Emily Margaret's puzzle.

The following Wednesday was baby girl's birthday.
I kept my body busy while my heart prayed.
By Thursday I was empty.
I continued moving forward,
but only because I was afraid of
what would happen if I didn't.
No time for hysterical sobbing at this house. :)

Thursday afternoon as I vacuumed,
I received an email.
It was from a lady who said our daughters
were in the orphanage at the same time.
She was certain she had pictures of my Emily Margaret.
I immediately emailed her back
with a quick "I'd love to have them.
They'd be such a blessing."

After hitting send on my blackberry
I began to think about the name listed.
Since joining the yahoo group I'd
been in contact with several women.
I'd replied to all of them...
or so I thought.
I realized this particular mom
had emailed me before.
Although I'd composed a reply,
instead of sending it, I saved it as a draft.

I promptly sent her my original reply
with an explanation of my blunder and a link to our blog.
A little later she sent back saying that she did in fact
of pictures/video of our Emily Margaret.
They were on her camera and she'd get them to me
once her hubby could retrieve them.
She said she'd email me later in the day.
I felt God patting me on the shoulder
saying "We're gonna be ok mama."

The evening was long and I was weary.
Andy made it home early
and came to my rescue.
Knowing I didn't want the boys to sense my broken heart
he took them to play football and eat dinner.

I grabbed a bath,
put on my favorite jammy tales
and pulled out Emily Margaret's life book.
As I googled "how to create a life book for an adopted child"
I saw an email come through.

It was my sweet friend from earlier in the day.
She said she was composing a email
and would send it out in the next few minutes.
I remember thinking,
WOW, what a thoughtful person.
She was so kind I just knew she had to be southern.
I was touched and went back to my life book work.

Shortly thereafter, the boys came home
and we settled into our evening routine.

I was in the bedroom when I heard
the email chime on my blackberry.
I picked it up and opened the email.
I read the first two paragraphs about
our daughters being in the orphanage together,
and smiled.
Then as I began the third paragraph,
my jaws dropped...
the lady emailing me wasn't just any mother,
she was THE mother.
She and her husband were the "European Couple"
who'd traveled to adopt Emily Margaret.
She said she originally wasn't sure whether or not
to reveal her true identity,
until I emailed her the link to my blog and
she saw the post that mentioned them.

I distinctly remember feeling a rush of emotions
only comparable to receiving our Pre-Approval
during James' birthday party.
So I did what I do.
I began reading this email at the top of my lungs,
while running to the front of the house.

Once I convinced everyone I was ok,
I explained my enthusiasm.
They all sat staring at me, mouths open.
I read the email, cried, praised God
and then retreated to the bedroom for a well thought out response.

I spent the remainder of the weekend
emailing back and forth with my new "European" friend.
Hours of emails later,
I had more pictures than I ever dreamed possible,
pieces to Emily Margaret's story,
and the ultimate confirmation that
she was designed to be our daughter.

I learned that Emily Margaret wasn't just loved
by her birth mother and her forever mother.
She had in fact been shown the love of a third mother
by a God sent angel.

You see, this "European" mother
thought she was traveling to China to
adopt our Emily Margaret.
But in reality, she was traveling because
she was the answer to my prayer.
The daily prayer we pray for Emily Margaret...
"Lord please keep her belly full,
her bottom dry,
and bless her with arms to care for and love her
until you bring her home to ours."

The flip side of the coin?
The mama who thought she'd be matched
with a daughter who had a cleft lip/palate
was matched with Emily Margaret.
By the ultimate Match Maker, no less.
And that beautiful little girl with a cleft??
She became the daughter to my "European" friend.

As my friend grieved the loss of the daughter she'd
loved for months and held for 12 days,
she also prayed a prayer.
She prayed that the little girl she left behind
would be adopted and not just by any family,
but by the perfect family for her.
That's how I became the answer to
my friend's prayers.

