An interesting day!

We had a great day at la casita (the apartment) today. We played and colored and watched tv. Alexandra even helped get lunch together (cooking spaghetti, setting the table). She loves to help with cooking and putting things away. (I am hoping she rubs off on the older kids!) After having such a great day, we decided to venture out without our friend Cami to translate for us. We had been doing so well. We went for a walk with Alexandra holding our hands or us carrying her. We then went to a local department store to buy her some warmer clothes. All went well and she was dancing to all the music, until....Drake brought up a giant stuffed lollypop. When she couldn't have it, we had a minor issue. It quickly passed and she was fine. We bought some new clothes that she helped pick out and we were off. As we were walking home we decided to run into Bembos (the local hamburger chain....I know funny name, I am sure Layne will have more to say about that later!) for a snack. Well the line was long and we had to wait for our food. Meanwhile we had gotten a table upstairs. When Alex realized Papa was downstairs, she went down, then when she realized Mama was upstairs she went up. Back and forth this went, up and down until Papa finally brought our food.

We decided to top off the evening with ice cream from Bembos. Not the same as last night's gelato, but we managed to do just fine. Walking home Becca was elated to find $4 American Eagle t-shirts at a discount market. Alexandra didn't make it home awake and fell asleep on Becca's shoulder as we walked into our apartment. Unfortunately it didn't last, but she is now tucked in asleep. Three successful nights in a row!

daily life in Peru!

Since I had a minute while Alexandra is watching Cars with Luke (she seems more interested in the English version on the little dvd player vs the Spanish version on tv) I thought I would let you know a little bit about what our daily life is like here. You know, now that we are pros since we have been here a whole week! :) Since we are south of the equator the seasons are opposite, so we are heading into winter here. They really don't have fall here, just lots of fog and humidity. Being right on the coast where Miraflores is, it stays pretty foggy all the time. In fact when the sun tried to poke out yesterday, I believe it was only the 2nd time we had seen it! (In Comas where the orphanage was, it was sunny one day. It is away from the coast so it isn't as foggy and cloudy, but it is more polluted.) It is only in the 60's but based on how everyone dresses you would think we were boardering freezing weather. I know it feels cold to the locals, because even Alexandra is asking for a jacket while we are still inside. There is no heat or a/c in most places. I believe only fancy hotels and some businesses. You don't really need it this time of year, but it would be nice to cut through the 90% humidty!

Since it isn't summer here, the kids are still in school. From what we hear, if you can send your kids to private school at all that is what you do. There are state schools, but they aren't very good. Those in school wear uniforms and we have seen many kids in the plaid skirts and knee socks with a sweater. My kids are very glad PCA didn't adopt that uniform. They start school about 8:30 and finish about 2 or 2:30. That is when the big meal occurs, after school in the afternoon. It would be similar to our dinner...sandwiches or a salad wouldn't cut it! Then in the evening they have a small meal. The kids pack bascially a snack for school...fuit, veggies, or bread...and plan on their big meal when they get home.

There are laundramats on every corner, so you can drop your laundry off in the morning and pick it up in the evening and it is clean, dry and folded. The only problem is they use a super high heat drier to dry, so you have to handwash delicates and let them hang dry which takes 3 days! It is nice though, not having to mess with lots of laundry!

Since we are in Miraflores, it is similar to a big city in the states and living downtown. There are taxis everywhere and you walk most anywhere you can. In fact we walk to the grocery ever couple of days for groceries. It is just a grocery store, probably the size of a drug store in the US. I am sure we frustrate people as we stand trying to figure out what we are buying. I will have much more patience in the comissary after this! As I have shared before there is fresh bread every day and they have a counter with prepared foods. This is how we have been eating lunch for a few days, so we don't take Alexandra to a restaurant yet. We will attempt that this week. Milk is sold in paper boxes on the shelves, so it took Drake a week to be convinced it would taste the same. Eggs are sold on the shelves, not in the refrigerator either! We are getting used to it all and Becca has even begun to be willing to eat meat again.

