Happy Anniversary - 23 years

Here is my story. I love reading on other blogs how a couple met or they write devotions for their husband or wives. Scroll down to next post to see pics. You know I am not a good writer but here is mine:

I met Kevin back in 1984. My best friend than was dating his best friend. So Kevin asked his friend to meet one of his girlfriend’s friends, which was me of course.

The first night I met him I just got in from a tennis match and I was all sweaty, gross but at least our meeting wasn't all having me made up. So we became really good friends and had a great friendship for six months. I really liked him as a friend but something didn’t click for me as it had for Kevin from the very beginning. I guess I wasn’t attracted to him but I LOVED his personality. (hey at least I am being honest). I think my mother-in-law would kill me if she reads this since she thinks her son is the best since gravy.

The real awakening didn’t come for me until I went to Greece with 6 girlfriends and while I was at the island of Crete, a voice told me (back then I didn’t believe in God, but I know now it was God) in the middle of the night while sitting at the ocean, “Kevin is it, he will be your husband".
After I returned from Greece, I told Kevin I wanted to date him and I am very serious now. After that we became inseparable and spent every free moment we had together.
In November of 1984 he told me he had to go back to the states and I was just devastated. I said “yeah right, a military guy, there is no way we are going to get married now and last forever. But Kevin assured me that he loved me and even though he has to go back to the states he will not leave me behind. I still didn’t believe him.

We got engaged on March 31, 1985 and he went back to the states in May of 1985. I came to visit him in August that year and we got married while I was visiting. Yeah there you go, “no wedding, just the courthouse”. Hopefully one day, we can renew our vows and have a real wedding as this has always been my dream.

Obviously we were only 20 when we got married and for us to jump in there without leading a marriage and not putting God first, that is pretty much bound for failure. But at least we had very old fashioned values and I think that is what kept us going year after year. It sure wasn’t easy the first 10 years. Ughh I wanted to kill him so many times and so did he. We had many Kool-Aid and food fights to let our aggressions out.

But thanks to God’s grace, today our marriage is just so awesome and growing deeper every day. I thank God every day for giving me Kevin. He is the sweetest, most loving, funniest, sexiest, handsome man on this earth in my eyes. But you know what I love about him the most is that he is sad when I am sad. He says nothing makes him happier when I smile, ha-ha I guess he likes my smile. So he has supported me 100% in this adoption journey for going on over 2 years. He keeps handing out more and more money every day to pay for these adoptions but he keeps saying “I love to see that smile when you talk about the children we are going to adopt”. Yeah I just love this man like crazy and I am so thankful for him. He brings sooooo much joy to my life.

23 years! Happy Anniversary Kevin

Kevin and I dating, 1984 (19y/o), wow that is Danica's age!

March 31, 1985 (We got engaged)

Kevin returns from Desert Storm/Saudi Arabia 1991

2001 Our annual recruiting ball

The picture on my blog to the right was taken this year so you guys know what we look like now, this year. Didn't have time to go through all my other pics, but better than nothing. Oh and thanks to my precious daughter Danica for scanning these pics today. No time to do it myself.

What is wrong with me?

This wait is really driving me crazy. I know I should be patient but ...... I check emails and blogs especially the ones where children are coming home obsessively.

The wait has become increasingly painful. I can't do nothing anymore. I can't do my devotional time without getting distracted, I can't do my work flawless like I normally do, I can't even prepare a meal without something getting burned. I am CONSTANTLY distracted by thinking of my children.

The pictures I have received have been awesome but I just want to get my children. Although time really seems to fly but suddenly time stands still again.

I know once my kids have passed court, I have no doubt that the time to pick them up will be here in a heartbeat. I am not getting the room set up at all until they pass court. I have bought some clothes and stuff but I will not buy any furniture just yet.

I just want to hold my precious children and protect and love them forever and ever. There seems to be one good thing though. I think they really like each other even though they are not sibs. Pretty much every group picture I see my girly is right there with her brother.

Okay, enough whining, tomorrow will be a better day, yeah right! One more thing...I am so blessed to have a husband to puts up with my strange behaviors right now.

