Thankful for Thanksgiving

Oh give THANKS to the LORD, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!

1 Chronicles 16:34

We have so many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day! We had lots of good food, fun, and fellowship in Starkville and New Albany during Thanksgiving this year. It was great being able to slow down and visit with family during the holiday.

I forgot to take pictures, but this one is of the boys in their home-made Indian costumes wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Halloween Happenings!

Well, I am a little behind on the blogging!

We have had a lot of Halloween/Fall Festivities going on around here.

We had a little pumpkin painting party with our cousin, Cline.

Above is a picture of Cathryn after painting her pupmkin and herself.

Beckett and John Scott loved the pumpkin painting!

A few days later, we carved some pumpkins....our little pumpkin, John Scott

Here is the final product of the carving...

Beckett wanted a vampire and John Scott wanted a scary monster.

Happy Halloween 2011!!

Bumblebee and Optimus Prime

Our sweet little ice cream cone!

She is on the go these days and would not pose for a picture!

Hope you all had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Waiting List!

Well, having misunderstood the paperwork process has proved to be good news this time! Last week, we received a letter from Holt (our adoption agency) stating that they had received our completed home study...we are "officially" on the waiting list! Yeah!!

Referral wait time is estimated to be 3-6 months. After we have been referred a child and our acceptance paperwork completed, we will wait several months before we travel to Korea to pick up our baby girl.

We traveled to Jackson, MS today to USCIS to have our fingerprints electronically sent to the FBI . We had to get fingerprinted to complete our I600A- Application for Advancing Process of Orphan Petition. We are done with all of our paperwork until we are referred our baby...whew!

The Lord replied, "My presence will go with you and I will give you rest" Exodus 33:14

Beckett's First Soccer Game!

Beckett had his first soccer game Tues. night. Their team name is: Cadence Bank Tiger Sharks. The coach let them pick out their name....isn't Tiger Sharks an appropriate pick for 5 and 6 year olds!

Beckett in action...he scored 6 of the 8 goals! He had a great time!

Beckett looks handsome in his uniform.

He was so excited to get a "real live" soccer uniform!

Great Game, Tiger Sharks! Looking forward to a fun soccer season!

"that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:17

Home Study Completed!

When we returned home from vacation, we were excited to receive the final draft of our

home study in the mail! Our home study was completed by Catholic Charities in Jackson, MS. Our home study consisted of 1 informational interview as a couple, a couple interview about our marriage, we each had a individual interview, and a visit to our home to "visit" with the kids and tour our home. We started this process in July. The letter we recieved with the home study stated that we have been officially approved to adopt a child.......

The home study will be sent to Dept. of Human Services in MS, US Center for Immigration Services, and Holt International.

We will have to get our fingerprints done again for USCIS, and then our pre-referral paperwork will done. As soon as our paperwork passes through all these organizations, it will be sent to Korea. Once it is in Korea, we will be officially on the waiting list for our little girl!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

When you wish upon a star...

Late Sunday night, we returned home from Walt Disney World. It was a MAGICAL vacation! We did not tell the boys about the trip until we arrived at the Memphis airport...they were so excited! It was fun to surprise them. We left Cathryn in New Albany with Brian's parents. I know she had more fun there (I am certain that she was spoiled a little).

We rode rides, met lots of characters, dressed up like pirates, trained to be a Jedi, ate a lot of Mickey Mouse ice cream, and had lots of good family time.

John Scott's favorite part of the vacation: Meeting Woody, Jesse, and Buzz. The Buzz Lightyear ride and Toy Story Mania ride.

Beckett's favorite part of the trip: Meeting Darth Vader and Jedi Training.

I'm ready to plan our next vacation! Next time we will have stop by the castle and eat with the princesses...hopefully, we will have 2 little girls joining the fun!

Home At Last....

Brian returned home from his trip to China last night...September 21,2011. He was gone for 10 days...a long time! He returned home to 4 happy people. He had some amazing stories to share. Brian said that even thought they had been sent to China to encourage the missionaries, they returned home the most encouraged, inspired, and in awe! He definitely experienced God while in China. God is working in so many ways all around the world! God is good!

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Happy 6th Birthday, Beckett!

Beckett turned six years old today...Septemeber 20, 2011. I can't beleive it! My, how time flies when you are having fun! Beckett wanted Legos for his birthday this year. We did not have a big birthday party, but I found these cute chocolate Lego men to put on his cupcakes for school.

What a blessing he has been for 6 years!! Happy Birthday, Beck!

Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him. Psalm 127:3

On a Great Adventure

On A Great Adventure....

Brian left this morning headed to Beijing, China. He is going with two other men from FBC. They will be leading a Men's Retreat for American Missionaries in China. I am excited for him...what a great opportunity! I am confident that God will be revealing Himself to them. I know they will be able to see where God has been and is at work in China. Keep them in your prayers as they are used by God to encourage those that serve in the mission field. Hopefully, Brian will be able to post updates throughout the trip....

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. Psalm 8:9

The Lesleys Have News...

We are thrilled to announce that our family is growing again.....we are in the process of adopting from Korea.
This is a very brief summary of how/why our adoption journey began....

Summer of 2010: God began to stir our hearts towards adoption.
Neither of us had ever been open to the idea of adopting, and honestly, we thought adoption was for couples that were not able to get pregnant. Having three children (Beckett was 4, John Scott was 2, and Cathryn was 2 months old), adoption was not an option for us. We were just going through our crazy daily routines, and I kept hearing God speak to me about adoption...through His word and prayer. At the time, I felt my life was so busy, there was no way God would be calling our family to adopt. I shared with Brian what I thought God was calling us to, and his response was very similar to mine.."No Way!". I asked Brian if he would simply pray about it and be open to see what God would tell him. We began praying about adoption, and God began confirming His call for us to adopt through sermons, Sunday School lessons, friends, neighbors, strangers, television.....it was really amazing and unbelievable!

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” Jeremiah 33:3

January 2011
After many prayers and several “god ordained” encounters, both of our hearts were changed and our eyes opened to God's call for us to adopt. We began researching countries and agencies. We filled out preliminary applications.

“Many are the plans of a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

March 2011
We were accepted into the Korean Adoption Program through Holt International.

June 2011
We started our home study through Catholic Charities. This should take 3-4 months. It includes series of interviews, lots of paperwork, and a home visit: they will interview our children ;)

We have requested an infant girl, and the entire process will probably take about 24 months. Hopefully, sometime in 2013, we will have a new addition to our family.

We know that God is in control of this entire process. We have already seen the hand of God in our lives and this journey has just begun. We will continue to seek His face and His glory.

We covet your prayers as we take this journey. Pray that we will be flexible as we follow God's plan, patient as we wait on God's timing, and wise as we seek God's will.
We will keep you all updated! Love, Brian and Emily

“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8




Reply to:

Reply to Emily Lesley

Send

All Things New...

Welcome to the new Lesley Family blog!

We are a family of five...soon to be six! I have started this blog to share our adventures at the Lesley Home and to keep you up to date on our adoption journey. We are glad you have joined us! Remember I am new at this...

There are a lot of new things going on here...

Beckett has a new smile....he has just lost his first tooth.

John Scott is a new student....he has just started preK-4.

Cathryn has a new hairdo...she can now wear a ponytail.

God is at work in our lives...usually doing something new!!

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:10