Our Sweet Annalee

The Best Birthday Gift Ever!!!

Last Friday when hubby returned from camp he asked me what I wanted for my birthday...it is a bit funny, because it drives my hubby crazy...I always ask for needs (practical things) for my birthday...he wants me to ask for "fun" stuff. What I want for my birthday is always a loaded question that we laugh about now, but no so much when we were first married and learning each other's preferences.

So, what did I tell him I wanted for my birthday?

1. A referral for our little girl.
• To which he rolled his eyes and said, "Really honey, like I have control over that?"
2. The money to pay for our referral?
• To which he laughed and said, "Oh, I see you're trying to be funny, huh!"
3. Okay, a wallet...how's that?
• To which he responded, "Great! Practical, since yours is broken, but hey, I can do that!"

Saturday I ran to the mall to get hubby some 1/2 price jeans for Father's Day and to return a tie that wasn't going to work for him. I had been eyeing the Mundi leather fat wallets for a couple of years, but my tight-wad tendencies prevented me from paying $30 for a wallet...crazy!

Well, I saw that the wallets were 40% off, I had a 15% off coupon and the tie was $6. So my birthday wallet only cost us $9.86! Woohoo! A great wallet and it was 1/3 of the original cost...my kind of birthday present!

Okay, so I bet I have a few of you laughing at this point, thinking are you kidding me a wallet is your best birthday present ever...wow it doesn't take much to keep you happy!

Well, this is where the story gets interesting...

Monday, June 21st I was at Ft. Knox for work and hubby took the boys to the Patton Museum before we would head to the hotel. Everything was crazy with work that day and I was ready to chuck my computer out the window, but nothing was going to get me down, because Monday night I got to meet my sweet new niece, Rachel Ellen, and hold her for the first time. Yeah!

So, was meeting my namesake the best birthday present ever, well, it was fabulous, but keep reading...

We are in the car driving and I am checking email on my phone, since it doesn't work in the office, and I opened the email to see one from the Waiting Child coordinator with Holt, titled "New Referral". At first glance I thought they had just posted the new list of waiting children, until I opened and started reading...

IT WAS OUR REFERRAL!!!!!!

So frantically I read out loud, multiple times what was written...baby girl, 7 months old, do you want to review the file, you will be the only family....

Wow! I cannot even begin to explain to you the chaos that ensued...

Hubby said, "What, are you kidding, because if so that's not funny!"

I am squealing, "NO! I got my birthday present!!!!"

Oldest Son, "We got a sister!?! I want to see! What is her name!"

Youngest Son, "I want my Sissy!"

Needless to say the conversation continued and we immediately decided that we would review the file, so I emailed and called to request they send the file immediately! Then I called my sister...she was also shocked, giddy...we couldn't believe it since we had been told just weeks before that we would probably be waiting 6 to 12 more months!

When we arrived at the hotel, pulled up the computer, and within minutes there it was...the boys pushed in their territory to get the best view...

"Oh, she's beautiful!"

"Call them now tell them she's ours!"

"I want my Sissy!"

"I want to hug her!"

"That's our little girl!"

And she is the most perfect little girl! It is amazing how God works to match us with the child He has planned to join our family! I am in awe at how He has brought us into this journey and continues to guide us each step of the way!

So, without further delay...here is a small glimpse of our beautiful little girl!

Once we have completed all of our "official" acceptance paperwork we will post a full picture of our sweet girl!

So what does this all mean, well we have verbally accepted our referral. We will complete the official documents and hopefully oldest son and I will fly to Korea to pick up our sweet girl in less than 6 months!

God gave me my birthday wish! Our sweet Annalee!

Thank you God for your wonderful blessings! We are so unworthy, yet You grace us with such wondrous gifts!

Summer Fun!!!

Our household becomes busy with activity in the summer months and this year has been no exception.

Here is a glimpse into our summer fun!

Oldest Son is playing Machine-Pitch Baseball:

(Playing the Catcher position)

Youngest Son playing T-Ball:

While Hubby was at Kentucky Changers the boys and I attended our Agency Family Adoption Day. We rode with our adoption friends/mentors and had the best time!

