2 Years

          This post is a little late- 2 years actually happened last week and it's been a little crazy around here...but none the less, 2 years has gone by since we started this adoption process.  To me- that sounds crazy! I went back this weekend to read some of my first posts on this blog, and they were so full of excitement and hope that we would be having a baby soon.  No where in my sweet little head did I imagine I would be sitting here 2 years later, writing this blog post and still not have a baby in this house or at least a picture to stare at all day.  This journey is long.  But it is so so worth it.  I was reminded the other day that God allows- yes I said allows- us to wait for good things. He has allowed us to wait for 2 years. He wants us to learn more about him in this wait, and boy have we ever!  He knows that what he is going to give us at the end of this wait is more than worth it, he knows that us learning about and knowing him better is the ultimate end and is way more than worth it.  There have been so many ups and downs throughout this process, and some of my closest friends, and especially my husband ;) may think I'm a total lunatic!  Adoption is a beautiful, hard, messy thing, and that's just in the waiting part.  I can only imagine how much those will be intensified once we have our sweet one here.  Adoption has a way of connecting you to people and places you've never seen or even met before.  I am beyond thankful to have a strong adoption community here full of people who get it.  Who know that some days you just want to throw your phone across the room and cry because it hasn't rang yet- but in that same moment you can't just leave it there because what if it does ring? See what I'm talking about people- crazy!
            On top of all the adoption crazy- we've had some other life changes going on in our life right now.  My hubby is taking on a new position at work, we've decided to put the brakes on seminary for while, and our house is now on the market after learning we would be here longer than we initially planned and we'd love to have more space for that. So this has been a great distraction for me and my phone staring tendencies.  I've had a lot more to think about and distract me from thinking about 2 years going by- hence why this post is late.  After we did our home study update this summer I told my husband we weren't changing anything else until this baby comes home- because that would once again involve more paperwork.  But apparently God had other plans and I spoke to soon :)  We are excited about this new time in our lives and to see what God has in store.  We are still anxiously waiting and praying that the phone call we've been waiting 2 years for will be coming soon.  Please keep praying boldly with us.  The end of the year is coming quickly- but with God, all things are possible and we are clinging to his promises to complete this good work!

September Numbers

I've been putting off posting these numbers because they aren't really very exciting.  We only moved one spot on the girl list this month, and our boy number stayed the same.  So, getting the email with that  news was a little discouraging.  However, we have heard from some families that have been in ET lately that there should be some referrals coming soon!  October is normally a bigger month, the courts are opening back up this month and things just seem to move a little quicker in October.  We are praying bold things for October, this week even!  God has been our strength lately, as this wait has gotten harder.  He has continued to show us more of himself and show us that he is truly holding us up with his hand.  We are so thankful and full of hope in our God that we will have good news soon!  We are more than ready to see our sweet baby's face and ache to hold him or her in our arms.  We have faith that we will be in ET before the end of the year, can't wait to see what God has in store!!

For a girl:

For a boy:

100th Post and Fully Funded!!!

Well, this is my 100th post and we have a reason to celebrate!!! Our adoption is now fully funded, praise God!! I am sitting here just in awe of my amazing God as I type that sentence.  There is no other way that we could be at this point, other than God.  We have been on this journey for 23 months- and we started with so little.  When we took this leap of faith we were a little intimidated by the amount of money we needed.  We were brainstorming and coming up with ideas as to how we could make this happen and come up with almost $30,000.  And then we prayed.  We knew that the only way this was going to happen was if God showed up in a big way, and we knew that since he called us to this, he would provide.  And that's exactly what he did, he provided EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY!  We have had many fundraisers, donations, grants, etc, and God has graciously provided.  We want Him to get all the glory from this! It made no practical sense when we started this process, and it still doesn't make sense- but I am so glad that His ways are not our ways.  Our faith has been grown and stretched in ways that we never dreamed would happen in this process.  I want this post to be an encouragement to those who are where we were, feeling like they have been called to this but the money just isn't there.  He will provide.  I have seen it, not only in our adoption, but in so many others.  That's why this community is so important.  We learn from each other and we see God work in so many amazing ways.     We are so thankful, for so many of you who have been used by God to provide for our baby to come home.  My Father owns the cattle of a thousand hills, and his heart is for the orphan.  He will provide, you need only have faith!

August Numbers

Well, on Friday, while we headed out of town for my hubby's birthday we got our August numbers! August was not quite like July, that was something crazy! But at least there was still some movement and we are anxious for more good news soon! The Ethiopian courts are officially closed for the next month or so, so things may slow down a bit, but hopefully no too much! Here are our August numbers:

For a girl:

For a boy:

One step closer every day!

Monday, Monday

Monday. Not usually a very exciting day. But in the world of adoption, Mondays are exciting! Mondays mean that news can come. Things can happen, things are running again.  Weekends are a good rest from all of the crazy thoughts we adoptive parents think throughout the week, and this weekend was a great distraction as we headed to the mountains with the couples in our small group for a couples retreat! It was an incredibly fun weekend, much needed for all of us, with everything we've all got going on in our lives, and I am so thankful for it.  These past few weeks have been hard. Just plain and simple. This wait is hard.  I had gotten to a point where I was ok with the wait, knew we would be waiting for a while, but now, for some reason, things have changed, and it has just gotten a lot harder.  As we were away this weekend, hubs and I were in the Word together, reading through Colossians 1, and we came across this passage:

 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Col. 1:15-17

Oh how our hearts needed to read that this weekend.  Our Father was speaking directly to us, reminding us that it's all in his hands. He holds everything together, he holds our lives together, our marriage, and our adoption.  Our adoption, that we want to have so much control over, is in his hands, it's because of him that we are on this journey, and it's because of him holding it together that our adoption will be completed. Now, don't get me wrong, we know these things, but as I've said before, it's hard to keep preaching them to yourself over this long, intentional, grueling process.  So our loving Father spoke soft reminders to us this weekend, loving us with his word. For that I am thankful. I am thankful for the gifts of the past week, prayers that have been answered, love that has been shown, faith that has grown. I am thankful for a Father that continues to draw us to Him in this process. And on this new Monday we wait with expectancy for big things to happen!

I'm on Etsy!

I finally did it.  I've had it in my mind to start a little Etsy shop for a while now.  It's nothing fancy, just some things I've been playing around with making.  Since I'm home all the time now, with lots of time on my hands while waiting for our baby, I figure I might as well try to make a little cash from the fun stuff I'm making!  I am by no means a salesman- so it was a bit awkward for me filling in all that info to "sell" my stuff, forgive me if it's corny :)  The shop link is here or try clicking on my banner below!

Stop by, take a look around, and see if you see anything you like :) Share with your friends!  I'd love to create something for you!

Shout out to the Braly family!

We have some pretty awesome friends here in Wake Forest! This particular couple happens to be some of them!  They have some very exciting news that they are announcing in this video, and we could not be more thrilled for them! Please watch their video and consider supporting them in whatever way you can.  They are being the hands and feet of Christ, and that is an awesome thing!

You can follow more of their journey here!