home study, etc.

Today was home study day!  I will admit that when I woke up this morning I was bit a lot nervous!  Then today's sermon was about giving all your Faith to God and letting Him carry you through whatever is going on in life.  (I'm paraphrasing badly, but you get it.) So I gave it up.  All of it.  The home study.  Adoption. Finances. Pregnancy.  Babies.  ALL OF IT.  I gave it all up.  I realize this is something I will have to do, probably every day, but it's worth it.  My shoulders haven't hovered around my ears at all today. 

Ultimately it was the reminder I needed that our God is powerful to provide.  And He will! Our time with Ashley went so well and we are blessed to have a social worker who is also a Christian and understands us and what we are being called to do.  My hope is to have the study back in a couple of weeks so we can move on to our state department application.

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In other news....I'm afraid I may have ignorantly offended some people recently. Please accept my apologies for my insenstivity.  People come to parenthood in so many ways at so many different times in life.  I am blessed beyond belief to have an amazing husband, job and home, but not all women find themselves in my situation.  Ultimately my heart feels that there is no right or wrong way to become a parent, as long as you do it with all of your heart, soul, and with good intentions.  And if you can't do it that way then please consider adoption.  There are many people who won't ever have the gift of biological children but would be amazing parents.

However, the debate begs the question...if you, as a parent of biological children had a social worker walk into your house right now, would you pass a home study?  Are there smoke detectors in all of your bedrooms and hall ways?  Do you have a fire extinguisher? Is there a lock on your gate?  Do you have a budget, marriage license, birth certificates, life insurance statements, DPS back ground checks at your easy disposal?  Amazing isn't it all the hoops we must go through?!?!?!?  And that's a very abbreviated list!  I would love to hear your thoughts.

tough days

I am trying very hard to not use this platform to whine and moan about life in general, but I think this is a valid entry for our adoption blog...

Let me preface by saying I have three very long posts that are in "edit" stage that I will post at some point fully explaining how we got to Danny and came to our decision to adopt.  This week has been very tough for me.  Not only are we dealing with the stress of a home improvement project, two full time jobs, and adopting, the due date for our daughter is rapidly approaching.  We call our little girl Faith because we have an amazing amount considering all we have been through in the past 12 months.  Faith is how we got to Danny.  Without going through 16 (almost 17) weeks of pregnancy and finally getting comfortable with the idea that she would get here and be healthy (she was our second miscarriage) I don't think we would have ever truly committed to adoption.  Yes, we had talked about it, but as a vague idea of something we might like to do.

I miss our daughter.  I cherish the time I had with her and I love her like I can't explain.  I very much wish that I was finishing up a nursery and getting ready to go on maternity leave.  And I feel guilty!  I feel guilty that I miss her and still want her even though I also miss and want Danny!  I am afraid I am not excited enough about him and people are going to think we rushed into this decision and are beginning to regret it. (Not a chance!) How do you explain these mixed emotions?!??! Some days I laugh it away, some days I cry.  Today is about tears.

So if for some reason I (or we) don't exactly seem to be ourselves for the next few days/weeks now you know why.  And I hope you still love us for it!

nuts. doNUTS!!!

My fabulous friend Crystal is helping (totally doing) coordinate the garage sale.  Which by the way is slated for June 18th at our house.  Volunteers anyone?!?! (hint, hint)

When I say Crystal is doing the garage sale, I mean she has driven it from the very beginning.  This is why I love my friend:  today she sent a very nice message to a bunch of her friends asking for items to sell, which she will be picking up over the next few weeks.  (Have you noticed how expensive gas is?  This is a huge gift!)

About 4 hours after the initial email went out I got another message from her....Krispy Kreme is donating donuts for us to sell at the garage sale!!!  DONATING DONUTS. Total awesomeness!

