Good Morning,



Well I think today could possibly be my last entry for a while. I really don't have anything else to share but this one last thing. I posted last night about our dossier being reviewed on Friday. It is hard to believe that we will finally be on that waiting list! I asked Steve if he was excited and he said, "No." He looked a little panicked when Julie, our caseworker, told him that we could be on the list this Friday barring no issues with our dossier. Steve has been very task oriented through this whole thing. When we are finally matched with a child and that photo and bio come in, he will absolutely fall apart. I don't think he wants to get his hopes up just yet.



There is always something that could go wrong. For example, we just got word that the U. S. Department of Services is requiring a new form to be completed, and along with this form another fee. The I 604, is an investigation process that will now need to take place which will add more wait time. I feel horrible for the families who are ready to pick up their children. They must now wait longer! It may not affect us too much because we have yet to be matched. We will cross that bridge when we get there. A quote that has helped me through the "bumps in the road" is "If it is not in alignment with God's plan, it will have to comply."~Paula White. That quote has helped me pull through every doubt when something goes wrong.



Let me move on to another God Thing. Well it is to me anyway. I last told you that I babysat to help out with all the extras. Well it turns out that there were a lot of extras and my money was being spent as soon as it was coming in. (You might be familiar with that. If not, well then, you rock!) I was getting nervous because my account balance was not replenishing and the one thing that I really wanted to buy was looking like it just wasn't gonna happen. I was hoping to buy the bedroom set that Aleya would of course be needing. My 'job' had come to an end and there was no more money in my little bank account. That was confirmed when I went to the ATM with my father-in-law to see if maybe twenty dollars was somehow stuck in there.

!!!Insufficient Funds!!! flashed at me. Wishful thinking. Thank goodness for Steve. lol!



Steve was at work and Alexa at school. My father-in-law and I went to run some errands. We sat at a signal and my father-in law said, 'What is that?" pointing to a storefront. I told him that it was Under His Wings, a consignment store. I went on to tell him that all the proceeds from sales go to help unwed mothers. He asked me if I had ever been in there. Sadly enough, I hadn't. That store had been there for years and I had never went in there. He asked me if we could check it out. Why not? There is always a first time for everything, right? We walked in and were greeted by some very nice ladies. We were also greeted by that 'thrift store' smell. hehehe. We looked at all the odds and ends throughout the store. We rounded a corner and that's when I saw it. A white, twin-sized headboard and footboard. I quickened my steps and examined it. I thought it was in great shape. I read the price and was pleased to see it was $50! I didn't buy it though.



My father-in-law went home on a Friday and Saturday I realized what an idiot I was!! "Why didn't I grab that bed?" I told Steve about it and he went to get it. The store was closed! Sunday came...closed. Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. day and I thought it would be closed yet again. But to my surprise they were open! Another prayer..."Please Jesus, let it be there." It was there. Alexa was with me and we examined it again. I told Alexa to stand next to it while I spoke to someone about it. Alexa guarded it with her life. I told the woman that I wanted the bed. I wanted to confirm the price. "It's fifty dollars right?" I asked. She didn't know for sure so she asked someone else. The woman came back and said, "That bed is $35." I kept my cool and told her I needed to get my checkbook out of the car. When I went back inside I was surprised to not see Alexa. Where did she go? The sweetie was still standing by that bed! I told her she didn't have to stand there anymore. But I could see that she didn't trust the other customers. Only when the woman tagged the bed with Sold to RAIN did she step away. The woman asked her, "Is this going to be your bed?" Alexa beamed and said, "It's for my sister."



Steve went to pick up the bed the following day and a woman who worked there said, "You beat me to it. I wanted that bed for my granddaughter." Little did that woman know, that bed was destined for someone else.



With the bed now in our possession I thought, "Now all I need is a dresser." Immediately I remembered Alexa's old dresser sitting in my closet! Oh, joy! We had a bed and a dresser! I laughed when I thought Aleya had her first "hand-me-downs." lol! Below is a picture of Aleya's bedroom. I can't wait until a little girl is playing in this room. Notice how clean the room is? This photo is the 'Before' picture. I'm actually looking forward to the 'After' picture!



Thank you for listening and walking with us through this journey this far. I promise I will write more and post more pictures as soon as I have something to share.