It's funny isn't how we plan and plan in life and just when we think we have everything worked out, something else happens and we have to adjust. I am sure you have all seen that sign that says "We plan, God laughs." Well, if you have the kind of life where everything goes smoothly and there are no major ups and downs, I suggest you pray for patience and then you will receive the opportunity to learn patience. I am.
Since early November Andy and I have been involved in this "call" process for his new church in New Zealand. It was both an easy and a hard process--if that makes any sense at all. It was easy because we were content where we were and not really looking for a change, and hard because when it became clear that God was leading us in that direction we knew it would mean a lot of change for all of us. But through it all we simply trusted God and believed that if He had in deed led us to find the ad for the job and to develop such a friendly and open relationship with the church, etc.--then He would cause it all to work out. And He has.
Then this month we experienced the surprise news that Olivia is going to have a little brother or sister. Wow! That was totally unexpected, totally not planned for, and totally something we had to do. Because we love our daughter so much and because we totally trust God to provide, we had to do this for Olivia.
So, we have signed the agreement and submitted our $1000 application fee (thanks to Olivia's godmother, Susan). God has already provided a $10,000 scholarship from the Methodist Mission Home when we were told there would be none, as well as, the gift from Susan. Other gifts have been promised, our tax refund will be here shortly and then the tax rebate we are all expecting in May--that leaves us with only $5000 left to pay. What a miracle!
The hardest part will be waiting for the baby to come, being separated from Andy when he goes ahead to New Zealand, and of course finding the strength to be loving and supportive to Christina through it all (especially the first 48 hours in the hospital). This adoption brings a new element which is a birth father who actually knows about the baby. I wonder if he will want to see him or her after the birth.
Please keep us in your prayers as this new process begins. We continue to leave it all in God's hands, but need your prayers and support as well.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Busy Week
My brother Martin, his wife Lisa, and my nephew Matthew have come for a visit to San Antonio. Andy drove 90 miles up to Austin on Tuesday to pick them up. We haven't seen them since last summer, right before Olivia was born. So it was very nice to have them meet their niece. Thanks to Uncle Martin and Aunt Lisa Olivia got a big girl car seat (now the new baby can have her baby car seat), a box of diapers, a new pop-up toy which she has already figured out! We went out to eat on Wednesday for lunch and had a great visit.
Matthew, Martin, and Granny White
(in our apartment)
Colleen at the Children's Museum
Andy and Colleen dig for buried treasure at the museum
A San Antonio fresco at the museum
The Alamo
Colleen & Andy in front of the Alamo
Olivia in her big girl stroller
A long day in the stroller and still smiling
Matthew, Martin, and Granny White(in our apartment)
Wednesday afternoon our niece Colleen came over to spend a couple of nights while her mother and sisters are at a debate tournament and her Dad was working the grave yard shift. We had a great time watching movies, eating ice cream, talking (and talking), and going down town. Olivia and Colleen have become great friends! Colleen was a big help.
On Thursday we started out to the zoo, but happened to arrive at the same time as about 500 elementary school kids on a field trip. So we went downtown instead to the Children's Museum, followed by lunch at Hard Rock Cafe, and ending up at Ripley's. We went through the haunted portion (Colleen's idea). Olivia was the only one who didn't scream (she was covered up in her stroller with a blanket and didn't see a thing). Then Colleen and Andy rode the Ripley's Laura Croft Tomb Raider ride.
On Thursday we started out to the zoo, but happened to arrive at the same time as about 500 elementary school kids on a field trip. So we went downtown instead to the Children's Museum, followed by lunch at Hard Rock Cafe, and ending up at Ripley's. We went through the haunted portion (Colleen's idea). Olivia was the only one who didn't scream (she was covered up in her stroller with a blanket and didn't see a thing). Then Colleen and Andy rode the Ripley's Laura Croft Tomb Raider ride.
Colleen at the Children's Museum
Andy and Colleen dig for buried treasure at the museum
A San Antonio fresco at the museum
The Alamo
Colleen & Andy in front of the Alamo
Olivia in her big girl stroller
A long day in the stroller and still smilingWe ended the afternoon with a trip to the Social Security office to get Olivia's card. That was two hours of pure fun! Later that night Uncle Martin, Aunt Lisa, Matthew and Granny came for a visit. Sadly, Colleen had to go home this morning. Her Dad is off for the weekend and her Mom and sisters will be home tomorrow night. Kelsey and Mary Kate (Colleen's sisters) won their debate rounds and are going on to nationals. Yay!
All in all, it has been a busy week, but a happy one! Olivia is a delight. She continues to grow and change. We are just enjoying every minute of our life with her.
