EXCITEMENT!!!!

Yesterday, I spent 8 hours in the car--but it was SO worth it! Marshall's grandparents threw us a wedding shower at his dad's parents' house in Tennessee. It was wonderful time with both my family and my future family--I loved having them all in the same place! And I loved that my parents got to see the Farm. It's on a TON of acres, and the property is surrounded on 3 sides by the Elk River. They have cattle, horses, dogs, crops, a 4-wheeler and wildlife--It's a beautiful place! I was overwhelmed by his family's love for me/us and their excitement for us getting married. The message behind their immense generosity said that they love us and want us to succeed. What a beautiful blessing to be marrying into an amazing family!

Several big things are happening in the next few days, and I'm really excited!!

1. TOMORROW, Mike and Meritt--my future in-laws--leave for China to adopt 2 little girls who are about to be the newest members of the Sims family! Maggie and Mary Henley are 4 and 3 years old, and I can't wait to meet them! Marshall and I have the honor of taking Mike and Meritt to the airport tomorrow morning; they'll be gone until the 19th. SO many people are bursting with excitement for them. Mike and Meritt's friends, who adopted a little girl from China about a year ago, are hosting a time of prayer tonight for Mike and Meritt in preparation for their trip. What an amazing reflection adoption is of God's love for His people! "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons. . . So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God" (Galatians 4:4-5,7). I'm SO EXCITED!! Follow their blog at http://msims7.blogspot.com/.
2. My sister Mary Anna starts her first day at Providence Christian Academy on Tuesday! It's a big change for her--cause for some apprehension, but it's a great change, and we're all really excited for her!
3. Passion Conference 2012 starts Monday. I'm told it's a big deal; the Georgia Dome selling out says it's a big deal--we'll see if it's all people say it is! At this point, I'm most excited about all of the people I could potentially see there. I'll be with a group of Camp All-American's full-time staff and summer staff, and I know a ton of other people going. It'll be an adventure to be part of something GIANT. I wonder what God will show me?