Confessions of a Church Planters Wife

Communication is the KEY to a successful relationship

2011-12-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

Since touching down almost 3 week ago, my mind has been in overload trying to figure out different ways to communicate with our Russian speaking daughter. After researching different ideas, I stuck with an idea that I have observed in our autistic classroom. I created posters based on feelings, needs, wants and rules. These posters seem to work well with autistic students who cannot communication their desires, so if I continue to be consistent with Nastia, she will most likely be able to communicate with us and learn english very well.

I began by posting the rules poster yesterday and went over it with her before bedtime. It is very simple, has a picture of what not to do and then the result is a picture of her timeout chair. There are also pictures of things to do like smile, hug, kiss and share. She got up this morning and went to her poster and was able to say a few of the pictures in english!!!!!! She has done well with this today. I posted her feelings poster yesterday and am working on her needs/wants poster right now.

I have read many blogs and facebook posts about people who have been home for 4-6 months and are still struggling......adoption is a difficult process and can really place stress on a family. Patience (as difficult as that is sometimes) and consistency are KEY!!!! Nastia has done extremely well conforming to our schedule. Curt and I have always said that our kids are troopers. They live in the car somedays, and for the past 3 years they have arrived at church at 7:50 am and haven't left until 1:30! She fits right in and is becoming more comfortable each day! I will keep you posted on her progress with communication!

2 Weeks Later

2011-12-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

Nastia's referral photo looked like this......

Nastia's Gotcha Day photo looks like this.......

And now just 2 weeks later, Nastia looks like this.....

Sisterly love....for the most part:)

Christmas Day with her new doll from her Nanny and Papa

Daddy needs to gas up the 4-wheeler!

Christmas eve with the Cann Clan!

A birthday cake just for her! Around 4 months too late, but better late than never!!

Nastia is a different child now than the one we got off the plane with 2 weeks ago. She is adjusting very well and has brought so much joy to our home! It is hard to believe that the same child that threw a tantrum in the London/Heathrow airport is the same child who is now learning to share and control her emotions with ease. While there are still times of frustration and tears, a simple time out normally clears things up quickly. Nastia loves to eat chocolate and has become the late sleeper...SHOCKER! While she is very territorial she has come completely out of her shell and is comfortable around most all members of our extended family. She has taken an extreme liking to both my dad and Curt's dad. She can speak around 15 english words: potty, eat, drink, nap, car, dog (molly, belle), silly, her aunt Meg, baba for my mom and mimi for Curt's mom.......just to name a few. I am fortunate enough to still have quite a few weeks left to be at home with her. The boys will return to school next week and then Nastia, CG and I will get back to our normal routine. My goal is to have her very comfortable with my mom and communicating her needs. We thank you all for continued prayers and visits! We have quite a few friends still in this adoption process and we ask that you continue to remember them. A new law will go in to effect on Jan. 1 which will extend the wait time from 10 days after court to 30 days, making the Russian adoption into a 3 trip process. This is very frustrating to deal with, I cannot imagine having to prepare for that challenge. I will be checking back in soon, I have been extremely busy!

Our final days in this process

2011-12-08T03:15:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Moscow last night and received some very good news as soon as we landed. It seems we can complete some paperwork at home and that means we are able to come home 4 days early!!!! I have not been this excited since.......gotcha day! Curt and I have finally come to the conclusion about our new daughters name. At home she will be NASTIA....spelled with an "I" rather than a "Y" and then to everyone else she will be Anastasia. Later on, if she wants to shorten it to Ana or Anya, she can do it. We really wanted to preserve the little Russian heritage she has left, so her name is very important to us. Nastia had her doctor's appointment this morning, all of 20 minutes........and then we went out to walk. Nastia has been doing really well! There are those moments of misunderstanding and frustration and she cries, but for the most part we are able to comfort her and talk her through the frustration. Nap time was a success today as well, she went down like a champ! Tomorrow we have our embassy appointment and then Saturday we leave Moscow at 6:45 am......that's right A.M!!!! We are just so ready to be home!!!! We love you all!

Gotcha Day

2011-12-05T05:38:00.001-08:00

Our Gotcha Day has been amazing!!! Anastasia has done wonderfully well since bringing her to the apartment with us. She hasn't cried..YET....she has played, talked to everyone via Facebook chat, ate a big dinner, took a bath and is now laying in her bed trying to go to sleep. The orphanage visit didn't take long because her caretaker dressed her and handed her off to us. We were there maybe 20 minutes tops. We are looking forward to beginning our journey home on Wednesday, but the first stop is Moscow for a few days. Please pray for us as we begin this leg of the trip and pray for Anastasia to not be too frightened of planes!!

Her name....

2011-12-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

Anastasia is considered an "old" name here in Russia, I guess it's like old lady names in America....but I do adore a good old lady name! For short, she is called Nastya. Now, if you were to see Nastya spelled in Russian, it would look NOTHING like the way we spell it. She knows her name and is comfortable with her name, but that American spelling, sheesh...NASTYA. Curt and I have been torn as to what to call her because we adore her Russian name and we love Anastasia as well. We have thrown around a couple ideas for what to call her. Nastya is a name that, sad but true, will cause her to get picked on when she gets in school and not only that, Curt will be putting some little boys in their places for that matter. Anastasia is difficult to learn to spell. We thought about Ana, but then there is the whole Ana Hanna....I'm not much into rhyming names! So we thought since her middle name is Elizabeth we might do Ana Beth Hanna. It is totally American I know, I have mixed feelings. We do like double names in our family (Campbell Grace)! So, any thoughts on the name idea?? We are leaning strongly toward Ana Beth at this point. TOMORROW is GOTCHA DAY!!!!!! It's like Christmas!

Extra photos from our last visit before Gotcha Day

2011-12-01T21:09:00.001-08:00

How I did overlook these photos? I can be scatter brained sometimes. Can I reiterate that Nastya has nothing to her name. The clothes in the locker in the previous post are not hers, the clothes she wears belong to the orphanage. So, Thursday when I brought her snowsuit and boots for her to try on I should've not been surprised at all when she refused to take them off. I thought, surely she's hot playing inside with those thick clothes on....WRONG! Nastya was so excited to have such nice things......and they were the cheapest we found because when in SC are you really going to need a thick snowsuit? Nastya didn't care that we got them at the Russia "walmart", she didn't mind that it was a little big, all she cared about was that it was hers. No one else was going to wear it, no one was going to take it from her. So when she cried when I tried to take it off of her, I immediately backed off....that was not a battle I was going to fight with her. As I type this, I am looking at the outfit I just laid out for her Gotcha Day. We still have the weekend to go, but her clothes are ready, leggings, boots and all. I cannot even begin to imagine her expression when she sees that she not only has one new outfit but an entire suitcase full of new clothes! Clothes are not really the important factor here, I know that. We have been so blessed by God through this entire journey. He has supplied all of our needs, why would we not do the same for a child who has nothing? So while she is celebrating new clothes, her own shoes, her new hair bows and her own toothbrush, Curt and I will be celebrating the chance to influence another life who in turn will one day influence another life ,and so on ,and so on. Isn't the power of adoption amazing? And to think our heavenly Father began it all!

The last time we will ever leave Nastya

2011-11-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

Today was our final visit before GOTCHA DAY!!! Today was the last time we will ever leave Nastya, which is a huge praise in and of itself!!! We were able to visit Nastya's room today and see all of her little friends, her bed, her eating table and her shower/toilet room. When we walked into her room we were swarmed with little children. They loved Curt, mainly because they rarely see men and so they all wanted his attention. There was a precious little girl who followed Nastya around, I am not sure if they are good friends or not, but she was just darling....someone please adopt this child!!! There were over 20 kids in that one room and there are tons more like this one. Rooms, bursting with children who may be institutionalized for the rest of their lives, heartbreaking! Curt and I went out yesterday and purchased a snowsuit for our snow angel! She adored putting it on and she wore it the entire time we were allowed to visit. We are so ready to bring her home and show her lots of love!

Little sinks for Nastya and her friends

This is where Nastya bathes and the little portable potties behind her are the ones they use..her's is number 10

These are all the beds. There were more behind me.

This face right here is how we know she's going to fit right in.......she loves to aggravate her daddy!

Her number is 10

Her favorite baby that she sleeps with

Her play area

Her eating table

Her closet

Her name until Monday is Nastya Perminova, soon to be Anastasia Hanna

Passport Photo Day!

2011-11-29T03:42:00.000-08:00

Today was great!!!! Everyday with Nastya keeps getting better. She is more outgoing and free spirited every single time we see her! We began with her snack in the upstairs playroom and I was able to try her hat, mittens and scarf on her, which she loved! She enjoyed admiring herself in the mirror. We then loaded her up in the car and headed to the photo place. She did so great in the car, she wasn't scared at all. After her photos, which we beautiful by the way, we went to play at the local playground. It was COLD!!!!! Curt and I decided that we need to buy Nastya a big coat versus the one we brought. We were afraid we would get fussed at by the Russian women for not having Nastya bundled up properly. Tomorrow is a rest day for us, so we will venture out and look at coats, buy a few groceries and take in some sights. Thursday we will visit Nastya's room. Enjoy the photos!!

orphanage visit

2011-11-28T05:13:00.001-08:00

To recap the last few days, not much has been going on around here. The weekends are pretty much a time to do NOTHING! We have been blessed though, we flew into Kras with another adoption couple from Minnesota and have spoken with them numerous times on the phone since arriving. Saturday, we met them at the KFC......it was actually very good, I was surprised since I was coming off the virus/food poisoning. We ate, talked, then went to the toy store and roamed around for quite a while. Sunday consisted of watching my tigers lose....AGAIN! Still a Tiger fan, always will be! Curt and I stayed in on Sunday, it was VERY cold, we watched a few movies and read books most of the day. Today was great, we were back to the regular schedule which makes the time pass quicker. Nastya was her cheerful self again today and that is something we have prayed for! We were fearful that us being gone over the weekend would make her upset, but she came right in and let us hug and kiss all over her, she's a sweet girl. At the end of our visit we played puppets, she is quite the drama queen and loved entertaining everyone in the room. We were able to watch her eat her lunch, very interesting and smelly I might add:) After we left the orphanage we had our drivers drop us off at this huge mall to meet our adoption friends for lunch. We ate, bowled and talked for hours and then went to their apartment for dinner. We took the bus home.....it was not scary at all! We are so ready to get this week behind us...tomorrow is passport pictures for Nastya and then on Thursday we will get to go to her room and see where she sleeps and bathes and basically lives. Nastya is #10 in the orphanage, everything she wears, even the napkin she uses at mealtime has a #10 on it! I hope you enjoy the photos and the video!

Orphanage visit

2011-11-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

Nastya had an incredible day with us yesterday! She is becoming more comfortable with us and is showing more affection, as much as she can at this point! The sad thing is that after we have made all this progress with her, we will not see her over the weekend. "2 steps forward, 1 step back" I guess! I wonder if she has any idea that next week is her final week as an orphan? My heart leaps everytime I think about it.....her last week to wonder if anyone cares, if anyone hears her! Sweet Nastya, you will never have to be alone again!!!

orphanage visit

2011-11-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

These pictures are from Wednesday's visit. Don't you love this hairdo? Sweet Nastya!

Orphanage visit

2011-11-24T17:42:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of Nastya over the past couple days. I was sick yesterday, so Curt took a few shots of Nastya! Enjoy!

Down and Out

2011-11-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

It's 4:00pm here in Krasnoyarsk and I am here at our apartment while Curt is visiting sweet Nastya. I was up most of the night with either a stomach virus or food poisoning, if Curt gets it then it is a stomach virus:). We decided that missing a day seeing Nastya was NOT an option, so he left me here, well stocked with poweraides of course! I am anxiously awaiting his arrival to see the videos and pictures of Nastya for the day. I am always looking forward to seeing her hairdo....she is always beautiful! So, while I sit here and read my new favorite series "The Hunger Games" and watch chick flicks courtesy of April and Austin, I am missing all of my babies and here and at home. Gosh, aren't these the most adorable kids? Curt and I didn't do too bad!!!!

