Well, we are officially back in the swing of things. Kaleb is back at daycare, and I am back at work. I am LOVING the school year and can't wait to wake up to go to work each day. That is a great feeling! I do forget how little time I get to spend with my precious Kaleb, though. Oh how my summers off are such a blessing.

Our last weekend before the end of summer was spent at the lake with my Kraywinkle cousins, their spouses, and their kids. Kaleb went tubing for the first time and wanted to go faster, faster! We also had the privilege of celebrating my Grandma's 80th Birthday. I got to see some cousins I hadn't seen in 7-10 years.

We are still waiting for a baby girl. I had a "moment" with God this past week, and I feel very strongly our baby was born. I feel so much love for her. I feel like I would go to the ends of the earth and back for her. This song by Steven Curtis Chapman has been my special song in my heart and in my prayers for baby "Emily". I've written her a letter, and have included the lyrics to this song in my special letter to her. I'm sharing it with you tonight, hoping that it will touch you and that you will continue to keep her in your prayers.

Steven Curtis Chapman - When Love Takes You In

I know you've heard the stories
But they all sound too good to be true
You've heard about a place called home
But there doesn't seem to be one for you
So one more night you cry yourself to sleep
And drift off to a distant dream

Where love takes you in and everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in

And somewhere while you're sleeping
Someone else is dreaming too
Counting down the days until
They hold you close and say I love you
And like the rain that falls into the sea
In a moment what has been is lost in what will be
When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart

And this love will never let you go
There is nothing that could ever
cause this love to lose its hold

When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in it takes you in for good
When love takes you in

Well, it feels like this whole adoption thing just may happen! I'm really starting to allow myself to relish in the fact that we are going to have a baby girl very soon! I don't know if it is because the school year is just about to start, and I'm thinking about the year as a whole including subs, travel and leaves...but it feels great! I've been starting to heavily research travel to Ethiopia. Today I scheduled our appointment (in October) for a travel consultation/shots. The CDC recommends the following shots for folks traveling to ET:

• Yellow Fever
• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A
• Diphtheria
• Meningococcal

If you ask me, those are scary words and I want to be the first in line to get them so as to not contract any of them in our travels. Nick, on the other hand, is afraid of a little needle, and thinks he is not getting any of them. I may have to get his mother involved in this.

This is our last weekend before it is back to the old grind. We are going to spend some time at the lake with family and some time celebrating my grandma's 80th birthday.

Here's a photo of Kaleb chowing down on an orange.

Ever since I was a little child, as far back as I can remember, I have had a fascination with combines. I have always wanted to ride in one, but never knew anyone well enough that owned one.

Today, my dream of riding in a combine came true! A good friend of ours from church, Chad Miller, hooked Kaleb and me up. He and his family own and operate their family farm near Buffalo, ND. He graciously offered me the chance to ride last year, but we never were able to make it work with my schedule.

Chad has graciously invited me back during the soybean or corn harvest and will allow me to drive the combine...I can't wait!! I'm pretty sure I would like to become a professional combiner in my next career!

Thanks Chad!!

Also, we are continuing the cramming theme of last week. After combining with Chad, we came home and spent the evening with some wonderful new friends from church - Kristine, Mishayla and Ariella.

With only 2 weeks of summer left, it seems like we are trying to cram in as much fun, friends and family as we can before I go back to work. In a matter of 6 days we...

Traveled to Sioux Falls, SD to visit Derek (Kaleb's Godfather), Molly and brand new baby Owen...

Spent the next night with friends (the O'Connors) in Sioux Falls...

Came home to clean and meet Papa Jeff to pick up Katie the dog to dog-sit for Gma and Gpa while they are on vacation. Katie is on her last leg; she will be 15 in October. She is not the easiest dog to watch right now...She has congestive heart failure and COPD...She hacks and wheezes an unbelievable number of times per day. Kaleb tells people, she is old and sick. I told him she was going to Heaven soon to be with God. He wondered if God was going to fly down on an airplane to pick her up.

The next couple days, we had the pleasure of having Grandma Kay, Auntie Erika (Kaleb's Godmother) and baby Kendall at our house for a visit. As a proud auntie, let me just tell you how beautiful Kendall is!! And, can you believe she is not even 4 months old and slept from 9:30-7:00! Even though she pooped on me, I still think she is perfect!

With 90+ degree weather in the FM area, we have enjoyed some swimming and outdoor fun! Today we had lunch with Cousin Karl, Becky and our Godchild Greta! I'm not sure if this next week could be any better!!

The last couple weeks feel like they have been a whirlwind! We helped Papa Jeff celebrate his birthday...

Enjoyed the summer weather...

Spent time with friends (Kaleb thinks one of them is his girlfriend)...

And, stayed with Grandma Rosie and Great Evelyn...

In the adoption world, our education is done...

Please pray with us for guidance as we make decisions regarding travel. The whole "second trip" threw us for a loop, and we are continuing to pray and plan for where our travel funds will come from. We have found out that only one parent has to be present at court. There is also a wonderful man/church friend, who is a lawyer, who has told us he will do our re-adoption for a trade of services as he is looking for a website that Nick can create. (If both parents do not travel to see the child before the adoption is final in Ethiopia, the child needs to be re-adopted in America to become on American citizen. If both parents are present at court, they come home on a different visa and are officially a US citizen when the plane lands on US soil.) Obviously, this is a very difficult decision. It would save us lots of money and save me paid time off if only Nick were to go. I'm having a very difficult time coming to grips with the fact that Nick would see her and spend time with her without me. So, prayers for divine guidance would be appreciated!!