Finally Pics from Vacation

Here are a few pics from vacation in Colorado in July.

This is our camp site in San Isabella National Forest. It was really far away from everything in Codipaxi, Co. We camped there the day before we went rafting on the royal gorge

This little snow melt creek was about 20 ft away from our camp. It was freezing but I dipped my feet in a couple of times. We sat next to it on a rock for a while. It gave off a gentle sound and a cool breeze.

Steven in front of The Rock in Castel Rock. This is where we stayed with friends for the most part. We climbed the Rock and sat on top looking out over the city. It was great!!

The wide open plains of Colorado were breath taking for sure!

I will show you more, but I haven't got the hang of doing the photo thing yet.

So Here's What You Missed

Not Yet! Just wanted to throw that out there. We are still waiting. Danielle is tired of being pregnant and says that she's ready to pop. She's gained about 37 lbs but, she isn't very big so I am sure that she fills like a huge water balloon. Baby is in the birth canal head down. She is almost at 6 lbs and the doctor says no more than another week. I personally, along with Danielle, am hoping for this weekend. How fitting don't you think? Labor Day??? :-) No really I want her to be born in the 8th month because all this year the Lord has been speaking about the number 8. This is our 8th year of marriage, the 8th month of 2008. It just spells New Beginning!!
We have the crib up, the car seat, the travel pak-n-play and bottles. I actually moved our "gear" to the trunk of my car today. Call it a prophetic statement, desperation, or just getting it out of my sight, it had to go somewhere. This last week we have been dealing with some more crazy stuff from our caseworker that I just needed a break. I have been freeing myself more and more from my phone and feeling a little more sane.

So what is the crazy stuff you ask....Oh where to start. Well first lets take a moment and thank God for my case worker because lets face it, if she were not doing what she is doing more babies might be in a trash can instead of parents arms. If she wasn't running around chasing birth mothers taking them to their appointments I wouldn't be blogging about a match right now. So Lord Bless her today. But she didn't show up to my meeting with my birth mother with left a gap in the information trail. I emailed her a couple of times letting her know that I was frustrated and didn't know what was going on. So she called and acted as if everything were right on track. (I wondered if she was making small talk till she found the folder that told her who I was. :-) So I asked "When and Where did we need to have the money? Then we got an answer that shocked us and sent us on a bunny trail for three days to figure out if we were in a shady deal. But after talking to our SAINT of a consultant Tracie and her boss Amy and their legal advice that they acquired from a lawyer we are back on track and know how to handle any fuzzy situations that might rear their ugly heads. I don't want to say anymore because I am determined to put the past behind me with my case worker and everyday begin again. That in it's self will be a true test of patience due to the fact that communication between her and I is a joke, but "water under the bridge"

On a bigger note I will update you on our finances. I found out from the Blue Cross Blue Shield lady that our insurance wont cover her until our official papers are signed saying that she is our daughter. That means that she will go onto Medicaid in Kansas after birth and that should lower our medical expenses. Praise the Lord!!!!

Through some weird circumstances we ended up having to send checks that were given to us for the adoption through The Zoe Foundation back to the donors to have them re-written and sent back to us through IHOP. Now the good news is that all but one check is on its way back to us and we should get them in the next day or two. The bad news is that they will not be available till Sept.15th. That means if Danny goes into labor this weekend we will be short and have to give them and IOU for $5000. I am not sure how that works, but we know that the money is coming. God has used a darling friend of ours in a sire situation to bless us and we are so grateful. We are still not sure if there are any unforeseen expenses but we are confident that it will all be taken care of. God has blessed us so much thus far and we do not for see Him slacking now.

We found out that we will be able to stay in Kansas City Kansas after our court appearance to wait for ICPC clearance to get back to Missouri. What does all that mean? Simply that we don't have to stay out in the corn fields of Kansas but right next door to Kansas City, MO. at a friends house for the remainder of the time till Missouri and Kansas both recognize that ________ Cooper is our daughter and we can them take her home. Hopefully that will be only two to three days but who knows really. Some friends that are dear to our hearts, the Vanhourn's, have offered to host us and we are more than blessed. It will save us money and we'll be closer to friends and IHOP.