Silly Nastya and her even more silly Papa!

2011-11-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

Court Day=We are a family of 6!

2011-11-22T02:54:00.001-08:00

We began our court session at approxiamatley 11:40 am here in Krasnoyarsk. We were nervous but the judge was extremely nice and made us feel comfortable..WHEW! We had been told that the court session could last from 1.5-3 hours depending on the information presented and how thorough the answers we gave were. After 1.5 hours, our session began to wind down, the judge was happy, the MOE was happy, and the orphanage director was happy.....the only person in the room to object was the prosecutor. It sounds bad, but it really wasn't, LET ME EXPLAIN!!!

1. Nastya is 3, which makes her an older child

2. Nastya had been removed from the home and placed in a hospital 3 different times and it took her while to get adjusted

3. A foster family decided to adopt her, took her to their home on a friday and the next monday they returned her because she was crying!

So, the prosecutor wanted Nastya to be evaluated by a psychiatrist to confirm that she would be able to transition properly in home. The judge called a recess until 4:30 pm. Curt and I left, disappointed and worried, we had pictured leaving the courtroom in a different mood. We got lunch and then headed back to the court house to wait. Well, we waited and waited and waited and waited and then FINALLY at 5:30 pm, we were called back to the courtroom. We were informed of the final analysis of Nastya and then the judge read the instructions on how to help her transition. We left the room for all of 2 seconds...literally (oh and Curt accidentally hit the light switch on the way out and the judge laughed at him...she was really nice to us!) and then we returned. The judge told us congrats, you are now parents for a 4th time. YAY, praise the Lord! All of this waiting is finally over and Nastya is ours! We do have a waiting period of 10 days but we will not just be relaxing, we will be spending much needed time connecting with our new daughter, she is ours! Thank you so much for your prayers. I could feel them and I knew you were praying!!

May we present to you Anastasia Elizabeth Hanna

Her first name means resurrection. Since all of our biological children have a family name, we felt it very appropriate to do the same for Nastya. Her middle name is Elizabeth after her aunts Meg and April.

Court Day

2011-11-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

We have our court hearing today, we are 2nd at 11:30 am. The friends we met in the airport in Moscow are going at 9:30, this is their 2nd adoption, so it should be a breeze for them. We stayed up late last night jotting down notes and getting all of our answers perfect. Poor Curt has been up since 3 am because he is nervous. I woke up at 5 for the same reason. Please pray for us, that our nerves would be calm, our minds clear, our ears open and our answers to be without stumbling or fault. I get very nervous when I have to speak to anyone over the age of 10, so speaking to a judge is going to be tourture. So, if you are awake at 10:30 pm in the US, please send up a prayer! The hearing normally takes about 2 hours, so I will post the details after midnight! Love you all!

Orphanage visit

2011-11-21T03:36:00.001-08:00

Being silly!

Nastya and papa

Nastya and mama

Sweet face

Nastya was a hoot today and she was full of attitude. She seemed tired when she came to us probably because she had just gotten up from her afternoon nap. We played for quite a while and then her caretaker came in to get her to take her to dinner. She had been playing with the chapstick we bought her and the purse Nanny Mott got her, she loves it! Anyway, she goes to leave and I slowely take the purse off of her because I know that if she takes it back to her room, she won't bring it back tomorrow, that's just the way it goes. Well, Nastya laid in the floor and cried. It was funny to us, but then my heart began to hurt. The caretaker proceeded to tell us about Nastya and the doll we brought her on her first trip. It seems that Nastya begs for the doll each night to sleep with and cries when she can't get it. Nothing in that orphanage belongs to those children and Nastya completley understands that, she is a very smart girl! So, while I know as a parent I probably shouldn't have let her pitch a fit and get her way...yadda yadda yadda....she is an orphan, she has nothing.......so I let her take the purse and her chapstick with her. It seems that our parenting skills will be tested and we will have to bend and go with the flow as Nastya transitions. She is a precious gift from God who has learned the hard way how to stand up for herself! I am proud of this angel, she is going to be one amazing young lady!!!

SMILE

2011-11-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

We found out an interesting fact yesterday while we were at the orphanage and then had more confirmation later as we listen to Garrett's mom speak at Oasis Church. While we were visiting Nastya we were trying to get her to smile for the camera. We of course had no clue what to say so we asked our facilitator Yelena to tell us the Russian word for smile. She laughed and then said, "there is no Russian word for smile, we don't say that". I was a little bit shocked but then again, that sort of makes sense. How though, can you never tell a child to smile, or sing about smiling? I was wondering if this was a word that is sometimes lost in translation, who knows! Then, while we were facetiming into our church service (amazing by the way) we heard Garrett's mother speaking about her mission trips each year to the Ukraine. She began talking about the history of the country and about how everything had been taken from them by the government. She continued to emphasize over and over how these people had no hope and had nothing to live for. Their perspective on life is so grim and overshadowed that they have no reason to smile. Now as for not having a word for "smile" I am still not convinced, BUT I do know that there are hurting people in this world who have nothing to their name, they are starving, cold, lonely, aching, sad and dying.....they don't want to smile. I am overjoyed to be able to know the truth about a Savior whom I can cast all my cares upon....I have a reason to smile. Nastya now has a reason to smile, she has a hope AND a future in a family, despite all of our imperfections, that will love and adore her and teach her about Jesus and His unfailing love for us. So today, when you are feeling sad, tired and overwhelmed, remember to smile! Curt said yesterday, "you know, maybe we should all be more like Luke. He skips everywhere he goes, he's jubilant despite any circumstances!" And he is right, rejoice today and be thankful for all the amazing things God has done!

Video issues

2011-11-19T22:37:00.001-08:00

Ok, so the video thing is not working with blogger! So, if you'd like to view videos of our beautiful Nastya go to www.vimeo.com

Password: curtisgh1

Feel free to leave some comments! Enjoy!

Orphanage visit

2011-11-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

Ok folks, here is our girl! It took her a moment to warm up BUT her personality came back and she was as sweet as ever. Don't be jealous, you know you want the coat she has on!!! Have you ever in your life seen a jacket as fuzzy and colorful as this? She is just precious! She did have a pretty good scratch on her cheek and her leg, but she is quite an amazing young girl! Her hair has gotten longer, she is taller now and she spoke to us, that is HUGE because she still doesn't speak much to the orphanage workers! She calls us mama and papa and she calls herself Nastya!

Krasnoyarsk

2011-11-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Krasnoyarsk this morning at around 7:30 am. For some reason our seats weren't together on the plane, I didn't like that very much, but it was a smooth flight and we landed safely. It is cold, and snowy here today and it is supposed to be colder tomorrow. Our plan was to stay awake as long as possible, BUT we started watching a movie, got all warm and cozy and well, we woke up about an hour ago! Now we have got to try and sleep some tonight so that we can be refreshed and rested when we visit Anastasia. Our facilitator told us that families don't normally get to visit the orphanage on weekends, but the judge wanted us to go as much as we could before court since Anastasia is considered an "older" child. We will be leaving here around 9 am Kras time, so for you all, that is 8:00 pm in America. I will upload pics and videos as soon as we return! Please pray for Anastasia, prepare her heart and mind for all of the upcoming changes. I cannot imagine when she must be feeling or the emotions she is going to have to deal with. Pray for bonding between us and for lots of eye contact....small things but HUGE when you are adopting a child! On a side note.....I WILL be listening to the Clemson game in a bit.........I know, I am obsessed! From Russia, GOOOOOO TIGERS!

Days 1 & 2 in Russia

2011-11-17T22:39:00.000-08:00

Well, we have arrived! I don't know about Curt, but I am fan of british airways. One, neither of our flights was booked solid, so we had room to spread out (sort of) and two, the movie selections were AWESOME!!!! We arrived in Moscow last night around 8:15 pm and then headed to our hotel. We slept through our meal on the plane, so by the time we got in our room (10ish) we were starved. We ordered pizza (hawiian) but it had these peppers on it that literally set your mouth on FIRE but the drinks were so expensive that we had to split a bottle of water......not a very happy evening. We stayed up until after midnight, trying to get used to the time change but we were up this morning at 5 am. We have medicals in a bit and then we are off to the airport once again, this time to head out to Krasnoyarsk. Our flight leaves at 10 pm, so we will be tired yet again tomorrow. We are aching to kiss our children, we love them each so much! We will not be able to be online again until tomorrow!!! Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!

Leaving Atlanta!

2011-11-16T16:43:00.001-08:00

We are getting ready to board the plane for London. Saying goodbye to our children was the most difficult moment of my life, so ready to have them back in my arms! I will check back in when we land in LHR! Love you all!

From 5 to 6

2011-11-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well tomorrow we wake up as a family of 5.......

BUT, in just a few weeks, we will be bringing this little gal home to make us a family of 6!!!!

Tomorrow, we board a flight to London, then from London to Moscow. We will check in on FB a few times throughout the trip. Please pray for us as we travel halfway around the world to FINALLY bring our daughter home. Also pray for our children while we are gone!

2 days to go

2011-11-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

We have been blessed with some of the most amazing family and friends in the entire world. I mean, how awesome is it that our entire church gathered around us this morning and laid hands on us and lifted us up in prayer during our worship service!?! I was completely blown away, I love my church family! Then there is our family who has always shown us support! I went up to my parents house tonight to get a few things and discuss our kids care while we are gone. I have been overly worried about each of them and I cannot stand the thought of being away from them for so long. My mom, my brother and my sis in law calmed my fears and just told me that I was worrying too much.....of course I am, that's my nature! Anyway, they assured me that the kids would be ok and we should focus on A. I love my family so much, they are so selfless and giving. They love A so much already and they haven't even met her yet....she is going to be one blessed little girl!!!

Tomorrow consists of hanging out with the kids, going to Columbia to the Sect. of State one last time, changing out cash, buying groceries for here and Russia! It's go time!

Oh so close!!

2011-11-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

This is a test blog......I hope that if you are reading this, then you were invited to read!!! We leave for Russia in 4 days, so much to do and so little time! We look forward to seeing this sweet girl very soon!!!

1 WEEK

2011-11-08T17:43:00.001-08:00

We took our 8th link down from our chain this evening, 7 more remain. My heart has been fluttering all day long for various reasons. I am so unbelievably pumped about brining our wonderful Russian gal home FOREVER!!! Yet, my heart is also anxious and nervous for my 3 here at home. I fought tears many times today.....thinking about tucking them in and hearing them say I love you to the moon and back and then arguing over who loves the most! What am I going to do while I am away from them? I literally feel the world caving in because part of me is ecstatic and the other is torn! I am in no way worried about the kiddos care while we are gone....my brother and sis in law are going to do an awesome job.........Nanny and Mimi will help as well. One of the main things I am going to focus on for the next month is that we have spent 8 years raising and getting to know Brooks, 7 years with Luke and 4 years with Campbell. They KNOW us, they communicate with us and they feel safe with us even when they aren't in our presence. Sweet A has never had that, so this time for us will mean beginning to learn each other, making eye contact, trying to communicate as best we can, hugging and kissing nonstop and building a firm foundation based on love and trust. We owe this time to her and while we will miss the other 3 TERRIBLY, they understand that she needs us. They are so strong, but have all admitted today that they will probably cry.....I will too, everyday, but they are resilient and I know that God will take care of them and give them the strength they need to get through those few weeks without us. I am already envisioning seeing their sweet blonde heads when we finally land on Dec. 14th, I am sure they will RUN to us and rightly so, we will RUN to them. Oh what a sweet homecoming it will be.....so much joy, my heart is FULL!

