You Are Not Daddy

The Girls and The Favorite

Gianna!

You woke up this morning making funky noises.  I thought it was one of your little sisters crying, but it wasn't - it sounded too weird.  You walked into the living room with big crocodile tears talking about your daddy leaving.  I asked how you knew, and you said that you looked out of your bedroom window and saw that his truck was gone.  You were convinced that he didn't say goodbye to you, but I

AZ - June 30 (II)

Jack in the Box is always a must on our AZ mission trip.

AZ - June 30

 3:15pm

Our group is in Phoenix and waiting on the 15-passenger vans.  They'll be driving to Flagstaff to spend the night before heading to the Reservation in the morning. 

waiting for the vans

Maileen's Journey - June 30

Mother's Day 2011

WED JUNE 29
Praying Praying Praying
that the iron doors and windows get put on the storage building today since they promised to have it done by the 26th.
Praying Praying Praying
that the container that we have asked and asked to have moved up for work equipment gets done as

We Heart Summer

Summertime is here - yay!

Photo Source

I saw this a few weeks ago (Awesome blog - lots of great ideas!).
I L-O-V-E lists, but it made me tired thinking about cutting all those strips of paper.

Five More

Mom - if you have five more kids, you're going to have to get a car with attachments.

I'm not having five more kids - especially in my body.

I mean, if you did have five more kids - you would have to.

But I'm not going to - just so you know.

Good Night

Gianna, Gianna -

 you make us laugh ALL the time!

Your daddy and I were putting you and your sisters to bed the other night...

GIANNA

Can someone give me a p-i-e-g?

BILL

What does that spell?

Maileen's Journey - June 20

Mother's Day 2011

9PM

God is Extremely Gracious and Good...I am choked up with joyful tears...;D...It will be nice to rest through some of this before we continue again...;D

Peter was in line 15 till 7am. He and Marissa were one of the first 30 seen. Peter and Marissa's case

Maileen's Journey - June 15

November 2010

11PM
Praying to get that Adoption file and all the lawyer said would give back before Peter's meeting on Monday.

Pray for the lawyer to understand the urgency so we can get Marissa's file.

We have been advised by the states' senate office helping us talk to the US embassy-Honduras and a friend who did the same from the Honduran side, that it would help to show that we are planning to

24,374

Why I Love The Husband
Reason #24,374

...because I find notes like these when I've been the bigger meanie...

Grace,

I love you.

I am sorry 

for being

a jerk

selfish

inconsiderate

stubborn

and thoughtless at times.

I hope you have a great day.

Love,

Bill

The man has more love and grace in him than I do.

I'm extremely blessed.

Maileen's Journey - June 14

2007

Update June 14 (Tuesday)

US Embassy appointment scheduled for Monday, June 20th at 7:30am.

Getting a non-immagrant-visa for Marissa Nicolle is not as easy as we are hoping.

I just talked to someone in the senators office, JT.
JT has been making some calls for us to the US embassy-Honduras to make sure about all the papers and letters we will need for the Monday appointment.

Jared told me just this morning that the US Embassy-Honduras are extreamly hesitant to give any 'non-immigrant visas' to any INcomplete adoptions because there have been many cases where the

Chocolate Twinkie Cake

Gianna and THE Cake

PART THREE

As promised, here is the third recipe you'll want to keep forever and ever.

This is

the. most. requested. cake

in our family -

daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, in-laws, outlaws, etc.

What kind of cake do you want for your birthday?
What should I make for the holidays?

Maileen's Journey - June 13

1980s

Hair Envy, a new weakness or shall I say a new sin.

I would dare say I have never really been one to envy another woman's hair...
or any man's for that matter.
I have however have had the temptation to run my fingers through another's hair (male or female

Coffee Punch

SECOND OF ALL
We had a shower for this chick last Saturday.

We both agree that we're fans of this picture, aren't you?

We love her.
We love her family.
We love her fiancé.
We love her fiancé's family.
Lots of love going around,
especially when we served this amazing coffee punch at her shower.

Here's the second recipe I promised for your forever box.

I found this through Heather's blog
(She is an amazing woman with an amazing family and an amazing story.)

Three Things

Photo by: ilkerender

I have three recipes that you'll want to put in your forever box -

I'm not playing around with you.

NUMERO UNO

You've seen this one before -

our favorite sangria.

If you didn't make it the first time,

go ahead and make it for yourself now that I've reminded you.

Make sure you share!

More tomorrow because The Husband is about to arrive with #2 and #3, and #4 is sleeping so I should meet them at the door.  Otherwise, it'll be an outburst of chaos when they arrive!

Maileen's Journey - June 8

2008

TUES JUNE 7
Still praying that we can get that USA Embassy interview, to get an approved VISA for Marissa Nicolle, so my Baby and baby girl can be here. Praying that Peter can get things ready for departing (too many to list)...but praying God's generous mercy, unfailing strength and clarity & wisdom of mind will help him complete all these tasks so we can rest and heal as a family and serve Him better.

 MON JUNE 6
I must say it's like being a kid again, being here in my parent's home.
When they are happy, dad works quietly on cleaning what he's harvested that day from his luscious garden, mom whistles her favorite tunes from the when she was a teen, throws in some singing and

"I don't want to say this but..."

All I want to do is drink coffee all. day. long.

but it's so hot outside - so. so. hot.

My children have spilled/dumped out all of the following today:

a bowl of grapes

a glass of juice

Maileen's Journey - June 6

June 2011

MON JUNE 6
Praying that Peter can talk to someone in the US Embassy to answer some key questions and be able to set up a VISA interview this week to get Marissa Nicolle a Visa. (He also has errands he needs to do

Dear Maileen...

Maileen,

I cried today as I read updates on your progress and that of Peter's and Marissa's.  I cried not just because a beautiful sister in Christ and cousin of my wonderful friend Grace is facing these challenges, but because I was encouraged by your faith and your words of comfort to those of us praying you through this.

You, dear Maileen, are a beautiful woman and so alive and vibrant as you face challenges that cause
most people to fall.  Instead of falling in defeat, you fall to your knees trusting that the one true God will work this all out for your good and the good of those you meet.  Your faith is changing lives as you walk this journey with grace, love and patience.

I continue to pray for you, Maileen, that God will meet your needs and fulfill your greatest desires. Remain steadfast, dear sister, and fall forward into the arms of our Lord.  He will give you strength in your weakest moments, courage when you are most frightened, joy in the midst of desperation, and victory in the midst of disappointment.

God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Hold on to that promise constantly.  And hold on to the knowledge that people the world over are praying for you and your family.

In love,

Heidi

You Little Minis

May 2011

I will forget, so today I want to remember these little things
so that maybe when you girls are all grown up you'll see
how happy you made me
how much you made me cry
how much you made me laugh
and how much you made me want to pull my hair out.

ESPY

Last night you were super upset because you didn't get to go to Rita's for Family Night.  You just finished going to swimming lessons and Gianna's soccer practice.  You don't quite understand the

Maileen's Journey - June 3

Mother's Day 2011

FRI JUNE 3
Well this 3rd chemo has been working already,...that's quick...the most obvious indication of this treatment has begun...as I dried my head over the shower tub, (just in case, so I don't leave a mess) I