Update...

We have Little miss in our home!!!! I'm so so excited! she has been with us since Monday and her worker says there is no real chance that she would ever go home! They have to give the parents every opportunity but the odds are definitely in our favor! So keep praying!! Her next court date is in October so hoping all goes well between now and then. We start visits with the parents the second week in August. She is so happy and adjusting well. She has to a have little medical procedure on her eyes in late August so please say a prayer that all goes well for that. Thanks in advance and thanks for all the love and support.

Just for your viewing pleasure :o) all the Allen cousins!

One cute bunch!

July 4th weekend!

We had Little Miss over night for 4Th of July! We were so blessed to have her with us this year! She brings so much joy to our life!

This is her on the actual 4Th! I love her sweet bow!

First time meeting Uncle Kevin!

First time in a swimming pool! She absolutely loved it!

Me and baby girl! in her swimsuit Nana bought for her!

Nana and LM on July 3rd!

Kass's Bachlorette!

My little sis is getting married in 8 days, tear, we had her bachlorette party last weekend! It reminded why I love being old and married! ha! We did have a blast and thanks for everyone that came out! These pics are in random order and I'm to lazy to fix them. so stuff.

Me, Jen and Lauren at what-a-burger after dancing the night away :)

This is my model pose! My entire outfit was less than 20 bucks!

My sis in law Melissa did a great job at creating the cake!

Me and the bride to be!

The Bridal party at Zio's

My SIL and brother

all of us minus Sarah who had to get back home.

All the cousins!

everyone at Zio's

My two lovely sisters!

We had a great time and I'm so ready for the wedding next weekend! Love ya Kass

5 months

Little Miss is 5 months! Actually yesterday was her 5 month birthday.:) we are getting to see her once a week now and every time we see her she is doing something new!

• the last time we weighed her she was 14 lbs 2 oz

•she loves to rub our faces and rubs our arms when she is trying to go to sleep!

• she's turned into a binky girl big time!

• I'm pretty sure she's teething, she drools every where!

• yesterday morning she rolled over for me! She really isn't to interested in rolling though.

•she loves looking at a bird on her floor mat.

• she makes the cutest faces when she cries, we let her cry for just a little bit because it's so stinking cute.

•she talks and jabbers in car seat more than any other place.

• she's sleeps from 9 or 9:30 p.m. To 8:30 or 9:00 am stays up about an hour and takes a nap around 10 or 10:30 and the naps again about 3 this her best and longest nap.

•she drinks 5oz every 4 hours a rice cereal bottle in the afternoon and before bed.

•she loves bath time just hates getting her hair washed! As soon as Shane finishes washing her body she starts crying bc she knows her hair is next!

There's probably more that I'm missing but want to make sure and get some of it documented! Can't wait to see her grow and learn how her personality changes!

Ashley

More newness

Shane starts a new job tomorrow! We are very excited and hope it helps make our future more stable bc it's not just us anymore and it felt like the opportunity was right! Anywho he leaves tomorrow and won't be back till next Tuesday night or Wednesday :(... But the Good news is I get him for 7 whole days after that! So it will be an adjustment, but it will be worth it!

So we are off to another adventure in the Allen household! Today we had to get him some supplies and we had Missy pants with us! Here she is with her daddy!



I'm going to miss him like crazy but thankful he'll do what it takes to provide for us! Thanks babes!

Ashley

God's Promises

I haven't gotten a chance to really sit down and write out my thoughts of what the last month have meant to me... I really didn't know how to put it in words. I'm not going to lie and say I had no fear coming into the world of foster/adopting because the truth is I had many. If I let myself I could be completely crippled by them. I will admit that there have been a time or two I've given into the fear, and have had to surrender again the whole thing to God. It's pretty laughable to think that there is even anything else to do but surrender. Back in April the week before Easter I got the nerve to ask my social worker about LM and she said there was a chance of her being able to come to our home. I was elated. I remember crying, really more like sobbing in the shower after I called everyone to share the good news. I was just so relieved after five years of bad news we were finally getting what seemed like a YES! I was completely over taken with joy praising God through my tears.






So almost immediately after I received the good email my mind traveled to a million question mode. I emailed her back and asked if I should be getting things ready for her. Her email left me a little discouraged and I was pretty bummed. Then it hit me that it wasn't a no just not right now and refused to feel defeated. So instead I decided in that moment that it was all up to God if she would be ours. for a short while or forever... Then May came and went and still no news really to speak of it was a really hard month! Then at the beginning of June we got the call that we would get her for a week of respite care and we couldn't be happier but I still wasn't sure what the future held but we had a week with this precious girl and I couldn't refuse it! the the current foster mom called and the first thing out of her mouth was she will probably be adoptable. The feeling I got after that phone call was like affirmation that she would be ours.

So here we are a month later and still now solid news, we do know they are moving her to us probably by the end of July and we are just patiently ok maybe not so patiently :) but waiting no the less. God spoke to me through verse Revalations 21:5 when my grief was still so raw then again on then again through a preacher in early July 2010 I can't help but smile when I think he has made EVERYTHING NEW!



So I will rejoice in his promises for making everything new, and reap the harvest of what he planted! Thank you lord for giving me joy unspeakable!



This picture makes my heart do flip flops to watch Shane be a dad is one of the best things I have ever witnessed! LM is one lucky lady! I never doubted Shane would be a fantastic father, but he has way exceded my expectations!
Our first family photo! The only time I ever get really sad is when I think we will never have a truly complete family photo. But this is our life now and man it sure looks beautiful!

(once the adoption is finalized I will be taking off the heart stickers so you can see her sweet beautiful face!)

I am Blessed!!!