12 Days

2011-11-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

We are on countdown mode around here. Yep, we are officially only 12 days away from Russia, 16 days from seeing our sweet girl and 17 days from our court date. Our official GOTCHA DAY is Dec. 3. Why so far away you may ask?, there is a 10 day waiting period between our court date and the actual day where A comes to stay with us. Some areas waive this, but we have been told that Kras does not. We will still get to visit the orphanage almost every day and this will be a crucial time of bonding for all 3 of us! So, what have we been doing around here this week? My first goal was to get SANTA'S list taken care of and I thought I succeeded, that was until my boys decided to make their Christmas list. Brooks' list was very much what I had in mind, so we are good there. Luke, on the other hand, is a completely different child asking for dirt bikes, a puppy, a bird and another animal, I am unsure whether it was a goat or a pig. Either way, someone is going to be VERY disappointed on Christmas morning!!! We've been slowly packing and buying food to have in the apartment in Kras. I am not looking forward to the food situation in Kras.....I am counting on a very nice American meal before we board the airplane! Tomorrow the school is hosting a sunshine table in honor of our new daughter. I am sure that little A will get lots of cute things from all of my teacher friends! Our link chain is getting shorter, I pass it nearly 30 times a day and each day it doesn't seem to budge.....I am desperate to hold her again! I told Curt the other evening that it was going to take all the strength I have not to run and grab "A" up in a big bear hug when I see her again. I don't want to scare her to death, but my arms, our arms, our hearts, we ache for her.

This Sunday is orphan Sunday and I am so excited about our service. Please visit this site for more info on how to incorporate the topic of adoption and orphan care into your church service!

I'm leaving my cape behind!

2011-10-18T18:03:00.001-07:00

I am not superman, superwoman or supermom.....I do not wear the "S" on my chest.

I cannot breathe under water, nor can I fly to the highest heights. In fact, just the thought of me leaping a building in a single bound makes me flinch a little!

I am trying to figure out who placed the expectation on me that I had to do all those things and more?

I cannot be your best friend or listen to all of your troubles.....I can love you but that must be enough.

I am completely human and I make numerous mistakes, but don't use my weaknesses against me.

I cry, I scream, I worry and I am always afraid of what other people will think.

All I want to do is love my family, raise them up to KNOW God, not just "know" Him. They are my number one priority aside from my relationship with God. It is my job to protect them, to love and hug and kiss them, to praise them for their successes, and hold them when they fail. I am theirs, I am their mother.

I will probably learn more from them than they will ever learn from me and that's ok. So, don't ever label me, I am not superman.....I am simply my kids mom!

27 days until Russia!!!!

Count down is ON!!! 30

2011-10-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

30 days until we fly!

We have been busy scheduling flights, sending off for visas, going back and forth to the bank, getting bloodwork results and renewing our fingerprints. Curt just asked me what I am going to do with all my spare time when we get home from Russia....I said, take care of 4 children! Super excited about that!!!!

We booked our flights using this amazing company. We are flying British Airlines and will go through London......I am excited to go back to London. We won't get out of the airport, but still, I am looking forward to being back across the pond!

The count down is officially on....pictures of our links coming soon.

Right now I am really tired, and so I am headed to bed. Goodnight and Goooooo Tigers!

COURT DATE

2011-10-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today it finally happened! We got our court date around 12:05 pm. We couldn't be more excited about adding another Hanna to our group of 5. As soon as I received the email I began texting and calling to let our family and friends know. We still have 4 weeks to prepare for our trip BUT with 3 kids, those weeks will fly by, especially with Christmas shopping and decorating. We have made our trips to the doctor's offices this afternoon, gotten all of our info gathered for our visas, written our FINAL check to AWA, and are now looking a flights. We still have a few more documents to gather, but all of our embassy documents are ready, which is good. Our itinerary looks like this:

11/16 Leave for Moscow

11/17 Arrive in Moscow

11/18 Moscow medicals

11/18 overnight flight to Krasnoyarsk

11/19 Arrive in Krasnoyarsk

11/21 visit orphanage...YAY!!!

11/22 COURT DATE!

10 day waiting period

12/7 Fly back to Moscow as a family

12/8 Child medical exam and embassy

12/9 Receive child's visa

12/12-13 Apply to Russian Consulate

12/14 Return HOME!

Almost there

2011-10-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our documents are officially in a plane on the way to Krasnoyarsk from Moscow. Our coordinator was very surprised that they arrived and processed so quickly, but when God is in control, crazy things can happen. Here at home we are in the planning phase of getting ready for A to come home. I am getting lesson plans finished, my mom is busy making clothes for me to pack (did I mention that her suitcase is already FULL???). This afternoon I am going through possible court questions and answering each of them in detail. We have to study these, and I am oh so nervous about being put on the spot. I am not good with words unless they have been laid in front of me ahead of time to study. All of our physicals and bloodwork has been completed, and our entire life in paper form is in the hands of someone in Russia.

Our court date is looking like Nov. 15, which puts us leaving around Nov. 9 and returning home Dec. 4. That is a long time to be away from our sweet blondes BUT, we have committed to this and when we commit, we don't back out! A needs us to be there for her, spending time with her, and I know our 3 here at home will be in GREAT hands! We are so thankful for family who is willing to go the extra mile for us during this time. Also, can I just say that we have a wonderful adoption family in this cyberworld.....a couple of folks adopted their little girl last week and she ended up being in the same orphanage as our A. They sent us pictures of our sweet gal.......she has grown and thankfully, her hair has grown out too! Let's see, my to do list is growing by the minute:

Christmas shopping before we leave (for 4 kids)

Put up Christmas tree and decorations....yes I am one of those early decorators!

Complete lesson plans through February

Pack, pray, pack and pray some more!

Still holding our breath

2011-10-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Last night was another sleepless night! With the kids tossing and turning and my mind going over and over the days events, I was a wreck! I am doing better, I feel terrible, but I am doing better mood wise. We did receive an update today from our coordinator (I demanded daily updates, so I am pretty proud of that) an encouraging one! The 15th of November is still available, no other agency got it today and our documents are being presented next week! I am trying to remain positive but not get my hopes up since we have been let down FOUR times before. All of our documents are in the mail and will arrive on Friday and some on Monday.

I am looking forward to a restful evening at home tonight with a cup of coffee and SURVIVOR!!! Curt will be home late Friday evening from NY, so I am pretty much exhausted right now after dealing with all the adoption paperwork yesterday, BUT, things are looking up!!! I was reminded today by a fellow teacher that since we won't arrive home from Russia until after the 1st of December, that I better get some Santa Claus out of the way....hum, didn't even think about that! I guess I will also be browsing children's toys and clothes tonight as well! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Sometimes I wanna SCREAM!!!

2011-10-04T17:45:00.001-07:00

After the most stressful 24 hours of my life...I think anyway, I am finally at home, drinking my coffee, helping my oldest with homework and fussing at the laughter in the other room (not because they are laughing but because they are supposed to be asleep). I went in to school this morning for duty and left at 8 am to head out to FIX the mess that our agency created over the weekend. I went to the notary, AGAIN, I went to the doctor's office and then to another notary. I was feeling really good about myself and the trip and then IT happened! Yet again, our agency....tsk, tsk, tsk! Our homestudy lady J was very much on top of things and had all of our documents ready. I headed to Greenville to meet her. What I didn't know is that our adoption coordinator hadn't really looked over the documents very well and there was an issue with the papers. So, J calls me in a panic and apologizes that she won't be able to get the documents to me in time to go to Columbia because she had court with another family. My mother, the kids and I drove to Greenville and then headed to Columbia. If I was only missing 2 documents, I sure as heck was going to get as much accomplished as possible. I went to vital records and got the birth certificates for the kids, then went to the Sect. of State and had everything apostilled. At around 4:30pm, the DHL van had to be tracked down so my documents could make it out this evening. Thank goodness for my mom and aunt because they are going to get the other documents and mail them off tomorrow!!! Now, I am taking deep breaths and praying that this is the LAST holdup we will have in this process. November 15 is looking like our court date which would put us leaving around Nov 8th! Not soon, BUT at least its a reasonable date!

Not the best day

2011-10-03T19:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's blog was full of hope and me being all spunky and positive. That's what I get for eating butterflies.......! Our coordinator always seems to email me bad news at the END of the day and her caption always reads "Could be good news and some bad news"! I will wait until this adoption is finalized to tell how I really feel about the lack of communication we have had during this entire process. I will do my best to handle this part with grace, we will see how that goes. Looks like I have yet more paperwork to complete....funny how we JUST found out about it today! I have been working diligently this evening and thanks to my mom, brother and sis in law for watching the kids, I was able to get a lot done. My plan is to have EVERYTHING in the mail to Russia tomorrow. Sometimes you just have to take things into your own hands. I realize that there is a reason for everything.......right now, I am waiting for the fog to clear.

Please keep Curt's uncle and his family in your prayers. He is in Texas battling leukemia and the family has been called in. So much hurt and pain in this world!!!!

Could this FINALLY be the week?

2011-10-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

We have been away from sweet "A" for 9 weeks now.....to us that seems like an eternity! We have been waiting on a court date for close to 6 weeks, I will not comment on how that makes me feel! (deep breaths) We have been emailing and phoning our coordinator daily....yes DAILY, for updates. So, after all this waiting, and waiting and waiting some more, THIS Wednesday could be our day. We should FINALLY know our court date, and be able to plan to bring our sweet daughter home. The kids are so anxious to have her here. They have been counting down the days until October and now that it is finally here, Russia is all they talk about!!! We are trying to stay busy and with 3 active kids, that is very easy to do. We have requested to be home from Russia by Thanksgiving....we cannot emphasize that enough! Thanksgiving is just a very important family holiday for us. From the family gatherings to the shopping and putting up our Christmas decorations, we just LOVE Thanksgiving and want to be able to spend this time together giving thanks for our new blessing from God!!! I have several prayer requests for all of you in the blogging world:

The Via's who are in Uganda right now adopting their precious daughter!

A dear friend ,who we have come to love while on this adoption journey, whose cancer may have come back

My husband as he continues to lead our family and church

On a much more juvenile note.....CLEMSON rocks and well......CHICKEN curse!!!!

Night Ya'll!

We are PATIENTLY waiting.....yeah right!

2011-09-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks 6 weeks since being in Russia. We are "patiently" waiting........and according to our coordinator we should hear something by the end of the month! We expect to be back with our daughter early-mid October. Every single day brings with it more anxiety and anxiousness. We find ourselves doing different things to preoccupy ourselves: Curt studies Russian when he misses her and I write her a letter every day to put in her adoption journey book. While we stay busy with the kids, church and various other activities, nothing can take away from the dark hole inside our hearts. We watch her videos most nights and we all cry...all of us. Most of our conversations begin with " when A gets home we are going to....." or "I cannot wait to show A this...."! In this time of uncertainty and sometimes anguish, it is amazing to see God bringing us closer together as a family, forcing us to lean on one another more than we ever have before.

What I love most about this last part of the adoption process (just the process mind you) is getting to know other adoptive families and having them become dear friends. They have been so helpful, showing us support, love and just hugging us through these tough times. God has truly lead us through this process and we will never ever be the same. The connections we have made run so much deeper than I would ever have imagined. We are connected by Christ, love for an orphaned child, country, region, city, orphanage and the longing in our hearts to not only give these kids a home but most importantly lead these precious children to Jesus Christ.

On a side note, I am looking forward to going shopping with Brandi and Brittany this weekend. Brandi's photography will be in Clix 646 in Greenwood in mid October. I am SUPER excited for her, she is so talented! We will be going to find her something snazzy to wear for that night.

I will write again on Saturday as it is our sweet A's 3rd birthday......we love you sweet girl!

Evening Bible Study

2011-08-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

I think my most favorite time of the day is our family bible reading and prayer time. For one, we get to discuss Christ with our children and two.........well, their prayers are simply amazing.

CG: Her favorite prayers end with "in my heart, the whole world, and everything" She also makes a wish list in her prayers (we are working on this one)

Luke: He is so thoughtful, always praying for every single member of the family, sometimes 3 and 4 times. His heart is so genuine..