All in all, it has been a busy week, but a happy one! Olivia is a delight. She continues to grow and change. We are just enjoying every minute of our life with her.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Happy Easter!
Olivia Grace Payne
"My First Easter"
Age 7 mos, 3 weeks
Olivia is learning to wave--"hello everyone"
It's hard to get everyone looking in the same direction...Olivia and her San Antonio cousins!
I love my silly Granny...
Olivia and her Easter bonnet
Sitting up like a big girl...
Sometimes I fall over though...
Olivia and Daddy
Olivia and Mommy(Do I look like I have lost 30 lbs? Don't answer that.)
Waving from the swing at Aunt Lee Ann's
"Howdy, ya'll!"
Happy Easter everyone!
Please check out the next post with more pictures and news!
It's Been a Long Month!
Many of you have been asking for updates and I am so sorry to have taken so long in between posts. This has been a long month (since our last post). Andy has gone to New Zealand for an interview, come home, been offered the job in New Zealand and accepted it, given notice at his job in Corpus Christi, we all had horrible colds (that we shared with our pastor, Granny White, and Auntie Susan), had a BIG garage sale and moved to San Antonio. In fact we are still unpacking (well, I am anyway). It has been crazy--even for us! Oh, and how could I forget to mention...we are adopting another baby. In the middle of all of this we got a call from the Methodist Mission Home that Olivia's birth mother is pregnant again and wants us to adopt the baby. This baby is due one week after Olivia's first birthday.
This news was a total surprise for all of us as we just saw Christina last month. She knew then, but was not telling anyone as of yet. The day after we finalized Olivia's adoption she called the Mission Home to tell them the news. They waited another month to share it with us. We were surprised, thrilled, anxious, dumbfounded, sorry for Christina, happy for us, wondering how we can make it all work, and marveling in God's timing all at the same time!
We have really felt God's hand on us through all of this lengthy process with the "call" to New Zealand. We have been blessed beyond belief by this opportunity, getting to know the church and the people, and looking forward to starting this new phase in our lives. The timing of all of it has worked out perfectly, with no help from us, and we have been reassured (by the Holy Spirit) all along that it is God's will. Even when it became clear that we needed to take the time for rest in San Antonio before the move, we knew that God was a part of it. The church in Corpus Christi has some major financial problems to deal with, as well as, major spiritual issues to deal with. You could call them growing pains--it is change, which is always hard for a church. Our pastor there is being moved and the church is struggling to find it's identity as a small church that is on the verge of becoming a big church--maybe. If that makes any sense at all. After a lot of prayer and talks with our pastor it became clear that the right thing to do was to leave now, rather than at the end of the summer when we had planned to move to New Zealand. Youth ministry being such a relational ministry it seemed wholly unfair to continue building relationships with the kids when we knew we were leaving and the church needed some financial rest. So, we are on "sabbatical" whatever that is in San Antonio. The real blessing is several months of time to visit with dear friends and family before we move.
Fortunately for us we got the call about the new baby before we moved into a one bedroom apartment (as planned). The sabbatical does not effect the new adoption. We kept our insurance (we weren't going to do that, but then we all got sick). And we have found out that the adoption will be finalized at placement because of our pending move to New Zealand. This baby is a sibling and we have just been through the supervision process, so they don't need to repeat it. It is in "the best interest of the child" for it to be finalized right away. After many discussions, tears, and prayers the Mission Home has given us a $10,000 scholarship off of our $22,500 fee and we have already raised $4,500. We have additional money coming from tax refunds and rebates, and we are applying for grants everywhere. It is just a glorious reminder to us of what God can do when we let Him.
Last night we were able to take Christina to church with us at Community Bible where my sister and her family attend. The girls and and Lee Ann were in the program. It was just lovely--really good! Christina enjoyed it. She got to spend time with Olivia and us. Then we all went to dinner. It was so nice. Olivia is still at that age where she doesn't want to go to strangers, but she smiled, flirted, and played with Christina. Like what we experienced last year, being here for the pregnancy and birth of the new baby will be such a blessing. It means more time together for Olivia and Christina and even the new baby come August. This is a huge blessing and gift for all of us involved. We think that after the birth and finalization the next week (we hope) that Andy will go on to New Zealand to start the new job and look for a house for us. We will wait on the new baby's birth certificate and passport (about 6 weeks), then apply for immigration. We hope that we will be able to join him in 3-4 months (after the birth). Do I have any volunteers to fly over with me and the babies? Andy being there a head of us will actually help with the immigration process.
