Hi friends! We're snowed in this weekend (18" so far!), so we thought it'd be a good time to post an update.
Before we go any further, we can't thank everyone enough for the amazing support we received after our recent match fell through. The notes of encouragement and prayers were such a great comfort to us. We're so thankful that the Lord has surrounded us with so many loving people. Thank you!!
Raton, NM
After we received the difficult news that the birth mom decided to parent, we packed up, got some sleep, and headed out of Dallas the next morning. I wanted Jenny to fly home to be with Bailey instead of enduring 12 more hours in the car, so I dropped her at the airport and began the drive. All was well through Texas. I even tried Whataburger finally...not bad...doesn't hold a candle to In-N-Out...it's not even worth discussing.
As I made my way through New Mexico, the weather turned quickly and I found myself driving in pretty rough winter conditions again. I was able to get behind a plow which helped, and then was informed that the highway was closed in Raton, NM. I was stuck. All the hotels and skeezy motels were completely booked. I was planning to hide out in the breakfast room of the Holiday Inn I found, until I stumbled upon a family that lives in the same town as we do. I noticed the high school logo on the son's shirt and asked if they lived there. They did and moments later, the father asked me if I'd like to crash on the pullout couch they had in their room, since they had a suite. The kindness of strangers! I was so thankful to God that He sent this family past my table at the exact right moment. He moved in their hearts to make a most-generous offer to a stranger. Needless to say, my wife was a bit concerned about my somewhat blind trust in strangers, but alas, I lived to tell about it!
They were a very nice family and handled the awkwardness of sharing a room with a stranger better than you'd expect. In all seriousness, they were a huge answer to prayer after an emotional few days. The thought of going yet another sleepless night and not being with my family hurt a whole lot less thanks to them.
Bright and early Easter morning, I got up and started the drive home. The roads were icy but okay. Seriously, as soon as I hit the "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" sign, the roads were PERFECT. Gotta love those Colorado road crews!!
Since returning home, we received our fees back (all of them except travel expenses, praise the Lord!) and are once again back in the pool of families waiting to be matched. Please pray for that perfect situation to come across our inbox soon!
Big Sister-itis
Bailey is so ready to be a big sister, it's getting ridiculous. She has so much pent-up "big sister-ness" that at times I seem to be filling the role of little sibling. Besides being her sidekick for all of the somewhat dangerous things she likes to try around the house, she's now looking for any chance to tattle on me to her mama (aka my wife). At meal time, she'll lean over and whisper to Jenny to ask if I'm making good choices or not, because she wants to tell me that I'm making bad choices. It's hilarious!! She's so ready to be the bossy big sister. She's recently started to also tell me when I'm not making bad choices, so at least there's a little encouragement sometimes.
