One BIG Event

I had no idea what last night would take out of me. Exhausted is a good way to put it, but WOW, I'm so tired today. The whole evening was amazing. We prepared and decorated all morning with lots of help from some of the best people on God's green earth. Bethany Tandon handled all the food prep and organized all the donated desserts. Karen Barbrow came Friday morning and watched all the kiddos so that the rest of us could work like slaves. Esther Brunk and Candace Jones were my main decorators...all the greenery and lights were all them! They were amazing. Then last night...Bethany and Alex, Karen and Jeremy showed up early and got everything going while Pete and I practiced with the VERY talented Barbara (our pianist). Josh Jones MC'd the evening is a wonderful "announcer" voice. Frank Taylor and Jon Hagey were manning the video feed and sound! Seriously, my families heros! They were so thankful for the ability to watch us from Maine, NH, SC, Nova Scotia and even some friends in Chile! I really can't say enough about all the help we got last night. I'm so humbled and overwhelmed by the love that surrounds us. I'll be updating the donations calculator as soon as we get a firm number.

Praise the Lord for a wonderful night of love and music and so much fun!

Tonight!

Tonight is the night! The adoption benefit dessert and musicale is happening tonight! I'm trying not to be nervous, but it is hard. I'm so excited for all of it to actually happen and be able to stop
"planning" for it! If any of you are interested in tuning in for it we will be broadcasting it live on ustream at 7 p.m. tonight, Friday, the 30th! Here is the link:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/adoption-benefit
In other news, I'm scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, August 3rd, to have a tumor removed from my abdomen. It is major surgery and I'm looking at a hefty recovery time. I'm still trying to get my mind around it and rest patiently in our Great God!
Tonight first...then I'll think about surgery!

SALE!!

The new link to the right of the screen is a pictoral list of items for sale to benefit our adoption process. There are many Boyds Bears (both plush and resin) for sale and two purses. The Dooney and Bourke is authentic and the Coach, I'm fairly certain, is an impressive knock off. Please follow the link and check it out...the prices are listed and I will gladly ship the items. The amount listed does not include shipping! Please contact me if you are interested so that I can take the picture offline.
We are in full swing preparations for next weeks' MidSummer Night's Dessert and Musicale Benefit Concert. Our voices are being challenged and decorations are EVERYWHERE!! It is a wonderful feeling to moving forward. The RSVP response has also been impressive! We are so excited to share our story with so many of our friends.
Good news on our FBI clearances...Pete called the other day and sure enough they were back and just sitting on this ladies' desk...Pete kindly asked that she go ahead and put them in the mail to us! All our paperwork is finally here! Yahoo!

A heart filled with Praise!

I'm not sure why it is so hard to believe when God does amazing things for us. We pray for money to come in, but as it does I can't believe it! I'm learning a valuable lesson about my faith right now...or rather my lack of faith!
I had the priviledge of being a part of an amazing wedding the other day! I had the further priviledge of listening to an awesome (truly awesome) arrangement of Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone sung by a man who would tell you he is noone special just Redeemed! My heart was full from that, but then he sang His Eye is on the Sparrow at the reception and I was truly rebuked. I pray and I talk "BIG" when people ask how it is going, but in my heart I don't believe that God is going to provide the money needed for Baby Radford. What a hypocrite I am.
Another song has been running through my mind this week (probably because Pete is singing it incessantly). Here are the lyrics...I hope it blesses your heart like it has mine.

Blessed be your name

in the land that is plentiful.

Where Your streams of abudance flow

blessed by Your name.

Blessed be Your name

when I'm found in the desert place

though I walk through the wilderness

blessed by Your name.

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise.

When the darkness closes in, Lord

still I will say...

Blessed the name of the Lord

Blessed be your name.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Blessed be Your glorious name.

Blessed be Your name

when the sun's shining down on me,

when the world's all as it should be

Blessed be Your name.

Blessed be Your name

on the road marked with suffering

though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name.

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise.

When the darkness closes in, Lord

still I will say...

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name.

Blessed be the name of the Lord,

Blessed be Your glorious name.

I hope you are praising the Lord with me today!! His eye is on the Sparrow...and I know He watches me!! GLORY!