Home Study Visit #1

So a woman, dressed in professional business attire, appears at our front door with a brief case that is about to pop at the seams and introduces herself. Nice lady, but the situation is kind of intimidating all in itself. Tory had just walked in the door about 3 minutes prior, dinner is on the table...I felt a little more unorganized than I like. And if you know me you know I like organization. Anyway, we all sat at the dinner table, kids and Tory stuffing their faces, and she began the "interview". She went through a number of questions like how tall are you, where did you go to school, who are your siblings, where do they live, what do they do, what are you good at, what are you bad at, what is Abigail like, what is Nathan like, what is Luke like, how do you discipline, what are your hobbies, etc. Then she split us up to ask us similar questions but separately like, how did you meet, what do you like to do together...we answered them all the same except Tory FORGOT where we got married. HAHAHA! I laughed out loud at this. Totally not offended because FBC and FUMC are virtually right across the street from each other. The point of splitting us up for this I do not understand. We then exchanged our very large manila folder of completed paperwork for 3 HUGE packets of reading material. I will not even go into my thoughts on the content...thats another post in itself. I will just leave it at, "I will read it". So after an hour and 45 minutes the interview concluded and she left. We felt pretty good about it and feel like she is going to do a great job of writing up a paper on our home, family, and desires, in order for the Ethiopian government to read and find us suitable to call one of their own, our own.

With all of that being said, here are a few ways you can be praying...

• For Rebecca, the home study lady. We are not sure yet whether she is a believer and as this would be a great oppurtunity to share The Good News with her. Tory did get to spend a little time explaining how without the gospel story, adoption cannot make since. Because we were once without a hope and lost in our own sin and have now been adopted through Christ into a family that has an eternal hope, we can and wish to participate in an adoption of an orphaned child into our own family, forever.
• Patience. Especially for Abigail, who is very, very, very excited and has been asking for a sister since ...well, Nathan. Us as well. By nature, we very much want to "get our hopes up" but are surrounded by reality.
• Lord willing, Our Little Girl, whatever situation she may be in right now.
• That all the paperwork and its processes would go smoothly!!!

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27

Did I mention that Abigail had this shiner during the visit? hahaha. Not ideal.

1 year old

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

You are a perfect fit into our family, Luke. Daddy and I were just saying how we once thought you were going to sit back contently and watch your brother and sister do their thing, but you have come to prove us wrong...you are going to be right in the middle of it. Since you have learned your little "scooch" thing, you can get around almost just as fast as they can. Though you take steps on your own, you are not really interested. It will come, I'm sure. And we have loved having conversations with you lately. You like to carry them...and you think it is hilarious when you can make us laugh. You have even learned from your big brother and sister how to talk on the phone. Too funny! Though still as laid back as the first time we met, you know how to make yourself known when you want something. You are still a great sleeper and it seems that you are going to make it easy on me to wean you from the bottle over the next couple of weeks. Thanks ahead of time, Big Guy. We love you bunches and are so glad you are a part of our home. Happy Birthday, Pooks!

Nashville 2010

Tory "surprised" (a.k.a. planned on his own) me with a trip for the two of us to Nashville to celebrate 7 years of marriage bliss. He called his parents a couple of months ago, without me even knowing, asking them to come stay with the kids while we went away for a weekend. What a man!! He knows how to make a mama smile.

We spent Saturday evening at the historic Ryman Auditorium, listening to songs we had never heard but yet made us long for home...Texas. I did know the 3rd song that was sung that night, "Pistol Packin' Mama". I could not tell you the words now but within the first line was taken back to the early 1990s listening to my Grandfather sing it over and over and over. Tears filled my eyes. It's been 15 years since I'd heard Papa's voice and yet I can still remember it as if it were yesterday, riding in his truck out to the farm. I buried my face for a few minutes, gained composure the best I could and continued the night being thoroughly entertained with great humor and AMAZING talent! I guess that's how they get there though, huh.

Saturday we spent at a water park trying to pretend we were still young and looked it. Haha, spent a majority of the time at the lazy river...and now burnt to a crisp. Who were we kidding?