Sadly, very very sadly, we are saying goodbye to our doggies. As much as we love them, and it is very much, we just can't take them with us and two little babies. The cost of moving the three dogs would be about $6,000 or more if we use a professional pet transport company. So, my sister has volunteered to take Larry (in Indiana)--say a prayer that this new home works out. Skeeter had a new home, but is coming back tomorrow because it doesn't seem to be working. We think that Mom will take Honey back (she was hers to begin with and they love each other very much). That leaves us looking for a new home for Skeeter. Please be in prayer (seriously) for us as we grieve letting them go and as we seek out new loving forever homes for them. They have been our family for over four years and they are precious beings!
I guess that is all the news that is fit to print today.
With much love to everyone--Andy, Bonnie & Olivia
This news was a total surprise for all of us as we just saw Christina last month. She knew then, but was not telling anyone as of yet. The day after we finalized Olivia's adoption she called the Mission Home to tell them the news. They waited another month to share it with us. We were surprised, thrilled, anxious, dumbfounded, sorry for Christina, happy for us, wondering how we can make it all work, and marveling in God's timing all at the same time!
We have really felt God's hand on us through all of this lengthy process with the "call" to New Zealand. We have been blessed beyond belief by this opportunity, getting to know the church and the people, and looking forward to starting this new phase in our lives. The timing of all of it has worked out perfectly, with no help from us, and we have been reassured (by the Holy Spirit) all along that it is God's will. Even when it became clear that we needed to take the time for rest in San Antonio before the move, we knew that God was a part of it. The church in Corpus Christi has some major financial problems to deal with, as well as, major spiritual issues to deal with. You could call them growing pains--it is change, which is always hard for a church. Our pastor there is being moved and the church is struggling to find it's identity as a small church that is on the verge of becoming a big church--maybe. If that makes any sense at all. After a lot of prayer and talks with our pastor it became clear that the right thing to do was to leave now, rather than at the end of the summer when we had planned to move to New Zealand. Youth ministry being such a relational ministry it seemed wholly unfair to continue building relationships with the kids when we knew we were leaving and the church needed some financial rest. So, we are on "sabbatical" whatever that is in San Antonio. The real blessing is several months of time to visit with dear friends and family before we move.
Fortunately for us we got the call about the new baby before we moved into a one bedroom apartment (as planned). The sabbatical does not effect the new adoption. We kept our insurance (we weren't going to do that, but then we all got sick). And we have found out that the adoption will be finalized at placement because of our pending move to New Zealand. This baby is a sibling and we have just been through the supervision process, so they don't need to repeat it. It is in "the best interest of the child" for it to be finalized right away. After many discussions, tears, and prayers the Mission Home has given us a $10,000 scholarship off of our $22,500 fee and we have already raised $4,500. We have additional money coming from tax refunds and rebates, and we are applying for grants everywhere. It is just a glorious reminder to us of what God can do when we let Him.
Last night we were able to take Christina to church with us at Community Bible where my sister and her family attend. The girls and and Lee Ann were in the program. It was just lovely--really good! Christina enjoyed it. She got to spend time with Olivia and us. Then we all went to dinner. It was so nice. Olivia is still at that age where she doesn't want to go to strangers, but she smiled, flirted, and played with Christina. Like what we experienced last year, being here for the pregnancy and birth of the new baby will be such a blessing. It means more time together for Olivia and Christina and even the new baby come August. This is a huge blessing and gift for all of us involved. We think that after the birth and finalization the next week (we hope) that Andy will go on to New Zealand to start the new job and look for a house for us. We will wait on the new baby's birth certificate and passport (about 6 weeks), then apply for immigration. We hope that we will be able to join him in 3-4 months (after the birth). Do I have any volunteers to fly over with me and the babies? Andy being there a head of us will actually help with the immigration process.
Sadly, very very sadly, we are saying goodbye to our doggies. As much as we love them, and it is very much, we just can't take them with us and two little babies. The cost of moving the three dogs would be about $6,000 or more if we use a professional pet transport company. So, my sister has volunteered to take Larry (in Indiana)--say a prayer that this new home works out. Skeeter had a new home, but is coming back tomorrow because it doesn't seem to be working. We think that Mom will take Honey back (she was hers to begin with and they love each other very much). That leaves us looking for a new home for Skeeter. Please be in prayer (seriously) for us as we grieve letting them go and as we seek out new loving forever homes for them. They have been our family for over four years and they are precious beings!
I guess that is all the news that is fit to print today.
With much love to everyone--Andy, Bonnie & Olivia
What? It's a chicken...
This chicken can sing and dance!
That was fun! Do it again!
Dad and the boys take a nap
What am I supposed to do with this?
Is this some kind of a joke?
The texture is unusual...
Hmmm...this isn't bad...
Why haven't they given me this before?
Larry loves the baby!
Larry gives Olivia some sugar
Ooooo that's funny.....
Happy Baby!
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