Keeping up with the Lacocks

To be Jolly! I don't really have anything new to say, but I just felt the need to post, since it's been over a month! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Tom's family in South Carolina. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins in Nana & Grandpa Lacock's woods! Armed with rubber boots and grubby clothes they still managed to get filthy and loved every minute of it! We will be home for Christmas as all of my family is coming to Indy for the Holiday. Can't wait to see cousins I haven't seen in years! I love decorating the house and getting everything ready for Holiday party's and get-togethers! We got an email last week from our agency saying the same thing they have heard since July....."We have a batch of referrals for your agency that just need the final sign-off on them and then we will send them." I learned the hard way in July not to get my hopes up about this news :( But we continue to long for and pray for our lit...

This little phrase seems to easily roll off our lips in times of joy, doesn't it? When we get exciting news, a raise at work, a new house...etc. There are times, though, when this phrase takes a lot of prayer and trusting in God to say. I was so encouraged in reading Nahum 1 and Lamentations 3 today. In the beginning of Lam. 3 the writer is in deep despair as he feels God is not with him or is punishing him, but then the truth of who God is is brought to His mind and this is what he says: 21.But this I call to mind, (notice this is a choice he makes!) and therefore I have hope: 22.The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;[b] his mercies never come to an end; 23.they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24."The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." 25.The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26.It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvatio...

Well, 8 weeks ago we were told there was a package of referrals being mailed to our agency that week. 8 weeks later and NO package. We have since found out that one of the Directors in the government is retiring this month and it has slowed the work process down. The new promise is referrals will be sent in October. Don't know what to think about this. Although I would love to be positive and believe they will send the files, last couple months there have been a lot of promises with no deliveries. So as I try to remain positive I am also being realistic that it might not be till January (or who knows when) when we hear something. In all this, I know that God has many more lessons (as He has already taught us many) for us to learn. We are trying to enjoy this time with our children as our lives will be turned upside down for several months with the arrival of our new little one (as is with any new addition to the family!) This adoption is an amazing picture of how Christ ...

Well most everyone has heard of PDA (public display of affection) or have seen way too much of it while out and about.....you know those couples you just want to tell "get a room"!! Well, yesterday I had my first PDE, which is a little different than PDA, but just as embarrassing!! PDE (public display of emotion) It was Saturday night and this was Tom and my week for our date night. (we swap every other week with our neighbors!) Date nights are always exciting. Get dressed up, and by dressed up I mean lose the yoga pants and t-shirt that are my daily staple as a stay-at-home mom, and actually put on makeup and do my hair!!! Annnywho, it is also fun to pick where we are going to go to dinner or what we are going to do - all by ourselves. Normally, you see, our choices for these things are based on the children that accompany us! So this week we decided to try out a Japanese restaurant that is attached to a Japanese grocery store. Very small place, but good food! We...

Yep, the package from Asia still hasn't arrived at our agency yet. Evidently the Asian side of things was closed last week for English training, and I doubt it got mailed out before that. I would say that I am ALMOST at the point where I would rather hear something, even if it's that we don't have a referral in this batch, than nothing. But I want that referral SOOO much that I can't quite say that yet!!! In the meantime, I am keeping busy as we start to plan for our church's Annual One Less Orphan fundraiser dinner and silent auction. Last year was a lot of work, but a huge success! It is awesome to be a part of raising funds to offer grants to other families that want to adopt! I am also planning another personal fundraiser for our family as well! It's going to be a busy, busy fall!!! I'll keep you posted as I get more details together on both the Dinner/silent auction and our own personal fundraiser! Until next time..... :)

Our agency just returned from a Homeland tour in Southeast Asia. We have been waiting anxiously to hear all about the trip and see if they had been able to get any info on the timeline for new referrals. We got an email today from them, saying it was a wonderful time! The people there are so warm and gracious. They said the orphanage that they visited was full of wonderful loving care-givers. It is so encouraging to know that my little girl is being taken care of well! They also got to have a meeting with the social worker over there and she said that our agency would get be getting a batch of referrals in the next few weeks!!!!! I am extremely excited and giddy, but at the same time trying not to get my hopes up because I know that there might not be a referral match for us in this batch. So what do I do now (and what can you do with me?) PRAY!!! Pray that the referral for our little girl is in this batch of referrals and that we really will receive it within the next...

Well the last few weeks have been filled with making lots of cookie bouquets for graduate friends, a huge cookie/cupcake order for a bridal shower and making a headboard for our master bedroom!! So much fun! Bridal Shower Cookies and Cupcakes!!! Master Bedroom Headboard! Graduation bouquet!......one of MANY!

