Our home study has begun and we are almost through 3 of the 4 meetings! We' re so excited to get moving in this process, but with the home study comes a LOT of reading/homework!
You would think the home study is to look at your life under a magnifying glass and analyze every little bit of it! Although that is some of what the home study is all about, most of the process is being educated on what we should prepare for, expect to see/deal with along the road, and to help us get ready for a new child to enter our family! With that comes a lot of studying and reading. Our awesome program is making sure that we have as little to no surprises as we embark on the international part of our journey! We are so thankful for that.
We have been fitting in a couple of hours of reading every night. It's all good reading, and important readings, but it just takes time. So once we have tucked our Bash into bed, we pull out our ipads and read, read, take tests, and read some more! Good thing we have each other for company. It's really a good bonding experience for The Man and I.
I have to say the most eye opening part of this reading has been reading about the state of Haiti right now. I knew it was not great over there, but I had NO CLUE just what it was like over there until I read the travel information. I encourage you to look at it yourself. Right now it has a DO NOT TRAVEL status, which is so encouraging to me since we will be going there three times. Here are some interesting points I found (Read from the site: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/haiti.html):
Overview:
The January 12, 2010, earthquake significantly damaged key infrastructure and reduced the capacity of Haiti’s medical facilities. While slowly improving, Haiti’s infrastructure remains in poor condition, unable to support normal activity, much less crisis situations. While the Embassy's ability to provide emergency consular services has improved since the earthquake, it remains limited. The Haitian National Police (HNP), with assistance from the UN Stabilization Force for Haiti (MINUSTAH), is responsible for keeping the peace in Haiti and rendering assistance during times of civil unrest. The level of violent crime in Port-au-Prince, including murder and kidnapping, remains a concern and Haiti is considered a ‘critical threat’ post for crime.
Safety:
There remains a persistent danger of violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, rape, and kidnapping. While the size of the Haitian National Police (HNP) force has been growing and its capabilities improving, its ability to maintain citizen security is limited. The presence of MINUSTAH peacekeeping troops and UN-formed police units remain critical to maintaining an adequate level of security throughout the country. The limited capability of local law enforcement to respond to and investigate crimes further compounds the security threat to U.S. citizens. In particular, there have been cases in which travelers arriving in Port-au-Prince on flights from the United States were attacked and robbed after exiting the airport by car (two such cases involving U.S. citizens have been reported in the first six months of 2013). Police authorities believe criminals may be targeting travelers arriving on flights from the United States, following them, and attacking once they are out of the area.
It is important to exercise a high degree of caution throughout the country. Keep valuables well hidden, ensure possessions are not left in parked vehicles, use private transportation, alternate your travel routes, and keep doors and windows in homes and vehicles closed and locked. You should avoid all night-time travel due to poor road conditions and increased criminal activity after dark. Remain alert for suspicious onlookers when entering and exiting banks, as criminals often watch and subsequently attack bank customers. Withdrawals of large amounts of cash should be avoided.
Avoid using public transportation, including "tap-taps" (private transportation used for commercial purposes). All public transportation is prohibited for Embassy personnel due to the safety and security risks associated with its use. When arriving to Haiti by air, arrange for someone you know to meet you at the airport.
Travel:
Driving in Haiti must be undertaken with extreme caution. Traffic is usually chaotic; those with no knowledge of Haitian roads and traffic customs should hire a driver through a local tour operator or hotel. Roads are generally unmarked, and detailed and accurate maps are not widely available. Lanes are not marked and signs indicating the direction of traffic flow seldom exist. Huge potholes may cause drivers to execute unpredictable and dangerous maneuvers in heavy traffic. The Haitian government lacks adequate resources to assist drivers in distress or to clear the road of accidents or broken-down vehicles blocking the flow of traffic. While drinking and driving is illegal in Haiti, people frequently drive after drinking, especially at night.
Although Haitian law requires that applicants pass both a written and a driving test to qualify for a driver’s license, many Haitian drivers appear unaware of traffic laws. Signaling imminent actions is not widely practiced and not all drivers use turn indicators or international hand signals properly. For instance, many drivers use their left blinker for all actions, including turning right and stopping in the road, and others flap their left arm out the window to indicate that they will be taking an unspecified action. Drivers do not always verify that the road is clear before switching lanes, turning, or merging. When making a left-hand turn, drivers should be aware that traffic may pass on the left while they are attempting to turn. This is legal in Haiti. The driver passing on the left has the right of way even when the car being overtaken has its left-hand turn signal on and is attempting to turn left.