Ok, so I know this isn't as exciting as hearing about the kids, but I wanted to give you all a pictue of it. This is all just in Miraflores which is realtively clean and very safe. There are other areas that don't seem to be the same and aren't near as nice! Unfortunately the orphanage was in one of those places.

Well off to chase Alexandra, she is bored with the movie and is bouncing from one activity to another!

Sightseeing in Lima

Today we took Alexandra out on the town for some sightseeing. We rode a two-level tour bus around the city and learned about the various landmarks of Lima. The second deck of the bus has no roof so it was a great way to see the city. Alexandra probably won't remember too much of it but at least we can tell her about it someday.

After the tour, we walked to the outdoor mall by the coast (Larcomar) for Gellato. Gellato is like ice cream taken to the next level of creamy deliciousness. Cami was with us tonite so she could translate all the flavors. Based on churros and Gellato, I will probably gain several pounds on this trip.

If the tour bus and Gellato were not enough stimulation for Alexandra, we finished up our day on the town with several rounds of skeeball, whack-a-crab, and whack-a-wolf. The last two are minor modifications to the ever-popular whack-a-mole game. I guess the fun of pounding small creatures with a mallet transcends any geographical or cultural lines. We did succeed in earning enough tickets to "win" Alexandra a small coin purse full of hair scrunchees.

I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that Alexandra wasn't ready for bed when we got back to the apartment. She was very excited to put on her "princessa piyamas" but did take a little longer to go to sleep. I got to lay with her tonite while she talked for 20 minutes with the only words I really understood were "mi papa". I said "si" whenever I thought she was asking a question and she eventually fell asleep with her arms around my neck.

Things are going so well that we sometimes worry that we are missing something but we know God has prepared this way and we are just enjoying His blessing. God is truly awesome!

Great Night!

After about 10 minutes of "crying" Alexandra fell asleep in her bed wrapped in my arms. I say "crying", but it was more like a faint attempt at wimpering. ( I have noticed she does this when she wants to be held. My prayer is she will realize she doesn't have to for us to scoop her up and hug her!) I know it was her way of showing she was scared, but she seemed quickly consoled and slept great. She only woke up once and saw me and snuggled up and fell back asleep. It was more than we could have asked for!

We were prepared (on much advice) for her to be very upset all night and it to be a very long night! What can I say? God continues to amaze us! As we got up this morning, she wanted to make sure everyone was here. She is already playing with the boys (its 7am) and has had a heapin helpin of Yogurt!

We will lay low this morning then venture out this afternoon for a bit and do some sightseeing!
It is hard to believe we have been here a week already!

Life in Peru

After much debate and several days viewing on the drive to the orphanage, we determined the costumed individual is a propane tank- not a twinkie or hot dog as was previously guessed.

Alexandra has expressed some concern over my nose and if she would inherit my nose even though she is adopted. She was relieved to find out that the big nose gene cannot be passed through the adoption process.

All is well tonight. Alexandra is excited about her "princessa piyamas" but does not show any interest in going to bed. She isn't smiling because mama keeps talking about going to bed.

Deb got the first attempt at "sapia des dientes" - who wouldn't want to brush with a brand spankin new Winnie-the-Pooh toothbrush?

Tomorrow we will probably venture out into town- hopefully Alexandra will interpret for us.

Alexandra is HOME!!!

Today has probably been the most emotional day yet! We went this morning to the orphanage and signed custody papers that put Alexandra officially in our custody. After we changed her into her new clothes, all the way down to panties and socks, she said goodbye to her friends and the sisters that run the orphanage and we were off. She seemed to understand and it wasn't too emotional for her. Praise God since she had only been there a month, I believe it made it much easier! Even though we were so excited, it was hard watching all the kids that weren't leaving. There are some very sweet ones there that just soak up the love and attention! It is a blessing that those at this orphange are taken such good care of. They have a very clean home, with good food and toys and caregivers. They all seem very happy and laugh and smile a lot! Finally walking out of the gate as a family of 6, just seemed like such a milestone in our lives. It is a new chapter for our family and I am just so excited for all of us. To see God's promise fulfilled is just...well, I just can't put it into words! He is so good!