Brooks: He thanks God for things like books, being able to learn, our home, the trees that make oxygen. He is truly thankful.

It is so neat to see how their prayers progress from year to year. They are each representing the person they will be in the future I am sure. How cool is it that God gives us these tiny little people and says "Here, watch them for a while for me!". I am afraid at times a truly do fall down on my job but I too am learning in this process. I love all 3......make that 4 children that I have been blessed with.

Again, we are waiting

2011-08-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

"Wait", the song from the band Caleb is blaring in my head and has been since we landed back in the states. Curt and I gave ourselves a 2 week window to get the MASSIVE amount of paperwork together for dossier #2. We only went 3 days over.....I am pretty proud of us for that. Our coordinator said she was impressed as well, I guess what we had to do seemed pretty impossible! Our documents are on the way to Russia, should be arriving either tomorrow or Tuesday. When it arrives it has to be translated and is then presented to the judge AND then we receive our court date! I am actually already packing....silly I know, but I figure I am just going to prepare to fly. Who knows, God could want us there next month, and we will be ready! We have purchased A's backpack and luggage and it will be delivered this week. Her clothes are folded and laying in the chair, so I am itching to have a child to dress in all these beautiful outfits!!!

We are also preparing the children for the big events that are getting ready to occur. We know that A's transition probably won't be too graceful....I am prepared for tears, a LOT of tears. I have been talking with the boys especially about how they can help when A comes home and what they can do to make her feel more at HOME. CG and I have had numerous discussions about how mama's lap has plenty of room for one more girl. CG agrees and says, "I not jealous". We will see I guess!! We have been blessed with children who are their own person, and haven't been jealous of each.....we are praying that this continues. We are still looking to raise a little more $$ to help pay for our hotel stay in Moscow....it is very expensive there, $200 a night. If you would like to help pay for a night, click the donate button on the side of the blog. Continue to pray for our sanity as we wait these next few weeks!!!! We love you all!

Guess who's 7?

2011-08-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

Lucas Tate Hanna, born August 20th 2004.....another Boy I thought. Don't you dare think that this little man is just any ordinary boy. Luke is full of spunk, which sometimes lands him in a heap of trouble, but mostly just makes everyone laugh. He never misses a joke either, nope, not our "Goot". The last couple years have been a struggle with his health. He is so big and strong, but for some reason his immune system was very weak. We fought to keep his lungs healthy and with God's grace and healing touch, Luke is more healthy than ever. He adores his FOOD, more than anyone else I know and it shows. Luke out weighs his older brother by 10+ pounds. He has the most mischievous grins and those eyes tell it all. If I could bottle up his energy and sell it, I would be a billionaire. To my most favorite 2nd boy, I love you with all of my heart. You are so sweet and you have such a BIG heart full of love and compassion. Our life would never be complete with out you and your spiked hair. I love you to the moon and back Lukie!

L- laughter and silliness, Luke makes us young!

U- unbelievable way with children. Luke is loved by most all kids younger than him and he adores it!

K- kind of looks like his daddy.....who am I kidding, he is EXACTLY like his daddy (some girl is going to be in trouble)

E- everything I wanted and more!!!

"Do you understand the words that are coming outta' my mouth?"

2011-08-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have felt like SCREAMING this phrase at certain PEOPLE for the last 3 weeks. Seriously, these last few pieces of paperwork should NOT be this difficult to gather. I have called, emailed, called again, typed letters and documents, only to have to type and print them over again. We are down to our FINAL....yes FINAL piece of paperwork so say a prayer that it will be checked and approved!!! Come on, life is really not this difficult!

On a much happier note......both boys started another school year. 1st an 3rd graders....can you believe it? They both had fantastic days. Brooks was more excited that Luke I think, mainly because he rides the shuttle bus between schools now. CG and I went for a girls hour (literally an hour) to get our hair cut by the AMAZING Michal...love her!! We decided to cut a good bit off of my hair to get a new look and also to make it healthier.....I love it! Google the new Jennifer Aniston cut and viola', there is my hair........look at only the hair though, I look NOTHING like Jenn!!! So, that's about it for now! Check back in this weekend, I will have birthday pictures of my soon to be 7 year old Luke Hanna. I love that kid!

My summer is OVER!

2011-08-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Insert SAD face here!!!!! My summer is officially over! I guess I should be sad, but this summer has not been a restful one for any of us! Let's see, summer began alright, a trip to St. George Island with the Powell crew.....that was nice. Immediately following that was my birthday, the death of our favorite doggie in the whole wide world and then 2 days later we received our referral! After that, there was a whirlwind of paper work, fundraisers, packing, organizing....ect! So, while I am not looking forward to getting up at 5:30 am, I am excited that I have had an extremely memorable summer.....one that has changed us all for the better!!! I look on to the fall anxiously awaiting the call for our court date, knowing we will spend 3 weeks in Russia and then I will be on "maternity" leave after that. It is only going to get crazier from here and I am going to love and savor every minute of it. God certainly didn't make Curt and myself and think, "these two will lead a calm, quite life in the country of Abbeville county". Nope, that's not us at all. God formed us and knew that we would make many mistakes, but one thing is for certain, we would follow Him wholeheartedly when He commanded us to. The path we take seems scary, uncertain and unpredictable at times, but God is faithful to carry us every step of the way. Isn't He amazing? Praise Him!

I LOVE this couple!

2011-08-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

We have actually only talked face to face one time, BUT I adore this couple! They totally get adoption and funny thing is we are both using the exact same homestudy agency, adoption agency, staying in the same apartment, adopting from the same region....and we only live 50 minutes apart!!! They are one step ahead of us, so their input has been very helpful. We met with them one week before our first trip so they told us all the good places to eat, where to get our money exchanged and many other things. They are in Russia right now and will be having their court hearing within the next few hours! They are adopting little girl and I have heard that she is adorable!!! So, please take a moment to pray for them, that the courts would rule in their favor!!! Also, visit THIS site to read their most recent blog post about their little girl and the CHICKEN POX. I laughed and cried for them, the pictures are too cute! Tara and Jonathan, we are all praying for you!!

Looking ahead

2011-08-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

We are still recovering from jet lag. I feel the need to nap all day and stay up really late because part of me still wants to be on Russia time. So, here's what has been going on in our world since we returned from trip 1 to Krasnoyarsk. We have washed all the clothes, but not unpacked the suitcases completely.....I am thinking I am going to just BE prepared for travel in hopes to rush the process along. Curt is busy learning Russian and I am so very proud of him. He is counting in Russian, reading and speaking small phrases...way to go!!!:) He is also signing up for a 4 week course in December on the basics of speaking Russian(offered at lander). We are BUSY working on paperwork for court. We are giving ourselves 2 weeks to finalize everything and have it in the mail. The quicker it gets to Russia, the sooner we will have a court date! We are trying to prepare the kids for our next trip, which is a long one! We hope to have another fundraiser or two.....YARDSALE and 31 party!!! If you would like to donate, you can do so by clicking the link on the sidebar! Please continue to pray for us as we focus on trip 2....we are so ready to bring her home!!!

Walking with Papa

2011-08-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

This child has our hearts!!!!

These are the hands I'm holding......

2011-08-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

These little hands already have me wrapped! This little lady's personality is coming out and she is such a curious little booger!! She is going to have so much fun with her brothers and sister! My heart is jumping inside my chest!

Our First Visit

2011-08-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

Baby House #5 is where we went for our visit with baby A! We both immediately recognized the outside of the orphanage from THIS video!!!! We had watched this series of videos prior to leaving and never imagined it would be the same house!

After about 2 hours of meetings with the MOE and the orphanage director we were taken into the meeting room. I was expecting them to bring A into us but she was already sitting down waiting on us! She was all dressed up in her very best dress of black velvet and red taffeta. Her dark hair was pulled up and tied with a HUGE bow.......it covered her little head, it was so sweet. She came over to us to say hello and she twirled so we could see her beautiful dress. She brought tears to our eyes, it was precious!

We learned earlier in the day that our sweet girl has only been an orphan for about 9 months but during that time she had been passed between homes. She has been through a lot during her short life and she is such a brave girl. We were warned that she was very shy and she didn't bond well with anyone. I sat on the couch while Curt was talking and began to pray for God to prepare her heart for us, that she would not be afraid. We were prepared for tears, prepared for the worst, but that never came! She grinned, babbled, held our hands, sat in our laps and I even got a hug when we said good-bye.

I am anxious to watch her transform from this fragile, shy child to a confident girl who runs, plays, laughs and twirls like a princess. It will happen and I am just so thankful that I get to be part of it all.

We see her again this afternoon, I am already anxious for her!

Krasnoyarsk Day 1

2011-07-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

The past 3 days have been a blur, in fact, I think we actually lost a day somewhere. It is Monday morning here in Siberia. We arrived at the Krasnoyarsk airport at 8:00 yesterday morning. From there we went to our apartment and laid down for a nap......that nap turned into almost 10 hours of sleep. We woke up, got showers (so happy to smell normal again), and then headed out to buy a few groceries and eat dinner. We had a difficult time trying to find a place to exchange our money for rubles. Of course no one speaks English, but we knew that would be the case. We ate dinner at California Pizza.......we didn't know what to order but the cook nodded and gave us a simple pepperoni pizza! It was pretty good and it was super cheap! We got a whole pizza and 2 drinks for less than $10! We walked around the city a bit and then came back to the apartment to rest some more. We are trying very hard not to look like tourists, but I am not sure it's working!

We soon realized that it was church time in S.C., so we called using facetime on our phones....IT WORKED! We were able to chat with our church peeps and they were able to hook the phone up to the speakers during service. Curt did morning announcements from Russia!!!! We also were able to watch most of the service.

We just skyped with the kiddos, they were very excited. I don't think I have ever been so happy to see toothless grins!!! We miss everyone and are looking forward to seeing you all soon. We will travel to see our little girl in just a few hours.....I cannot explain the feelings I have. I have been praying all morning for her heart, that God would go ahead and calm her down and prepare her for our arrival. Please continue praying for all of us! God is getting ready to completely rock our world. We are never going to be the same after this experience. The lyrics "break my heart for what breaks YOURS" are screaming in my head. Break us Lord, break me!!!!

We made it!

2011-07-31T03:03:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Krasnoyarsk at 7:00 am on Sunday, which is 7:00 pm on Saturday evening back in South Carolina. We had a CRAZY trip over, which I do not care to repeat!!!! We began the journey with a delay out of Charlotte which made us land late in NYC. We had some friends meet us there to take us to lunch. We had to rush, so we weren't able to see very many sights other than some parts of Queens. It was just really nice to see Dan and Daneal and talk about church and God and life as church planters. On the way back to JFK, their poor car broke down, so we had to catch a cab and leave them on the side of the road. They did make it home eventually! We got checked in at JFK, I had a SPLITTING headache, so I was miserable. We boarded the plane and then the bottom fell out. We sat on the plane for 2 hours waiting for the storm to pass over. The flight over was alright, very smooth. We were very thankful when we landed in Moscow. We were 2 hours late, but the man that met us there was very nice and helped to get us checked in for our final flight. We had a long layover so we explored the Moscow airport as much as we could. We grabbed some lunch at "The Hippopotamus". Watched MTV Russian style......that was interesting by the way. Who knew that the Jane Fonda workout attire was so popular???

The Kras flight was the best yet. We were seated in threes, so a young guy named Nikita sat beside us. He swore that we understood Russian and so we did our best to speak with him. A young girl behind us named Anna translated for us. We learned that Nikita had been on a cruise ship playing volleyball with his team. One of his team members sat behind us and we called him "big hands". Nikita had just gotten married to a "very beautiful" girl.....he could actually say that in english. We laughed the whole time, he was very funny and he sure did love his vodka!