It was amazing at all God did
to leave His fingerprints on this story.
Like learning that my Emily Margaret's
middle name would have been Marie.
Which is amazing, because my middle name is Marie.

Some other fun facts?
Emily Margaret loves to take baths.
She has really thick beautiful hair.
She enjoyed her first taste of ice cream.
She was a delightful child
who bonded easily.
She has touched the lives of three different countries.
But more than all of this,
I learned that she's in the palm of her Father's hand.

God has His protective hands around my Emily Margaret.
And when her mamas' hearts break?
He'll be there to answer their prayers too.

See,
I told you God gave me exactly what I needed,
even though I never knew how to ask for it!
I'm giving all the Glory to God
for Emily Margaret's adoption story,
and mine. :)

God's blessings loved ones, Sarah :)
One blessed mama

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:29:00.001-06:00

Good morning lovies!

Today I bring you one word...

Yep you guessed it,

L-O-V-E!

"And hope does not disappoint us,

because God has poured out His love

into our hearts by the Holy Spirit..."

Romans 5:5

NIV

God's blessings lovies,

Sarah <3

Birthday Party Video

2011-02-13T14:39:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!
We're no singers that's for sure
but our song is from the heart.
God's blessings for a safe & quick trip home!
LOVE,
Daddy & Mama
Joseph & James :D

Emily Margaret's Birthday Party!

2011-02-13T11:53:00.006-06:00

Hi all, as you know Wednesday was
Emily Margaret's 3rd birthday.

We celebrated with a small dinner, Hinson style. :)

We were certain if Emily Margaret were here she'd request

our favorite chinese food for dinner.

So Mama drove to Decatur and made it so.

Because we all know,

if I could have busted a trip to China to retrieve our birthday girl,

I would have!

While out and about I picked up a few pink

things to decorate the table.

I've never thrown a pink party before.

I felt like a kid in a candy store,

as I walked down the birthday aisle at Target.

Here's this years' birthday table baby girl.

The crown your sporting was a 27cent clearance

find at Hancock Fabrics.

All it needed was some mama diy skills to

make it the perfect crown for our birthday princess.

Your baby Emily joined us for the celebration.

As Daddy was late getting home that night,

we were already bathed and in our jammy tales.

Because Hinsons are all about some comfy jammies!

Once Daddy finished with patients we snapped

a picture to send to you in China.

Just look at who jumped in the picture

right as I clicked the camera.

Pepper obviously can't wait to meet you!

Joseph hopes you'll be tiny enough to ride her as a horse.

Don't worry baby girl,

Mama will keep you safe!

As we divided up the donuts,

Daddy grabbed his dinner.

Poor Daddy. :(

Your birthday called for a special trip

to Kay-May donuts.

The most delicious donuts in town.

We handpicked a dozen donuts

in your honor.

Next it was times for presents.

Since you weren't here to direct us,

we just took turns opening them for you.

Don't worry sis, next year they're all yours!

Big Brother Jo-Jo

modeled this snazzy little number.

It's a 4T so we're thinking it'll be perfect

for your senior portraits! ;)

Next it was time for the b-i-g gift.

Daddy got you a pink plasma car.

Without prompting your brothers ripped it

out of the package and assembled the entire thing...

unassisted!

They must really love their baby sis.

The minute Joseph had it finished,

James took it for a test drive.

They noticed it wasn't up to brotherly standards

so they tightened a few bolts.

Now it sits in the foyer,

just waiting for your debut lap.

Mama took the bow off the package

and promptly tied it to your car.

I'm hoping to deter those wild boys from breaking it in.

All that's left is the gift mama's working on for you.

Instead of a baby book,

I'm creating you a life book.

I was never good at baby books anyway

and this one will be way more fun.

Besides, your life is one so amazing

it's gonna require at least one book to tell your story! :)

Here's a peek at the pages in progress.

