Well, this is a post that I have known for some time now, but just now having a moment to sit down and let you all in on it.

Here is the update first.

We were told that our staffing would be on October 17, a staffing again if you forgot is where normally the case workers and all others that are affiliated with this case, go out and scout for families who might be interested in adopting the child. They will go through many files looking for about 5 families to look at in the possibility to adopt the child. After they find about 5 families all these people meet with the families one by one ask them questions, look through photo books and just try and get to know them, then the staff meet all alone and pick a family to adopt the child. This is how a normal staffing looks.
Well in our case Peanut has been in our care long enough that no other families will be brought to the staffing, it will just be us, now there is always a small chance that they meet with us and think we are not right for her and then decide to do another staffing to find her the right family. I know you are thinking .... "are you kidding me??".....LOL
My thought is if she has lived in our home for 16 months and you do not think she is right for us, then you should have found her another foster home a long time ago. Anyways, that's just my defense mechanism coming out.

You know the game you use to play as a child, where you all sit in a circle and one person says a secret and then you pass the secret til it gets to the end? We use to call it telephone, some call it other things. Well God and I have had a secret for awhile that she is a McCain, we are just waiting for the whole circle to hear before we shout out the message ;)
Well we got a phone call the other day from the adoption worker, she has spoke with us one other time and knew we wished for an earlier adoption staffing, but things get crazy in the summer and they were backed up. So we were surprised to hear from her so early, but she came with good news, remember when Mason was suppose to be adopted in January and God moved it up to Christmas day, that was cool huh?
Well God moved this day up to, we now have a staffing on Sept 9th !!!! We arrive at 1 pm to start our staffing meeting, at the end of the day we will know weather they have chosen us to adopt her or if they need to seek another family for her. If they choose us, then it is mandatory that we have our court hearing for her FINAL adoption 45 days from Sept 9th, doing the math right now are you??
Well let me stop all that and tell you that God willing little Peanut will finally have the last name McCain by the 24th of October!! WOO HOO.
So here is the part that God has been deeply working in me, it was a hot summer day in July when we asked many friends and family to join us at the church for a benefit concert to help support us in this journey we have fully taken on. We sang songs and gave testimonies, it was a wonderful night, well God has been stiring all those emotions back up again, when I tried to suppress them, he said, "well....don't you want to finish the story? don't you want to tell them how it ends?" I, of course agreed with him and asked him to pour into me the revelation so I too could see his future plans. He does not want this to be a benefit concert, there is nothing to raise money for this time, this is to worship, this is to thank him out loud. At the end of my testimony last year I told you all that Jamie and I have been running physically, that we had already been injured and dehydrated, that we know this is a race the Lord has asked us to run, I boldly again tell you as I did that night, that we will finish this race with our arms raised in a V, for we are going to finish this race in VICTORY!! Jamie and I have decided that we will be doing a run soon, maybe at bass pro shop or maybe just down Adams dairy parkway. We will make t-shirts if you want to purchase one, it again won't be to make money, just a opportunity to purchase one if you would like, but the big event will be held at church, after we see when our adoption date is we will announce it to you all, tell everyone you know, bring them to FBC that day come to celebrate with us, we will be just praising God and I will be telling the story of how we finished the race :)
After the worship concert we will head down stairs for a little sweet fellowship. I picture crystal and glass jars filled with candy, for this will be one sweet moment. Instead of doing any kind of baby shower, this will be our big celebration of little nutter butter becoming Marlie Claire McCain.
Can't wait for this glorious day....It's getting closer believe it's coming.
Love you all
XOXOXOXO