Alexandra seemed very nervous as we went to the government office to sign the legal paperwork after we left the orphanage. She seemed to get more comfortable as time went on there and she loved coming home to la casita. We stopped on the way home and got roasted chickens with fries and salad and ate lunch in la casita! She continues to amaze us with what a great eater she is!

Becca has already painted her nails and Alexandra has discovered all her toys. She seems a bit hyper today, but that is only to be expected. If only I could speak better spanish to communicate better.

Before Cami our translator/friend left Alexandra showed here where she was sleeping tonight, where her siblings were sleeping tonight and said good bye. She even went and opened the door for Cami. It was so good to see her so comfortable. We'll see if it lasts through the night.

name?

Layne again. Tomorrow Alexandra, Alessandra, Alesandra (not sure yet how we will spell her name) comes to live with us. We are very excited but realize it will be somewhat traumatic for her. Pray for her to know we love her and for her to be at peace. Also pray for all of us as we live in a 500 square foot apartment. Hopefully, many trips to the park and the churro stand will keep us from going crazy.

Nuevos Zapatos

New Shoes for Alexandra. Today we went to the MegaPlex and found a shoe store to buy some shoes for Alexandra. She loved it, but seemed a bit overwhelmed. We ate while we were there and she ate more than me I think. There wasn't much she didn't like...only shrimp. It was good Peruvian food and I know we were a sight. You had the 6 Trospers, a translator/friend, the orphanage director, and our driver all together. Mind you this is in a part of town that is not touristy. Us gringos stand out like crazy! We got plenty of glances. Especially when people realized we used someone to translate for our daughter. Oh well...I am pretty past caring what others may think at this point.



Alexandra was very excited about her shoes and we found a 'Princessas' shirt that she liked, so we picked that up too. She loves the Disney princesses. Gotta love how the US influences everyone...even though none of those princesses look at all like anyone in Peru. Oh Well...we caved in!



Tomorrow we go to just sign paperwork and put her in her own clothes and take her with us. I know it has got to be a little scary for her, so we are praying for a smooth transition. She has been through some things over the last month that will make it even more tramatic, but we are believing God to put His peace that surpasses understanding in her and us, to make it a God transition.



We are so ready to have her alone with us. There has always been someone else around, so it will be good for her to see as her family. (We will just have to explain that this little apartment we are in is not forever.) The weekend should be filled with fun firsts for us.



One other thing we did today was watch the kids at the orphanage get some of the candy we brought for them. They were just individually wrapped life savers and the kids (all 4 and under) loved them. You could tell candy is not an every day experience. We take so much for granted with our kids and our lifestyle! It was such a blessing to watch them smile and be reminded God cares for these little ones and desires for them to be part of His Kingdom. I praise God for the people at this home and at New Life where Alexandra was most of her life that pour God's love on these children. I know it is not like that everywhere! It is more answered prayer as to how God has covered her.

Alessandra

Today is an exciting day for me. Deb said I could post something on the blog without her proofreading it first.

We spent another awesome day with Alessandra. Leaving her at 4 is very difficult but we know we only have one more day before she gets to come home (to our apartment) with us. Today we tried out the ever popular shoulder ride until her chin bounced on my head and she bit her tongue. The good thing is it gave Deb and opportunity to console her.

This entire experience is somewhat overwhelming- I know my words cannot do justice to the awesome things God is doing in our lives. We are truly blessed.

I know the pics are all of Alessandra and I- that's the advantage of doing the post.

More pics on Facebook

I am having trouble attaching photos here tonight so I have put more on facebook. Hopefully tomorrow I can get more up!

Another Day with Alexandra

Oh what a sweet day with Alexandra. She ran in when she saw we were there and never left us. We played outside with a beach ball for a good hour. She loved to bounce it like a basketball and kick it. She is very strong, I think we will have another soccer player on our hands! She also loved to jumprope. Ok, so her version is swinging the rope and jumping. She was so confident she was doing it, we just kept encouraging her. We ate lunch under the tree in the courtyard..she loves fruit and chips of any kind as well as cookies, juice and chocolate milk. She is not so fond of bread and cheese!