I wish I had time to tell you all the other amazing things my sweet friend is doing to help us.  Just know I have an angel helping me out right now.  :)

Thank you wonderful amazing Crystal!  You are a most giving and loving human being!

christmas in our mailbox!

Since we started the adoption we have been waiting.  Waiting for information, news, documents....waiting!

Well today I stopped to check the mail.  Yes, I realize it's Sunday and mail only comes Monday through Saturday, but it was a crazy weekend.  So when I got the mail there was a ton of junk, but there were also two brown official looking envelopes.  I got super excited!

It was our first of three back ground checks!!!  One of the final things we need to collect for our home study.  When you are collecting so many things it's fun to see it about to come together!

Our home study is in one week.  One week!  I can't believe it's almost here.  This is the next major hurdle towards bringing Danny home.  Here are some things to pray for this week:

1. Fundraising: this is a work in progress right now.  Once we get past the HS and get our USCIS application mailed in we can really get to work.
2. Home Study: please pray our social worker, Ashley, has safe travels next Sunday.  She is coming all the way from Lubbock to work with us.
3. Paperwork: we still have a few items we need.  We won't have our physicals until after we see Ashley, so please pray we can get them done quickly and easily.
4. Doctor: we are looking for a pediatrician that will write a letter on Danny's behalf to send along with our USCIS application to try to speed things us.  Pray we can find someone who understands where we are and why we want him here so quickly.


Thank you my sweet followers for reading and praying for us!

eye opening...even for me

Want to understand a little more?  Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmIeSiVvUT4&feature=player_embedded

jake

Sometimes God knows exactly what we need to see or hear at certain times.  Today is one of those days...

A little background:
Last month on the day Wes and I got our initial application notarized and ready to ship to our Adoption Agency I got a speeding ticket.  Within minutes I had gone from the highest high to the lowest low and was incredibly frustrated!  My amazing husband was in the car with me, but it was his truck (heavy, will NOT go 25 mph) that I was driving.  Officer-Not-So-Nice didn't even let me try to explain!  I decided then and there I would go talk to the judge and try to avoid defensive driving because the adoption requires 12 hours of online training, as well as countless hours of errands, paper work collection, etc.

Today:
My court date was today at 3pm.  I went and waited in the courtroom until my number was called.  While I waited I noticed a little boy a few rows in front of me who I thought might have Down Syndrome.  After I spoke with the judge and got my ticket deferred (probation, yay!) I went to wait in line to pay the cashier.  The little boy, and his family were in line right in front of me.  He was looking at me, at this point it was clear he has DS, so I said hello.  He introduced himself as Jake, and then introduced his sister, and mom and dad.  I got through the check-out line before Jake's parents, and said goodbye.  Once I was in my car and driving away they were walking to their car....I couldn't help myself, I rolled down the window and told Jake's mom about Danny.  She grabbed my hand and told me that Jake had been with them since he was born, for 10 years, and that he was the best thing that had ever happened to their family.

Yesterday and part of today I have really been struggling with how time and financially consuming this adoption is becoming.  And yet, as I sat there and talked as briefly as I did with Jake and his parents I see how much it's all going to be worth it in the end.  I know that God has chosen this for us.  That it is not something we can turn our backs on and quite honestly this is what we have been praying for since we got married.  Danny is what we have been preparing for.  Forever thankful for that reminder today.

lost

Today I feel a little lost in all of the things going on in our world.  We spent the weekend at a friend's wedding and while that was great fun I feel so behind now!  (Congrats Kevin & Ludy!) While in West Texas we were able to get one round of finger prints done, and our birth certificates came, so that's progress, but I still feel there are so many other things to get to.

Here's what's coming next for us:

1. May 29th our Social Worker comes to do our home study....we have to finish collecting a number of pieces of paper before then
2. We are going to work in our back yard this weekend...are you handy with a shovel?!?
3. At some point we need to get our new gun safe installed (chill out, we live in TX)  (:
4. Need to get the set of prints for the FBI done pretty much ASAP
5. T-Shirt Fundraiser and Garage Sale (happily accepting donations now)

Can you, will you please pray for us? We need all the help we can get right now!