Curt and I laid down for a nap at 8:30 and Curt is still asleep at 6:16 pm!!!! I hope he sleeps tonight. Tomorrow, our journey continues as we meet with the MOE (ministry of education) and then visit the orphanage. We cannot post pictures online of her "face" online anywhere! Now, I am going to try to get Curt up so we can go make some pictures and get some COFFEE!!!!!

3 days.....

2011-07-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

3, THREE, TRES.....however you say it, that is how many days we have left before we FLY to Russia!!! I am experiencing mixed emotions. For starters, I am afraid to fly!!! I have flown over the ocean before, no biggie, but I was 17 not 30!!!! I am also stressing about leaving my children for so long. I know they will be in great hands and those great hands will have even greater back up hands, but still I am anxious for them!!! I am nervous about meeting our daughter! Will she like us? Will she smile? Will she let me hug and kiss her?

Curt and I had the opportunity to meet with THIS couple for dinner last night. We had a BLAST, they were so much fun! They will be arriving in Russia the day after we leave the country for their 2nd trip. They had so much helpful information for us. They showed us pictures of the important people we will be meeting and informed us of customs within the country. I feel more relaxed after talking with them. I am hoping deep down that our girls are in the same orphanage and maybe know each other. That would be quite an amazing story to tell!

We are still raising money. The 2nd trip is looming in the future and the $$$ are HUGE! Here is a list of costs coming our way. We have pretty much exhausted all of our resources. I am trying to sell a cello outfit!!!!!

1. Plane tickets $3,000

2. Hotel fees $3,000

3. Medicals in Russia $1,600

4. Foreign Fees $7,000

Any amount you can donate will help!!!!

Chickfila Fundraiser

2011-07-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

So many things to be thankful for today! Thankful for the AIR CONDITIONER.....I cannot imagine working out in the heat like my husband does all day! I am thankful for my wonderful mother who helps me out so much with my kids. If it weren't for her, I would never get all of this adoption stuff completed! I am also thankful for awesome friends who show up without being asked to help us set up for our event! I am thankful for friends across the state who are donating toward our adoption, got $200 in the mail today!!!!

Our Chickfila fundraiser was a success! We had a great turn out for all 3 hours! We won't know until next week what we actually raised, but whatever the outcome, I know God is all over it! Another praise for today.......LRBC, the church I grew up in, had bible school this week. All the money brought for offering was donated to our adoption and also my cousins adoption. We were given over $200 tonight!!!!! God is just continually blessing our efforts. Why do we worry, He is in complete control!

Bluegrass Extravaganza = HUGE SUCCESS!!!

2011-07-17T18:19:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a very long and tiring day for not only us, but our friends and families as well. The morning began with Krispy Kreme doughnut sales in Abbeville and CF. These yummy boxes of friend dough were donated by our dear friend Rena Rhodes! Total sales were somewhere around $650!!! WHOOHOO!!!

Immediately following the sales, Curt, myself, Brandi, Addam, Thomas, Teddi, Emmi & Mar Mar loaded tables and chairs and then set up the Livery stable for the BIG event!! The plate sales were to begin at 5:30, but at 4:45 we had a couple come in the Livery and hand us a $100, they didn't even say a word. We kept saying thank you, but they smiled and walked down the road. What a blessing! The Livery was packed, at times there was standing room only! We ran out of food and had to turn people away! Our total for the day was somewhere around $3,500!!!! We are so thankful for all the amazing people in our lives who made this event such a huge success. Carrie, Nanny and Mom made delicious cakes. Brandi, April, Austin, Addam and Brittaney all served the food. The bands were amazing! My dad helped us clean up!!! God places people in your life for a purpose and I am so thankful to have each of these people in my life!!!! It was a great day, a blessed day!!! We are closer than ever to bringing our sweet baby home!

My friends Heather who helped pull the pork the night before the event, she is pretty fantastic!

Ricky ran the sound......he always makes me laugh!

Diamond Hill Bluegrass Boys, my father in law in yellow!

Thomas Richardson Quartet, so much talent!

My Bro and Sis in law.....love them!

Brandi and Brittaney, two of the sweetest girls ever!

On today's agenda.....

2011-07-14T06:19:00.001-07:00

We are now 2 weeks from our flight......craziness! I have luggage in the living room floor, gallon size ziplocks to put our food and bath stuff in. While in Russia, we are going to try to live off of the bare minimum. We are only taking 3 pairs of pants each, and I can only bring 2 pairs of shoes;). For breakfast we will be eating pop tarts, for lunch either Ramen Noodles or Mac and Cheese, dinner, we aren't quite sure about at this point. I am surrounded by paper work at this point, it is literally in front of me, at my sides and under my feet. My plan today was to finish the packing of our clothes at least, BUT, my kids very much need a break! I'm thinking the YMCA waterworks may be in our near future, at least for part of the day!!!

If you live in the Abbeville/Greenwood area, please come out to our Bluegrass Extravaganza this Saturday at the Livery Stable in Abbeville. Food and music begins at 5:30! It is going to be awesome! We will also have krispy kreme sales Saturday morning!!!!

Ok, I'm off now!

17 days away...

2011-07-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, yesterday almost cost me to lose my mind! I found out that our packet of VERY important documents never made it from the Sect. of State to AWAA, which meant that the U.S. Postal Service had lost them somewhere in the mail. BUT, after many tears, blessing a few people out and begging for our homestudy agent to redo the documents, I am calm. I will be taking the documents to Columbia first thing tomorrow to HAND DELIVER them to the Sect. of State. Let's see.....what else has been going on?

1. Bought travel book

2. Had cute Russian thank you cards made

3. Got in touch with CPA, will have Curt's letter of employment tomorrow

4. Making physical appointments

5. Finding out that the FMLA within the school district is STUPID!!!

6. Organizing my dossier binder for the plane

7. Packing bookbags as carry one

8. Applying for 2 more grants

9. Emailing missionaries in Russia to see if we can crash with them

10. Bathing some sweet babies, Nate is spending the night!!!!

It has been crazy and I am ready for a break, BUT that will have to wait until......after Christmas I guess!!! Have a blessed night!

Cute Little Camera Straps

2011-07-11T17:17:00.001-07:00

I have a camera strap and I adore using these covers to give it some snap, color and style!!! Each strap is $10 by itself!

If you choose to, we can embroider one initial on the strap for $2!

You can contact me on facebook or you can order from the menu on the side of the blog. I only have a few of each, so order quickly!!!

Counting down the days......

2011-07-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

This many days until we fly!!!! The countdown has begun and with so much to do to get ready for the remaining 2 fundraisers, my mind is going 90 miles an hour and my house is a disaster. Curt and I along with all 3 kids, my mom, brother and sister in law all went to Build-a-Bear to make a gift for our Baby A!!! The kids enjoyed it, Campbell I think loved picking out the clothes part the most. We recorded her this evening as she dressed the bunny and helped it pose for pictures. We are applying for two more adoption loans and grants this week so be in prayer that we will be awarded these grants! BBQ and Bluegrass this weekend, don't forget!!!

Before I sign off, funny conversation with Campbell this morning in the bathroom. Seems we always have funny stories to share after we have been to the potty together, huh!!!

CG: "Mommy, are you pregnant?"

Me: "No, I am definitely not pregnant!"

CG: "Mommy, am I pregnant?"

Me: (laughing nervously) "No, what does pregnant mean?"

CG: "It means you are skinny"

Me: "No, pregnant means you are going to have a baby"

CG: (pondering on the potty) "Oh, ok"

Cello Outfit for Sale

2011-07-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Raising money is draining both physically and mentally! Well, today I had to make some important decisions. Curt and I don't buy gifts for each other at normal times like Christmas and birthday, but we purchase gifts at random times throughout the year! Two years ago Curt bought me an amazing cello, which I have always wanted. I sort of play cello, but not great, so the cello is like brand new. I have now made the decision to sell it in order to bring our sweet daughter home! The cello is a Jean-Pierre Lupot, full size and it comes with a great bow and hard case with wheels. Please contact me at morgan@ocgreenwood.com for more info! Check out the pics!

Now more than ever!!!

2011-07-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

We are in a whirlwind......literally! We have been booking flights, booking rooms and applying for visas over the last few days! I hope I can put into words what God has laid on my heart lately! You see, we stepped out on faith for this journey, we really had no choice but to say yes to God whenever He asked us to adopt. I mean I guess we could've said no but then just think about the blessings we would've missed out on. I have heard all my life that following God can be difficult and test your faith....I only think we have seen difficult times! God is getting ready to do something amazing in our lives, I just know it! We have pretty much exhausted all of our resources for funds and we are only on trip one!!! We still need a ton of money so that we can go on trip two and bring our daughter home! People are going above and beyond to donate to us. People are buying BBQ tickets, handing in jars of change, praying, writing about us in the newspaper, telling their friends who are telling their friends and donating! Could you spare $10, $15 or even $50 bucks? We want our daughter home, safe, in her bed, with her brothers and sisters! We love her very much and cannot even imagine our lives without her! PLEASE, donate what you can!!!

Auction Success

2011-07-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

THANK you to everyone who bid on the items up for auction on the "Joy to the Heart Gifts" FB site! All proceeds are going towards our adoption and thanks to you, we raised over $500 to help bring baby A home! Either my sister or I will be in touch with you about delivering your item(s).

We will be spending the next few days celebrating the 4th at good ole' Lake Succession with some family. This time next year we will have another child to throw on the tub with all the cousins......if she'll ride that is! We should hear more about our travel itinerary next week and we will know that exact dates of our first trip! Again, thanks to everyone who is helping support our cause. It takes a village!!!!! Here are the upcoming fundraisers for the month of July, please attend!!!

Saturday, July 16th Bluegrass Extravaganza Livery Stable, Abbeville BBQ plates $6.50 MESSAGE me for more details
Friday, July 22 Chick-Fil-A fundraiser 5:00-8:00.....come hang out with us!!!
Tuesday, July 5-Tuesday, July 12 Blessings Unlimited Catalogue Party, all proceeds go to us
You can always order an adoption tee or hoodie
You can always order some yummy coffee
Make a donation
Have your church or Sunday School take up a love offering

Day 3 after referral: Yes, I do tend to confuse people

2011-06-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

My sister, mom, all the kids and I were headed to the waterworks at the Anderson YMCA....great place to hang out (just sayin') and I had to mail off some court documents. I wanted to documents to go from here to Columbia and then from Columbia, straight to Virginia. To do this I would need to pay for 2 mailings and place an envelope inside the first envelope. This was obviously confusing, so I spent over 20 minutes trying to explain why I was being so difficult. I just didn't want to waste the time having the documents mailed back to me and then me having to turn around and mail them off again to Virginia.

Anyway, I have a headache today, BUT the online auction begins in 1.5 hours. Go to facebook and search for "Joy the the Heart Gifts", click "like" and the items will be on the site at 6 pm. To bid, comment on the photos! All proceeds are going to our adoption! What can I say, my sister is awesome for hosting this!

Day 2 after referral

2011-06-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a lot like yesterday, I got up early because I couldn't sleep. I had so much on my mind that I kept waking up throughout the night thinking about which papers still needed to be filled out, the kids schedule while we are gone and the list goes on! I was able to spend most of the morning with my amazingly talented seamstress mother who is making Baby A the most beautiful blanket. She embroidered Russian stacking dolls on quilt blocks....adorable! She has made all 3 of my children a baby blanket, so of course our Russian baby had to have one as well. We were able to go ahead with the court documents, which means trip 2 will be sooner than expected and Baby A will be home, where she belongs! I will have the remaining documents mailed off tomorrow to be apostilized in the morning and then I might get to breathe.......Nope, not yet! Please, if you haven't already heard, my sister is hosting a facebook auction tomorrow night thru Friday evening. Her items are adorable, things from purses to clipboards! So go to facebook and search for Joy to the Heart Gifts and check it out!

Baby A's Sweet blanket from her nanny!