In addition to vehicles, a variety of other objects may appear on the road in Haiti, such as wooden carts dragged by people or animals, small ice cream carts, animals, mechanics working on vehicles parked on the street, and vendors and their wares. Haiti’s unwritten rule of the road is that any vehicle that breaks down, must be left exactly where it stopped until it can be repaired, even if it creates an enormous backup of traffic. Cars often remain in the roadway for hours or days while often extensive repairs are carried out in-situ. Vehicles are often abandoned in the road or by the side of the road. These are often identified by tree branches extending from the rear of the vehicle. There are few marked crosswalks and sidewalks, and pedestrians often wend their way through traffic in urban areas. Additionally, motorcycles on Haitian roads tend to maneuver in between traffic on both the left and right sides of vehicles, as well as into on-coming traffic. Drivers should check all their rear view mirrors prior to changing lanes or making turns to avoid colliding with other traffic.
I know that it was a lot of reading, and if you want the full read up, look at the site above! There were a couple feelings coming from reading this:
1. Thank the LORD for letting me stay in a country that is so AMAZING. How blessed we are to be able to live in America where people drive on the right side of the road and there are hospitals and police officers that can help us and support us in our times of need.
2. I'm a bit scared to go... not enough NOT to go... but I know it will be an eye opening experience for me.
3. SOOOOOOO thankful we'll get to take our child out of that environment and give them one of love and support! I just pray that we get there before they have to experience TOO much of it!
I hope you pray for our little one that is living in Haiti right now. They need our love, support, and prayers as much as we can give!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
On the Road
Hey all! Things are happening in our adoption process and it feels so exciting!!! We're hoping things go as fast as they can, and we can get moving on everything (all the paper work) as quickly as we possibly can go! I'm so thankful for our adoption agency and our amazing social worker they are making everything seem doable in a situation where there really is SOOOOOO much to do and complete!
Right now The Man and I are writing our autobiography! It has been an intense step back into my childhood that I had forgotten a lot about. Not because it was bad.... I just struggle to remember so many specific details (the struggles of getting old... eh?). Some awesome things I got to write about is how close my family is, how much I love and appreciate my family, and I got a good look at how amazing my parents really are. They raised all 4 of us kids to grow up and love and appreciate each other! What an amazing feat! I also love bragging about how awesome my siblings are! They are some of my favorite people on this earth! I can't imagine any moment in my life without them. They have been there for me through each and every moment (good or bad) and I love them so much for it. It has been such a great (and time consuming) writing experience for me.
The funniest conversation The Man and I had about it was when we were sitting down eating dinner and I was asking him about his autobiography and how far he was and what he was writing about his parents... Then I asked him how formal he was writing this autobiography:
He said: " A little bit formal and a little bit informal"
I said: "You are? I'm writing pretty informal..."
He said: "You don't have another kind of writing, that is how you write."
I said: "I can write formally, I just hate it... and I don't want to EVER!"
He said: "mmm.... I don't know about that..."
I said: "It's called voice dear.... I write with a lot of voice"
He said: "I don't think formal writing has voice...."
I said: "well....... I use smiley faces in my autobiography... so....."
He said: laughing at me
I said: "I mean a LOT of smiley faces
He said: still laughing at me and shaking his head
I said: That's a part of my voice!" (laughing)
On another note we had our first home visit YESTERDAY! We have tons of "assignments," papers, and forms to get ready. We're so excited for this adoption every step we take we get one step closer to seeing our child. Our beloved amazing child that is waiting for us in Haiti!
Thanks for all your prayers and support. Please continue!
I believe this will be our mantra for awhile:
Right now The Man and I are writing our autobiography! It has been an intense step back into my childhood that I had forgotten a lot about. Not because it was bad.... I just struggle to remember so many specific details (the struggles of getting old... eh?). Some awesome things I got to write about is how close my family is, how much I love and appreciate my family, and I got a good look at how amazing my parents really are. They raised all 4 of us kids to grow up and love and appreciate each other! What an amazing feat! I also love bragging about how awesome my siblings are! They are some of my favorite people on this earth! I can't imagine any moment in my life without them. They have been there for me through each and every moment (good or bad) and I love them so much for it. It has been such a great (and time consuming) writing experience for me.
