NEW POSTS

I just put several NEW POSTS on my Family Blog. Check it out!
MERRY CHRISTMAS

I Need to Practice.... Can someone give me a baby...

My friend Christy is one of my heroes. The girl (ok... woman) has 5 kids. She is amazing. Such a servant's heart and is incredible at being a mom. Every time I am with her I take her littlest one, Sammy. I love this kids. Lately I've been practicing with him in the sling. I ordered a sling today from Hotslings.com. Christy has 3 slings and votes this one the best. She likes it because it doesn't give. Every time I have him in there he falls asleep. SO SWEET!

The funny thing is we've had 3 kids. I just forget how small they are. My arms ache to hold our baby boy!
Thanks Christy for letting me hold Sammy. What a precious baby!

Isn't he a doll?

JOSH AND JULIE .... IT'S A GIRL!!!

I got a call today (this sounds like I got a referral... haha) at 1pm. It was a hysterical friend screaming "It's a GIRL!". After a VERY SHORT CONVERSATION... we were jumping in the car to drive to Maryville (which is about 25 minutes away). My kids and I were all in our PJs (yes, at 1pm but that is one of the perks of homeschooling). So, we got dressed and I was frantic looking for the camera... it was right in front of my face. Then I didn't have enough gas in the car to make it to Maryville. So, after stopping at Weigels and trying 3 different pumps... FINALLY I got gassed up and we got there as fast as possible. I wondered if I could put on my hazards to get their faster... (in my mind... "Yes, officer... my friend... just had a baby... No, I'm not headed to the hospital, no.. she's not having a home birth... She is pulling her baby up on the computer!! I HAVE TO GET THERE!). So I went the speed limit. Avery warned Aidan and Addie to make sure their belts were fastened CORRECTLY. I laughed.
Anywho... I got to Julie's mom's house and saw SUCH A PRECIOUS BABY GIRL! She is adorable. I can't believe how beautiful she is. SO SWEET!

CONGRATS JOSH AND JULIE! (and Margo and Rick too - the grandparents)

LOVE IT!

Check out my friend Julie's Blog to get your very own Ethiopia T-Shirt. It has the statistics of the country wrapped around the shirt. I LOVE IT! She had a fashion show and this fashion designer designed these t-shirts. Every shirt sold will help benefit Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia. Great shirt... great cause (hey, I came up with that one on my own :-) and for you OFFICE watchers out there.... fashion show, fashion show... fashion show at LUNCH)

BEAUTY FOR ASHES

After thinking through and letting our referral sink in, I have had so many connections and AH HA moments. I know I mentioned that our new son was born on the day my mom passed away. She died 5 years ago and he was born on the 5th anniversary of her death.
I have a daughter who has a birthday 2 days before and I have a son that has a birthday 2 days after (so yes, we will have 3 birthdays in 6 days here at our house). Does that make sense? I use to say that my kid's birthdays were the joy that sandwiched the pain but now... there is joy even on that sorrowful day.

I went on a Women's retreat in early November. I was having a quiet time outside (looking out into the gorgeous smokey mountains) and I was just bawling crying. Our retreat was on the landscapes of life that God had taken us through. I started thinking about how my parents passed away 18 months apart and how my kids were born at the same time. My daughter was 6 months old when my dad passed away and my son was born 2 days after my mom died. SO, it was like I had one foot in the greenest of pastures and one foot in the desert. It was such a hard time. My mom had Alzheimers and then cancer took her life. It was so hard and so dark. I started thinking about my longing for them and how I was an orphan even though they had raised me until I was an age that I could care for myself. I still have longings. I still want a mom and a dad. I started thinking about my orphan in Ethiopia at that moment and thought... in some small way (VERY SMALL!) I know what it is like to not have a mom and a dad. It does feel like rejection even for me. I want them and they don't come... they never will. I suddenly was filled with joy that the Lord would let me experience those feelings so when Abel ever starts to feel that way I would be ever so sensitive to him.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE VERSE Isaiah 61:3 "To give them beauty for ashes,The oil of joy for mourning,The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness"
I could see a shift in my spirit over the last 6 months... there was such healing coming to my heart through this adoption. Then I just had an "ah ha" moment during that quiet time that this was the BEAUTY FOR ASHES! Just the connection of being left as an orphan (again, in a small way) and how the Lord has given me a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. I closed my eyes and saw this image...
I saw my parents grave and it was as if flowers were blooming there.
The crazy thing is 2 later BABY ETHIOPIA was born ... on the very day my mom left this earth ... my flower ... My beauty for ashes!!! My parents being part of the soil in which those flowers are blooming because of the gift they have given me in their death. That I will connect to the orphan in this precious baby's heart.
BEAUTY FOR ASHES!