One of the things I know you are wondering is what language she speaks. She speaks Spanish and speaks and expresses herself very well! Luckily we have our friend Marissa with us who translates for us, but we are working on communicating on our own with her. We have the basics down...potty, food, drink, share, I love you...I am sure we will master more tomorrow! She can understand us and tries to communicate very well. I am sure we frustrate her at times, but we know God is the ultimate translator and He is working this out day by day!

Alexandra fell asleep on me today again and I just loved it. She let Papa feed her yogurt, which was precious. She played outside by herself with Becca, Drake and Luke for a good hour and had so much fun! She loves to be held by all of us and is consoled very easily with hugs. We definitely saw more of her stong will today than yesterday, but I know that is because she is feeling more comfortable with us. She can be very independent at times and is going to voice her opinion I am sure! Lucky for us, we have experience raising the strong willed child and wouldn't have it any other way!

We love her so and can't wait to bring her home with us...language barrier and all. Tonight as we were at the outdoor mall, we couldn't help but seeing all the things we wanted to do with her...bowling, movies, the kiddie playpark. It is going to be hard to take it slow so as not to overwhelm her.

I must say, the last couple of days have been a blur and we can feel all of your prayers. God has kept us strong and at peace and it just seems so natural. If we think about it too much, it seems sureal. It is so amazing to watch Him work this the way He is. It truly is a miracle! To Him be all the glory. Until tomorrow!

Our Newest Family Member

WOW WOW WOW is all I can say. Alexandra is just precious. There was not a dry Trosper eye when she came in the room. She ran right to me and hugged me and then Layne, then the kids. She stayed in my lap the entire first 30 minutes or so as she opened her gifts. She was shy at first, but warmed up quickly, especially with the gifts. She held her lamb we made and LOVED the Disney Princess "cd player". She recognized Princessas right away and loved playing the music. She referred to us as Ma ma and Pa pa right away. It made our hearts melt to hear her say that!

I know so many of you were praying for us for today and I completely felt it! I was not anxious or nervous today at all. It seemed like I was in some sort of dream and it wasn't real. All I can liken it to is when children are born. You can't imagine what they will be like or what it will feel like to be their parent, but as soon as you see them, your heart melts and you are a mommy! Today was the same. We got to explain to the kids, that what they felt when they first saw her was what we felt when we first saw them. It was so special!

We played in a small waiting room type place for most of the day. We had packed a lunch that we all ate together and we played outside in the courtyard as well. Her favorite thing to do all day was to take the photos that we had brought her of the house, her room, Petey and us and go through them all. She kept saying dos hermanos for the boys and Becca for her new sister. She would say mi papa and mi mama at Layne and my pics. She got very excited when she saw Petey (Mi perro) so we are confident she is going to enjoy him. The best was watching her take the pics around and showing them to all her friends (and anyone who would look at them) and showing them her papa and hermanos. Those were her favorite to share. It was just precious.

Luke showed off to her one of his amazing 5 minute headstands. She laughed and then as soon as she could bent down with her head to the floor to do one as well. By about 2pm, she was worn out and as I sang to her, she fell asleep in my lap. I just sat there for an hour holding her knowing God was knitting our hearts together even more!

Ok and so if you are wondering about her eye! I truly believe God is already at work there. You would NEVER guess she was blind in one eye. With her glasses, she was able to color in the lines, catch balls, get stickers. It is truly amazing. We even noticed her "blind" eye is tracking with the other! I know the only reason she was on the Waiting Angels list is so she could be matched with us. We continue to hear how amazing it is that we were actually matched with her and how it has worked out. Only God could do this! My prayer is that all those around will see how big a GOD we serve and that He will recieve all the glory! He truly cares about the widows and the orphans!

We had to leave her there this afternoon and she was not nearly as upset as we were. She is comfortable there and knew we were coming back manyana. The kids really didn't want to leave her and Luke was afraid someone else was going to get her if we left. It already feels like we aren't complete until she comes home with us on Friday.

Lima!