Day 1 after referral

2011-06-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

For the next few weeks I am going to try and blog about every part of this adoption process as it gets more intense with every second. My morning began at 7 am, at my computer, filling out and printing off papers. I am getting pretty good at my signature these days! I have sent off a few faxes today, paid and mailed off our check for our foreign fees. Now I am sitting here waiting on my conference call with a doctor from NC who will be looking over all of Baby A's info and viewing her picture. We are praying for good news and that our daughter is and will continue to be a healthy little girl! My hands are shaking as I type, I am a nervous wreck. I am meeting with the doctor alone because my tree climbing hubby is literally, "up a tree". Here we go!!!!

The Whirlwind Begins!

2011-06-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

After a rather sad and crazy weekend, we thought that Monday held much more of the same craziness....boy were we wrong! While the craziness is still in existence, the mood has changed from solemn to overjoyed!!! We received a call today at 1:27 pm from our adoption coordinator saying that we had been matched with a child!!!! The conversation went much like this:

Me: "hello"

J: "Hello Morgan, how are you?"

Me: "I'm good......(hesitant voice)"

J: "Well, Morgan are you sitting down?"

Me: "Um, no, should I be?"

J: "Yeah, you might want to"

Me: "Oh boy!"

So J proceeded to tell me that our daughter is beautiful and healthy! We know about her background, her health, ect. We are overjoyed and a bit overwhelmed! If all goes as planned, we could be leaving mid-July to go to Russia for our first trip. On trip 1, we will meet her and bond with this baby A! Can I just say that God is amazing, and He continues to be faithful even in these times of doubt and uncertainty!

Our next fundraiser will be right before we leave for Russia!!! July 16th at 5:30 pm at the Livery Stable in Abbeville!!!!!! Join us for Bluegrass Extravaganza!!! BBQ plates will be for sale, $6.50 and there will be silent auctions and drawings for some pretty awesome items like gift cards, and dinners at local restaurants!!! Check us out on Facebook!!!!!!

The first 3 weeks of Summer

2011-06-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

These past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind for us Hanna's! The first week of summer consisted of getting the house cleaned and taking the boys to baseball camp in Abbeville. They enjoyed it but rather that clean the house, I made a bigger mess. Isn't that the way it always goes? I cleaned out closets, began painting, decided to pull the twin beds out of storage, rearranged.....the list goes on and on. Week 2 was great, we spent the week at the Gulf with my family! We haven't been to the beach since Campbell was born, so to be able to hang out with our loved ones and watch CG experience the beach for the first real time was awesome!

Adoption things are beginning to speed up. We received numerous emails last week saying we needed to being paperchase number 2! For those of you who don't know what that means, basically we are beginning to gather the documents we will be taking to court in Russia. We are excited and scared out of our minds!!!! We still have a ton of money to raise, but God has already provided over $12,000, and there is no doubt in my mind that He will continue to bless this process. We have another event planned for July 16 in Abbeville at the Livery Stable. It is a BBQ and Bluegrass night featuring 2 awesome groups! One is a group my father in law plays mandolin in and the other features the amazing Thomas Richardson of Greenwood, SC. Tickets for the BBQ plates are $6.50 and donations will be accepted as well. All proceeds go towards our adoption, so please purchase a plate!!!!! Remember that every little bit helps!!!!

I know who is ready for Sunday!

2011-05-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Joseph Brooks Hanna was born on May 29, 2003 just after midnight. Curt and I still claim his entrance into the world to be the most exciting, unusual and amazing nights of our lives. His appearance wasn't graceful or easy, more like quick and painful (we love him no matter what!!!). I guess his birth is sort of like life, unexpected and messy! (we will save that for another blog) Named for his uncles, Brooks or JB, whatever you call him, is a child unlike any other that's for sure. He is so inquisitive, asking questions about everything, discussing things on a level way above his age and so very smart! He adores bugs, baseball, reading, reading and more reading, playing in the dirt and of course video games. In these 8 years we have had with him we have experienced joy, pain, love, tears and a pride unlike any other. I am so proud of my son, there is a joy I have that words cannot explain. Daddy and I are praying HUGE prayers for you little boy, prayers that God will grab your heart and take you on an incredible adventure as you follow HIS path. You are our joy, happy 8th birthday sweet boy!

5k Run for Children: ORPHANS

2011-05-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

WOW, I have been so busy. After the amazing race weekend, we are now gearing up for our yard sale this weekend! We are so thankful to all of our friends and family who have been so amazing during this time of fundraising. The support from the town of Abbeville, words cannot express our joy!!!! God has blessed us so much and we only want to follow Him and bring glory to His name is all that we do. We were able to raise $3,700 toward our adoption! WHOOHOO!

We are well on our way to meeting that sweet siberian princess! We want her home and safe!

Pictures from the past few weeks.....

2011-05-03T17:58:00.001-07:00

My baby brother is a college graduate!!!!

(Dad, Mom, Austin, Meg and Me)

Proud of Our baby brother!!!

My cuties on Easter!

(Brooks, Campbell and Luke)

Enjoying the zoo over spring break

They are in a bird nest......I guess pretending to be baby birds

My family on both sides and church family are absolutely precious! I wouldn't trade them for the world!!!

Another Reason Why We Do What We Do

2011-05-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today we had baptism! When people meet Jesus, our crew goes WILD! The Oasis morning began a little differently today, we had a super guest speaker who is no stranger at all to us at OC Greenwood. Brooks Reames brought the WORD this morning, his first time ever, and did an amazing job. God is bringing such amazing people together at Oasis and I am so happy to be a part of it all. Not only did we witness two baptisms today, but we also had a first time guest accept Jesus as her Savior this morning! I am so excited and cannot wait for next Sunday.....it is going to be amazing!!!!

One week away................

2011-04-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

With the race just one week away, there is so much that still needs to be done. Right now I am going through and documenting and rechecking all the registrations to make sure I have everything correct and in its place. We have close to 60 people registered so far and I expect to receive many more registrations this week and have tons more to register the day of the race!!! We are so excited and blessed to have such wonderful support from our family, friends and the city of Abbeville. If you have not registered you can go to THIS website and either pay through paypal or print off the form and mail it in! Remember that if you wait and register on Saturday the fee goes up to $30!

On another note, my sweet sister will be having her 2nd baby this week, and we are so excited for she, Wesley and big brother Nate! I am so excited to meet this new blessing to our family! So many great things are happening and I am thankful that Christ has allowed me to be part of it all!

I've got feathers, don't ruffle them!!

2011-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

You may have seen this..............................or even this!

Feather extensions are everywhere, I have 6 as a matter of fact and my daughter has 1! Steven Tyler has them, the today show even did an entire segment on the extensions. Some people may think they are strange, tacky or unattractive, I on the other hand think they are a good way to change your look without committing to a complete hair color change. A friend of mine from NY even has some "feathas", as we call them. I adore them.....just don't ruffle my feathas!!!:)

Words of Wisdom....you can never hear this enough!

2011-04-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

I do not always quote people on my blog, but I came across the following advice on Holly Furtick's blog. I have heard this before, but at this point in my life where I am juggling kids, my marriage, my job....well you get the picture. As a pastor's wife I see so much of the dark side of ministry and although we are early in our ministry journey we have already learned so much! One day we will write a book.......it is in our 20 year plan:) Here are some words of wisdom from Mrs. Furtick......

Here's the thing, and this is not just pertaining to ministry. In life, you can either become a slave to everyone's opinions of what you should do and say, or you can decide what your gifts and priorities are and order your life around that. BUT either way, someone is not going to be happy because you can never make everyone happy with you, no matter how hard you try. And it always hurts when people are not happy with you.

My goal should not be to make everyone happy. My goal should be to serve and honor the people God has directly placed in my life, to put them first and let everything else fall into place. For me that is my husband, then my kids, then my family, close friends and our church. And when, not if, someone gets upset because I did not meet their expectation, I will be sad, I will be hurt, but I will not be surprised.

So in clarification of this statement that I made last week, "As best as I can, I need to tell others who I am, not the other way around," telling others who I am doesn't always mean that everyone will be happy with me, but hopefully my kids will not grow up saying I put everyone before them. And hopefully, my marriage will be stronger in 20 years than it is today because I chose to make it a priority.

It is RACE TIME folks!

2011-04-10T17:58:00.001-07:00

At this very moment I am recording and going through race tee sponsors and I am in awe of how awesome the people of Abbeville, Greenwood, California and New York are:)! We have church planting friends in NY who donated to our adoption race and then we have a friend who is flying all the way from Cali to run in our race! I am super pumped about how amazing the people are that God has placed in our lives. I am convinced that God places people in our path daily for the main purpose of building His kingdom........that is why we must be intentional with the relationships we build with each other!

The registration process is very simple, just click on the link above, click on 5k run/walk and then click the buy button!!!! If you want to simply donate funds, click on the donate button on the right-hand side of my blog. Thanks in advance for all your prayers and thoughts as we seek to bring our daughter home!

"New Stuff Coming Soon" Final Trailer

2011-04-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite bands of all time "CALEB". This is the band of Steven Curtis Chapman's sons Caleb and Will Franklin. They are super amazing and the talent is off the chain!!!!:) Enjoy this teaser for their new album which will be released soon!

Tomorrow's Challenge

2011-03-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be a very difficult day for our family. On Tuesday, Caroline Reese Zijacek went to be with Jesus after fighting for her life for 5 days. We are distraught, heartbroken and anxious. We know that Jesus has and will continue to receive the glory for it all! Please remember Reese's family, Christen, Joe, Faith and Hunter as they grieve her death.

"Out of these ashes

Beauty will rise

And we will dance among the ruins

We will see it with our own eyes

Out of these ashes

Beauty will rise

For we know joy is coming in the morning

In the morning

Beauty will rise"

We love you so much sweet little lady, and my life will never be the same because I had the honor of knowing you. I look forward to seeing your sweet face in heaven one day!!!"

What I am looking forward to.....

2011-03-27T17:11:00.001-07:00

WOW, what an amazing week!!!! After last weeks record attendance at church, the birth of Cann great grand #11 (she is need of much prayer) I just didn't think I was even going to be able to sleep last night. Much of yesterday was spent making preparations for today's church service. From making lists of names of people to invite to praying over each name at 1:00 am during a horrific thunderstorm, God has showed Himself faithful! I woke up this morning to more rain and children who didn't want to get motivated and move out the door, but Curt and I were both determined to be on time and to be pumped because we were expecting BIG things!!! This week was our first official week in the exercise room. We moved this week because as of last week we had outgrown the front room at the YMCA. We knew our crowd was going to be bigger but we had no idea what God was about to do. After a big breakfast cooked by our sweet Regina (her pancakes are the bomb) we talked about life and the church growth and moving in new volunteers. At 10:30, people began to flood in..........there was no room to move in the lobby.........let's just say I have not given or received that many high fives in years! The exercise room was packed out and there are plans to move to the gym after next week!!!! Carlton actually called it before 10:30, he said, "I figure after next week ya'll will probably be needing that extra space in the back gym"! Well Carlton, you were right!!! As I type, some of our volunteers are at the Lander FCA setting up sound and lights to help reach out to more Lander students.

Here are a few things I am looking forward to:

An exhausted husband who will sleep well after this long but successful day of serving the Lord
Chatting more with some of our new college students this week
Saturday night text/Facebook-a-thon night with a few very special students
Sunday morning when we get to do it all again

Sunday is my week off, but I will probably show up early so I can see God work!

This younger generation is craving a relationship with Jesus Christ. Be there to show them the way!!!

College Students gone WILD!!!!

2011-03-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Interesting day in the Hanna household! We began the day at the ball field where all the games were rained out:( it was so cold!

