Thanksgiving!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is three days away! Crazy! I've had mixed feelings about the holidays coming this year - it's weird. I LOVE this time of year - we have so much fun with the kids decorating, watching Christmas movies, baking, etc. This year, however, it feels like members of our family are missing. Well - they are! There is this huge hole in the house and in my heart. I think we all feel it. It is so hard to be with your kids and then to leave them. There is a physical pain in my chest and belly most of the time. An ache that won't go asay. AnnaMarie and Naomi and I talked about Christmas when I was in Ghana. AnnaMarie asked me if we believed in "Father Christmas." We talked about how Santa Claus (as I told her we call him in America) is fun to pretend about and there are lots of movies about him. We had fun talking about that and then talking about the real reason for Christmas (which she knows all about - Beacon House does a wonderful job of teaching the kids about the Bible - they know it well). She kept on asking me if they would be in America by Christmas. I would have to tell her that we just don't know yet. We prayed about it together every day that I was there. We talked about how God's timing is perfect and He could work miracles and He would bring them home in His time. I promised that we WOULD come for them - we just don't know when. So hard! Yesterday I was praying and thinking about Christmas and came up with the most wonderful idea. What if we just leave the Christmas tree up and celebrate with the kids when they get here. It most likely won't be longer than January - who cares what the date is. We are celebrating Jesus' birth and family and being together. They will be our greatest Christmas gift this Christmas - so we will wait for them! Corey, Hannah and Hayden are all for it. They were even willing to save all of their presents until AnnaMarie, Naomi and David get here. So - it's settled - there will be a Christmas tree in the Crawford house as long as the Crawford family is separated (yes - we went out and bought an artificial tree today - I don't think the real tree will make it if it takes two more months)! This makes me feel better - no matter what, we will get to celebrate Christmas together! Praise God - He is so good! We continue to pray for a passport in December, but are content in His timing and His will. Please continue to pray for our children in Ghana - that they would stay healthy and be loved until we can bring them home! We appreciate all of you so much!