An update on Eli. For those of you aware of the situation there isn't much of an update. Our caseworker being the on the ball, up to date person that she is, hasn't really been pursuing it. Have you ever touched something really hot and it took a while for it to burn you? That is how I feel about this situation. She hasn't gotten a hold of his case worker so we still don't know where he is. Just pray that God would plant him in a Christian home if we cannot figure out a family in IHOP-KC for him.

Tues. morning during the 6am intercession set I was praying for _______ Cooper and Danny and just got this thing in my gut that just said " God I refused to bow down in fear to the prince of the powers of this age over this adoption. I am a child of the KING and I will not yield. I will not beg for money and I will not take no for an answer. This is YOUR heart and YOUR daughter and I want YOU to bring her home." I was just filled with this sense of who I was in God and a strong refusal to bow to the pressure of Satan and his chaos to distract me from what God is really doing. A little while later was when we found out that our checks were coming and that things were in motion again with everything. I have been in doubt and fear that last two weeks and I just need to stop. It isn't about me and it isn't personal. It is war! It is time to put on my combat boots and just step on the plans and schemes of darkness. I just need to get my head out of the muck. It is easy to look at circumstances and think that it is because we are not good enough or because we don't pray enough or read the word enough. Bull Crap.. it is because Satan is loosing and he will try to take down anyone he can in the process.

So there you go. Now you are up to date on the Cooper's Chaos. :-) No we are blessed and as I self evaluate daily I see areas that I regret not having walked in enough faith. areas that I have grown and areas that I know will die like a fly after three days of fun when the baby gets here. There are always areas to improve and I just want to say that I gave it my all at the end of the day and trust that I will lean a little more at the end of the beginning.

You Made It

I wanted to welcome you all to our "new" blog. It isn't different really, just a new URL for privacy reasons to do with our adoption. Though we are very open with our birth mother we still do not use our last names. Our consultants have recommended that we keep somethings private for the sake of everyone involved, thus the move. Here we will continue to thrill your eye sockets with our riveting post and tantalizing pictures. ;-) We will update you on the adoption, life, and what God is speaking to us and to the house of prayer in KC as it related to the body of Christ at large. We are so thankful for your love and support and following our bread crumbs through cyber space to our new home; somedaysremembered.blogspot.com

I will post a great update tomorrow. Truly so much has happened in the last few days that you will want to stop watching daytime television forever and just tune into "The Days Of Their Lives" showing daily on our blog. Plus I have a major praise report, and I have talked to Danielle and can update you on her condition and begin the count down to "B-Day". So stay tuned my friends and thanks again for hoping on the hay ride that is our life.

Blessings!

Wow, How Time Can Fly By

I feel as if I haven't blogged in forever. This has been my online journal for the last several months and I feel as though I have deserted a good friend if I don't write at least once a week. I wanted to share pics from our vacation to Colorado and our crazy kitchen remodeling saga, but our computer has been on the fritz and couldn't do a thing. Well it is fixed and I will jump on that tonight after work.

So... I know that you are all wanting to know what is up with our baby situation so I will keep you in suspense no longer....SHE>>>>IS>>>>still cooking. ;-) In dishwasher cycles she would be on the drying cycle. Yup! I said dishwasher cycle, because we just successfully loaded, washed and put away our first load of dishes with zero leaks in our new dishwasher!!! I am stoked!!! I have a dishwasher. It has been 6 years without one. I know that sound like "O, poor spoiled baby", but for real 6 yrs is a lot of dishes that these hands just couldn't do anymore. Have you ever seen older women's dish hands? Yikes.. just couldn't do it.
ANYWAYS.... hope that didn't offend anyone.

