Temple in El Salvador Announced

New Temple in El Salvador - A temple has been announced for San Salvador, El Salvador. Currently, the closest temple for the 96,000 El Salvadorian Latter-day Saints is in Guatemala City. The temple in San Salvador is the Church's 137th temple announced, under construction or in operation. I am so so excited. I love the people of El Salvador. I know that this is an answer to prayer for so many saints. This will help so much with the growth of the gospel. We are so blessed to have the truthfulness of the gospel in our lives, and to have the blessings of the temple in our day.

Great Baby News!!!

We have GREAT NEWS. All our prayers have been answered. Our background checks have come back, and this means that we get our baby. We do not have to use a Foster Family. We are so grateful for all of our family and friends who have kept us in their prayers. We know that Our Heavenly Father has heard and answered each and every prayer on our behalf. So we are SUPER SUPER excited.

Baby Update: Our birthmother went to her Dr's Appt last Wednesday. At that appt she was told that she was dialated to one centameter. Her doctor said that he would actually be surprised if she made it to her next appt (which is tomorrow). So her mom came into town earlier, and now its the waiting game. We are just waiting for our phone call that tells us that she has gone into labor. Once that call comes we will head down to Las Vegas and fly out there. My mom is going to come with us, which I am so so grateful, because I don't think Rob and I are going to have a clue what we are doing. So I will try to update our blog as much as we can.

Adoption Process: Once the baby is born, Our birthmother has to wait 24 hours to sign her rights to us. (which is the most precious, and sacred gift one can give-which I cannot comprehend at this moment) Then once those first 24 hours are over, and the birthmother has signed her rights the baby will offically (paperwork wise) be ours. We actually will get the baby right after she is born. So we will be able to start the bonding process. As of right now, our birthmother has chosen not to see the baby. After the baby is discarged from the hospital we will have to stay in the State of Tenneessee for a week to 2 weeks (until they get the ICPC paperwork done) The ICPC is the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children. So basically its the adoption/placement paperwork that both states: Tenneessee and Utah will have to fill out and okay. Thus making the placement of the baby to Rob and I. We will pretty much be hanging out in a hotel room. The ICPC permits the baby to leave the state of which she was born until the ICPC is completed. At this point we are not sure if we will be able to come to Louisville as once had hoped. It is still however an idea, so I will let someone know if we are able to do so.

Passing of President Hinckley

Tonight we heard the news of the passing our our dear prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. I have such love for this man. He is such a strength to me and has been such a wonderful example. President Hinckley led a remarkable life, passing at age 97. His work and service took him throughout the world. I remember while I was on my mission in El Salvador, he came and spoke to the people. The excitement and the faith building experience that it was will always stay with me in my heart. I will miss his Smile, his unconditional love for people, his love for the gospel, and his everlasting strength. I am comforted to know that he is again with his true love. I hope that when I am in my later years that Rob and I will have this wonderful love that was so apparent with President Hinckley and Sister Hinckley.

God's Cake

My Mom sent me this cute but meaningful story, and after I read it I sat there and thought… “Oh, how I could relate…” I thought I would post it on my blog so that it could be enjoyed by others.

God’s Cake

Sometimes we wonder, “What did I do to deserve this?” or “Why did God have to do this to me?” Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, “Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.” “Here, have some cooking oil,” her Mother offers. “Yuck” says her daughter. “How about a couple raw eggs?” “Gross, Mom!” “Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?” “Mom, those are all yucky!” To which the mother replies: “Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!”

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

Thank you!

I just wanted to first say THANK YOU to all my wonderful friends. I was overcome with emotion when I checked my blog today with all the special thoughtful and encouraging comments that I read. Moving out here to Utah has been more of a challange for me. Moving from a place where I had established such a great supportive group of friends - my family away from home. Only to have to start over. Which has been pretty difficult, Rob is pretty much the social butterfly. Anyhow I just wanted to say I appreciate all your prayers and thoughts that you have given on our behalf. Thank you so much... Heather

Adoption Update : Too Much Drama

So just a little update on how our adoption is going. Well I wish to say that it is going off without a hitch, but that just isn't the case.

Here is a little history...When Rob moved out here to Utah - He called LDS Family Services and gave them our whole situation with a birthmother that has already choosen us, etc... He had called to double check that the State of Utah was not going to need anything additional paperwork (as we had completed everything in Kentucky)- we knew that we were going to need to update our paperwork, but as far as any specifically for the State of Utah we didn't know. The office said that "No," Rob couldn't do anything until I had moved out there, but that he was reasurred that all would be fine. So he did as told. When I moved out to Utah. One of the first things I did was I went to the LDS agencies office, they told me that we needed fingerprints done, so they gave me the paperwork for them. Rob and I went first thing in the next morning to get them done, and turned them back into the agency later that same morning. We were told by that Agency that all was done and that we would have the fingerprint/background checks done shortly - but with the holidays we would probably wait longer than normal.

Well just a couple weeks ago I got a phone call from the LDS case worker that has been working with our adoption, he said that our fingerprints/background checks were going to take a couple of months to complete due to the fact that we had lived in two other states within the past 5 years. I was pretty upset, and said that this was unexceptable. The case worker said that we should have done the fingerprints when Rob first moved here. Well duh the office told Rob he couldn't do anything until I got there which is not the case.

So long story short. We are waiting for our paperwork (background checks/Fingerprinting) to get done. If the paperwork does not get back before the baby is born, this will force the baby to go into a home of a Foster Care Family. Which is yet a whole other story in itself. We are pretty upset, but I do have Faith that all will work out. We just have waited for so long, and to run into the situation where you have no control of the paperwork getting done before the baby gets here.

My blog is probably not a place I should share my frustration, so I appologize for anyone that is reading this. Just wanted to give my friends and family an Adoption Update.

No baby yet but lots of BABY PINK

Last week I got an email that the doctors had moved up the due date for our little baby. So we are scrambling (atleast I am) to get everything done. We have yet to put our nursery together and so that is stressing me out. But is so laid back that its driving me nuts.!!! He isn't in too much of a hurry cause thats just how he works. This isn't to say that he isn't so totally excited, we both are. The due date is now February 5th, so we totally can't wait. The doctors are thinking that she will be a small baby, some where around 6 lb mark. We'll see. But anyhow just wanted to keep everyone up to date.

(This will be Karlee's crib bedding - Oh so cute and soft)

2008 Resolution

I know, I know it is already the 7th of January and no better time than now to sit and write my New Years resolutions down. And I can say it with one word... S i m p l i f y

Simplify: Moving to utah has given me the chance to clean out and throw out. Which is such an awesome feeling, to no longer be bogged down with stuff. Stuff that I thought I would use and have carried around for 4 years of moving around. So Yep SIMPLIFY is one of my new years Resolution. Just to think how wonderful life would be not to have so many little things hanging around without a specific (timely) reason. We'll see how it goes.