Finally, please remember how important it is for this process to move quickly.  I heard today of another Reece's Rainbow family who was days (literally) from going to pick up their little one when they found out he wouldn't be coming home with them, that he had gone to Heaven. Please pray for peace and understanding for them.

calling all spring cleaners & junk collectors

We have decided to have a garage sale (ooops, need to tell Wes this) to help raise some funds for the adoption.  The date is up in the air at this point, but I will gladly begin to take donations.  Probably looking at mid-June so you have a month or so to get us your stuff.  Or if you REALLY love us you can hold onto your donations until closer to the date!  Not looking for anything in particular, just what you want out of your house.  I agree, Goodwill and Medina Children's Home are fantastic places to take your things, but wouldn't it be nice to know where the cash is going for once?

Call me or email me with any questions.  Help us fill up our garage...and drive our neighbors crazy!  :)

three sets of fingerprints and back-ground checks?!

Yes, you read that correctly!  We get to do three sets of back-ground checks with fingerprints!! Luckily I learned today that we can do all the printing in one trip.  For our home study we need a State of Texas check, for the dossier (you will learn a lot more about this soon) we need a city of SA and FBI check.  The really fun part is we get a check from the FBI, but then send it off to have it apostilled.  Why they can't handle that themselves I will never know!

So this Friday morning before we leave for the wedding Wes will be in this weekend in Lubbock, we will quickly (I hope!) run downtown and get lots of ink all over our fingers!

Please keep this whole process in your prayers, we can certainly feel the enemy on our back.

fundraiser #1

My cousin's wife is a CPA by day and art student by night (yay Jing for following your passion!) and has volunteered to help us fundraise! She has set up an etsy shop and is calling her first project "Hearts for Danny."  Jing is very generously donating all of her profits to Danny's grant through Reece's Rainbow.  I really hope that you will support Jing in her artistic endeavors.  Wouldn't it be awesome to tell people that you have an original work from her first show?!?!? I'm telling you all now, Jing will be FAMOUS one day!

Check out the etsy shop here: Sweet Scorpio Designs

Just as a side note Jing is in the middle of finals and has started the store off with 4 paintings.  If you want to order custom work you can, just send her a message on the Etsy site.  Watch out, this girl can burn through some canvas and paint when finals are over!

Sweetly Broken, Wholly Surrendered!

Not only is this an amazing song but it's how I feel right now.  Yesterday I blogged about Vilis:



I just learned that Vilis has been posted on Reece's Rainbow since he was 7 months old.  Vilis turned FIVE in April.  This absolutely breaks my heart! Currently Vilis has a grant of over $8,000 and is part of the 555 project for RR right now.  The point of this project is to collect another $5,000 for his adoption.  That totals more than HALF of the projected cost of his adoption.

Please, I beg, examine your heart.  Talk to your family and friends.  Have you ever considered adoption?  God calls us to care for His children.  LISTEN to the call.  If you can't adopt will you please consider donating to Vilis so he can find a home before he is institutionalized?  I will even go out on a limb here...if you have been considering donating to Danny will you please also consider Vilis...or split your donation?  Or just give it all to Vilis!  I don't care either way, but please help this precious boy!




Here are the words to "Sweetly Broken"

Jeremy Riddle - Sweetly Broken
From the album Sweetly Broken

To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of its suffering I do drink
Of its work I do sing

For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love
And God is just

Chorus:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified

You’ve called me out of death
You’ve called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I’m reconciled 

Chorus:

In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness

$123.35

That's how much it cost to send our first packet to the country that shall not be named!  Do you understand why it's so important to fundraise for adoptions now?  I sure do!