Happy 7 years to Us!

60 + 1

Celebrating the life of two very special men this weekend. We love you, Papa!!

Luke's FIRST birthday party!!

A few instructions from big brother...

...still smiling...

...feeling the effects.

Growing: A Giddens' Announcement

The kids are growing, yes. We went for physicals today and we now have 2 kids over 3 feet and a third whom just had his FIRST birthday party (Grandparents, pictures are coming)!

But we are also in the process of growing in number. This growth is coming to us in a different fashion this time. We have officially begun the adoption process. It will have a big price with it...lots of paper work, much prayer, and a trip or two to a land neither of us have ever been before. But following all of that, Lord willing, we will have another beautiful little Giddens' girl in our home. We don't know what she looks like, whether she is in her birth mother's womb or sleeping soundly in an orphanage, but we love her deeply. Though we have much to say about this in the weeks and months to come, we will leave it at a short sweet announcement of our adoption of a little orphan baby girl and a few of the details you may be wondering. We have desired to adopt from very early on in our marriage and are thrilled that we are coming to this time in our lives to grow our family in this way. We put in our application for adoption at the end of April and are quickly moving through tons and tons of paper work. We have requested a little girl, age 0-2 years from Ethiopia and we feel as though we can't get her home fast enough. The process with take approximately 18 months and the steps we will go through are as follows:

1. Apply with adoption agency and for a home study- done

2. Dossier (french for "documents") and home study completed

3. Dossier authenticated.

4. Dossier translated and authenticated in Ethiopia. (Can receive referral at any point now...we wait.)

5. Case submitted to court.

6. Court date given.

7. Tory and I travel to Ethiopia for court date.

8. Case submitted to embassy for appointment.

9. We travel back to Ethiopia for embassy appointment and bring home our little girl.

10. We bring her home and CELEBRATE being a family of 6!!!!

We covet your prayers as we embark on this adoption journey and are reminded of our own adoptions into a family that was once not our own--once enemies of God, now his children in Christ Jesus.

Tory, Kedra, Abigail, Nathan, and Luke Giddens

THE SCOOCH: A form of transportation

Luke's new preferred method of movement..."the scooch". That's what we call it because we can't figure out what animal/thing/creature it looks like. Tory says a paraplegic gorilla but that sounds really awful to me so we are compromising. Check this out...

Hilarity!!

nate's first BUZZ

I just love this boy. And that he is...all BOY. The things he does remind me so much of my little brother growing up. Maybe that is why I naturally stand up for my girl when he won't let her through, jumps straight into her seat in the car and at the dinner table, blocks the slide so she can't get down, and the list could go on and on. Tory, also having a younger sister, says it's just what they do. Either way, it is constantly a battle in our house. But I guess thats what make us a family, we can irritate the heck out of each other but yet never fall out of love. 'Cause I will tell you this little boy makes us laugh HARD! All of us! And whats so funny is that he knows it and he is learning more and more how to do it. And he can be so gentle and kind at the same time, wanting whats best for his big sister and lil' bro, which I am thrilled to say far outweighs the rest. We just LOVE this guy!

Also, note to self: No need to go drastic even though his hair is so long you are having to brush through tangles. And Tory, thanks but no thanks for talking me into it. Maybe we'll try again when he's 6. Nate, you are still handsome as ever, and your mama loves ya!

Outside

My goal for Spring/Summer 2010 (well, one of them at least) is to have lunch OUTSIDE every possible day that we can. Whether it is a blanket on the grass, or the deck if the grass is too wet, a local park, a far away park, the zoo, or if I am feeling particularly lazy the front porch we are going to be outside. So far this season I think we are a good 97.5% for all possible days. We love being outside!!

Side note: This particular day was very very bright out and the kids were almost about to give up on me so I suggested them go grab a hat out of their closet. Please note Nathan's idea/choice of a hat. Love him!

Mud Hole 2010

Every year, Folks, every year. This hole in some ways is quite the nuisance, but at least once a year it brings us so so much joy. We had this crazy, never-ending kind of rain this past weekend and woke today to sunshine and this beauty.