The funniest conversation The Man and I had about it was when we were sitting down eating dinner and I was asking him about his autobiography and how far he was and what he was writing about his parents... Then I asked him how formal he was writing this autobiography:
He said: " A little bit formal and a little bit informal"
I said: "You are? I'm writing pretty informal..."
He said: "You don't have another kind of writing, that is how you write."
I said: "I can write formally, I just hate it... and I don't want to EVER!"
He said: "mmm.... I don't know about that..."
I said: "It's called voice dear.... I write with a lot of voice"
He said: "I don't think formal writing has voice...."
I said: "well....... I use smiley faces in my autobiography... so....."
He said: laughing at me
I said: "I mean a LOT of smiley faces
He said: still laughing at me and shaking his head
I said: That's a part of my voice!" (laughing)
On another note we had our first home visit YESTERDAY! We have tons of "assignments," papers, and forms to get ready. We're so excited for this adoption every step we take we get one step closer to seeing our child. Our beloved amazing child that is waiting for us in Haiti!
Thanks for all your prayers and support. Please continue!
I believe this will be our mantra for awhile:
Friday, January 17, 2014
All of Me (us)
I listen to K-love quite often... I'm sure that is not a shocker. I love it.... Anyway, one day the family was sitting in our car waiting for..... I don't know what.... Something (great details right?!?!?) Anyway the song "All of Me" by Matt Hammitt came on.
This song is about Matt's worries about his unborn child. They weren't sure if their child was going to make it through the pregnancy and birth. Matt started to build up some walls to try and protect his heart from the possibility of losing his child. As I sat in the car and sang with the radio the words spoke so much to me! The first time through the chorus I really started to belt it out (those of you who know me, know when I say belt out the chorus I'm not being dramatic.... I love singing... and I just go for it.. no reservations... don't judge!) Anyway, as I belted out the chorus I felt these words hitting my heart and suddenly I'm not just singing the words, but I'm praying them, I'm saying them to my adopted child... wherever my child is right now... whatever my child is doing right now.... I was singing this to them.
I know this adoption process going to be a roller coaster of a ride. I know that there are going to be times where I'm going to feel defeated and that we're NEVER going to have our child home. But right then and there I decided that my adopted child is going to have all of me, know all my love (even if it's not enough), and through this journey I'm going to try my very hardest to not build up those barriers over my heart! I want my adopted child to know not just my (and THE MAN's and the Bash's) love, but God's love! Our family has so much love to give, I cannot wait to spread it to them....
So, wherever you are child of mine (ours)...... You're in for it! :) We're already in the process of finding you, loving you, bringing you home to where you belong (with us), and loving on you!
LYRICS:
Afraid to love
Something that could break
Could I move on
If you were torn away
And I'm so close
To what I can't control
I can't give you half my heart
And pray He makes you whole
You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me
Is where I'll start
I won't let sadness
Steal you from my arms
I won't let pain keep you from my heart
I'll trade the fear of all that I could lose
For every moment I'll share with you
You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me
Is where I'll start
Heaven brought you to this moment
It's too wonderful to speak
You're worth all of me
You're worth all of me
So let me recklessly love you
Even if I bleed
You're worth all of me
You're worth all of me
This song is about Matt's worries about his unborn child. They weren't sure if their child was going to make it through the pregnancy and birth. Matt started to build up some walls to try and protect his heart from the possibility of losing his child. As I sat in the car and sang with the radio the words spoke so much to me! The first time through the chorus I really started to belt it out (those of you who know me, know when I say belt out the chorus I'm not being dramatic.... I love singing... and I just go for it.. no reservations... don't judge!) Anyway, as I belted out the chorus I felt these words hitting my heart and suddenly I'm not just singing the words, but I'm praying them, I'm saying them to my adopted child... wherever my child is right now... whatever my child is doing right now.... I was singing this to them.
I know this adoption process going to be a roller coaster of a ride. I know that there are going to be times where I'm going to feel defeated and that we're NEVER going to have our child home. But right then and there I decided that my adopted child is going to have all of me, know all my love (even if it's not enough), and through this journey I'm going to try my very hardest to not build up those barriers over my heart! I want my adopted child to know not just my (and THE MAN's and the Bash's) love, but God's love! Our family has so much love to give, I cannot wait to spread it to them....
