Calling it... January is our travel goal

A few days ago, we spoke with our case worker and decided to call it on our travel dates. The date that was offered to us for December was soooo soon, and though we would have loved to travel in mid-December, we sadly opted to push our travel dates into January 2014. 

This was a tough decision for us. For as hard as we have been working and as long as we have we have been waiting, you'd think we'd be ready to jump on the soonest possible travel date. I wanted to. I really did. But, for several reasons (mostly financial), we think it is the best decision for us to travel in January.

It's really surreal to have a confirmed travel date for trip #1. We now have a goal to work toward. We have a little extra time now to save, and plan, and shop, and pack.  We will meet our daughter right at the start of a brand new year, and then we will wait for the rest of Winter and some of Spring to see her again. That will be a tough wait, but we will have school to keep us busy and occupied during that hard time. 

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I am pondering all the blessings in my life. There are so many! I didn't get into the Facebook 30 days of thankfulness this year, but here are a few of my top blessings this year for which I am thankful:

• I am very thankful that our adoption is rounding third and just about to reach home! We do still have two trips to get under our belts, but God has brought us so far in the past year in this process. I am so thankful for all of the people who have supported us are helping us bring Ivelina home.
• I am also thankful for our relatively good health this year. God has kept us out of the doctor's office and dentist's office! This summer we made some big changes in our diet, and we have both shed a few pounds that we had put on since getting married. I'm feeling very healthy, and that is something to be thankful for!
• I am thankful for school. Yeah, it is grueling to read hundreds of pages a week and not be able to do all the fun things we'd like to do on the weekends, but our seminary classes are priceless. Even if I never have a paying job in ministry, it has most definitely been worth the effort to be blessed by these classes. I know there are many believers like our friends in Sudan who would give anything to be covered up in homework if they could receive the education and training we are receiving. So, for that reason, I try to not complain but thank God for this season!
• I am also very thankful for my family and my husband. My family has been so supportive this year. They have helped with every fundraiser, they have rejoiced when we got good news and mourned with us when we got bad news. They have just been there to listen, and that means the world. I am so thankful for family! And Jeremy, I couldn't imagine doing this life without him. I am so blessed to be his and I am very thankful for our friendship, our love, and our marriage!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!