Emily Margaret,

Your 3rd birthday began with Nana

calling to sing you Happy Birthday

and ended with a beautiful cross necklace from Gigi.

As you can see,

the in-between was filled with lots of fun & prayers.

Now hurry home baby girl,

and we'll start planning your 4th birthday party!

Thank you to everyone who participated in

our Three Days of Prayer for Emily Margaret.

God is doing the most amazing things for our lil' angel.

God's blessings,

Sarah :)

Do You Know?

2011-02-11T07:52:00.001-06:00

Good morning all!

I'm here this morning with a question.

I want to know if you know the kind of God

that gives you exactly what you need,

even when it's not what you've asked for?

Boompa, you wanted to send our girl potato chips.

God sent us a video clip of her kicked

back and chowing down.

Mama, you wanted to see her beautiful face.

God led you to a blog post where you stumbled upon

her crystal clear image.

Nana, you saw the picture and wanted a smile.

God heard your heart speak out.

And answered you with this...

So this morning I have this to say,

RUN to Him.

Serve Him, love Him, cry to Him.

He can take it.

In return He'll give you exactly what you need.

Friends, this story just keeps getting better.

Emily Margaret's is one that continues to blossom.

Praise GOD!

God's blessings on your day,

Sarah :)

Happy Birthday Emily Margaret!

2011-02-09T08:27:00.000-06:00

Good morning all!

Today we're celebrating the most beautiful child,

I've never met.

But here's what I know:

Three years ago today

a most magical princess came into the world.

It was a cold day, but the sun shone bright.

So bright in fact,

that this child touched the lives of two mothers.

The first that brought her into the world,

and the second would carry her through it.

Emily Margaret today you'll play with

your friends in the playroom.

As you glimpse outside know that far away,

across the sea a family awaits you.

You have a multitude of friends and family

surrounding you in prayer.

Both your brothers are carrying your angelic face to school with them.

Those brothers sure are proud of their baby sister.

Then tonight, a special dinner is being held in your honor.

You'll be receiving a gift picked out by daddy.

It won't have frills, ruffles or bling

but it is pink. :)

Since it's your special day,

I think you can lay in the floor and

eat potato chips if you want to!

So go baby girl.

Enjoy your friends.

Because soon enough those days will be over,

and we will hold you in our arms forever.

God's blessings and love,

Sarah

The Second Mama ;)

P.S. Thank you to Julie at The McDonald Gangs Journey for these pictures.

There aren't words to express the gratitude I feel.

Guess Who's Daughter's In The Floor?!

2011-02-07T19:04:00.000-06:00

Fu Yun Hong2 from Amy Dummier on Vimeo.
Password is Barrett2

Because God had a friend encourage me

to join a Yahoo Group.

And I did.

I received an email from Isabella's mom.

We exchanged facts and eventually videos.

And now??

Just look who's daughter is on the floor eating chips!

Yep you guessed it,

mine!!!

You have no idea the amount of encouragement this

has provided my needy heart.

Enjoy!

God's blessings,

Sarah :D

Three Days of Prayer

2011-02-07T10:13:00.000-06:00

Good morning all!
I'm here with a quick post.
I've just finished cleaning the bathrooms
and I'm off to work on our dossier.
Here's what's on my mind:
Emily Margaret.
Surprise, I know.
But really, today she's on my mind
for a very special reason.
Emily Margaret's birthday is February 9th,
which is this Wednesday.
If it weren't for constant prayer
I could need professional therapy!

SO, what's the best gift a paperwork logged mama
can give to the daughter she's longing to hold?
The gift of prayer.
I'm asking everyone to celebrate Emily Margaret's birthday in one of 3 ways:
1. Read this post, pray for Emily Margaret & ask 3 others to pray for her.
2. Read this post, pray for Emily Margaret & repost on your blog.
3. Read this post, pray for Emily Margaret and pray for her the next 3 days.

Either option,
one solution:
prayer!