Among other things, God has really been working this week on the hearts of some our college students. We spent the evening with them last night and have spent all day today talking with and getting to know each of them a little better. Literally, these guys have only been coming to church 1 or 2 weeks and we feel we have known them forever. As of right now, these amazing students are sitting on our couch, facebooking and texting, inviting TONS of people to church! The response has been huge, we are actually making a list and it is still growing!!! God is getting ready to blow this thang out of the water!!! All of the trials and struggles we have been thru have led us to this moment, this place in time where we know God has called us to be. We are ready, fully prepared and know that God is leading us to be a part of something amazing! It may have taken us 3 years to get here, but those 3 years were not a waste, but rather a time of learning. God has been with us every step of the way and knew when and where we were going to be rejected. Well, here we are, rejected and unwanted by man, but from God's perspective, we are loved and longed for! Get ready to have your mind blown!!!! I am so pumped!

Beauty Will Rise

2011-03-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Our hearts are heavy yet hopeful as we pray over a precious new life born into the Cann family. We are known for having babies and having lots of them, so when we add to our already large family, let's just say the hospital doesn't stand a chance. Caroline Reese is here, early, but here. She has been fighting with all her might since she took her first breath and has been breathing on her own ever since. The doctors are hopeful that she will continue to improve and are focusing now on the thought that she may have Turner's syndrome which is not fatal....praise God. We have already learned so much from this little gal since she came into the world. We have learned not to pray selfish prayers but to pray for God's will to be done and trust that out of these ashes, beauty will rise. Happy birthday precious Carolina Reese Zijacek, you are loved more than you will ever know!

Siblings or No siblings, that is the question.......

2011-03-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Orphaned child waiting on us overseas! the number of children that are being offered to us.................................................

we are so unsure of what our next move will be. We know that God has a plan and that this necessary tension, the knot in our stomachs is for a very good reason. So, deep breath, what do we do? Well, first I am going to post on the worldwide web that in order to bring not ONE but TWO precious children home, we need right at $17,000, which we DO NOT have!!! Yet, something in the back of my mind keeps saying, remember how I have provided thus far, how you have not had to worry about paying other adoption costs? We need your prayers as we PRAYERFULLY consider our next move! If you are praying and would like to help us out, there are TONS of ways to do so:

BUY a shirt, it will ship tomorrow
Register for the race at www.abbevillespringfestival.com
Purchase a spot on the back of our adoption race tees to advertise your business
Buy some coffee
Save up some of your "JUNK" and donate it to our yardsale
Just donate $5, $10, $25, $100 towards bringing this child or children home

God doesn't call us to walk a nice and comfy path with beautiful flowers blooming and rainbows everywhere.....there will be times of stress and doubt, that is what molds us into the beautiful masterpiece that God had in mind. So, until next time, lift those prayers up!!!

The Magic Number Sunday

2011-03-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever (since launch) we had over 50 people in service!!!! This morning was AMAZING! There has been intense excitement since the beginning of February, I cannot even describe it. It was like a weight had been lifted and God was saying, all your hard work and persistence is about to pay off! I cannot almost hear Him telling us to hold on because it is going to be a wild ride........well, I believe it! Every Sunday since February, we have had first timers! Big deal right?....NO, we have had 4, 5 and 6 first timers which is huge for us since 30 is a good number for us on Sunday! Well, this week was a major turning point in the life of Oasis:

1. We began our series called Why the Y and the CEO of the Greenwood YMCA was there in attendance and played a huge role in the service

2. We had 9 first time guests!

3. We have gone to 2 set up teams and have so much extra help there are still people who need jobs to do

4. We have 2....NOT 1, BUT 2 praise teams, so we are able to alternate, which gives everyone some down time to just worship!

5. We have raised over $2,000 for the well!

God has blessed us with some amazing, "on fire for God" college students who are all over Landers campus! Let's just say that God is about to blow LU's mind. There are student leaders there prepared to do whatever it takes to make Christ's name known on that campus! We serve an amazing God who doesn't take anything lightly. He also loves a challenge and I think he adores seeing the youth of today getting excited about sharing the LOVE of God with their friends! All I can say is next Sunday, that "HALLELUYER" greeting line will be even larger! Here are a few pics from this morning of some of our "staff" showing the "C" in YMCA, because we are the movement of the "C" in YMCA! LOVE it!

We love how even Carlton is involved in the "C".......we love you Carlton!

Beastly

2011-03-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

We had such a great weekend, the weather has been amazing! Friday evening, some friends and I went to see the movie "beastly". It is a present day beauty and the beast I guess you could say. Not my most favorite flick, but definitely worth the time. The story begins much different than the Disney version, we meet an arrogant, handsome young high schooler running for student body president and his slogan to win is something like "being a looser sucks". He is later on cursed by the school goth girl, aka witch and loses all his hair, becomes scarred so that his is unrecognizable. His father moves him away from the city and then disappears claiming to be too busy to spend time with him. The only people the "beast" has contact with is the housekeeper and a blind tutor (Neil Patrick Harris aka the comedy relief for the story). He has a crush on a girl before becoming the beast and seeks her out on a daily basis, just to watch her from afar and learn more about her. Eventually we learn this girl aka beauty has a father who is a drug addict. She is put in danger when a drug deal goes bad and then the beast steps in to save her and makes a deal with her dad to allow her to come and live with him where she will be safe. You know the rest of the story....they fall in love and live happily ever after!

The big shocker for me was what the beast says later in the story as he begs the witch to release the curse on him. She tells him she cannot lift the curse because he still only thinks of himself. he begs her once more but this time says, "if you cannot help me, there are other people in my life who are hurting and aching more than I am. Please allow them to see and to be whole again". This really stuck with me and I was reminded of Christ as he took our place on the cross. We are hurting and aching, but Jesus said, punish me Father, me.....allow them to have peace and joy and to be whole again!!! What a powerful message in just those 2 minutes of the movie. It is just amazing what you can get from a chick flick;) I long to look at others and think, let them be whole, full and forgiven....punish me Father!

It Just Keeps Getting Better

2011-03-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

March 9, 2002 at 2:00 in the afternoon, I, a very young 20 year old, married my best friend. We were young, but our parents believed in us and knew that we were doing things in God's timing. After graduating college, welcoming our 3 children into the world, planting a church & now seeking to adopt our #4 from Russia....let's just say these have been 9, full, crazy & wonderful years. We have cried over money, raising kids, following God's will.....laughed over inside jokes, milestones our children have made and how other people view us(yeah, that's the best one).

I had a teenager tell me the other day that my husband was FINE, and I laughed.....but then I told her, yeah, of course he is!!! I am so honored that he chose me! Who would have thought that the really cute, blonde kid in my aunts jumprope club would one day become my husband and the most amazing father of my kids? Getting older is scary, I am unsure of what is coming our way within the next 5-10 years, but one thing I can hold on to is the promise that God will guide us through it all. Thank goodness I get to walk this journey with Curt!

C- is for how caring and thoughtful my husband is. He always put our needs before his own!

U- is for his understanding that I am different than he is and I will always process information differently than he does. This has become very helpful as we have journeyed through this church plant.

R- is for his reckless abandon.....this is how he loves, adores and follows Christ!

T- is for his tender heart towards those in need. His heart breaks daily for those who are less fortunate than us, which is why he is determined to live his life to give to others!

Happy anniversary Curtis, lurv ya;)!!!

Blogging for Orphans

2011-02-28T14:22:00.001-08:00

OCA Mission Moments from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

They sat in the studio with an expectant glow as they spoke about their children they had yet to meet, but who they claimed as their very own...

Josh: "As unbelievers, we are aliens. We are strangers. We are separated from God. But God has come in and adopted us, through Christ, to be in His family."

Jenn: "And we're just so thrilled that our family can be a picture of that to the world! And just like we would never question our true son-ship to God the Father, it's been an encouragement to us to think about, we really don't have to question whether these kids are our true children... cause they are!"

When Josh and Jenn Philpot felt God's nudging toward adoption they weren't sure where they would get the money. They received a matching grant through the Orphan Care Alliance (OCA), turning the $6,000 they had raised into $10,000, and making it possible for them to bring home not just one child but two!

OCA is a multi-church alliance in the Louisville/Southern Indiana area. Adoption funding is just one part of their ministry. Their many outreaches include recruiting and training foster parents, mentoring local foster children, assistance for local churches in launching orphan ministries, international orphan care, and more! They are also a part of Lifesong's Outside the Walls Network, which connects churches to serve orphans more powerfully together than they could on their own.

Celebrating All the Wins!

2011-02-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

Church planting has been a long and lonely road. It is sort of like a ball game in that you win some and you loose some....in our case it has been energy, drive and sometimes people. There are weeks when we are on cloud 9 and then there have been weeks when we are all just dragging, no energy whatsoever. The holiday season was rough, lots of low attendance Sundays. I know that attendance shouldn't mean that much, but when you are a church of 15 and you only have like 20, you cannot help but get discouraged. Then January & February came........things have begun to turn around. Our energy has gone through the roof. This has been truly a God thing, and I also think it has a lot to do with us stepping back and celebrating the wins, ALL of them! We used to think the only wins were having large crowds and seeing people come to Jesus (seeing people saved is our number 1 focus), but some of our celebrations now are just the simple fact that we can set up church each Sunday, the fact that we have raised 32% of our $5,000 goal to dig a well in only 4 weeks, or the simple fact that God has so graciously blessed us with so much musical talent that we cannot fit them all on stage each Sunday, or that we meet in a HUGE building for FREEEEEEEE! Jesus has given Oasis the ability and the drive and it would be selfish of us not to jump in with everything we have and say "use US Lord, use US"!

I have been through my times of doubt and depression as I have battled with the idea of do we even need to continue and I can tell you now, without a doubt that God is holding this church together and wants it to succeed. Our God never ceases to amaze me. When I say we can't, He says "oh yeah, well watch this!" So, God has shut my mouth and boy am I glad He did. I am so thankful for Oasis church and all the other churches in our surrounding area who see the needs outside their four walls! What a mighty God we serve!

To the Moon & Back

2011-02-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember my mother has always followed the phrase "I love you" with "to the moon and back". The more grandchildren she has it seems they say it more and more. Both boys have said it numerous times, but as they have gotten older they seem to be out of the habit of adding that phrase, which at times is sad. Campbell on the other hand, cannot say it enough. Our conversations today went something like this.....

(While throwing the ball with the boys, CG is prancing around the yard in her old tap shoes)

"I love you mommy"

"I love you Campbell"

"To da moon and back mommy"

"To the moon and back Campbell"

(While swinging at the park this afternoon)

"You know I love you mommy"

"And I love you Campbell"

"To da moon and back"

"That's right, the moon and back"

She just can't seem to say it enough and that is fine with me.

In November I found a rustic, wooden sign with "To the Moon and Back" painted on it and I bought it for my mom to hang in her dining room. It suits her well!!! My mom is a wonderful, godly lady who loves her children and grandchildren. I am thankful for her, and so are my kids! We love you nanny, to the moon and back!

Monday, Monday

2011-02-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

This post totally rocked my world today. Please, please, please check it out!!! Here are some ways you can help us out!!!!

1. register for our 5k in May, visit this site to register online!

2. purchase a bag of GREAT coffee from this site!

3. donate yard sale items by bringing them buy our house or messaging us on facebook so that we can pick them up

4. purchasing one of our one of kind adoption tees or hoodies

5. donate $5-$25 dollars, every penny helps

Help us bring our little Anya home!!!

Waiting Mail and Some Great News

2011-02-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

Busy week, even busier weekend and wouldn't you know I had to catch the stomach virus from some of my lovely, hand sanitized sweethearts at school. So, I was out of work two days this past week, which I hated. I always feel guilty when I miss work, I mean with budget cuts and everything, attendance is a must, no time to be hugging that porcelain throne you know? I finally went back to work again on Friday and received a great email from our adoption coordinator at AWAA! Basically it told us about some things we need to be doing while waiting for our referral and also that we should have our little girl in about 9-10 months??? Wait, seriously, this is actually happening? So, we are on cloud 9 and still a little nervous! We are now moving into full fundraising mode at the end of February......why? Well, I finish my masters and have had little time for anything else, but come March 1st I will be FREE!!!!