So, wherever you are child of mine (ours)...... You're in for it! :) We're already in the process of finding you, loving you, bringing you home to where you belong (with us), and loving on you!
WE'RE SOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Family
Through this holiday week I have discovered how truly blessed we are to have the families we have. I've always known how amazing our families are, but this new phase in our lives does not just effect us (although it MAINLY does) it also effects our families that will ALSO be loving and accepting our child into the family.
Our little family took 2 nice road trips to see family over Christmas break! We were greeted with the same love and excitement that we usually receive, but this time our families also welcomed the idea of having a new child in their lives. One from Haiti.
"My daughter is adopting from Haiti" My mother tells a store clerk....
"Here's some funds to get things started" my mom-in-law said to us as she passed over part of our Christmas gift! Excited to have her new grandchild as soon as humanly possible!
My brother-in-law giving us funds out of his savings (even as he begins a new journey in his life).
"What's the next step? How does this work..." Excitement and acceptance filled our families dialogue as we talked over Christmas!
It's kind of funny because my husband and I didn't even consider for a moment that our families would be nothing but excited for us on our new adventure. Mainly because we have both been raised with such loving and supportive families.... I never knew what a complete blessing it was until this Christmas arrived. Family giving us prayers, thoughts, questions, excitement, and even some money to get things started. We could not have felt more loved and cared for!
I can't just stop with family.... because our friends have given us so much love and support as well. They continue to send nice notes over email and facebook. Each person willing to hook us up with friends or family member that have gone through the adoption process, give us an encouraging words, or help fund us!
As we prepare for this new bundle of amazingness, our families and friends are too! We feel so blessed that you want to be a part of the journey. We feel so blessed that we have people that care for us so much. The thought of this process seems less and less scary with all of you by our sides. Thank you again for your rich blessings that you have given to us whether through kind words, prayers, and even some of you blessing us with some funds for our adoption. We could not feel more loved on this Christmas.
Our little family took 2 nice road trips to see family over Christmas break! We were greeted with the same love and excitement that we usually receive, but this time our families also welcomed the idea of having a new child in their lives. One from Haiti.
"My daughter is adopting from Haiti" My mother tells a store clerk....
"Here's some funds to get things started" my mom-in-law said to us as she passed over part of our Christmas gift! Excited to have her new grandchild as soon as humanly possible!
My brother-in-law giving us funds out of his savings (even as he begins a new journey in his life).
"What's the next step? How does this work..." Excitement and acceptance filled our families dialogue as we talked over Christmas!
It's kind of funny because my husband and I didn't even consider for a moment that our families would be nothing but excited for us on our new adventure. Mainly because we have both been raised with such loving and supportive families.... I never knew what a complete blessing it was until this Christmas arrived. Family giving us prayers, thoughts, questions, excitement, and even some money to get things started. We could not have felt more loved and cared for!
I can't just stop with family.... because our friends have given us so much love and support as well. They continue to send nice notes over email and facebook. Each person willing to hook us up with friends or family member that have gone through the adoption process, give us an encouraging words, or help fund us!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!
As we prepare for this new bundle of amazingness, our families and friends are too! We feel so blessed that you want to be a part of the journey. We feel so blessed that we have people that care for us so much. The thought of this process seems less and less scary with all of you by our sides. Thank you again for your rich blessings that you have given to us whether through kind words, prayers, and even some of you blessing us with some funds for our adoption. We could not feel more loved on this Christmas.
With your help, we are able to start our journey this January!
We start with the first step: our home study! :)
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Our Commonly Received Questions
Since we've announced our great news.... I'm sure you can only imagine the questions and comments we've been getting... So I thought I would clear some things up for those of you who are wondering:
1. How is the adoption going?
It's a process and starting it all takes time! :) But we are working on it.... Mostly... we're not even sure! :)
2. Why are you doing international adoption when there are so many kids around here?
First of all, there are kids everywhere and we love them all.... and if it was up to me I would adopt a ton of kids... from anywhere.... But it's just not possible, so we went with the best option for our family right now. We are not against domestic adoption, and we would love to adopt someone from around here, but that is not what we are doing this time (maybe we'll get another chance!).
3. Are you going to find out about fertility stuff?
Well, maybe some day! :) I would love to find out if there is an easy fix, but unfortunately even the easy fixes are costly (or could be).... and we really want to focus our funds on the adoption. So, in due time.