Still letting it all sink in :-)

REFERRAL DAY

This is the day we've been waiting for.... WE HAVE SEEN OUR SON!

Today at 3pm I got a phone call from our agency. I just happened to be at Julie's store when my phone rang. I looked down and saw it was the NUMBER I LONGED TO SEE ON CALLER I.D. I answered my phone after gasping!!! It was Julie. She said "I have some good news to share with you. I have a baby boy to tell you about". She went on to tell me some information about him. The first thing she said was his name... I was blown away by his birth given name. IT MEANS HOPE! Then she told me his birthday. He was born on the day that my mom passed away (my mom died 5 years ago). I STARTED UGLY FACE CRYING at this point. We hung up shortly after and I called Ted (who was home with the kids) to tell him. I rushed home and Julie and Josh came with me :-)

Right when you hang up with the agency, they send you an e-mail with pictures and all the information about the baby. So, when I got home our whole family gathered around the computer to take our first glance at this sweet BABY He is the prettiest baby (I know boys are handsome but this baby is PRETTY!!!). His eyes, his skin... OH MY... get me on the next plane to Ethiopia!!!

My favorite moment was Aidan laying on the floor just looking through the pictures and studying little this precious baby's face. He was beaming with joy! The girls were excited too!!!





(I love how my face and Avery's face are doing the same thing :-)



Josh and Julie taking a peek :-)

So, now a new wait begins. We wait for our court date to go through... which will take a while! We won't even know when it happens. Our agency just calls us after it happens. They tell us to plan to wait 2 to 5 months for this next wait.

Right now I am just so excited to know what he looks like but I know the time will come when I am agonizing over this new wait.

I was talking to Suzi on the phone one day and she said that she had picked a date to say... I hope to get my referral by (and picked a date). So when we hung up I picked a date.... I thought I SO HOPE I GET IT BEFORE THIS but I chose my dad's birthday. My dad died 18 months before my mom. My dad's birthday is TOMORROW :-)

Again, HOW SWEET!!!

WE ARE IN LOVE...

With a little baby!

We got our referral today.
Right now we are walking out the door to a Christmas party!!!

He is absolutely PRECIOUS.
He was born on the day my mom passed away. She died 5 years ago. We are blown away.

We can't post pictures but just know this... HE IS GORGEOUS!

8 WEEKS WAITING!

Here is my superhero... with 8 fingers up. We have been on the waiting list for a baby boy for 8 weeks today. Just thought I would post the update... still waiting...

Here's the verse that the Lord brought to my attention yesterday

Psalm 33:20-23

Our soul waits for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

For our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Some call us CrAzY... but we are just dedicated

So here we are again... 2 weeks later (see last post) ... 7 weeks into waiting (almost 8). The level of addiction is increasing with each passing day. We have just come across the BLOG ROLL... who knew there was such a fulfilling thing. WELL, THERE IS. SO, us two crazies... I mean dedicators or dedicatas are doing the only thing we can... SURVIVING (and living vicariously through other's stories)

7 Weeks Waiting

Avery colored this number 7 tonight at dinner. Today is 7 weeks on the waiting list. We got our CIS approval on Oct 9th and were number 4 then on this list. I think we are number 2 but not sure if there has been any movement on the boys list since Nov 9th when I got our monthly update.
There is a group there right now and I can't wait to hear about their travel. This week is CREEPING by.....
I have been doing a study by Kay Arthur and today I went back and read through the name of God "El Elyon" ... Almighty God ... God's sovereignty. It was a sweet reminder of WHO HE IS and that HIS PLANS CAN NOT BE THWARTED so as I wait I will cling to that! I trust HIM!!

An Interview with the Little Ancelets

Aidan got these questions with his Chic Fil A kid's meal and so I thought it would be fun to interview the kids and write their answers. Avery is 7, Aidan is 5, and Addie is 3.

Have you ever been told you look like someone else? Who?
Aidan: I look like my dad
Avery: Mom, you tell me I look like Dad
Addie: I look like ... uhhh.... a coona. In the Jungle. Like a monkey. (remember she's 3)

Do you like to sing? What is your favorite song
Aidan: I know, my favorite song is "How Long" (by the Eagles)... (Aidan and Ted at this point break into song)
Avery: well, I like to sing Hannah Montana Songs
Addie: I like uh... uhh... Every day (from High School Musical 2)

If you could only eat one type of food a week what would it be?
Aidan: brocolli (REALLY?)
Avery: I would eat... I choose... OK... Cinnamon Rolls
Addie: sandburger (I think that is a sandwhich and a hamburger together)

What is the strangest food you have ever eaten:
Aidan: spaghetti and meatballs
Avery: oatmeal
Addie: Brocolli and salad with a katy corn head (what???)
MOM: I ate cow tongue once. One bite that was it.