Fundraising is something that is very difficult for me.  As most of you know I am in sales and have a marketing degree so asking people to spend money isn't too hard for me...when it's my job and I have a product in exchange.  Adoption fundraising is tough!  I feel like I am asking people to give me money and I have nothing to give in return.  However my heart has realized something: this is the ultimate in advertising!  

Reece's Rainbow doesn't have much (if any) budget for advertising.  Essentially they rely on adoptive families to do it for them through blogging, t-shirt sales, garage sales, auctions, etc.

God calls His followers over and over to care for His orphans and widows.  The statistics are amazing....if 10% of American families who call themselves Christians would adopt 1 child this year we would give more than 1 million orphans homes.  What a calling!  What a cause to fundraise for!

So we will fundraise.  My prayer is that each of you will consider the things we do for fundraisers and maybe give up a cup of coffee to help us out if you feel compelled.  If you want to help another RR kid please do so!  I don't want to limit your ability to help God's children!  How about these cuties?

Phoebe: One of my favorites.  She is beautiful!



Vilis: Has a HUGE grant right now, and is part of RR's 555 Warrior Project.  The goal is to raise another $5,000 for him!

How I wish I could add them to my family.  But if one of you, my wonderful readers, decides to bring them home I commit to help you fundraise!  

In God's Time

Lately I've only been listening to Christian music, but on my ride to Austin today I lost my station so I switched to country.  Heard a song by Randy Hauser called "In God's Time."  Lyrics below...for those of you who really understand how we got here you will get why this about destroyed me!




In God's time
A million years might only be a single day
And everything He does gets done His own way
In God's time

And in God's time
You'll find that certain someone you've been praying for
And they'll be everything you dreamed of and a little more
In God's time

Oh, but no one knows
Not you or me
It might be tomorrow or it might never be
Oh, but don't lose faith
Put it in His hands
'Cause it might be that He might have a bigger plan
Than you had in mind
Miracles happen
In God's time

And in God's time
You'll finally get the chance to hold your baby girl
And all the sudden everything'll make sense in this crazy world
In God's time

Oh, but no one knows
Not you or me
It might be tomorrow or it might never be
Oh, but don't lose faith
Put it in His hands
'Cause it might be that He might have a bigger plan
Than you had in mind
Miracles happen
In God's time

And In God's time
You go to sleep and wake up with wings and learn to fly
And you finally meet your loved ones on the other side
In God's time

not such a 5 star day

It was bound to happen.  Ran into our first adoption related snag today.  Yesterday we finally had time for both of us to go get the next set of forms notarized.  Then today I was able to finish up work early enough to drive to Austin to have them apostilled (apo-steeled.)  So I sat down with the lady at the Secretary of State's office and the first thing she said was: "Well this isn't going to work."  Turns out that the notary had stamped everything but hadn't actually singed and dated it...and it therefore wasn't a legal notary.  Ugh.

So I turned back around and came back to San Antonio and went straight to the notary we used and got it all fixed.  But by the time I was done with that I couldn't get back to Austin in time to complete the apostille.  Guess I will have to find time in the next few days to drive back up there.

Once we get the apostille it's time to ship the first round of documents off to "the country that shall not be named*." Good news on that: it's only going to cost about $120.  Yikes!

*did you like my little harry potter reference there?

won't you help?

This Reece's Rainbow Angel, Albina, has an awesome opportunity to grow her adoption fund.  For every dollar donated during the month of May a wonderful woman called "Mrs. B" is going to match...up to $5,000!!!  That means she will have about half of what it takes to adopt internationally in her fund!  Won't YOU give up a cup of Starbux this week and help?  If you aren't able to help will you at least post a link on your blog?

What about any of the rest of the Reece's Rainbow kids? Are any of them on your heart?

thank you!!

So excited to see we have already had a few donations to Danny's grant!  Since we don't get to find out who is donating I just want to send a very heart-felt Thank You to the person, or people, who care about us and Danny enough to help!  It makes my heart jump with joy!