The End of a Season

The kids' soccer season has officially come to a close.  The kids had their sports banquet tonight.  It was really nice.  If you have an Upward sports program in your area, it is well worth the time to take a look at what they have to offer.  It is a Christian-based program.  They teach the kids to play, to play hard, to win with a Christian spirit and to lose with a Christian spirit.  It is a great program.  Anna has played soccer and cheerleading and will play basketball this summer and will play football in the fall (yes, this year she is opting to play football rather than to cheerlead).  The best part of it is, that the kids are presented with the gospel.  They hear it every week - during practice and after the game.  It is great for the kids!  Not only that, for all of the parents who bring their kids... they hear the gospel too!  It's a great way for kids to have fun, parents to gather and fellowship and have unsaved people hear the truth of the gospel.  In a nutshell, I think it's great.

So, the kids had their season-end banquet tonight.  They had a magician there for entertainment.  Anna got called up to partipate.  It was so cute... and there I was, a bad mother, without her camera.  Oh well, I have the memories in my mind and that is the most important thing.  Each child went home with a brand new soccer ball.  It really is a great program. 

I'm heading out on a business trip next week.  I leave Monday for Ireland.  It will be a short trip - I will leave Monday, get there Tuesday, meeting Wed/Thurs and fly home Friday.  More travel time than actual meeting time it seems.  Anyway, I'm just throwing this out there... (just in case it happens).  What are the odds that something will happen with regards to a referral while I am in Ireland?  Ok, so the odds are not too high.  As you can see per our little "ticker" we have been waiting just over five months... (mental note - calibrate that thing, because it seems like WAY longer than five months) and the average wait time for a referral from our agency is 9 - 12 months.  BUT.... my bad luck is on my side.  Things AlWAYS happen with our adoptions when I am out of town. 

1.  With Anna's referral, I was on my way to Florida with Cameron and could not be here to receive my referral package.  I had to arrange for them to send it to my  mom and make her SWEAR to not open it.

2.  In November, when I was scheduled to be in Switzerland, our fingerprint appointment was schedules.  Fortunately I was able to call and get it rescheduled, but still.... I was scheduled to be gone. 

3.  When I was actually IN Switzerland, our dossier was complete and was shipped to Ethiopia.

4.  Now, I'm off to Ireland.... could something excitiing happen while I am there???  I can only hope, but I kinda doubt it.  A girl can hope though, right?

Wouldn't that be the COOLEST thing if I was able to post from Ireland that we received the referral of OUR SARA JOY?  It would truly be the 'luck o' the Irish'  I would be doing a little irish jig.  How about this... if we get our referral while I am in Ireland, I will videotape myself doing a little irish jig and will post it on my blog (since there are not many people that read this, it won't be all that embarrassing:)  It's a deal!

In Christ,
Charity