Well we have had 2 days to see this beautiful city. We have a wonderful new friend Cami who spent yesterday showing us around and translating for us. Today we tried it on our own and were fairly successful! We ate a meal, went to the grocery and hunted down gift wrapping for Alex's gifts. Easy to find gift wrapping you would think, but no....no Targets or Wal Marts or Halmark here. We finally found gift bags from a street vendor and tissue paper from a man with a Christian book store. That was after about 2 hours of walking and looking. A lot of the little stores were closed today, so had I been looking yesterday I probably could have saved my family some headache!



Even though it is heading into winter here, there are flowers and trees in full bloom. It doesn't feel cold to us, but people are wearing sweaters, scarves and boots. It is in the 60s! Oh well, we will continue to stand out in our tees and shorts. It is very humid...yes even more so that Alabama. Everything feels wet all the time as there is no air conditioning or heating. At least our get ready time is cut way down. There is no point trying to do anything with our hair!



The food here is great. So many fruits to try. There is a drink called Chi Cha made from purple corn, sugar, cloves and cinamon. It looks like red wine, but is non-alcoholic and tastes delicious. Drake and I LOVE it! (Keep your eyes open for purple corn at Mexican stores and I will bring home the recipe to make it!) Luke's favorite is Inca Cola of course. Unfortunately it is caffinated and tastes like it has a ton of sugar, so a little goes a long way with him and we have to cut him off. Luckily for Layne and I they have Coke Light which is Diet Coke and luckily for me th Peruvian coffee is so yummy!



All of us love the churros! They are like stick versions of funnel cakes. I know....too yummy! Those on top of the fresh bread and rolls that are around every corner, there will be no weight loss for me this trip. The only thing that will keep me from getting too big for my clothes is the amount of walking we do. Everything in Miraflores (the district we are staying in) is within walking distance...parks, sightseeing, the coast, shopping, and Lacomar (the huge mall built in the side of a cliff with American food).



We have just stuck to chicken (pollo) so far for our meals. Yes, they do serve Coy which is guinea pig, but I don't think we are going to brave that. Buddy (our guinea pig) was part of our family for 6 1/2 years. I just don't think I could do it. I would see his face with every bite! They sell it in the grocery, right next to the chicken and beef along with plenty of other stuff I am not sure what it is. Becca has stated she is not eating meat this entire trip, just in case.



Our new pets are the pigeons that land on our windowsill. We only had one occasionally until the kids discovered if they put crumbs out there, it attracted many more and they stuck around. I am sure the locals that live in the building just love us!



Our apartment is great and we are settling in just fine. We do already miss the conveniences of home. Our water heater here isn't much bigger than a standard propane tank in the States. It makes for very fast showers. To cook on the stove or oven, we have to turn the gas on and light the fire. Of course, we have to boil any water from the tap as well. Luckily they sell large bottles of water, it is just carrying them from the market that will get tiring! There is also no washers or dryers. You have to do laundry by hand or send it out. Guess which we will be doing. Yeah...no laundry for 5 weeks! I don't mind walking it around the corner for someone to do it for me!



I am grateful we get to "live" here for 5 weeks and experience this culture. I already see how spoiled we truly are. The people are beautiful and so natural. I hope you can get a glimpse though our pictures.

We are Here!

After a very long day we arrived at our apartment last night about 1am. We are heading out to explore Lima today. So far it looks very pretty and the people seem very nice. My spanish skills are not as good as they used to be, but I am praying they kick in soon. It is amazing how many people speak English though. I will post later about our amazing run through the Miami airport.

Getting Ready to Go

Well the countdown is down. Less than 36 hours to go until we leave on our journey! Are we ready to go? I wish I could say yes. Emotionally and mentally...yes, but physically...well, let's just say we are still working on it. I still have to pack, but most of our shopping and running is done. The house is fairly clean and there is actually food in the freezer for when the boys come home the middle of June. Ideas keep popping in my head as to things we should have done or need to do and I am trying to stay very focused and let God prioritize what He needs done by us. We fly out Friday afternoon and I will try to post over the weekend from Lima. I am so excited to see this country. I hear only amazing things about it!