God's blessings loved ones,
Sarah :)

I-800A Received

2011-02-04T17:53:00.000-06:00

Oh wow,

two posts in one day.

Crazy I know.

But this my friends required immediate action.

I just checked the mail and found a very important

looking letter from the Department of Homeland Security.

It's a letter stating they received our

I-800A application on January 26th, 2011.

The very day I had my mommy meltdown,

this very letter was being sent out.

They're processing it and will be mailing us

our biometric fingerprinting appointment.

Talk about giving God glory.

I'm thinking more along the lines of...

If you're praising God then HOLLA!!!

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement.

With God's grace we're gonna make it to China,

to give wings to our angel.

HALLELUJAH!!!

God's blessings on your night,

Sarah :D

Play date!

2011-02-04T14:36:00.000-06:00

Hi Emily Margaret,
we had a play date today with Tessa.
I showed her your picture on my phone.
It took a few minutes for her to understand
but once she did she carried you around
with her the rest of our visit.
She would sit the phone in the floor,
lean over it and talk to you.
Tessa taught you all kinds of stuff today...
although I only understood about half. :)
So today Ms. Lauren, Tessa and I all agreed
it's time for you to come home,
for us to pick up some donut holes
and then for ya'll to play!

Here's a snippet of the conversation:
Me: "That's Emily Margaret, she's in China.
Do you want me to go get her so ya'll can play?"
Tessa smiled really sweet as she lit up.
Then followed up by pointing at Lauren and saying
"That's MY mommy!"
Me: "Yes Tessa, that's your mommy."
Tessa: Pointing at your picture and then at me
"That's YOUR mommy!"

See, I told you it was time to come home.
Tessa's already figured out the roles in
this game and she can't wait to teach them to you!

God's blessings and hugs & kisses baby girl,
Mama :)

The Good and The Bad

2011-02-02T13:06:00.001-06:00

Hi all,

I talked to our adoption agency this morning.

Our I800-A has been sent off.

That's awesome, right?!

Yes.

Praise God for our I800-A going out!!!

I haven't heard back from the care package we sent

so Karla is going to check on it for me.

I'm ready to get another package in the mail

to Emily Margaret for her upcoming birthday.

My next assignment is assembling our dossier.

I'll begin that this afternoon.

Finally the sad part,

I asked when we might expect to travel.

Karla said we still have about 3 months

of immigration paperwork left.

Then we'll have another 6 months until we're logged in.

Of course these time frames are approximate.

She said she would tweak our date

as we check things off the list.

My heart was in my throat as she talked.

Then she said the unthinkable.

She said to expect to travel in November.

NOVEMBER?!

That's when my heart dropped.

Seriously, November?!!!!!

True to form I swallowed my heart and said

"Well, that just gives God plenty of room to show out!"

Please pray that our paperwork flies through the proper channels.

There's a baby girl who's world is quiet

and a mama who's arms are aching to hold her.

I'm still processing all this so I'll update more later.

God has some truths He's speaking to my needy heart.

God's blessings on your afternoon sweet friends,

Sarah :)

Common Terms in the Hinson World

2011-01-23T10:41:00.000-06:00

Good morning all!

Today's post is strictly educational.

But since we all know that non-forced learning ='s fun,

I'm certain you'll enjoy this.

So, here's your lesson on the adoption lingo

you'll hear spoken in the Hinson world.

Common Terms used in China Adoption:

CCAA (Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs) -

The Chinese governing body that oversees

the adoption process in China.

Their offices are located in Beijing, China.

Home Study -

A series of interviews and supporting documentation

put together by a licensed social worker

in a report for the purpose of adoption.

LOI (Letter Of Intent) -

This is the letter sent in when adopting
through the Special Needs process.

This letter will outline basic information regarding
your family and will also document your desire to
nurture and provide for this specific child.

Pre-Travel Approval -

Once the Letter Of Intent is processed by the CCAA,

you will receive a pre-travel approval.

