TRIBUTE TO THE BIRTHDAY BOY

So...tuesday was a BIG day - a certain birthday boy turned 35! Of course we went out on the town to celebrate -- downtown Denver, Larimer Square.

We restaurant hopped, and window shopped. Here for you all now, in pictures...

First up, Larimer Square day time, about 5 p.m.

A kiss for a special guy at the Samba Room where we had a drink and appetizers.

On to Tamayo for tasty guacamole, margaritas, and present opening time.

A framed photo of Koko.

Then to Ted's for a bison burger, Chad's favorite.

After dinner we walked off our appetizers, drinks, and burgers and window shopped.

Larimer Square, night time, about 8 p.m.

On to ESPN Zone for some air hockey (guess who won? that wouldn't be me.)

FINALLY - we were ready for dessert at Corridor 44.

So....do you now feel like you were there?!? We had a fantastic time, and now...

...20 days to court date re-re-play. Is it just us or are the days crawling by unusually slowly?...probably just us. We can't wait to share that big news, the big something with you all someday....

....someday when it's time.

Onward!

smj

FLOWERS CHANGING INTO NOVEMBER...

~ The 'Amen!' of nature is always a flower. ~

- Oliver Wendall Holmes -

I think it is amazing that flowers are still blooming around our house...we've had several frosts and a hard freeze now. I'm sure this will be the last of the blooms, and so wanted to share the beauty with you.

The flowers are carrying us into yet another season. A season of change, and hopefully a season of new joys...25 days to court date re-re-play. Still dreaming of Koko...

smj

CONNECTIVITY

From here,
Our church community, Abiding Hope in Littleton…
http://www.abidinghopelutheran.org/

To here,
Our friends in Haiti…
http://www.hopeinhaiti.org/


To here,
Our world makers in India…
http://www.geocities.com/titus_worldpeace

To here,
Koko in Ethiopia…

During this newfound time of waiting and reflection, I thought I’d ramble on the wonderful thought of connectivity. It’s a small world, where we are connected in BIG ways!

Our friends from our Abiding Hope church community, the ever strong families who are steadfast in their adoption journeys to Haiti to bring their little ones home….they are on our hearts!

Our partners in Haiti building relationships and empowering the kids of Haiti to dream big to help transform Haiti for the future…they are on our hearts!

Our friend, Titus, in India, and the congregations of Abiding Hope India that he has been working to build amidst persecution…they are on our hearts!

Chad leaves to spend time in India November 20. Hmmmmmm…..I know that day……oh, yeah! That’s our court date! It promises to be interesting…and proof that we are connected in BIG ways!

So, to all hoping our small story fits in to this big ol’ plan….we are all somehow interconnected, and touch each other in ways we may not even realize…

God, may we all realize our potential to be world makers, connecting, relating for the good, to be faithful to His plan. It’s not an easy task! In fact, sometimes it’s darn hard to understand and we get sad and angry at the things we see in the world. Like children in Haiti sold on the streets as slaves for $100USD, like people killed in India for being Christian, like 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia. In the words of super case worker Jessica this week, “thank goodness we have HIM to rely on in these incredibly frustrating and emotionally draining times!” This is on our hearts!

Finally, (after all that rambling), here’s to our little “connection” in Ethiopia – we can’t wait to touch your face, feel you against our hearts, and be your family. Our latest update:

“She likes to keep her eyes open as wide as they can go most of the time that she is awake, in order to take absolutely everything in that she can. She is so close to being able to sit on her own! When you pull her to a sitting position and hold her hands, she thinks it is the most amazing thing in the world. Currently, she has perfected the leaning forward sit, supported by her hands. She has become quite adept at using her hands as well, and will pass things between two hands as she examines them. She does love her toes, and that being said, she still tries to eat anything that she can get her hands on, including my papers.” --Phillip

Weight: 15.4 pounds

In the picture we received with this update, her eyes are BIG and WIDE! Perhaps wide open as if to say, “There’s so much to see, so much to do!” Right on Koko! We are with you!

Peace to all,
smj

ESCAPE

So...we escaped yesterday afternoon, just needed to get some fresh air! No better place to get fresh air than the Rockies! Just a short drive out of Littleton is the bumpy, washboardy drive over Guanella Pass to Georgetown...we took off and in no time we were in the snow. It was beautiful and brisk!

Here's Georgtown from above - love this little town!

Once we got to Georgtown, of course we had to do a little Chocolate, Caramel Popcorn, and Ice Cream Cone shopping at the best candy shop ever. Seem like a lot of sugar? Hey, it was what we needed at the time! Mmmmmmmm!

Ice Cream Cone. Gone.

Then we had a couple burgers at this cozy little restaurant. There were fun signs all over the restaurant..."Wait." It seemed like a "sign". I guess, a sign that we will wait a little longer...!

And then there were the mashed potatoes. We had a discussion about how perplexing it was that the waitress told us they don't serve french fries, and they don't serve baked potatoes, but they could serve me mashed potatoes...? (They were real, by the way, and TASTY! - comfort food!)

So....there was our afternoon yesterday, in photo review for you. More faithful waiting ahead, more dreaming of Koko....COME ON NOVEMBER 20! HURRY!

Blessings to all the waiting families - we know how you feel, we know this will happen, we know that there is amazing life to live! Remember, "HERE I AM" waiting to see the story unfold.

Peace,

smj

PLAN C

The pieces did not come together, ONCE AGAIN.

Because of this, our case did not even have a chance in court today.

ONCE AGAIN, we are heart-broken.

Heart-broken with even some anger thrown in.

So...moving on to Plan C, we have ANOTHER new court date scheduled for November 20.

ANOTHER several weeks to wait.

Our hearts hurt, hurt, hurt....

ONCE AGAIN, no other words...

Trying hard to keep the faith,
smj and cdj

HERE I AM

"Sometimes your calling, comes in dream

Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze,

You reach for the deepest hope in me,

And call out for the things of eternity.

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans,

Test my faith and leave me with empty hands,

Are you not the closest when it's hardest to stand?

I know that you will finish what you began.

I'm just one of the pieces,

I can't put this together but you can.

Here I am, Lord send me,

All of my life, I make an offering,

Here I am, Lord send me,

Somehow my story, Is part of your plan,

Here I am."

- Downhere, “Here I Am”

The big day is nearing. As I reflect (and hope and pray!), I remember that through the ups and downs and the roller coaster of emotions we have both struggled with and rejoiced in, we did at the beginning of this journey say, “here I am”.

Have a listen…



We know that however the pieces come together this “story” is a part of His plan. Our “story” is an offering.

Ever faithful and hoping for amazing, life-changing, heart-filling news on Wednesday…

smj out

COLORFUL AND FAITHFUL

Mom and I took a drive into the mountains this past weekend and got in on the peak of the fall colors. It was gorgeous and so much more amazing in person. These amateur digital photos will have to do...to give you a picture of the beauty.

And, this....I pulled out of our digital photo archive; I thought it was appropriate at this point on our journey to Koko.

We'll know something in another week...

faithful and praying,

smj