I was realizing today that it's been a while since I've posted. The only reason for that is I haven't really had any big news, stories, or prayer requests to write about. That's still the case, but I figured it was time to write something anyway.

Mikaiya's adoption is still going smoothly as far as I know. All of the paperwork is completed and the last I heard it was in the Congo being translated before being submitted to Congolese court. That was a couple weeks ago, so I'm hoping to hear an update sometime soon. Celebrate Children International's (my adoption agency) director just arrived in the DRC for a short stay and plans to visit Mikaiya's orphanage, among others. This means that I should receive some more pictures (and maybe even video!) of Mikaiya within the next few days. Needless to day, I'm almost breathless with anticipation! I was able to send a care package for Mikaiya, including some clothes, pictures of our family, a doll, and some things for the other children in her orphanage. Sue will be delivering these things this week. I am so blessed to have such an amazing agency, with such an involved director!

Matani continues to grow and develop into a beautiful, precocious, dramatic (and a bit strong-willed) 2 year old. She sings and dances almost non-stop, gives out hugs and kisses frequently to those she loves, and continues to bless my life on a daily basis. A couple days ago when rummaging through a box of things I'm waiting for her to grow into, she discovered a pair of shoes. Now for the most part, Mati could really care less what I dress her in. Frills or rags...it doesn't make much of a difference to her, except for one thing...she cares about her shoes. She loves going through her little shoe basket (it currently holds about 4-5 pairs of shoes, I think) and choosing which pair she'll be wearing each day. So while looking through this box of too big clothes, we found a pair of shoes she hasn't yet seen. They're a hand-me-down from a little neighbor girl and they're pink, with tiny high heels and a Disney princess on the toe. Oh, and they're the kind where the heel lights up when you walk in them. I'm pretty sure Mati thought she'd died and gone to heaven. It didn't matter that the shoes are 2 sizes too big. Nope, she shoved her feet into those darling shoes, waited for me to snap the strap and then proceeded to march all over the house in them, loving the little "click, click, click" that accompanied the sparkling lights in her heels as she walked. She kept them on the entire day and has insisted on wearing them for at least some portion of the last couple of days. Today's outfit was anything but girly...she was just around the house all day, so I didn't bother to dress her up. Now even though she loves her prissy shoes, that doesn't stop her from tromping around the backyard and getting as dirty as possible while wearing them. Here's my little girl who can't quite decide if she's a tomboy or runway model:

 

We continue to pray for Mikaiya every night before Matani goes to bed and I invite you to do the same. We pray for her health, safety, for the Lord to send people to love on her and give her lots of hugs (this week it's Sue and her daughter Julie!), and we pray that the Lord will bring her home soon. Matani is already starting to love her big sister, though she hasn't met her yet. She adores the picture we have hanging above Mikaiya's bed and talks to it nightly. She tells Mikaiya all about our family, going through and naming all of us, including aunts, uncles, and cousins. She rocks the picture and sings to her. She played "Ring Around the Rosie" with her the other night. And finally, before letting me put the picture back on the wall each night, she gives it a big slobbery kiss. Tonight after kissing the picture, she very gently wiped the glass of the picture with her blankie before handing it back to me, cleaning off the smudges her fingers and lips had deposited there.