Christmas time!

Or should I say it is "ROMANA Time"
For the past 3 weeks our sweet daughter has been counting the days and crossing them off until the "Day Romana Comes"

*** Romana: aka...Ghana Beacon House Director...the woman who God called to do a very specific job for God in Ghana for the orphan, who obeyed the call and is making a HUGE difference in the lives of MANY!....including our precious kids and our family!
Yes....she is in the the States!

Last night we went to bed at 10:30.....showered, clothes neatly laid out for the next day, prayers for "help Romana to sleep well" and off to sleep we all go.

At 5:30 a.m., what is the noise I hear down the hall? It is our EXCITED daughter AWAKE with her "Bed dressed" and ready to GO!
Me: " Sweets, it is 5:30, everyone is still sleeping, please get a book and read in your bed"
Victoria: "Okay Mom"

5:45....
Me: "Dave what is that noise?"
Dave: Snore

Me: "Victoria....what are you doing?"
Victoria: "Mom, I am getting my necklace on to get ready"
(what she has forgotten is that the necklace is inside the jewelery box that has a spinning bear that chimes the music rather loudly:O)

Me: "Honey, lets go down stairs"
Victoria: "Okay Mom, what is the time? What time will Romana be awake?"
Me: "It is five minutes to six, Romana is still sleeping, but we will see her in 2 1/2 hours"
Victoria: "okay mom"

As I popped into the shower, thoughts of my childhood flashed into my head of waking up on Christmas morning at 5:00, hearing my Mom say...."go back to bed until at least 7:00" Laying in bed and watching my digital FLIP clock, flip one min at a time.

How can we even comprehend the excitment that Victoria feels this morning towards the idea of seeing the wonderful woman who showed up at her village nearly 2 years ago and rescued her!
It is not even like the memories I have of Christmas mornings.....but the anticipation is there for sure!

The gift that holds so much value for Victoria comes out in her dialog with us these last few weeks months.
V: " Mom, do you know that I am thankful for Romana taking good care of me?"
M: "yes"
V: "Mom, she helped me find a family that takes care of me well...can I call her"
M: I am sooooo thankful she helped us find you, yes you can call her.

Pictures: We have a large ART gallery of pictures that are hanging all over our house of Romana, for Romana and about Romana.
Victoria: "Mom, some day will Romana get to come and see our home?"
M: "I hope so, but honey it is a FAR far place to travel from Ghana to Lynden"

BUT here we are this EARLY morning...sitting in the wee hours of the DAY that ROMANA gets to:
see the art work,
see the bed where she sleeps
meet her new brothers and see Ashlie again
see her church and school
see her playing with her friends
and see the heart of a child she has helped find a FOREVER FAMILY!
I guess it really is Christmas in June!

Who would of thought that over two years ago when Romana drove 15 hours through Ghana to a very remote village, and rescued this AMAZING little girl, that we would have the gift of seeing HER in our home.....

A gift of value that comes with to high a price tag to count!