So our little cutie is enjoying her last moments in her liquid crib and I hope she will be ready to see her mommy and daddy soon. Today is the 17th, which is her due date. Now if she knows anything about me, she would know that I like to do things on the day that I say that I am going to do them. Well.... COME ON THEN. COME OUT ALREADY. Only if you are done though baby. No squishy middles... although I like my brownies a little squishy in the middle. But she isn't a brownie... she will be much yummier! ;-) I talked to Danielle and she is VERY ready to not be pregnant anymore, but she is resting and taking care of herself. She has gained around 30 pounds and is a little bigger. So that is good, that means our princess is a little bigger. We are packed and ready, maps printed out, camera cards emptied and ready for some cute little baby pics. I still need to scope out a birth mother present and we need to write our thank you letter. That is a tough one, how do you say thank you for housing and growing a baby for 9 months? For choosing life over death, selflessness and courage over convenience and comfort. For by passing the natural emotions and feelings of pregnancy and birth, to give the fruit of your womb to another person. That is a lot for a little thank you card. But we are thinking, praying, and are hoping to have just the right words.
I feel as if I have this relationship via phone with a long lost sister that is in trouble and needs my help. I don't feel that this is a total stranger that is giving me a baby and that is it. I am not sure if that is my over zealous compassion and God, or if I am just crazy and have delusional thoughts.:-) Either way it is wonderful and weird all at the same time. If little miss Cooper doesn't come before Tues., I will drive out to Lyons Kansas for Danielle's doctors appointment and meet her face to face. Neither of us are overly nervous, just anxious to meet. It is an interesting journey to say the least, one I didn't expect to be like this.

Well that is enough for now. I will resume communication tonight as I post pics from all our fun adventures and it would be awesome to post pictures of us leaving our house with suit cases in tow, but we will see.

Chow.

No News is Good News???

I have never liked that phrase that "no news is good news". They say it on shows like "Grey's Anatomy" as they are anxiously waiting to here something about their loved ones who are in surgery. They comfort the other one by thinking that if no one has come out yet that all is well. Having spent three years working in surgery I know that is not true. It could be that they are elbow deep in your loved one's abdomen and haven't even thought about sending out a report, or the music is so loud in the O.R. and the doctors so distracted that the nurse just didn't bother interrupting them to get a report, or more likely your loved one isn't doing well at all and may die. No one wants to be the one to go out and tell you so they just wait to see if they are going to make it. It is morbid but true. That was mostly just rambling about how I hate that phrase but in my own waiting game I am full of anticipation to get word. I don't have to be sustained by silence however and have the luxury of calling my birth mother up and seeing how she is doing which is a blessing indeed. I am not going to lie to you though, every time I dial her number I get butterflies in my stomach and my palms start to sweat. I get so nervous that I am not going to know what to say, or that she wont feel like talking, or that something is wrong. I just pray to sweet Jesus and ask Him to help me know what to say. It is funny I know. I am a talker and well educated so it seems odd that I would clam up talking to someone on the phone, but I do. I failed the phone conversation test in the beginning miserably though & I think that I have never fully recovered. I said everything that you were not supposed to say and Steven just hung his head and laughed.

But having said all that I talked to Danielle yesterday and felt I should update all my friends near and far. ;-) She is well but very tired. She is sore and not sleeping well..."totally exhausted". I love the level of honesty that we are developing in our conversations as she tells me that she is so ready to not be pregnant. I like her a lot and feel that we could be really good friends. I hope that she changes her mind and allows for some contact after the birth. I feel that I would miss our conversations if all communication would be terminated. It seems strange to think that I am developing a friendship that may have a gap of 17 yrs in the middle before it is picked back up again. But I want to respect her every wish so that she can grieve and move on in the way that is best for her.

So I have washed all of our clothes and towels. Today I will wash the sheets and any left over laundry. We have packed a suitcase and some stuff for the baby. We are preparing for that all important call from Danielle that tells us "get in the car, your daughter is on the way". Please continue to pray for our little angel's birth. For her health and safety, for Danielle's body and soul, and for all hearts to be steady on that day.

Blessings!

Good News

I thought after all those intense prayer request post that I would update you on the less stressful sides of life for us. Well I am not sure how much less stressful they are, but not quite as intense as our adoption saga.

Our kitchen remodeling project that we thought would take a week is stretching into it's second week with very little relief in sight. It is hard to work around our IHOP schedules and build with limited funds. In older houses once you start knocking down walls you run into all kinds of unexpected treasures that sometimes cost more than you bargained for. However our tile is in thanks to my hot handy man and we are moving on to hanging our cabinets. We are trying to modify them to create more space with eye appeal. We hired an electrician to fix some electrical issues and he put some more outlets in for us which is very nice. I cleaned around the "mess" today to make it somewhat livable.

