Sweet baby James

So I'm in need of a blog update! Here goes...

First, on the adoption front, we got to send in our adoption education on thursday! That was a big chunk of the homestudy process and took about 20 hours or so to complete the workbook and the online classes. Thank the Lord!

Secondly, the end of february was gorgeous weather here and Myles and I went to the park and/or were outside everyday for like two weeks. So while I was getting spring fever, Myles got croup :( He had to miss school friday and we missed church today since he's still contagious with his runny nose, sneezing, and coughing all over the place! poor baby!!

Part of the reason he had to miss school friday was the croup setting in, but the other reason was because we were out at the airport until way past his bedtime welcoming home the very first Pinelakers to internationally adopt. The Daniel's family came home from Thailand with their little 20 month old boy, James, and we got to celebrate their arrival! It was our first time to witness an adoption homecoming and it was really exciting for us personally and as a church family too. The thing I liken it to is adding a child into your family at the hospital when the new baby is born...The family takes their first photographs together, they introduce the other older children to the baby, all the relatives are anxiously awaiting meeting the new addition. Rarely does a non-relative get to be a part of that beautiful picture, but we got to share in that families joy when they added James and got to all be together for the first time. Their first pictures were precious, the older sisters were beaming with pride, the aunts, uncles, and grandparents kept pacing the halls until they arrived. A family is created with love in both instances, and it's a beautiful thing ;)

Myles was talking about 'baby James' all day, we made him a welcome home sign and he was VERY serious about James having that sign, not anyone else! One time James grandmother was holding it for him, and Myles went right up and took it from her yelling that's baby James'! oh my. Did I mention it was way past his bedtime??! I loved it when Myles realized 'baby James' was bigger than Myles and he quickly dropped the 'baby' in front of James' name! haha He's been asking when James can come play 'choo-choo's' with he and his best friend Mac!