All the Kids

You saw Chloe yesterday (or the day before) but we also have one of the four kids together - this has got to be our favorite tree for fall pictures - it is gorgeous!!! Enjoy a Fall Photo on this chilly fall day!!

Conversational Chloe

For all of those well-meaning people that catch me in the mall, at Wal Mart, etc. and ask me how Chloe's English is coming along (which always makes me chuckle) here are some tidbits to show you she is JUST FINE...... (sometimes we wish she didn't know as much as she does!!! It's not quiet at our house.)

Instance #1 - Yesterday I asked Chloe to do something - pick up toys or something - and she looked at me - held up her pointer finger and said, "Five minutes, Mom." (This from my two year old!!)

Instance #2 - I asked her today why she was standing on her chair - she looked down (because she was standing on the chair) and said, "Cuz I watching Elmo." Anyone could see that the tv was on in the other room and Elmo was on - and she couldn't see unless she was standing up - Duh, Mom!!

Instance #3 - She came to me yesterday and asked for two M&M's - I looked at her "chocolate mouth" and asked her if she had already had M&M's - she looked up at me (with her puppy eyes - as the boys call them - you know, the ones you can't say No to!!) and said, "Uh, huh Mommy - two M&M's now too??" (Hey, I give her credit for honesty!!!)

Instance #4 - (Got to be the cutest but also the most irritating.......) Wherever I am, whatever I am doing, Chloe constantly asks, "What doing Mommy?" I am trying to remember how long this question phase lasts - FOREVER???? But I must admit - it is cute seeing her try to make conversation - yes, God definately put her in the right family - we like to talk. (Bring back any memories, Mom???)

Dad At Work

As a disclaimer - - this is NOT Becky - Joe is blogging today..... ENJOY!!!

Okay, so I am not the blogger, but I thought I had better be the one to tell this story since it is indeed my story. This is for all the adoption dads.

For all of you out there that think there are no labor pains in adoption -- it is not true. The labor pains are simply moved from the adoptive mother to the adoptive father and the following pictures are proof.

My labor story….

It started early on a cold, October, Saturday morning. I awoke feeling that something just wasn’t right. There was almost a sense of foreboding in the air as we all started the day. I had been preparing for this day a long time. I had taken the classes and even researched on the internet all the necessary information I would need to create an opening in the wall of our basement.

I knew that in order to get the egress window installed there would have to be opening where no natural hole had been before. Things started out pretty easily but after a few shovels full I knew it was going to get worse. With each heaping shovelful the pains started to creep up my lower back. I wanted an epidural but was told that Bengay would have to work. After opening up one centimeter, I mean one foot, things were not looking so good. It was slow progress from one to two but with perseverance I knew it would eventually come. Centimeters, I mean, feet 3 and 4 seemed to last for hours but there was an eventual breakthrough and I had finally reached foot number 5 only to find out that it wasn’t real labor after all only Braxton Hicks.

I guess this was just a practice run. We will keep you informed as the birthing process continues.

Ok - Becky's back here now - I have to say Joe has worked extremely hard - always does - he is NOT a slacker!!! However - ask him how much paperwork he's done ?!?!? I know what he'll say - that's not HARD LABOR - OK, he's right!! :)

God At Work

I would be remiss not to share this - with those that pray for us - and for those that may follow our adoption journey #2!! As many of you know - we've been praying about this whole fingerprinting thing - lost papers for almost three months - an appointment that they tried to reschedule and we begged them not to, etc., etc. Well - when we went for our appointment we shared with the fingerprinting lady that if we could get these prints and I171H back in a week we may still qualify for a grant we had applied for - after that, they would basically scratch our family since we had waited so long on the fingerprints and then give the grant money out to other families waiting in line - (don't get me wrong, we totally understood why the grant group would have to do this - they had waited on us for quite some time) but we explained this to her and asked how long she thought it might take (mind you, this time frame gave them basically one day less than a week to process us). She said she wasn't sure - SO we left there and started praying. We just prayed that God would expedite everything so that this might be possible for us to still get our paperwork in for this grant. The following morning after our fingerprints - I emailed the Des Moines headquarters for fingerprinting and just asked that if our papers would come back from Sioux Falls by that following Tuesday, could she email me and let me know so I could run to our agency and get a copy for this grant meeting?? Des Moines emailed me back almost immediately and said that we had been cleared and our I171H was faxed to Bethany that same day. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING - only those who have gone through an adoption would understand that NEVER, NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS would you get clearance and your I171H processed OVERNIGHT - It could only be God!! I had talked with others that said it would be more like 2-3 weeks to get that paper. Wow God - you did it again and we praise you for that!! SO - we still don't know if we got the grant or not, but we have the paper we need AND it was the last step in our Dossier prep. so now we are basically ready to send it all to Bethany in Grand Rapids and from there it heads to China!! A little longer than I had thought it would take, but God still amazes me again and again and shows me His plan and how He is listening when we pray. We stand in amazement - this is so good for our boys too - they had been praying with us for this paper and when I showed it to them today they were so surprised - it's a good lesson - NEVER be surprised at God!!!!

Favorite Photo Friday

The Bilby Boys Bulk-Up!!
I may never understand that male testosterone, but it does make me laugh!!!!

I Can't Believe It - - - - - -

I actually did this thinking there was no way there was another Rebecca Bilby out there - I am in amazement!!! So if it's you - come forward - we can form a support group - Becky Bilby should be a blonde name!!! I love my husband, but I did think this was a great reason to keep your married name!! :)