It usually takes 6-8 weeks
for your pre-travel approval to arrive.

CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services) -

CIS is the department within Homeland Security
that is responsible for issuing approvals
that permit families to bring their adopted child
into the U.S. from their country of origin.

Dossier - Pronounced “doss-ee-ay.”

A collection of approximately 13 documents

submitted to the CCAA for
permission to adopt a child from China.

DTC (Dossier To China) -

The date your dossier is sent to China.

It takes approximately 3 business days

for your dossier to reach China.

LID (Log In Date) -

The date your dossier is officially translated

and logged in at the CCAA.

Travel Approval (TA) –

The official invitation from the CCAA to
travel to China to receive your child.
Insert: SQUEAL!!!

“The brown envelope” –

Once you are logged in with the CCAA
and the U.S. Consulate has been notified
of your approval to adopt from China by CIS,
you will receive your brown envelope.
The brown envelope contains paperwork
which you will take to China
and complete while you are there.

Consulate appointment –

Once you have received your travel approval,

you will be able to apply for your appointment at
the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou.

Provincial City –

The capital city of the province where

your child’s orphanage is located.

You will spend approximately 5 days
in the provincial city.

Guangzhou (GZ) -

The location of the U.S. Consulate in China.

Everyone who adopts a child from China will spend
the last half of their trip in Guangzhou.

It is also the location of the White Swan Hotel.

Please note:

This list was composed with the help of

Lifeline Children's Services adoption manual.

The agency with the burden of helping me

through this process. ;)

Now all you adoption graduates out there,

I'm asking you to please share your wisdom.

What's your favorite, or least favorite adoption term??

Thanks for playing along!

God's blessings on your day,

Sarah

The Mama educated w-a-y beyond her intelligence. :D

Documents and Letters

2011-01-22T10:37:00.002-06:00

Good morning all!

I didn't realize it'd been so long since I updated.

You see,

every day Emily Margaret's woven

tighter into our family tapestry.

I try to balance adoption paperwork

with girly-girl fun...

oh and keeping everything else afloat.

The official report:

We're at the halfway point on our agency fees.

It's never felt so good to drop a check in the mail.

Thank you to everyone who helped make it possible.

It's amazing to me how God has provided

exactly what we needed, every-step-of-the-way!

Yesterday James and I mailed off our I800-A.

First off, I had no idea how simple I was

until I attempted to tackle that document.

Even with cheat sheet in hand,

there were multiple times I felt my eyes crossing.

Finally with signatures and check stuffed tight,

we made our way to the post office.

We prayed over that document

and asked for it to be sent on the wings of angels...

because we have an angel ready to sprout her wings!

Now the fun:

With all that drudgery going on,

you can see why mama needs

a constant project to work out all that blah.

Hence the letters I made the kids

to celebrate who'll be residing in our bedrooms.

A manly style for the boys

and an over the top girly style for Emily Margaret.

That pink E is enough to make me smile

as I walk down the hallway. :D

I won't start painting her room until
the official wait begins.

It'll be a homecoming project/therapy
session of sorts. :)

SO, please pray for Emily Margaret.

That her belly will be full,

her bottom will stay dry

and that God will provide her with arms

to care for her, until He brings her home to ours.

With God's grace we're gonna see this baby girl home...

HOLLA!!! ;)

God's blessings dear friends, Sarah

Mama Is Ready-To-GO!

2011-01-08T09:33:00.000-06:00

Good morning all!
I'm here with a quick post before heading out
to teach my Breastfeeding Prenatal Class.
This week the boys returned to school.
I got part of the Christmas decor down.
What can I say, the tree's still up...
slacker alert.

