Update anyone?

It's been awhile, I know! We're still here, everyone accounted for. The boys are growing and changing everyday. They keep me on my toes, and though there are days when I wonder how I'm going to get everything done and will there be enough of me to go around, I am reminded with a sweet smile from Isaac, a loud whoop from Sam, a strange language from Abe or a unbelieving head shake from Owen, that God has called me to this amazing adventure and if he has called me then he has equipped me as well.




Owen is in 3rd grade, doing great, enjoying his buddies and soccer. His heart fof the least of these continues to humble me.

Abe is in the 2ND grade, studying hard, enjoying soccer and piano. Abe has an innate sense of rhythm, which totally baffles me, I do well to clap with the beat. His teacher and I are both impressed with his abilities.

Sam is in pre-school this year. He loves it. He's also playing soccer, but it somehow looks more like football, he's always on the ground or in the process of taking someone else to the ground.

Isaac is with Mama most of the time, although he does spend some time in the Y nursery, aka "his school", which he enjoys very much and Mama enjoys time to herself in the pool exercising.

No news on the adoption front. Our dossier has been in Ethiopia almost four months and our agency has told us it could take a year to get a referral, so we wait and pray. If you would like to join us in praying our children home, here are a few verse, I feel like the Lord has given me while we wait.

Psalm 121:5-8 (The Living Bible) Jehovah himself is caring for you! He is your defender. He protects you day and night. He keeps you from all evil, and preserves your life. He keeps his eye upon you as you come and go, and always guards you.

Psalm 37:19 (The Living Bible) He cares for them when times are hard; even in famine, they will have enough.

As some of you may know there is a famine in the Horn of Africa which encompasses the southern region of Ethiopia.



Spending a little time on the potty, but far from being potty trained! That's all for now.
Blessings,
Leigha

Heavy Heart

My heart is heavy tonight, heavy for some many things. Several weeks ago we received an email from our agency telling us wait times for referrals went from 4-6 months to 10-16 months. Oh sure the wait kills me, thinking about our children hoping to get them home as soon as possible. But what about the children what do they face, how are they suffering during the wait. And with the news of increased wait times came the increasingly more alarming news that the drought in the horn of Africa, which includes portions of southern Ethiopia, has now been declared a famine. A famine in the southern region where Isaac is from. If you read this I encourage you to give, give to save a life, perhaps even a Singleton life. Don't let the vastness of the problem paralyze you, be moved by compassion, by a heart the longs to see every child feed. World Vision is one organization that I believe is really reaching the people with food, water, and hope. Please give, we are the hands and feet of Jesus and if we won't help who will?
So glad Isaac is home, safe, happy, and feed. Please pray for the waiting children of Ethiopia and give to aid in the relief of the the famine. Go to www.worldvision.org to give today.

DTE!!!

For those of you who don't know DTE is short for Date To Ethiopia and we have ours. Our paper work left yesterday 6/17/2011. This is the date our agency uses to track where we are in line and help predict when we could get a referral ect. Ethiopia has made a lot of changes lately, and changes usually mean a slow down in the adoption process. Please pray for us and our children as await their homecoming.

In a totally different topic, all three older boys learned to ride a bike Monday! They are so proud of themselves!

Blessings,
Leigha

It's in the mail!

If all goes well, and please pray it does, our paperwork will be leaving for Ethiopia on Fri. I can't wait to get on to the next step, I have been more impatient than ever with this adoption.

On a completely different note here's what happens when dad says you can dress yourself:

Yes we went out to eat like this. One child ago, I would have never let them out the door in such a mismatched state, but well something has got to give when you have four kids and hopefully two more on the way.

Blessings,
Leigha

Finish in site!

Hey All,
I know I've been AWOL for a while now. I really will try to do better. Today is my birthday and our dossier is almost complete. The best present EVER would be to get this dossier finished and out of my hands. I hope to be able to send it to our agency by the end of the week. The paper work has been such a long process this time, and the wait time for referral is unknown right now with all the changes Ethiopia has made. Please join in praying our children home. God has reminded me of the parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-8. Go look it up if you can't remember it. Here are a few of verses I'm clinging to, 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly...
Praying and believing for swift justice.
Blessings, Leigha

Here is the most recent picture of our family, seems we never get a family picture taken until one is required for a post-placement visit or a home study update (ha ha). Oh well it keeps us pushing on toward the prize, our children, those home and those not yet here. This vs. seems to sum it up perfectly: Isaiah 60:11 Your gates will always stand open, they will never shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth (children are our true wealth) of the nations...

