Vans, balloons, and remembering...

                                                       Yes. We are excited.

Very, very excited.

Amaus is a wee bit excited.

Daddy's home with our "new" van!!!

YIPPEE DAD! FINALLY A VAN WITH A BOAT ON TOP! COOL!

We are seriously pumped about our van! It is so roomy, and I love driving it. It's like I'm sitting on a big squishy coach driving down the road. Pure awesomeness.

Hopefully, we'll get many years out of BIG RED.

Josiah likes chillin on the back seat. If he gets tired he can make it out into a

queen bed and pull the blinds down.

Last weekend was The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race! One of our favorite events of the year!

                                       
                                                         Friday Night Fireworks...

                                     
                           
                         
                          Saturday morning balloon chases while the sun comes up...

                                  
   We like to have breakfast on the levee as we wait for the balloons to soar up over the Natchez bluff.

We had the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls this year.

This is officially my favorite cinnamon roll recipe.

We had the joy of having my beautiful mama, my step dad, and little brother come for the weekend.

(Along with lots of other family that came up on Saturday for a family reunion. We had a great time!)

Josiah was loving him some rolls...

Me and Ma. I love my mama to no end. She is a listening ear for me, every. single. day.

Classic Amaus expression

There they are!

More and more balloons rising on the other side of  "Ole Man River"

We hunted down some balloons so we could get up close and personal.

Last year, the boys and I sat on the levee waiting on the balloons, and Josiah and I had a memorable conversation. We talked on and on about how at the next year's balloon races, we would have little sister with us to enjoy it. We joked about what she might think about all of the balloons, and if she would want to roll on the levee with her brothers.

I think we both had a lump in our throats this year as we sat on the levee staring at the big colorful balloons, remembering last year's conversation. Another year, and sister still isn't here. We talked about it a bit.

Tonight as I listened to the boys pray, I thought of how faithful even they've been in their prayers for so long now. Every night, they pray for their sister. They pray for God to bring her home soon.

They pray for God to protect her.

I am just as excited and eager to watch their responses when they see the fruit of their faith,

as I am to experience it myself.

I heard from the agency today. There is still no word on consejo. A few people on the board for the matching meetings recently resigned, and they had to be replaced by new members. There has been no formal announcement as to whether those positions have been filled yet, or are still waiting to be filled. Our in country representative met with the new adoption director, and she is hoping to meet soon for consejo. That is all we know for now. All of our paperwork is set on go...we are ready for the next matching meeting. When I know the date- I will shout it from the rooftops!