If you were gonna write a book, what would it be about?
Aidan: Cars
Avery: My family
Addie: a book about a kid with me and avery and dad

If you could change your name, what would it be?
Aidan: A-duh (I think he is just saying his name in a different way)
Avery: Sarah
Addie: umm... uhhhh.... a sharp (don't think she gets the question)

What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do?
Aidan: to play a lot of games (wow, hard life!)
Avery: read
Addie: a horn a horn ... like that (again, she doesn't understand the question)

No News To Report

Today 6 weeks waiting.

Yes this is suppose to be a 6. Use your imagination :-)

Yesterday was a difficult day... today much better.

What's new over here?
I laughed tonight because I saw a cookie on the kitchen counter that Avery (the oldest) has been eating for 2 days now. (It's just one cookie) She is SO the first born. Addie (youngest) on the other hand finished her cookie in record speed. She probably ate it before the main course.

We've been on a TV strike over here. The reason: kids coming in our room all hours of the night. Two nights ago I was getting kicked in the back by Addie and Avery was sleeping on the floor and I knew it was just a matter of time before Aidan was in the mix as well. Ted and I both are not getting full nights sleep. The next day I told the kids "no TV until you are sleeping through the night without coming into our room". Avery said "Mom, really?" I said "I like sleep as much as you like Hannah Montana... so, when I get sleep, you can watch a show". IT IS WORKING! We did an entire day with out TV yesterday... all of us. They slept through the night... YES! And we enjoyed our TVless day :-)

There is a group from our agency traveling to Ethiopia THIS FRIDAY! I am so excited for them!! I can't wait to hear reports and see pictures of them united with their children for the first time.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING :-)

HOW LONG O LORD!

Well... I shouldn't be complaining because we really haven't been waiting that long. Just 5 weeks, 3 days and 2 hours (who's counting). I know each agency does it different but when I say we have been waiting that long... I mean since CIS approval. We are number 2 on the list (for a baby boy) and I feel like I am about to lose my mind :-) I feel like the banner over my life is WAIT. I wait for the mail man to deliver my mail to see if maybe good news is coming from all the grants I applied for... (he's late today.. no problem, I'll wait)... I was hoping to hear from another grant update today but he (the rep) said he'd call me today or Monday... looks like it'll be Monday (no problem, I'll wait). I'm waiting to get "the phone call"each day. It doesn't come each day.... the wait continues. I've decided to throw my phone out the window and just check voicemail once a day. JUST KIDDING... but I have thought about it. I go to the bathroom... the phone goes with me... I go to the west wing of my house... the phone goes with me... (my house is only 1200 sq ft :-) I go take a nap, the phone naps with me...

I truly am trying to let go.

I came out of our room on Tuesday morning and asked my husband to pray for me. I said "I'm sick at my stomach from waiting. I want to know this baby. I dream about him, I think about him... I want to see his face." I asked him to pray for me for these feelings to go away. He said "No, you don't want them to go away... what a precious gift from the Lord that you already have an attachment to our son and you haven't even seen his face. I will pray that the Lord will help you as you walk in wait but don't wish this away." HOW SWEET! We prayed... I so appreciated what he said. It did put a twist on the way I was viewing how I was feeling.

So... Still I wait. At times, with a good attitude ... and at times with a stinky attitude.... but WAITING!

Leave me a comment... it would make my day :-)

Celebrating with Josh and Julie

So the Beelers and the Ancelets took a little break from obsessing over adoption stuff to celebrate some BIRTHDAYS. Two of my precious children have birthdays in November. Avery turned 7 and Aidan turned 5.

The Beelers came over and brought some birthday gifts (THANKS GUYS!)

I lied when I said we took a break from obsessing... WE DID IT TOGETHER... which is worse!

It's like this is your brain... this is your brain on drugs....

This is your adoption ...this is your adoption on TRACIE AND JULIE....

Investigative blogging, serious conversations about travel, wondering what our codes to one another should be once we get referrals (some people just make phone calls but no ... we have come up with something better!), making Ted and Josh crazy, hair removal... oh wait, that's not part of the adoption craze but we do talk about adoption while waxing :-)

So here are a few cute pictures I thought I'd share of our sweet friends the Beelers with our kids...

It's just what she wanted... how did you know?