Many of you have been asking me about our adoption and where were at with it. So here is a little update. We are currently "paper chasing" and yes it takes awhile especially if your me. I was all geared up this time to gather everything quickly and send it off as soon as possible, but as some of you who have encountered adoptions before know, that sometimes no matter how hard you try to move at lightning speed it always seems to turn into a snails pace. I'm doing better with it than I have in the past. I know that God is orchestrating the timing perfectly so that our paper work and our child(rens) paperwork come together at exactly the right time. So when paperwork gets lost in the mail or you use the wrong medical form for the wrong agency and have to go back and get it redone, yes both happened, you grit you teeth and smile telling your self repeatedly that it all happens in Gods timing. We are asking for two children this time, they could be unrelated but it is unlikely. We would like one to be older than Isaac 1 1/2, and younger than Sam 4, and the other child will be younger than Isaac. Two children aren't always available especially when you limit the age ranges like we have, so are agency would like to be prepared to adopt just one child if that is all that is available at that time. I would like to get two children this time, but at the same time, I know how hard the first few months are with just one new child so I'm happy to leave that decision up to God because he knows what's best for our family. No we are not being specific about gender this time around, but for those of you longing to see some pink in the Singleton house, know this for sure it will happen, I'm just not sure when.
Here are a few more pictures you might like!

Lessons from: Land Before Time

Ever heard of it? Well here at the Singleton household it's been a favorite a number of times. Owen and Abe LOVED it when they were three and four! Sam however, just discovered it a couple of months ago. So every morning after breakfast he begins asking to watch "his show", his favorite right now is #2, The Big Freeze. I hear bits and pieces as I work around the house. In this particular episode a spike tail herd passes through the "great valley" where Spike and Ducky live. Ducky is a swimmer and Spike is a spike tail, of course. Anyway, Spikes birth family has all passed away and Ducky's mother adopts Spike. WELL when the spike tails migrate through the valley a well meaning spike tailed mother offers to have Spike come for a visit, she thinks he might enjoy being with others that are like him. Spike is eager and curious and heads off with the spike tailed family. Ducky's mother is hesitant, yet she let's him go. Ducky is not at all happy with Spike, he is mad that Spike would want anything but his family. At the end of the movie Spike is in danger and immediately Ducky's mother saves him without thought to her own safety and the spike tailed mother admits that truly Ducky's mother is the only mother for Spike.

As I was listening to the movie and thinking about a conversation I had with another mother considering adoption, it all seemed to come together in my mind. She was asking lots of questions about culture and wanting to know how we incorporate our kids culture now that were home and in America. And to be totally honest I'm not sure that we do an excellent job of it, but I'm not sure that is what is really important. Do we talk about ET and Colombia and have visible signs of their countries around the house? Of course. But do they really grasp their culture? No, probably not. Do we try to instill in them a love and pride for their birth countries? Yes! But where they're from isn't as important as where they're going. God is using their past to shape them into the people he has called them to be for the good works he has prepared for them in advance to do. So maybe we should be more focused on teaching them to follow hard after God and not worry so much about culture. And if you really believe that God is calling you to adopt, be certain, be very certain in your own mind that no you won't get everything right and yes some well meaning "spike tail' might imply that your child would be better off in his or her own culture or race, but I disagree. God chose our children for us before the beginning of time and no one will ever convince me otherwise. Do I understand the pain and heartache it has caused for God to orchestrated their placement in our home? No I don't and my heart often breaks for my sons birth parents and their deep loss. "Let everyone bless God and sing his praises, for he holds our lives in his hands. And he holds our feet to the path. Psalms 66:8-9" Nothing is coincidence. So don't get caught up in thinking you don't look the same or act the same or you don't know anyone else from child's birth country. Adoption becomes it's own culture and there is a vast network of support out there. You might think your adding one new culture to your family but really it's two. Do it, let God have his way in your heart and be blessed, so very very blessed.