Alex's Room is Finally Ready!

Well after 2 weeks of on again, off again work, Alex's room is ready for her homecoming. It started with my "just" buying a new quilt for the bed we already had. After we got that on there, we (ok, I) just knew we had to paint the table to match. Then came the wall decals that we saw on clearance and the cubby system that was on sale and so on and so on! It has been fun and we have all helped with it! Layne shot a coat of paint on the dollhouse that my grandfather made. The cradle was mine as a kid and there is an antique doll of my mom's. Becca and Luke got involved as well and painted the paintings for her room! (Drake was out camping, but will add his later!) Becca also painted the flower on the round table. I think we may have a budding artist or two on our hands. It has been so much fun to watch them get excited! (And it has helped pass the time as well!)

I think it is so appropriate that there are items representing different generations of our family as Alex is about to be a part of that lineage! We can't wait to get her! Only 5 more days until we leave and we will meet her one week from tomorrow. Will it ever get here?

Kisses in the Wind

This is a poem a friend of mine sent me in the mail the beginning of April. Little did I know how quickly God was going to fulfill it! The author is unknown, but it speaks my heart so true. Only 9 more days until we leave and 12 until we meet Alexandra!

Kisses in the Wind

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that’s how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are…what’s taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin…
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I’m doing all that I can do.

Vey soon, you’ll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

Annabelle the Lamb

For over a year now, Luke has been wanting to go back to Build A Bear and build a bear for Anna. We decided we would wait until after we were finally matched. How many times have we walked past that bright fun storefront and discussed it? I have lost track.

Last week, when we were talking about what to take Alexandra for a gift when we meet her, we decided we would finally build her a "bear" to take to her and Mother's Day would be the perfect day to do it! We loaded up after lunch and headed to the Mall. We decided on a white lamb and took it to the worker to stuff. She assumed Luke was making it, so she asked him who it was for. He told her it was for his sister who we were adopting, which then explained to her why we had all grabbed a fabric heart to put in the bear. She had us all do the heart routine where you rub the heart on your head so she will be smart and rub it on your cheek so she will smile and laugh at our jokes, then rub it on our tummy so she won't go hugry, etc. It really was precious and my heart prayed that this was just a representation of what God would be doing in Alexandra as she joined our family! We then stuffed our bear with all 5 hearts. I am sure we looked a little odd, but it truly was a very special time for us. Luke and Layne "washed her and got her ready" and then Drake and Becca input all of her info for her "records". We named her AnnaBelle and she is dressed with pink and purple bows ready for her suitcase ride to Peru!

The Call to Adopt

With three biological children, could I really be feeling a tug to adopt? Maybe it was just to support others who were adopting or to financially support adoption organizations. Surely God wasn't calling us to actually adopt a fourth child. I wondered if I even did that great a job with the 3 I already had. Even if adoption was something He wanted us to do, it would probably be after our 3 were much older, and I had figured this parenting thing out.

Well in March of 2006, God choose to make it very clear what He was saying . It was a typical Sunday morning. We were at church and there was a missions emphasis that day. There was a couple speaking that morning who were going to become missionaries to Peru and were sharing their story and the story of the Peruvian orphans. (There are hundreds of thousands of abandoned children in Peru and orphanages are just overflowing.) I am not sure what all they said that morning, because as soon as the pictures of those children went up on the screen, I heard God tell me "Go get your baby!" All I could do was weep. I knew God had spoken to me and I was almost paralyzed by the weight of it all. This was one of very few Sundays (if not the only Sunday) Layne and I were not sitting together in church. I wondered, "Did he hear that too? How was I going to bring this up? Was I crazy?"

After church came the first confirmation. Our pastor's wife asked me "Did you see your baby up there?" "What?" I said, with utter shock on my face I am sure. "Are you kidding?" She was was just kidding around because she had seen me crying, but I was stunned. It was like God was saying...."Yes, that is what I said!" Still, I decided that I would wait for Layne to bring it up. If he did then I knew that God had spoken to him as well.