Julie with Aidan and Avery.... NEW WEBKINS. Avery named hers Mark and Aidan named his Peter Parker.

This crazy girl got some new bling. Thanks for remembering the non-birthday girl!

Josh helping Addie put her ear rings on. Won't he be a good dad to a little girl ... I guess we'll see what it will be for the Beelers.

Almost #2 on the Boys List

So, we found out that we are number 3 soon to be number 2 because someone got a referral last week. GOOD NEWS RIGHT? So the second baby boy that comes into Hannah's Hope is our son. OR HE COULD BE THERE!! I am floored!

Last night I got this pain in my heart! I am so LONGING for this baby.

Josh and Julie are coming over for dinner tonight. TROUBLE! When Julie and I get together we live in a fantasy WORLD ... It's so fun! haha. Ted and Josh try to bring us into reality but we basically are flying to Africa together, getting our babies and planning their futures. Either for them to be best friends or for them to get married. :-)

FULL OF HOPE!!!

Romans 15:13

LOTS OF NEW PICTURES

Check them out.... click here.

4 new posts to be exact!

:-)

Tracie

Happy Birthday to Avery!!

Yesterday we celebrated Avery's 7th birthday. Click here to read about the party and see more pictures. We have two blogs and I want to post on both but I figured I could just link up! Thanks Ted for showing me how to do this!

PUMPKIN PATCH

Here's a few favorite pictures from the pumpkin patch this year. I blogged more about it and put more pictures on my family blog. HAPPY FALL YALL!

A FEW NEW POSTS

I just added a few new posts to our family blog... I got some great pictures today at the zoo... so if you want to check them out... head on over to....

www.theanceletfamily.blogspot.com

Tag... I'm it... (and you may be too)

I GOT TAGGED... (Thanks Miranda... always wanted to play but never got tagged :-)
So here it goes
Jobs:

1.Bingo Hall Snack Bar
2. The Mall (a store called Networks (it's where I met my Ted)
3. A Car Dealership (answering phones)
4. Waited tables at a Mexican Restaurant
5. receptionist at a place called Belt Line Business Center
6. Nanny for a 4 year old boy
7. SCHOOL TEACHER (finally got a degree!) did that for 3 years!!!
8. STAY HOME MOM/WIFE/HOMESCHOOL TEACHER

Places Lived:

1. Port Arthur, Tx (for my entire life in the same house until the day I married)
2. Lewisville, TX (while I went to UNT and Ted worked as an engineer)
3. Euless, TX (after graduation... got a job there and Ted did too) (not far from where we lived before)
4. Knoxville, TN (the last 4 years)

Favorite TV Shows:
1.So you think you can dance (have always loved Dance and danced for a real long time so I love watching this show)
2. American Idol
3. the Office

Books I love:
1. ANYTHING by Francine Rivers (I e-mailed her once and she wrote me back :-)
2. Beth Moore
3. Kay Arthur
4. John Piper
Right now I feel like I am just trying to stay in the Word and reading Lord, I want to Know You by Kay Arthur but these guys up here are people I enjoy reading!


Food Favs:
1. MEXICAN MEXICAN MEXICAN
2. Steak!
3. A good burger and fries
4. SALAD SALAD SALAD

Places I've been:
1. Israel
2. Texas (which is like it's own country)
3. Bahamas
4. Cancun

Things I enjoy:
1. Time with my family
2. Blogging
3. Being outside on a Fall day
4. Parks
5. Swimming
6. Being with friends
7. I LOVE TO LAUGH

I TAG MY BUDDY JULIE BEELER (yes, Julie... you HAVE to do this :-) and Dee Dee over at Coming to Amharica.

STATE APPROVAL... IT CAME!!!!

OUR STATE APPROVAL CAME IN TODAY and

WE ARE ON THE WAITING LIST!!!!

Our friends, The Beelers (www.beeleradoption.blogspot.com) also got their state approval. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? We got them on the same day. Our Dossiers went to Washington together, then they went to Ethiopia together and now we are on the waiting list... RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. We met the Beelers through this adoption process. They live in Maryville (about 25 min away). We get together with them as often as we can :-)

------------------
Oh how grateful we are to you O LORD,

El Elyon!

MEGA YARD SALE

Wow... I feel so incredibly love and blessed! Over 30 families gave of their time, their items and baked goods to help us get baby Abel home from Ethiopia. My friend, Robin, hosted a garage sale in honor of Baby Abel. We have a bit of expenses to cover due to the adoption and she came up with this great fund raiser. Not only did we have a blast doing this (it truly was so much fun!), the Lord provided! We made $1500 on the sale and the LOVE we felt was INCREDIBLE! Today was Robin's best friend, Ansley's birthday. Ansley went home to be with the Lord on Feb 13th, 2007. In Robin's grief, she served our family and it amazed us. Through lots of hugs and tears today we praised God for how he blessed our sale with incredible weather, people, and funds. It was truly a GREAT DAY!