Maybe it had a lot to do with the weather and the fact that it pretty much went straight from winter to summer, but it just seems like spring flew by!! Hope everyone had a nice time celebrating Easter and praising God for all He has done for us! Still no news on the adoption front for us. Our agency keeps getting the same word from Southeast Asia, and that is that they still have one more orphanage to finish all the paperwork on and then they will start handing out referrals......"Soon" is what they have said for a least 6 months now. Our agency travels to Asia in July and hopefully will get some answers at that time. In the meantime we wait expectantly AND patiently, knowing that it's all in God's timing and control. (sometimes are easier than others!) We have had the privilege to watch two close friends bring home siblings from Africa in the last month. We are rejoicing with them as they are now complete families in God's design. When I see thei...

It is so nice to have some milder weather here now! With spring in the air, it is hard not to think about new life. I am getting the privilege this month to watch both my "cyber friends" and "real-life friends" bring new lives into their families through adoption. I have two cyber friends in Thailand right now picking up their daughters. I have two real-life friends leaving this week for Africa to pick up sibling sets. How amazing it is to watch God weave a beautiful tapestry out of our lives and not so optimal circumstances....yet all in His design! As you enjoy watching flowers bloom and trees blossom say a prayer for all the families around the world that are welcoming "new" lives into their families this spring!

Before anyone has a heart-attack, no we have not received a referral yet, but Praise the Lord that He has our daughter picked out already and will give her to us in His timing. I was reading this morning in Judges 7 where Gideon was sent by God to the Midian camp the night before the battle to listen. He heard two men talking about their dream and the one interpreted the dream saying,(v14) “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has GIVEN into his hand Midian and all the camp.” As if it had already happened. This is how I feel about our little girl. God has already given her to us in the sense that before time began He knew she would be a part of our family. He has guided our steps and paths to bring us to the point where we realized His calling of adoption to our family. He will, in His timing, "Give" us our little girl. I am SO thankful that we serve an omnipotent God that can do anything. It would have been nothing for ...

14 days in and I can already see God moving and working in our lives and the lives of others. Some exciting news: 5 families from our agency got their TWIMC letter ("To whom it may concern" letter is given by the government saying they have been approved to adopt their child), which means they will be traveling to get their little ones in just a couple of months!! Our family is in the next batch of 5 families whose dossiers are currently in country waiting for processing. We continue to ask, if it's God's will, that He see fit to give us our referral by March 15. We are not doing this to give Him an ultimatum, but rather because we are human and work on a time line, unlike God who is outside of time. So this is just a specific thing to pray for and we can look to a specific time to see if it's God's will. On March 15th we will be rejoicing and worshiping God for His greatness, whether it is for giving us a referral or teaching us more lessons of trust a...

let me walk you through a few things that have happened the past couple weeks. 1. Those of you in our fellowship group know that we have been challenged to pray with our spouses at least 5 times a week. This has been such a neat and relationship-changing exercise as Tom and I have already seen some of the many benefits of praying daily with your partner. 2. Tom & I are both doing a study through Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. Two weeks ago we read a chapter on Prayer. It was, for me, a VERY convicting chapter that made me realize that my lack of prayer shows my lack of trust and dependence on God. I am also robbing Him of glory by not asking for things within His will. Furthermore, I prevent God from showing His power to us and others when He answers prayer. 3. Many of you lovingly ask us how our adoption is going and if we have any news. Unfortunately the answer is always "No, we haven't heard anything" This is definitely a case where "no...

Ireland's birthday is in January, Tom and Keelan have February birthdays and Camden's is in April. SO needless to say it is party season at our house!! I just threw Ireland her first "party" with friends. It was so fun. We did a vintage tea party theme.....LOVE it! I really had to watch myself because me and vintage can go a little crazy sometimes!! (not good for the adoption saving budget!) But Tom was very impressed with how thrifty I was! The Invitations! The Tablescape Dessert Table! (I made a teapot cake!) Place-setting Tea sandwiches It was a VERY fun morning! Next two parties to plan I believe are another tea-party only a little more teenager-like and a lego party......hmmmmmm!

I Love the Holidays. A good reminder for all of us as to why we are here on the earth and what we should really be celebrating! It is also a good time to keep you distracted from the LONG wait to get a referral. Still no to little change or movement in Southeast Asia. The upside has been we will, in the next several months, watch 2 families that are close friends bring home sibling sets from Ghana and Ethiopia and another bring home their daughter from Southeast Asia! So for now we are just happy for them, praying for smooth transitions and help out however we can!! Praying that we hear some news soon!