I finally mailed in the accuracy agreement
for our homestudy AND
completed the I800-A form.
I'm lacking one blank spot
before sending that bad boy off.
Question 3, page 7 to be exact.
I'm awaiting a response from Karla
on precisely what to fill in.
Better to get it right the first time. :)

Emily Margaret's room is coming together.
Almost everything is here and
awaiting Mama to do her thang.
It looks like the biggest challenge will be repainting.
All the furniture will get a fresh coat of white.
Then her room will get a custom Mama paint job.
I'm cooking up something SWEET!
I invision scallops, stripes & ladybugs...
in the most non-manic kinda way.

Most importantly my heart is ready.
I'm ready to kick it in to overdrive
doing whatever necessary to bring our angel home.
SO, if you notice my house a mess
and my laundry backed up more than usual
please overlook it.
'Cause Emily Margaret is waiting and
this Mama is ready-to-GO!!!

Here's a pic of the gifts Santa left for her here.

Oh, and one last thing.

For all Emily Margaret's fan club,

concerned about her hair,

or lack there-off.

Hobby Lobby has the crotched headbands

in every color, for a mere 99cents!

Not that we have them ALL or anything.

So, I'm unsure of the status of her hair but

I'm certain she'll have the perfect amount to sport a bow.

Whew, drama averted! ;)

God's blessings on your day loved ones

and keep praying for our baby girl! Sarah :)

Merry CHRISTmas Emily Margaret!

2010-12-31T08:10:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-19T09:11:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-15T07:52:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-13T18:49:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-11T08:57:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-12-10T23:42:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-04T13:35:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-03T06:57:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-02T05:54:00.000-06:00

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...

2010-12-01T20:54:00.000-06:00

Mary Beth from Amy Dummier on Vimeo.
Password: mb2010

Because HE's Cool Like That!

2010-12-01T19:59:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-30T13:54:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-30T06:46:00.000-06:00

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...

2010-11-25T08:32:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-24T07:38:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-06T09:27:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-12T18:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-09T08:37:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-30T08:41:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-18T09:13:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-09-05T09:49:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

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 :)

In The End

2010-07-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

"In the end, she will not know or care how long we waited..... only that we came."

---Author Unknown

This puts it all into perspective.
God's blessings friends, Sarah

Ready to See Emily Margaret

2010-07-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

Hi all, happy Wednesday.
We're still hanging in there!
We don't have any news,
so we continue to pray & wait.
But, I'm hoping for a match soon.
Although I'm unsure of how soon
plays out on a timeline.

So, what's a mom to do?
Well other than praying for our girl,
I spend a lot of time dreaming about her.
I'm savoring the process of adding a girl to our family.

Last week while doing the boys' back to school shopping,
I picked up a few things for Emily Margaret.
She scored a cute tank top and yoga pants,
a mere $10 at the Polo outlet.
The most adorable yellow bathing suit with toile tutu,
$8 from Old Navy.
Then last but not least,
and certainly the most appropriate outfit was this...

What baby girl from China doesn't need
an I <3 USA shirt
AND
matching tiara?!
Squeal!

Emily Margaret,
I can't wait to get to China and
dress you up in this for pictures to send home.

Please keep us in your prayers and
we promise to keep you posted!
God's blessings, Sarah :)

Good News!

2010-07-02T13:14:00.000-05:00

Hi all, happy Friday!
I wanted to take a minute to share the news.
I just pulled my approval letter from the mailbox.
Approval letter?
Yes, although my fingerprints were a big o' failure,
my name search came through.
I'm currently holding the letter in my hands
stating that I'm approved to adopt,
HOORAY!!!
I'll share the rest of the details later.
God's blessings on your weekend,
Sarah :)

No Process In Place

2010-06-09T13:08:00.000-05:00

Hi all!
I hope your day is going well.
Things have been pretty crazy here.
The Appliance Guy has already been here
to repair the dryer and oven
A-N-D
I'm still waiting on the air conditioner
repair man to call back.
Add to that all the bazillion other
things currently going on and you'll
quickly agree that the Hinson
household has gone crazy. :)

So, since my day was already bizarre
I decided to check on my finger prints.
Here we go:
Sam, the original man I was working with is
now on military leave until March 2011.
After many phone calls and transfers I
finally spoke with Angela.
Angela said that there is currently
"no procedure in place" for the name search.
They are doing some name searches manually,
but she doesn't know if my name is on the list.
She was very nice, apologized and asked me
to check back again next week.
When I asked if there was anything I could do
to help the process along she said to just be patient.