Here are some of my favorite moments from the sale

-me, Robin, Cindy and Kaitlin all decided to find an outfit and dress up... so we all went around the yard sale and dressed up and then came back to see what each other had on. It was hilarious.

- Robin has the best "loud voice".... it is real high pitched. So hearing her scream (at 2pm)... A Bag for a Buck... stuff a bag for a buck or stuff ten bags for $8.00 that's 80 cents a bag! WHAT A DEAL!

- Seeing different people pose on the portable toilet we had for sale to have their picture taken (we ended up giving away the toilet).

- Having Addison sale drinks... she was saying "drinks... one dollar". It was ADORABLE.

-wearing this UT necklace. IT SOLD! A girl who lives in Robin's neighborhood bought it for her mom. I sure hope she wears that BEAUTIFUL necklace!!

- hearing the kids price the different items. We'd say "what do you think we should sale this for?" and they would say "one hundred dollars"... and it would be something we'd sale for a dollar.

-putting labels on Emily Card, Lauren, and Katie... we played a game of Pit last night and I think there were a few cheaters in the group... I won't name names but their's start with an E AND L.

- Hearing Emile Sloan use her favorite word "jankie"

-watching the kids run the concession stand (which made $90)

-just hanging out at the garage sale... it was SO MUCH FUN!

Meet Robin

Meet my friend, Robin Beebe. Where do I begin? She has a servant's heart and the gift of giving BIG TIME. She came to me a few months ago and said "I would love to host a garage sale for Baby Abel." So she put together a HUGE yard sale!!!

I am gonna blog about the sale but I had to introduce you to this amazing woman! She is a woman after God's own heart!

DOSSIER ON IT'S WAY

Our agency called and said that our dossier is on it's way to ETHIOPIA! We are so excited. We've been waiting 5 weeks for state approval so hopeful it will only be 3 more weeks until we hear something and then we will officially be on the waiting list.

WE CAN'T WAIT!

MY NIGHT...

Today I got a call from my sweet friend, Becky... her and her husband are on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. Well, she told me they had a house guest staying with them this week. It is a girl who is going on staff with Crusade. She will be moving here soon and SHE IS FROM ETHIOPIA. I said "I have to meet her!". So went over to the Crenshaw's (Brent and Becky's) to meet her. SHE IS ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS. Her name is Eden. She is beautiful!! It was so fun talking to her about the culture and hearing her miraculous story! She moved to the states 8 years ago from Ethiopia because of war. She was 15 when she moved to South Carolina and now the Lord is bringing her here to Knoxville. I am so excited to get to know her.

Dossier is OFFICIAL

Our Dossier made it back to AGCI and it's been federally approved :-) So now, just waiting on the state. Our Dossier will be headed to Ethiopia real soon (like this week or next) - YIIPPPPEEEEE.

WELCOME BACK TO LIFE!

My kids had a "welcome back to life" party or should I say the welcome back to the living room! I have been in my bed now for 3 full days. I came down with this year's "bug" and it was a DOOZY. I don't think I have ever been this sick.... EVER.
Avery coordinated a party and made me a Lego cake (which is good because I couldn't eat real cake anyway). They all wore costumes. Ted made cinnamon rolls. I just sipped on Gatorade. I am really hoping that today is the day I am better. I am just gonna take it real slow.
Thank you Ted for taking care of me! YOU ARE THE BEST! And my kids were soooo good to me too. I am truly blessed!

Getting ready for Abel

You would think sweet Abel was coming home oh so soon but we still have a while to wait. We were just given some bunk beds (thank you Horne Family). We put the bunk beds up in the girl's room and Aidan had beds in his room already. Aidan and Avery had been sharing a room... even though her room was with Addie. But we got some new bunk beds so now the girls are sleeping in their room and Aidan will sleep in his. Abel will eventually be his room mate. When we first get baby Abel, he will have his own nursery area down stairs. We had Addie down there when she was a baby and it worked so well.

Once we get a picture of him, we are gonna get that set up. I bought my first Abel purchase yesterday. I bought him some PJs - which is what Aidan is holding in the picture.

It was a very productive Saturday. We had to paint the new bunk beds because one was green and one was white. So now, they match... and it turned out so much cuter than I could have ever imagined! THANK YOU LORD FOR SPRAY PAINT. It was so easy!

Just wanted to share!