Adoption Plans

The main question I get when we announce to people that we are pregnant is : "So is your adoption still on?"

The answer: YES

For many of you that are not constantly researching the progress of adoptions, as I do often, specifically adoption in Ethiopia. It is kind of a scary time, many agencies have stopped taking applications for their Ethiopia program, families are waiting 2+ years on the waitlist after they get all of their paper work sent over. Many cases are having to go through an extra step in country and it's just scary and unknown.

We are thankful that we took a step back and decided to use this time to put aside money for our adoption. We have started a budget plan every month and in that plan we set aside money that will help to almost double what was in our account at Christmas time by next Christmas time. Giving us the funds necessary to start the process and get through the first few big fees associated with international adoption and the agency we are hoping to work with.

We are also praying for guidance that if we are looking in the wrong place that God will make that clear and point us in the direction we should go. Do I feel that is in Africa still? Yes. Do I hope it is Ethiopia still? Yes, but with all that is going on who really knows where the program will be in a years time.

For now we are saving and saving and praying and praying. Adoption is a beautiful way to grow a family and not everyone is called to do so but we truly feel we are one of those called to grow our family this way. So we are anticipating at this point that we will be able to begin the process in early 2013.

In the meantime we are soooo thrilled to be giving Lydia a sibling so close to her in age. Matt and I are both very close with our siblings, mine are my best friends and I am so glad that we are able to set up a family dynamic this way as well. What better friends to have then your siblings.

Plus, I truly like being pregnant (ok, I love it after about 14 weeks). Only 2 more weeks to go!

BIG Sister

We have some BIG news to share and Lydia wanted to be the one to tell you :)

She is going to be a

 BIG SISTER!!!

Love this huge smile and her shirt was made by the very talented Michelle at Little Blue Feather

We really could not feel more blessed and excited to share this news. I also feel like this will hopefully explain my lack of attention to this here blog over the last month or so, it's hard to get myself to my computer after Lydia goes to bed when my bed just calls my name at 8:00 p.m. every night.

I am 12 weeks along today and praying that all continues to go well from here on out, I am trusting God that he is caring for our sweet one and I'm doing my best to do the same.

Yipee, August 10th is the big Due Date (although we will be scheduled the week before that most likely). I know we are like the 50 billionth pregnancy announcment since Christmas but really is there ever anything old about new life and babies?!?! I didn't think so.

A Guest Post: Meet Wynne

I am so thrilled and priveleged to have Wynne Elder here on the good ol' blog today! She is on fire and doing big things in her life, she has spent her last year raising funds for their adoption, traveling to Africa and being a Noonday Ambassador!!
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I was talking with friends at dinner this pasty weekend about how much of a need there is to simply GO and visit orphans & widows. To go and love the least of these, the lost, the fatherless. To look them straight in the eye and smile at them, to hold their hand, to pick them up & throw them in the air, to play soccer with them, to listen to their hopes & dreams, to encourage them, to share the love of Jesus with them. I think about all the times growing up my mom and dad would tell me they loved me, would smother me with kisses, take a million pictures of me, attend every single school or sports event, and encourage me and tell me I can be anything I want to be. These children that we go visit, these orphans, they don't have mommies and daddies.


I just returned from 2.5 weeks in Africa: Rwanda & Ethiopia. It was my first time to be in Rwanda on mission & my second time in Ethiopia. It gave me a whole new perspective. This summer I met and fell in love with children in Korah, Ethiopia {Project 61 for more info!}. Over the past 6 months we've sent letters, pictures, and facebook messages back and forth. The bond was there, they knew me, and what I didn't expect to happen this trip... happened. Instead of just me investing in their lives - they invested in mine. They trusted me. They told me more about their stories (which are really hard for them to tell sometimes). I earned the right to speak Jesus into their lives. I wasn't just someone who came to visit once then went home & forgot about them. These boys had become family to me. This trip they started to greet me the way they greet each other, handshake and all. I got the opportunity to sit down with them & ask them how I could be praying for them at home - and I got to pray with them right then. Being there, for the second time was so much better than I could have imagined. Which made leaving that much harder.

Probably the most rewarding, worth it, memorable moments from my entire 2 1/2 weeks came as I was leaving the boys school. Eyob, whom I love very dearly, and really connected with on my first trip (and this one!) handed me a letter. I was instructed not to read it until I got home to the States, but about an hour later I couldn't take it any longer. I read the letter. The whole letter is worth recounting to you, but the end of the letter contained the words that changed my life...

"Would you be happy if I call you mom?"

You see, days earlier as I sat in an orphanage in Addis Ababa among babies that are all waiting for their families to pick them up - I cried out to God. I asked him to make me a mom. I wanted someone to love me and need me the way a child does his/her mother. I want to love a child with that sort of love, the love of a mother. When Eyob wrote me right before I left & said that that the love I give to them is over the love of a mother - I about burst out in tears. God had answered my prayers. Given me boys to love, a chance to speak into their lives & encourage them, to love them like a mother would.