That night as we were playing a game with the kids, typical sibling rivalry set in, and an argument between the kids erupted that seemed to get out of hand. Layne looked at me and said..."And to think I thought this morning we were to adopt another one."

Wow, he had heard it too. We talked and knew God had told us to to move ahead with this. But Peru? I had never even really heard of Peru, much less anyone adopting from there. Where exactly was that in South America? (Geography was never my strong suit.) Well for the next weeks, everywhere I turned I saw references to Peru; articles in magazines, ads for travel, a character on a TV show, everywhere! We went to an adoption informational meeting and listened to all the options for international adoption. We truly were open to whatever God had for us. All I can say is that every time we heard Peru our heart skipped a beat. We knew that was where our daughter was.

How did we know it was a girl? I am not sure, but we both just knew we were to adopt a girl and began to refer to her as "Anna" as we talked about the adoption and as we prayed for her. Little did we know that it would be a 3 year process.

Alexandra has grown up at the Children's Home (www.perumissions.com) we saw pictures of that morning in church. There are hundreds of thousands of orphans in Peru and we were matched with one of the 27 at New Life Children's Home. There is a very real possibility we saw her in those pictures that morning as God spoke to us. God has taught us that He is not just in the big things and the big decisions. He is in every detail of our lives and desires for us to look for Him in all those details. There is no such thing as coincidence...it is God's sovereignty working every time!

He had placed Alex in our hearts 3 years ago before she even turned 1...if you look at the name AlexaNdrA...you see ANA in it. He knew all along exactly who Anna was and He was covering every detail of her life. He was answering our prayers as He had her in a Christian Home run by American missionaries. She has been loved on, prayed for and prayed over her entire life. Not only here in the US, but in her birth country as well. Wow God loves all His little children!

No, even 3 years later, I know I don't have this parenting thing all figured out. There is still sibling rivalry on days, still days I question my parenting, but I have learned that God does not require perfection to use us. In fact, it is in our brokenness that He can use us the most. He wants for us to have hearts that recognize our sinful nature and our weaknesses and turn to Him for forgiveness and strength through His Son Jesus Christ. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It is just like the saying I have heard many time..."God does not call the equipped, He equips the called." I praise Him that He didn't require perfection in us to add a beautiful daughter to our family. He will give us all we need as we seek Him to parent Alex as well as Becca, Drake and Luke. God is so good!

Making Travel Plans

Going to Peru!

We continue to amazed as to how God has orchestrated everything! We have received our official paperwork and we will get to meet Alexandra on May 25th which is her birthday! We are still working on places to stay and plane tickets, but it is all coming together. Everyday we get to see more and more how God has planned for Alex to be our daughter all along! The kids are getting excited and are even more so now that they have seen pictures of Lima and realize it is on the coast and is very metropolitan!

We are matched!

Getting the news about Alexandra!

We got a call on Wednesday April 15th that there was a Waiting Angel whose adoption had fallen through. It all sounded too good to be true. This was exactly how Layne had pictured it the entire time. We wrote a letter of request and had our psychologist write one as well and got those down to Peru by Friday. It was a crazy couple of days and there was no way to know if others had requested Alex too or if she would even been matched in this consejo. A consejo is the monthly matching meeting where they match families with the children. After 2 weeks of lots of prayer, up and down emotions, and trying to guard ourselves, while staying open to God's plan, we found out Thursday April 30th that we were matched with Alexandra. I got the call as I was walking in the comissary. I had to sit on the couches at the front and soak it in. It was all I could to not fall apart as I walked the aisles. When I saw the kiddie shampoo on the drug aisle I about lost it. We told the kids after they got home from school and they were just thrilled! It has taken a bit to sink in. After three years of knowing God would do this, it seems surreal that it is finally happening. To help it sink in, we did the typical female thing and went shopping. I ordered her a quilt for her bed and Becca and I had fun buying toddler girl clothes while we were out shopping together! Our official letter from Peru came today and we sent our letter of acceptance down just moments after we received it. Now to make our travel plans! We are praising God for the gift of internet as it has made the flow of information almost seemless across continents, cultures and languages. God continues to amaze us how He is in ALL the details and we give Him all the glory!