Among other things, our new series at church begins tomorrow called "I killed Jesus"......we have had some very interesting conversations with people just about the title itself. This series is sure to be eye opening and heart breaking. BIG things are happening at Oasis, and we have no one to praise but God for that!!!

Exciting things are happening!

2011-01-30T17:25:00.000-08:00

So much is happening around our family and church family! It is so awesome to see Christ bring people together is HIS time and then watch the vision we are following so diligently become a reality. Saturday a few of us Oasis folks visited La Puerta in Greenwood. We came along side some amazing people from different churches to help begin planting a garden for the community of Greenwood. La Puerta is more than just a food ministry, but it is also a place where families can go to learn to speak english, get help with homework and make new friends. Visit this blog to check out the progress and view photos from Saturday!

Today's church service was amazing! We had soooo many new visitors who came early just to help set up! God is really beginning to blow our minds. We have been through so many seasons of doubt, pain and just being unsure of where God was taking us. Through it all we have been in prayer and have been faithful as we let HIM lead! So, this Sunday, Oasis decided to dig a well in a third world country. We took up our first well offering today and our goal is to raise $5,000 by July! Let's just say that we are well on our way and we have extremely giving people in our church. That is funny because most of our congregation are college students.........broke, young college students whom we were told would never give money to church because they don't have any. I believe that God has a great sense of humor and He can use anyone.......!!! I am so excited! Check out this website to learn more about your church or community group digging a well in a needy community!

What we've been up to

2011-01-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

Not much going on around here lately. Luke and CG had the flu the week of the big snow so we were pretty much homebound from Wednesday to the following Monday. Curt and I were able to go to the ARMS/CP Net conference in Bluffton with some friends of ours, Carl and Peggy Martin. We spent a summer with them a few years ago as they planted Crosspoint Bluffton which is now doing so great! We are thankful that they have taken our hands as we have walked this lonely road of church planting.

Thanks to the oh so wonderful Brandi and Addam, we were able to leave the kids for a trial run for our Russia trip:)! We are so blessed to have these friends in our lives! No news from Russian yet, in the words of the band CALEB....."We will Wait"! We have already received quite a few registration forms in the mail and it is still pretty early! We are so blessed to have people joining with us as we support a call that is so dear to our hearts!!! Thanks and have a blessed week everyone!

Leading and Loving It

2011-01-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

I have been reading this blog for quite a while and have had the opportunity more than once to hear Lori's husband speak. So, when I saw that sign-up's were on again for the Leading and Loving it virtual roundtable discussion I immediately signed up. I am anxious to get to know pastor's wives from other churches and hopefully learn from their journey's as well as share my own. Ministry does make for interesting conversation that's for sure!

Lifesong Blog Update

2011-01-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

William from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

Six year-old William once asked his mother, “Why do other children walk on the bottoms of their feet? Why am I like this? What did you do to me?” When she told him that it was God who did it, not her, William said, “Then please tell God to fix me.”
William was born with clubfoot, affecting both of his feet. If William had been born in America this common deformity would have been easily fixed when he was still a baby. But in Zambia it’s a different story. In Zambia, where the resources are few and the funds are even fewer, healing is only a distant dream.

Last February Lifesong Zambia coordinator, Dru Smith wrote about William in her newsletter. When Wendy in Illinois heard his story she was prompted to act. After a thorough investigation she discovered CURE Clubfoot International, which had a clinic in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia! In April William was fitted for casts (first in a series of 3) and then had corrective surgery on his right foot in June and his left foot in September (the video was taken in September just before his second surgery).
God used His people to “fix” William. Today William can walk! Soon he will be strong enough to return to school, play with the other children, and be able to do many of the simple tasks we take for granted!

Through this journey the Lifesong staff has been able to help not only William, but his family as well. William’s brother, Bright, and cousin, Gift, have both been enrolled at Lifesong school. In addition his father, Victor, who was unemployeed now works in the Lifesong gardens! We’re so thankful our God is the master at doing “abundantly and immeasurably more” than we even think to ask!

*Find out more about Blogging for Orphans here.

Ways you can help!

2011-01-12T16:43:00.000-08:00

As we wait on our referral from Russia we have many people ask how they can help. Well, adoption is expensive! From paying for agency fees, homestudy, passports, physicals, dossier translation, travel, ect......it costs a LOT!!! So, to help us ease the financial stress here are a few ways you can help!

Purchase a T-shirt or Hoodie! The links are located on the side of the blog

Purchase some coffee! Fresh Cup of Hope link in on the side of the blog too! (it is yummy)

Purchase an "Unto the Least of These" bracelet for $1.00!!! Comment if interested

Donate items for our yard sale coming up in May!

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!

Honduras

2011-01-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

I received an interesting email yesterday while I was at school. The email was from our adoption agency, NO it wasn't about our adoption, just a newsletter about what is going on at America World. I began to read and found that the Honduras adoption is finally back open. At first, I blew past this and thought, huh, that it interesting. Then, I went back and read that the adoptions in Honduras have been frozen since 2003. My very sweet cousin and her husband make a journey to Honduras at least once a year with their church and we are always putting together big bags of clothes and shoes for the needy children there. I am not sure why Honduras was closed, maybe for the Hague process, I don't know. What I do know is there are tons of couples and families who have been waiting and praying the Honduras adoptions would be open again, and now, 8 years later, their prayers have been answered! So, if you have ever longed for Honduras like we are longing for Russia, now is the time. Check out the link above to begin your adoption journey!

2011

2010-12-30T17:05:00.000-08:00

The next couple of days will be busy so, Happy New Year to everyone! Almost 2011, can you believe it?

N: Next year I plan on being the mother of 4 great children. Brooks will be 8, Luke 7 and Campbell 4, Russian Gal ???. They are each so wonderful and difficult in their own little way. It is amazing to see the differences in their personalities as they grow. I love them, all of them!

E: Everyday brings a new surprise to the Hanna home. Between two crazy boys and a prissy pot girl, the fun never ends. Excited also begins with "E" and I am so excited to see what this new year will bring. I am also expectant that God is going to do amazing things through our family this coming year.

W: Wed......Curt and I will celebrate 9 years of wedded bliss this coming year. Where has the time gone? I am so thankful that God called me to walk beside Curt is this life. He is my very best friend, he makes me laugh harder than anyone. He is my favorite!

Y: Yearning for another child across the ocean. I cannot explain the feeling when you look at your kids sitting on the couch watching TV and you realize there is someone missing, a spot on the couch is empty. The tug on my heart is so strong it hurts. I just know that whoever this other child is, they are going to be loved on a lot by everyone!!

E: Exercising, training and getting ready for the 5k Run for the Children "Orphans" on May 7th in Abbeville. You should be gearing up for this too if you live in the area!!!

A: Aging!!! Curt and I will be 30 this year. I may have a major meltdown. I have already told him there will be no celebrating whatsoever on the 25th of June. I am getting old and am not loving it at all. Pretty soon my kids will think I am a dork and they will roll their eyes at me.....wait, they already do that!! Oh well!

R: Realizing that our time here on earth is limited and we should make the most out of

everyday. I have been reading the most amazing book "Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman.

I won't spoil it for you, but it is all about their family's journey through life, death and hope after the

death of their youngest daughter Maria Sue, who they adopted from China.

So, my wish and goal for 2011 is to look at my family in a different way. I want them to have manners, love each other and Christ too. For me though, I want to live each day knowing that in the end when we have to stand before Christ, the main thing I'll have to show for this life will be the spiritual children we bring into His kingdom. Our children will be our present to Christ on His throne!

Time to Train

2010-12-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

We are so pumped about the upcoming 5k run/walk for orphans! The date is May 7th, time is TBA!!! Check out the Abbeville Spring Festival website for more info. Hopefully by next week there will be an online sign-up sheet, so keep checking!!!

Holiday Photos

2010-12-25T16:45:00.001-08:00

Wanted to share a few pictures from our Christmas! We had two wonderful days filled with friends and family! Our house is a mess, but our hearts are full. Merry Christmas everyone from the Hanna family!!!

Me and CG

The Hanna boys getting ready to jump the ramp they received from Rena

Powell Kids and their spouses!!!

Us at the Hanna gathering

Austin, Meg and Me.....all grown up, sort of!!!

Christmas is Going to be different this year

2010-12-23T12:13:00.000-08:00

We've all been so busy getting ready for the upcoming holidays and gatherings. From cleaning, washing clothes to wrapping presents, we have been swamped. Our goal this year was to stick to a budget, which we have done well with. We sat the kids down and explained that the only way to bring little sister home, was to save money this Christmas. The kids each sat down and wrote a letter to Santa, keeping in mind that there is another member of our family across the ocean who probably won't get anything for Christmas this year. Our oldest, JB, totally gets the entire selfless thing and began to write things he wanted for his new sister. I told him there would be plenty of time for that next year, but I love his train of thought. Now, while we do our best as parents each day to instill these principles in our children, this aching heart, this longing for someone who isn't here with us only comes from God. While we all sit around our tree on Christmas morning, opening the gifts that were bought with love, we know that somewhere is a snow covered building there is a young girl who perhaps might be crying, hungry, cold, in need of a family to love and care for her. How can you help you may ask? Well, check out the rest of the blog. Purchase a tee, hoodie or some coffee. Come run the 5k "Race for Orphans" in Abbeville this spring. PRAY and spread the word, making others aware of our journey.

Yes, this Christmas is going to be different than any before. I've been pregnant during Christmas many times, but that child was with me. This year, we are "expecting" but have no idea what our child is going through. So this year, before the presents are opened, we are going to pause and pray for our youngest daughter, who will hopefully be with us next Christmas! Merry Christmas little one. Your mommy, daddy, brothers and sister all love you and cannot wait to see what you look like, know your name and hold you!

Merry Christmas everyone!! God Bless!

5k Race

2010-12-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Curt and I had our first official meeting today in Abbeville with the young lady in charge of all the events that take place in A-town! Curt called her a few months ago with the idea of hosting a 5k race in order to raise funds for our adoption. When he talked to her, she said "wow, do you mind if we join in"? Of course Curt agreed and here we are, planning side by side with the city of Abbeville. They are funding the entire race, and all proceeds will go to us!!! How awesome is that?! So, with that said, the race is on Saturday, May 7th at 8:30 am. This is the weekend of the Spring Festival, so there will be a ton of visitors in our area. The registration fee is $25 and that will get you a really awesome tee designed by, well us!!! Registration will begin in January and I will have a a link for that site as soon as it is available! Keep a look out for information in the near future! Have a very Merry Christmas!

All I Really Want For Christmas Music Video

2010-12-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas Frenzy

2010-11-24T14:46:00.001-08:00

We are RAISING funds for our Russian Adoption. Adoption Tees and Hoodies are for sale on this blog! We are looking forward to bringing our little Russian princess home! This Christmas give a gift with a purpose and help give a child a forever family!

Please visit this blog! The Christmas Frenzy is a great way to help families seeking to adopt!

Krasnoyarsk (Siberia)

2010-11-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

We don't know yet what our little girl's name is, nor do we know what she will look like, but we do know what region of Russia she will come from. We thought it might be sort of fun to share a few Krasnoyarsk tid-bits to give you an idea of where Curt and I will be traveling to...hopefully sooner rather than later.

Krasnoyarsk is a very large region in Russia. This particular region is 3 times larger than the state of Texas. This region stretches from north to south which means the climate changes dramatically the further south you go. Winter lasts 5 months, spring is very short and summer and fall are nice. The city borders one of the greatest rivers in Russia called the Yenisey. We are looking forward to seeing these sites while over in Russia.

Continue to pray for us as we seek financial support for this adoption. We are saving every penny we can, but that is still not enough. We are applying for adoption grants and loans, and if it is God's will, we hope to gain assistance there! Also be in prayer for our little one over seas. We don't know where she is, what she is doing, if she is cold or hungry, but we do know that God is watching over her!!! Thanks to all of you who have followed us on our journey so far!!!