That makes it worth it. Worth the 18+ hour flight, the fundraising, the packing, the leaving home & work for 2 weeks, the disconnect I feel when I get home, the heartbreak I feel every day that I can't be with them. It's all worth it. It's not easy, but getting to share and show kids the love of JESUS and having them accept me as family - well nothing beats that!


If you haven't experienced leaving the comfort of America & getting out of your comfort zone in Africa, or South America or China or wherever God may lead you - I challenge you do take the risk. Take a step of faith. Your life, like mine, will be gloriously ruined. For Him. Your gifts & talents & resources & energy will be all used up for HIS glory, and it will be worth it. So...what are you waiting for?!

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Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Wynne! Head on over to share some love on Wynne's blog HERE and I also have some fun news regarding my good friend Lauren (you all remember her and her cute family who guest posted in Nov. she also did this blog design!) The Casper family is the featured family on Give1Save1 this week and Wynne's family is up next week. HOW COOL!! Head on over and see what it's all about and please consider giving if it is on your heart to do so.

It took over a Year, but I finished

So I finally finished a bible study that I had been doing independently for the last year. It was something a little more in depth then a devotional and something to try and get me really diving into the word more often and more in depth, really reading and listening to what is written there.

I would say in a way I kind of failed, it took me over a year to finish it but I did learn a lot, I did mark up my small little Bible and put bookmarks on scripture that touched me, scripture that I really haven't been doing the best at reading but makes me feel complete when I do.

I would love to start a bible study, a place that will hold myself and a small group of women accountable to diving in and spending time in our Lords word, listening to his desires and demands of our lives as Christians. Maybe I will, I am starting to search for that right study that right topic the one that can grab hold and help me learn more about my role as a mom, wife, daughter and friend as God sees it. (any suggestions ladies?)

I think I found my scripture passage while taking my time completing this study, to keep me going this year. The year that I just want to learn to trust and live in God's plan for my life not my own, stop trying to control every aspect of my future; lay down the desires of my heart and know that if it is what he wants for me and my family then he will provide.

Romans 8:31-34
"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one- for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one- for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us."

Romans 8:38-39
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love."


Powerful stuff huh? But still so Simple, simply trust in this promise is what I plan to do. Easier said than done for this first born, working mom and wife. aka control- freak.

Return of InstaFriday

I haven't posted the last few Fridays, so here is a fun little "phone dump" of my instagram pictures the last couple of weeks. Stay warm everyone and enjoy a happy and fun-filled weekend :)

Pure Joy from this sweet girl

Meeting my cousins new pup, Oreo, seriously never held a puppy that small

This girl loves her hats, even her snoopy one that is an adult size

my sweet old pug, she is getting too gray for my liking

Needed Supplies: Now Through Jan. 31

As Outreach Coordinator for V4V, I am starting to tweet from our new twitter handle @v4vorphancare (follow us!!), I'm also reaching out to find new opportunities for V4V to get involved and help the fatherless. Brantley and I have a fire burning that I hope will only get bigger and brighter as this year unfolds.


Brantley is heading to Uganda with her husband in March and I am starting a collection or supply drive to help them gather much needed supplies to take over. I will be collecting these items now through the end of the month (to give myself plenty of time to get them out to her)

Here is what is NEEDED if you feel any tug in your heart at all to help, this is such a simple way to do something.

Twin Sheets
Girl and Boy underwear
Medical Supplies
   Gauze
   Gloves
   Medical Tape


Supplies for their craft project while they are there:

Pipe Cleaner
Crayons
Construction Paper
Brown paper bags, grocery size
Glue Sticks

Please contact me if you wish you to donate any of these items!

Thank you in advance for your love support and help to provide some of these basic needs to those in Uganda.

At Last

I am so excited about what my mom and I accomplished yesterday, I am thrilled at what came home with me to live at my house and in my hands forever. I will be a snappin fool, Lydia will be so tired of this thing in her face.

I introduce to you my new toy and at last a camera that will be fast enough to capture our most fun and outrageous moments with Lydia and our kids to come.  I'm no expert but am so excited to learn and capture moments that are not blurry, not too shiny, and that will last a lifetime.

P.S. no this is not in our budget, I am just deeply and ubundantly blessed by those in my life :)

CHEESE

Writers Block

Once again I have not posted for a week, I think this is because we are busy doing nothing and after the craziness of the holidays that is ok by me. Matt is still home from class but it starts up again next week so I'm sure we will begin to fill our evenings again on the nights that he is away. He only has one semester left!!