I promptly reported all of the above to my
precious social worker Karla.
She was so encouraging and put me in touch
with her co-worker, Marie.
Now that Marie is on the case she's going
to do some investigating and get back with me.

Hhmmm, The SBCN
may have No Process In Place,
but this girl does.
I call it, taking it to my Father.
I cry...
He listens.
I complain...
He gives me confirmation of His plan.
I get discouraged...
He sends a cheerleader.

This adoption process is taking
FOREVER.
But ya know,
I don't think I'd ask for it any other way.
By the time Emily Margaret comes home
I will be ready to parent her,
at the feet of Jesus.
He's using this walk of faith
to teach me how to be less self reliant
and more God reliant.

Thank you Lord for calling us to adopt
and for taking the time to equip me as well.
This is going to be one incredible testimony!

God's blessings friends, Sarah Hinson
aka Emily Margaret's Prayer Warrior :)

Widows AND Orphans

2010-05-25T06:22:00.000-05:00

Good morning all!
I wanted to update you that we're still
waiting to hear from my finger prints.
They're running a name search
so I'm unsure of how long it will take.
Wanna know what I'm doing on the outside
(while I'm patiently waiting on the inside?)
I'm spending the day at the park
with James' first grade class.
The boys' end of the year activities
have kept me b-u-s-y. :)

God's also given me a little side project.
I've been feeding my shut in neighbor.
At first I just talked to her,
declined her out to lunch invites
and yes, even hid in the bathroom one day
while she rang the doorbell.
But while I was sitting in the bathroom floor,
God convicted me.
He very plainly stated that His word says to care for
the orphans AND the widows.
Um Yes Sir,
I'll get up out of the bathroom floor right now.
Needless to say we've been joyfully doing what we can.
The coolest part?
I've been slipping scripture in her meals and cards.

Wow, it's so wonderful to think that the work
I'm doing can impact the eternal life of others...
the orphans and the widows. :)

Now I'm off to shower and put on my CCPS t-shirt.
I'll keep you posted on the fingerprints!
God's blessings on your day friends, Sarah :D

Ray of Hope

2010-05-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

Remember that ray of hope I mentioned yesterday?
Well after a long and emotional morning,
I took a time out.
I grabbed some lunch and headed outside.
I sat in the sun and spent time in God's word.
My hour was spent crying, praying and feeling His comfort.
After coming inside to freshen up and do some Mama work,
I decided to check the mail.
As my mind was filled with a million different things
my eyes focused on three Priority Mail envelopes.
Hhm, what could that be??
It was not one, but three rays of hope
delivered at just the right time!
Joseph, James and I all received our passports today.
HOORAY!!!
We may not have anywhere to go just yet,
but when the time comes we'll be ready to GO.

Thanks for all your prayers friends!

Thank you Lord for filling me with your spirit and covering me in your grace.

God's blessings on your afternoon, Sarah :)

Digging to China

2010-05-11T20:50:00.000-05:00

So it looks like all the holes that Pepper's

been digging are going to come in handy.

We've laughed that she's digging to China.

And it appears that she's going to be

my fastest route to Emily Margaret.

Good news:

I'm r-e-a-l-l-y close to finishing all our paperwork.

Bad news:

My first AND second sets of

finger prints were "unclassifiable".

The next step is for them to run a name search.

When I asked for their expected time frame,

they declined to give me one.

The Worst News:

There's no referral until the fingerprint issue is cleared up.