8 Weeks Today until Court

In 2 Months From Today

, we will have a court date for my children. I miss them like crazy. Sometimes I am amazed how fast the weeks fly by but then I look at 2 more months and it seems like a long time. I really hope it will be here in no time.

Hah, and I just looked at my timeline above and it has been four months since we started the adoption. So the 15th must be a special day. Oh boy, I guess I am just talking.... I don't have a life (right now).

My Carolyn

Have you been visiting Carolyn's blog lately? I just have grown so much love, passion, respect, and even more so wanting to chase after my God more and more every day and taste him the way Carolyn has especially in these last 2 months almost. I just love this family so much, especially Carolyn and Selah. If you are having a hard time or you need to be inspired, please visit her blog.

Homeschooling in Germany

I found this article link on another blog and I was utterly disturbed and ashamed that this could happen in Germany, the country I was born and raised. It looks pretty communistic to me (but the government is not). How can the system put the children in foster care and give them psychiatric interviews to make sure they are okay? I am shocked they went to this extreme. I have been a huge supporter of homeschooling thanks once again to my friend Joy for making me read a book by Voddie Buchanan, Above Rubies, and also her 24 reasons why she homeschools. I am still shaking my head over this. But I really shouldn't because I know when my day comes and I get to stay home and can homeschool my children, my family in Germany will think I have lost my mind. Oh well, they don't put food on my table, my husband and I do. Don't get me wrong, I love my extended family dearly, but we are thousands miles apart on opinions. Let's just leave it at that. I am not even getting into the adoption part difference of opinions. I am going to leave that for another day.

Angelina Jolie

Kevin and I had a heated discussion last night how People magazine paid 14 million to get Angie's new baby pictures. I have to say my worldly thinking has long ago left my soul and I don't worship worldly people or any kind of people anymore except for my God. I was proud of Angelina for doing that. I am absolutely impressed how she has the magazines all wrapped around her fingers that they would pay her that much. I guess the main reason for this post is that I do love the fact that she will give back 100% of the 14 million that she is receiving to the countries she loves and support so much where she has adopted from. There is no way once we adopt from a certain country that my heart wouldn't be there knowing my children came from there. Kevin just couldn't get over himself how they would pay so much money for pictures. Well obviously that tells you what kind of land we are living in where people magazine knows that they can pay that much knowing people will run and buy that magazine and they know they will get every penny back they paid to Angie.

Double Good News (Court & Welcome Bags)

Today was a crazy day because Miss Erin emailed me 2 x at work and I had a hard time containing myself. First I got a picture of the kids receiving their welcome bag. Oh it was so precious to look at. They were wearing their t-shirt but they had the biggest smiles on their face. You so could tell how happy they were to have received the bag and that THEY KNOW FOR SURE NOW.

Second, I was notified that court date is October 15. You can check my ticker to the right, I have already set it up. Okay I was two days off. I thought it was October 17. It's really nice to finally make the court date official.

Court Date? and "Firsts"

Today was a glorious day. It was the very first time that I have received a photo of my precious children "together" and a photo period that was taken by a parent. I have some pics from Snapfish but they were never taken intentionally. I asked the parent if she could take a photo of them together. Although they are not siblings, it is unbelievable how much they look like siblings. I seriously couldn't stop crying. It was such a precious moment for me to see them together. I immediately ordered a 5x7 and counting down the time to pick up the picture from the store. In fact I will pick it up as soon as I have written this post. My Carolyn has hopefully returned with Yordi and she has taken a photo of my kids also. Once she is settled in a few weeks I will probably get a photo from her and Lisa is over there picking up her daughter and her blog has said that she has already made it to KM. This is beautiful to have finally connected with families that are taking photos of my children.

I also read on our yahoo group that the group before us has been assigned court for October 11. Really I am sure there is a typo because that is a Saturday so I would assume it would probably October 10, which is a Friday. That means my group will be assigned for October 17. Please note that this is just a guessing game and I gave not gotten an email from the agency but so far I have been right on by my calculations even down to court by just watching the blogs and groups. So that means I can have high hopes to have my children home right before Christmas IF they pass court. Remember my kids are not sibs so they will be heard as 2 different cases.