The last week has also been full of sickness for poor Lydia, we are so incredibly lucky and blessed with the health of our daughter. This is the first time I had to take her into the Dr. because of a cold not really hanging around like a cold anymore. It was definitely something more and I'm glad I listened to my mom and took her in because poor girl had an ear infection (but you never would have known, she never pulled at it or complained of pain). It took us 20 months before we had to deal with an ear infection and to me that is SUCCESS. So we got her on an antibiotic for 5 days and now she is doing sooo much better.



There was a lot of this going on for a few days, she took that blanky and paci everywhere

Our days consist of work, dinner, play, and bedtime. Once Lydia goes down I have been curling up in bed with my Kindle Fire and diving into a book. I know I have so many shows to catch up on but sometimes reading a book is so much more fun than watching a TV show, don't you agree??

This is what I have been reading the last couple weeks:

Both were intense and not my usual light read but very good and interesting none the less. Does anyone have any other recommendations for me to add to my list?

Although I do love the following shows and can't seem to get enough, I actually like to build up my dvr so I have more than one and don't have to wait til the next week or at least wait until closer to the next episode to watch the last one, then i don't have to wait as long J

Revenge (new guilty pleasure of the year)

Greys Anatomy

Private Practice

Hart of Dixie

One Tree Hill (last season, I remember watching the first episode in my dorm room freshman year of college)

Gossip Girl

Modern Family

Big Bang Theory

Pretty Little Liars (yes it's an ABC Family show and I'm addicted)

I still owe you our finished Kitchen pictures but I'm waiting to find a window treatment I like and I would hate to share an unfinished project, although we are so happy with how it has turned out.

We also have another fun project in store, COMING SOON J

2011: Growth 2012: Trust

2011 brought a lot of growth, tears, joy, and happiness. I would say that most of all the word I would use to describe 2011 would be "growth" I don't think I have any single year to date in my whole life that has brought me closer to our God and to his purpose and plan for my life.

Here is a little snap shot of 2011 in blog posts:

We made the announcment in January that were planning to ADOPT . This is still totally in the works but with changes to the program we originally intended to go with and the thoughts of trying to give Lydia a sibling close in age we are currently looking at starting the process in early 2013 with funds still being raised and saved like made crazy on our end. We are excited to see where our Adoption account will be this time next year with some changes to our budget that we have made!

In May we celebrated our sweet girls 1st Birthday  Still can't believe that I will soon be planning a 2nd birthday party, she is such a blessing to us.

In June I got a new job, a new job after 4 years at the same place since I graduated college.

In August, I shared my heart on the changes that becoming a mom has made in me.

In October we lost our sweet baby at 7 weeks 2 days, sad on so many levels and at the same time such a growing experience in my faith and in my relationship with my husband.

In November the blog celebrated National Adoption Awareness month by sharing 4 amazing stores from adopting families:  Alison, Danielle, Amy, and Lauren.

In December I announced my new title as Outreach Coordinater with Voices 4 the Voiceless and I am excited to see where this goes in the coming year.

Whew, what a fun year. I am excited to see where 2012 takes us, to see what God has in store and to totally and completely trust him in his plans for this coming year. I want to relinquish control of my life to HIM and see where he takes us, I want to TRUST in his plans for my life and for our family. His ways our better than my ways, it's time I start living that.

Cheers to 2012!

Recap: I'm Back!!

So when I decided to take the whole week off after Christmas I guess I also meant taking the whole week off from blogging as well, although I did miss you all I had more fun hanging with my kiddo and taking naps everyday :)

So now a rundown of our Christmas festivities, what a blast we had with this sweet 20 month old, she seriously made it so fun. There are actually very few pictures of her from Christmas because she was just all over the place or then so sleepy she wouldn't sit for a picture. So here are the attempts.

#1 TSC Christmas party, these are my college friends and we try to have some type of party at Christmas time while people are home for the holidays, we used to play host but this year we handed over that honor and just helped provide food and prizes.

#2 ESC Christmas Dinner, these are some of my old coworkers and I am glad I made the move I did for my career but I sure miss seeing these faces everyday. It was so great to get together for good food, games and catching up with each other, not to mention drooling over and bragging on our kids, this group has 3 under 2, so fun.

#4 Christmas Eve, one of my favorite days of the year, we all get together (my mom's side) at my Grandma's (GiGi's) for food and presents before we go to church. How fun to have my daughter experience these moments with me.

Thanks to my cousin Stephanie for these pictures from Christmas Eve, she has a super nice camera

# 4 Christmas Day, we opened presents at our house in the morning, we woke up and Santa had brought Lydia a kitchen and some Lego's! My family then brought breakfast over so we could do our Christmas with them. After we cleaned up from breakfast and played with toys for a bit it was off to Matt's side of the family for the rest of the day. Exhausting but so fun to share this holiday with our families, we are so blessed to have them so close.

What a fantastic way to spend Christmas, Thank you Jesus for my many blessings :)