My Thoughts:

I'm sad, I'm tired, I'm frustrated.

I'm leaning on God.

I'm certain that He's still in this.

I know He has all of this already written.

Although I wish He'd give me a copy of His plan.

Nah, that might take away my need to fall at His feet.

So that's where you'll find me...

at His feet,

clinging to His promises.

"For we are God's workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Ephesians 2:10

God's blessings friends,

Sarah

We're Still Going...

2010-05-05T20:01:00.000-05:00

Hi all, happy Wednesday!
I wanted to take a minute to let you know
that we're still here,
still waiting
and still moving slowly forward.
But God never promised this journey
would be easy, or quick.
He did however promise to walk with me.
In that fact I find comfort and strength.
Because let me tell you friends,
I am weak right now.
I'm depending on Him being strong.

So here's the 411:
1. Andy's fingerprints are back and cleared.
2. Our passports have been applied for.
3. My first set of fingerprints were "unclassifiable".
Whatever that means.
So we're still waiting for them to run the second set.
4. Andy's started working an extra job on Fridays.
We're praying that we'll be more financially prepared
for the baby girl once we're matched.
5. I'm finalizing MORE paperwork.

Since Mother's Day and my birthday are both in May,
I told Andy I thought that this was our month.
I'm praying for a match,
yet I'm prepared to wait.

I'm in this for the long haul.
My Heavenly Father called me to this adoption
so I'm certain He will bring me through it.
And the other side?
Well on the other side of this journey
there's a baby girl waiting
for her family to bring her home.
We're coming Emily Margaret,
just as fast as we can get there!

Thanks for checking on
and hanging in there with us.
Please keep us in your prayers.
We're keeping our eye on the prize!
God's blessings sweet friends,
Sarah :D

Doing God's Work Is HARD

2010-04-14T10:21:00.000-05:00

Good morning all!
I hope you're having a beautiful week.
We're enjoying a sun filled Spring Break.
Which leads me to the topic at hand.
Doing God's work is hard!
Yep that's right, it's not for the weak.
Read:
Working steadily along on your adoption paperwork
is way less F-U-N than redecorating a retro garbage can!
There, I've said it.
I've spent too much time playing in the sun
and too little time doing God's work.
SO,
today the Hinson four are obtaining our passports.
Through busy schedules and procrastination
we've gotten off track.
BUT,
we're back.

Maybe I could just work on my paperwork
while I sit at my newly cleaned & decorated patio?!
Yeah, I think that'll work! :)

Emily Margaret, WE LOVE YOU
and your paperwork!!! :D

God's blessings on your day,
Sarah

It's An Emily Margaret Doll!

2010-04-08T12:17:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

I hope you had a fabulous Easter.

As I was in full blown prep mode on Saturday

Andy asked his favorite question...

"Do you want your prize early?"

Emily Margaret,

Daddy buys us really good prizes.

You'll soon learn that he's

as excited to give them to us,

as we are to get them! :)

So I obviously answered YES,

of course I wanted my prize early!

Here's me waiting to open it.

Andy was in charge of the camera,

so you get the step by step. ;>

He's saying

"Do you know what it is?!"

Of course I knew what it was,

it was an Emily Margaret doll.

HOORAY!!!

The cool part is that he designed it for me...

1. Asian girl

2. Happy eyes

3. Smiling mouth

4. Asian print dress

5. The colors yellow and pink

6. Ladybugs

Not only does my hubby know

exactly what I like love,

Dianne did a fabulous job creating it!

She has a shop, Emmi's Cottage

that's filled with beautiful gifts. :)

Ok, so now I gotta tell you the coolest part.

The Emily Margaret doll is mine for now,

but when the real Emily Margaret arrives

I'll gladly pass her on.

Because I'll have the real doll to hold

and she'll need a doll to love!

Thanks for stopping by.

Please continue to keep us

and the real Emily Margaret in your prayers.

God's blessings,

Sarah :D