4. Why did you pick Haiti?
It came down to the fact that this was where we felt drawn to after our first informational meeting, and then it ended up being the best fit for our family as well. We spent a long time debating and discussing this, and we are really excited about it!
Comments we've gotten:
- You don't want a kid the other kids will be able to pick on.
No, we do not.... no one does. We don't want our son to be picked on right now, and will pray for him and our child right now that they will not be picked on. And when they are, we'll be there to help love them and show them God's mercy and teach them an awesome lesson on forgiveness! :)
- You are so much stronger than me!
No, God is.... we're just doing our very best to take this all one step at a time, and trust in God. Please continue to pray those things for us!
- 3 years is a long time!
YES IT IS!!!! Please stick with us for our long journey. We are excited to take it with you, and I know we're going to need all the positive prayers, thoughts, and encouragement we can get! For an impatient person, this is the ultimate test!
If you have any other questions please leave them below and I'll try my best to answer them! :)
1. How is the adoption going?
It's a process and starting it all takes time! :) But we are working on it.... Mostly... we're not even sure! :)
2. Why are you doing international adoption when there are so many kids around here?
First of all, there are kids everywhere and we love them all.... and if it was up to me I would adopt a ton of kids... from anywhere.... But it's just not possible, so we went with the best option for our family right now. We are not against domestic adoption, and we would love to adopt someone from around here, but that is not what we are doing this time (maybe we'll get another chance!).
3. Are you going to find out about fertility stuff?
Well, maybe some day! :) I would love to find out if there is an easy fix, but unfortunately even the easy fixes are costly (or could be).... and we really want to focus our funds on the adoption. So, in due time.
4. Why did you pick Haiti?
It came down to the fact that this was where we felt drawn to after our first informational meeting, and then it ended up being the best fit for our family as well. We spent a long time debating and discussing this, and we are really excited about it!
Comments we've gotten:
- You don't want a kid the other kids will be able to pick on.
No, we do not.... no one does. We don't want our son to be picked on right now, and will pray for him and our child right now that they will not be picked on. And when they are, we'll be there to help love them and show them God's mercy and teach them an awesome lesson on forgiveness! :)
- You are so much stronger than me!
No, God is.... we're just doing our very best to take this all one step at a time, and trust in God. Please continue to pray those things for us!
- 3 years is a long time!
YES IT IS!!!! Please stick with us for our long journey. We are excited to take it with you, and I know we're going to need all the positive prayers, thoughts, and encouragement we can get! For an impatient person, this is the ultimate test!
If you have any other questions please leave them below and I'll try my best to answer them! :)
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Our Hatian Creation
We decided on Haiti!!! We are excited to start this long 3 year journey with you all! We hope that you pray for our family, our child that is waiting for us to bring them home, and our agency as we walk through this adoption together. We are excited and scared...
I have to admit the entire time we were talking to all the country representatives I was SOOOOO scared. I was scared I was going to pick the "wrong" one, scared that we don't have (and won't ever have) the funds for this, scared that we could put all this time and work into it and never get to have our child come home.....
Then one night I put on a tape for my son to listen to as we cleaned. It's a GT and Halo Express tape... I mean tape.. It's old school.... and it is AWESOME! If you ever can find these tapes it is WELL worth the money. I grew up listening to them... and my awesome mother kept them and gave them to me to let my son listen and grow up on them. He loves them as much as I do! :) Anyway, they sing Bible verses and there is always a central theme to each tape. This tape's theme happened to be "HAVE NO FEAR! God has got it!"
"Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go! -Joshua 1:9
and
"Do not fear for I am with you. DO not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and protect you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" -Isaiah 41:10
WOW! Talk about hitting ya right in the face with the facts! I said... Amen... I hear that... and called the agency the next day to let them know that we are ready to start our adoption process! We're ready to get our child from Haiti!!! The Lord is in control and we are trusting! :)
I have to admit the entire time we were talking to all the country representatives I was SOOOOO scared. I was scared I was going to pick the "wrong" one, scared that we don't have (and won't ever have) the funds for this, scared that we could put all this time and work into it and never get to have our child come home.....