We decided also to do a few projects to surprise Daddy while he was gone to KY Changers:

Old to New

From beige and dingy to bright and green:

After:

Hand-print trays:

We are so proud of our boys and have had lots of fun cheering them on. I also have such a respect now for single and military parents, that are raising their kids from months to years alone. I dearly love my boys, but am so happy hubby was only gone for one week. The boys and I missed him dearly!

This was my first time to paint a room and by myself, so I was just so please at how well it turned out. We still have to switch out the black switches and outlets from black to white, put up new trim and crown molding, but overall it is such a boost and we really like the green!

We were able to meet our new niece last night...she is my namesake...Rachel Ellen! I was able to hold her quite a bit, since hubby caught poison ivy at camp he couldn't hold her...bad for him, but more snuggle time for me :) She is a doll baby and I was even thrilled when I got the chance to change her stinky diaper! Can you tell I am in baby love right now?

I Want My Sissy

Tonight as I put the boys to bed we were listening to Pandora Radio. Our youngest was restless and I was trying to get him to settle in to sleep...this is a glimpse of our bedtime conversation:

Youngest Son: "Mommy, I want my Sissy."

Mom: "What do you want?"

Youngest Son: "My Sissy!"

Mom: "Me too. I want Annalee too. God will bring her to us when it is the right time"

Youngest Son: "Oh. God?"

Mom: "Yes God will bring us Annalee."

Youngest Son: "Where is God?"

Mom: "God is in heaven."

Youngest Son: "Mommy, you'll go on the plane and get Annalee?"

Mom: "Yes. I will go on the plane and get your Sissy."

Youngest Son: "Is the plane this big?" (Holding hands about six inches apart)

Mom: "No. In a great big plane."

Youngest Son: "This big?" (Holding hands two inches apart)

Mom: "No as big as the house."

Youngest Son: "Oh. This big." (Holding hands as far as he can spread them)

Oldest Son: "The plane will be bigger than our house."

Youngest Son: "You'll bring Annalee on the plane."

Mom: "Yes, I will bring her home to you and Daddy."

Youngest Son: "Oh. Okay." As he snuggles under the covers next to me. Pandora Radio begins to play Beautiful One..."Beautiful One I love, Beautiful One I adore...Beautiful One my soul longs for..."

Tears trickle slowly...

"Annalee, Our sweet Annalee. We do not know if you have been born, we don't know the struggles you have or may face. All we know if that God has placed us so deeply in our hearts and souls and we long to have you come be a part of our family. We ray for you every day, many times a day for God to keep you safe, to hold you when we can't, to place you with a foster family that loves God and will teach you about Him until you come to us. Sweet Annalee, you are our beautiful little girl, our Sissy, we love you!"

Human understanding of a God size plan

Today I am trying to look at this world, people, hurts, unknown, illness, challenges...all within my capacity for understanding, my limited realm of knowledge when God's plan is infinite, beyond my human ability to understand the grand design, the master plan.

A very wise friend told me today that we can go through life asking the "why" and miss living all He has for us. I was cut down to size. Today I complained about a sunburn, wondered how many more phone calls I would have to answer and stood at the baseball field thinking how quickly I wish it would pass so I could return to the air conditioning.

Who am I to complain, to wish the time away that I can't get back. Shame on me. There are mothers that would stand through any heat to see their kids play ball, but never can/will. There are some people that would be happy to have a job, even if the phone never seems to stop ringing. There are some people that have pain daily that won't get better in a few days with some aloe and TLC.

So tonight I sit and ponder how our God could use us with our limited capacity for gratitude and often need for adjustmet of attitude. Tonight I pray and cannot even begin to understand His infinite plan. I hope that somehow I will be the wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend that I need to be for those in my life that are in need, that are facing challenges that I cannot fix and cannot erase from their lives.

Tonight I am so thankful that although that even when we so often do not understand, God is there beside us willing to guide, willing to use us, willing to help us take each step in faith.

My family, my friends, those that God may have brought into my path but for a moment, but laid you on my heart to pray....know that although often I do not understand, may not have the right words or any words to say that can make it better...I am here, I am praying, but better yet He is here and He is listening and He will be faithful through it all.

There are four people heavy on my heart tonight....although you do not know their names or stories, they all face challenges for which I do not know if I could bear, they face many unknowns in their future, and some are at a critical crossroad in their life and faith. I ask that you lift them in prayer that God will be apparent to them in a special way this week and in the days to come in their lives!

Have a blessed week!

The Ragsdale Family