We are still searching for a home for our darling German Shepherd. She jumps our fence and has a storm phobia, that coupled with a new baby, we are just not sure we can facilitate her with us anymore. I put a bandanna on her today and thought Steven was going to have a heart attack. I just laugh because when our little princess arrives there will be frills and pink everywhere and he is going to "grow" so much. ;-)

The best news I think I have to send you away with is that I talked to our sweet birth mother last night and she says that she has lost her mucus plug. For all who are unaware what that is and how disgusting it sounds, it means that baby is on the way. It means that she has begun to dilate and soon labor will start.

Well as you can imagine we are very excited, nervous, and all the in between. I got busy washing clothes and sheets today, and tomorrow I will try to get things finished up so that we can be ready to go in an instant.

Thank you for all your prayers. This is a wild ride that you have join with us in and we are strapped in for the long haul.

Please Pray for Us

Beloved friends, I am asking that you pray for Steven and I. We feel like we are in the midst of the most important battle of our life. God spoke to me yesterday very strongly in the prayer room. I was meditating on the cross and the "precious blood" of Jesus and felt the overwhelming presence of the Lord. I then began to feel the need to pray on the mic for the house during the remainder of the fast and for us in general. God laid on my heart Isaiah 1; 58; and Ps. 68. "
Isaiah 58 :6 “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

Isaiah 1:16 “ Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.Cease to do evil,17 Learn to do good;Seek justice,Rebuke the oppressor;[a] Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.18 “ Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD,

Ps. 68 :5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God sets the solitary in families;

God was speaking so clearly to me that this is the life that He has chosen for the house of prayer and specifically us as a couple. We know that we live a fasted lifestyle and in giving ourselves to ministering before the Lord day and night we choose to partner with His heart. His eyes are fixed on the poor, the orphan, and the widow right now all over the earth. The ending of abortion, the spirit of adoption, and for the church to rise up and give all that they have for those who are near and dear to His heart. To be the hands and feet of Jesus here and now. Steven and I feel the Lord's call to go to the uttermost to partner with His heart. We are needing prayer and wisdom as we seek His will in our lives. We are standing on the threshold of something with this spirit of adoption that will change our lives forever and we need our friends to stand with us.

Thank you!

Continue to Pray!

Dear friends, please continue to pray for our birth mother and her son. I spoke with our adoption case worker on Saturday and she is working hard to find a way to help Danielle get her son back. I will also be trying to get a hold of Danielle and the St. Francis case worker that is handling Elisha's status.

Please pray that Elisha's little heart would not be permanently wounded. Pray for the Father of the fatherless to hide Elisha under the shadow of His wings.

Pray for Danielle. I keep thinking about in Matthew when Herod sent out the decree to kill all the boys 2yrs and younger. “ A voice was heard in Ramah,Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children,Refusing to be comforted,Because they are no more.”Matt 2:18. Danielle is strong but I know her heart is broken and when everyone is gone and her daughter is a sleep I know that she weeps bitterly. Pray for her heart, for grace and strength. Pray that God would encounter her and show His love. Pray for her salvation through this "momentary light affliction", though it seems like the weight of the world is on her shoulders.

Please pray for a reversal of an unjust decree. Pray for the case workers heart to soften and for light to break in.

Pray for our little princess in the womb that needs a supernatural angelic host around her right now. This time is very stressful for Danielle and in turn the baby isn't getting all that she needs. Pray for her little body to be strengthened and protected. Pray for good circulation and for the Father of Glory to surround her frame. She is fearfully and wonderfully made!!!!

Our hearts are in knots over this whole thing. We are in a fight for LIFE. It is not just about us or just about Danielle, this is about choosing LIFE over death and cultural convenience. This is about going after the Father's heart no matter where it leads. Danielle chose LIFE, Satan hates the fact that lives are being saved and transformed. Danielle will be saved, Elisha will be reunited and God will have the victory! Jehovah Nissi, God is our Victory.