Then one night I put on a tape for my son to listen to as we cleaned. It's a GT and Halo Express tape... I mean tape.. It's old school.... and it is AWESOME! If you ever can find these tapes it is WELL worth the money. I grew up listening to them... and my awesome mother kept them and gave them to me to let my son listen and grow up on them. He loves them as much as I do! :) Anyway, they sing Bible verses and there is always a central theme to each tape. This tape's theme happened to be "HAVE NO FEAR! God has got it!"
"Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go! -Joshua 1:9
and
"Do not fear for I am with you. DO not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and protect you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" -Isaiah 41:10
WOW! Talk about hitting ya right in the face with the facts! I said... Amen... I hear that... and called the agency the next day to let them know that we are ready to start our adoption process! We're ready to get our child from Haiti!!! The Lord is in control and we are trusting! :)
Thursday, November 14, 2013
God's Plan and Adoption
Since people have read the first post, and heard my story I have had overwhelming love and positive thoughts, prayers, stories, and encouragement! Thank you SO much for those! We're going to need that in the next 2-3 years as we go through the adoption process! :) Please keep them coming through this time, and don't forget "The Man" because he's going to need them too! (Although I doubt he would ever admit it!)
One comment that came to me a lot was that this must be God's plan for me. That the hardship of not getting pregnant and miscarrying is all in His plan for me. That these things were put in my life to obviously bring me to adoption. Which is truly nice and thoughtful, and in our minds it explains why bad things happen to people we care about and love!
But I want to clear that up real quick.... I do not think God planned for me to have these hardships, just as I do not think God plans for kids to suffer in other countries, or kids to die early from horrible diseases, or any hardship of any kind. Those things happen for one reason... The devil is awful and has brought sin into this world and we are living in it.
I do, however, believe that despite of all these hardships God has destined us for good, and He works through those hardships to bring good things from them. God is a loving and all powerful God perfect in every way. One thing I do know for sure: God placed in my heart a LOONNNGGG time ago a love and desire for adoption. I cannot think of a time I didn't want to adopt at least one child in my life time. I know that these hardships brought me to this option quicker, but we are NOT adopting because we can't get pregnant and stay pregnant. We are adopting because we are excited about loving a child that would otherwise never experience real love. We are excited about having a brother/sister for The Bash.
Although we will still walk the hard walk of trying to get pregnant again, we will focus our attention on adopting a child and know that God does work for the good of those who love him. (we may end up with 6 kids after all of this..... and I never thought I would be excited about being a bus driving mom..... but for some reason I am hoping for it a bit now!)
Please continue to keep us in our prayers. We are currently working with our adoption agency to figure out which country we are going to adopt from. A serious choice among many!
We'll let you all know once we have made our choice!
In the mean time, please stop by and look at the coffee we are "selling." The proceeds go to our family to help support our adoption.... PLUS it would make a fun Christmas gift or tasty morning delight for you!
One comment that came to me a lot was that this must be God's plan for me. That the hardship of not getting pregnant and miscarrying is all in His plan for me. That these things were put in my life to obviously bring me to adoption. Which is truly nice and thoughtful, and in our minds it explains why bad things happen to people we care about and love!
But I want to clear that up real quick.... I do not think God planned for me to have these hardships, just as I do not think God plans for kids to suffer in other countries, or kids to die early from horrible diseases, or any hardship of any kind. Those things happen for one reason... The devil is awful and has brought sin into this world and we are living in it.
I do, however, believe that despite of all these hardships God has destined us for good, and He works through those hardships to bring good things from them. God is a loving and all powerful God perfect in every way. One thing I do know for sure: God placed in my heart a LOONNNGGG time ago a love and desire for adoption. I cannot think of a time I didn't want to adopt at least one child in my life time. I know that these hardships brought me to this option quicker, but we are NOT adopting because we can't get pregnant and stay pregnant. We are adopting because we are excited about loving a child that would otherwise never experience real love. We are excited about having a brother/sister for The Bash.
Although we will still walk the hard walk of trying to get pregnant again, we will focus our attention on adopting a child and know that God does work for the good of those who love him. (we may end up with 6 kids after all of this..... and I never thought I would be excited about being a bus driving mom..... but for some reason I am hoping for it a bit now!)
Please continue to keep us in our prayers. We are currently working with our adoption agency to figure out which country we are going to adopt from. A serious choice among many!
We'll let you all know once we have made our choice!
In the mean time, please stop by and look at the coffee we are "selling." The proceeds go to our family to help support our adoption.... PLUS it would make a fun Christmas gift or tasty morning delight for you!
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