Happy 11th Birthday, Rachel... In Pictures

Today, the Hooker family celebrates another wonderful January event -- Rachel's 11th birthday!  I am grateful to the Lord for my Pooty Tooty and her sensitive, affectionate ways.  I feel truly blessed to be chosen to be her mommy.

At birth

10 1/2 months

4 years

6 years

8 years

11 years TODAY!!

In Christ, Talya

Psalm 127:3a  "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord..."

Isaiah's Family Day!!!! & Thanks

I can hardly believe it's been a year since we met our son and held him in our arms for the first time.  We tirelessly spent two days driving and hadn't even checked into our hotel when we arrived at Covenant Care for the paperwork and placement ceremony.  I can tell you I was so nervous that I had to keep running to the... well, I'll spare you the details.  It amazes me how the Lord has joined our hearts together in love for this little boy, who brings such joy to each one of us.  Please enjoy our placement video: 

I would like to once again thank our local church family who loved us, cared for us, and prayed for us a year ago and throughout this past year.  The love you have shown our family, and especially Isaiah, has far exceeded anything we could have imagined.

I would like to thank family and friends who prayed for us, sent encouraging messages and gifts, and opened your homes to us in fellowship.

Thanks to all the staff at Christian Family Services and Covenant Care, you too Jill :-) , who had a hand in Isaiah's adoption.  I can't forget to thank our attorney and the judge who signed off on the adoption decree.

A most special and heartfelt gratitude to P, Isaiah's birth mother.  She chose life for him in a world that would encourage her to do otherwise.  I hope one day to get to meet her and give her a hug for choosing us to receive one of our biggest, most precious blessings.

We love you!

To God be the glory!!!!  ~In Christ, Talya

It's Her Birthday... In Pictures!

Happy 14th birthday to our precious, Arielle, who describes herself as our "great, wonderful, sweet, obedient, best first born".  Can you sense the humility?  She's been my "little buddy" from day one, even though she's not so little anymore.  I am grateful that the Lord blessed me to be her mommy.

4 months

16 months

4 years

7 years

10 years

December 2014

In Christ, Talya

15 Years Ago...

I am grateful for 15 years with my love... Yesterday, today, and years to come...

Our Wedding Day -- January 14, 2000

Today...

In Christ, Talya (This was posted a day after our actual anniversary)

Isaiah's First Birthday in Pictures

Yesterday, December 21, we were blessed to celebrate Isaiah's first birthday.  It's amazing to think that a year ago, we had no idea our son was being born one thousand miles away.  God knew His plan for this precious little boy and our family -- what a blessing that we didn't need to know the details.  Three-and-a-half weeks later we would be holding Isaiah in our arms!  To God be the glory!

 He's one and he's on the move.  Gotta catch him when you can!

 I love my littlest boy!

 So does his daddy!
(Can you find Arielle in this picture?)

Not quite as planned, but feel the sibling love --
Isaiah felt it so much he had to close his eyes!

 Opening presents

 "I'm not sure I understand this gift opening thing..."

 Patiently awaiting CAKE!!!

CAKE!!!!!!

It's all 

been so worth it!

~In Christ, Talya

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..."  ~James 1:17a

Somewhat of a Setback?

Today I was informed that yet another family is interested in BG.  To my knowledge, that makes three of us.  That's a blessing for BG in that the chances of finding a family to best fit her needs are greater.

On the other hand, the extended wait is excruciating for us.  Since the new family expressed their interest recently, the staff is determining if this family meets their criteria for consideration and if the family is interested in proceeding once they know more information.  If the plan is to move forward, BG's BIS (Best Interest Staffing) will not be for at least another 60 days.  If the new family bows out, then the BIS might take place in early January.

When we first started this process, we were concerned that our need to get so much stuff done and approved might be an unreasonable delay for BG in joining her forever family.  After all, another family was already interested and we had not yet started the lengthy process.  After prayer and asking some questions, we decided to proceed.  Originally, the thought was that the BIS would take place around late November/early December.  Now that we are looking at possibly February, I will admit I'm disappointed.

You know how sometimes you talk a good spiritual game about how you'll trust the Lord and be patient and content and..... yes, all that.  Well, sometimes, I fail miserably and this is one of those times.  Our adoption journey has been a rocky one for the past 4 1/2 years (with one really awesome high named, Isaiah!).  I am grateful to the Lord for what we've gone through and I'm hopeful, but I get discouraged.  Setbacks like this have me thinking that maybe they think this other family is a better fit than us and that we are just setting ourselves up for a huge letdown.

Okay, another secret.  When you are hoping to adopt, and especially when you've been chosen by a birth mother or met the child or identified a child that you hope will be your daughter, you begin to love that child.  You start making plans.  As much as you try to maintain a sort of detachment, you really can't... or at least I can't.  It's just like that moment when I would find out I was pregnant.  I would start planning our lives with the new addition even though he or she was microscopic in size.  I instantly loved that child.  Sometimes I would hold a beautiful baby at the end of the pregnancy and at other times I mourned the death of our child.  It's a tough road when faced with the reality that our hopes and dreams may not come to fruition.

I know the Lord has a plan for our family and for BG.  And all is not lost for our hope BG will join our family, but this road is not always easy.

In Christ, Talya

We're at It Again! Part 2

The Lord has His special, all-knowing, all-powerful way of turning our plans upside down.  While I hope we are able to adopt another infant in the next few years, we are content and excited to follow this path of adoption through foster care.

So, where are we in the process?  

In July, we contacted the placing agency to express our interest in BG.  Another family had already expressed an interest, but they think it's best to have a couple families to choose from.  We had a phone consultation with the adoption recruiter, BG's caseworker, and a representative from the agency that completed our home study for Isaiah's adoption.  They told us more about BG and her background and asked if we still wanted to proceed.  Uh, yes! J

At the end of August, we began our 10 weeks of MAPP training, which ended on October 27.  In the middle of all that, we completed physicals, background checks, fingerprints, loads of paperwork, and requested references from some people we love and appreciate very much -- thanks, guys!  Even Josiah had to draw a picture of what his family would look like with BG as a part of it.

At the end of November, we had our home assessment visit.  Now, we are waiting for our home assessment update to be written, submitted and approved.  After that comes the huge step of the Best Interest Staffing (BIS).  It is at the BIS that BG's adoptive family will be chosen by the professionals involved in her case -- as far as I know, it will either be us or the other family.  We don't yet know when the staffing will be.  Although we think we are perfect for BG, the other family may be a better fit... only the Lord knows.

Please join us in prayer:

• That we will trust the Lord and continue to seek His guidance throughout this process
• That He will protect the hearts of all of us involved -- BG, the other family, and our family
• That we will not live in a spirit of fear over what may or may not come to pass
• That Sean and I will seek to parent any child in our home in ways that glorify Him
• That we will be sensitive to the needs of a child who comes from very hard places

In Christ, Talya
Find Part 1 here