Candid

I feel that in our last placement of a sibling group of three children, with four originals in the home, we garner a lot more attention and reactions from those we encounter on a daily basis. Part of me gets it...I even think I'm a little out of my element some days. But the other part of me is like, dude, I have seven kids, big whoop. Cuz they're all in bed right now and I find as the dust settles, really, everything is ok.

In the end, isn't that what you want for your family? The feeling of peace as everyone is settled into their beds that all is well? It's hard, I'll give you that. But it's doable!!

Rewind 9 weeks and a few days, just for some perspective. Just hours post placement. Like 5 maybe. Terror. What have we done??? Anxiety like a giant elephant, positioned on chest. Why did we think we could do this???

As each day passes, more and more peace settles into the cracks and crevices of our souls, and the souls of 7 littles ones who live here.

Somehow, we make it through the first week and realize it's getting easier. Then another week goes by. Then another. Pretty soon, like a baby standing playing with a toy, not realizing he's balancing on his own, we are going hours and days without wondering how we're going to do this. We're just doing it.

Yes, there was a bit of paperwork. A few meetings. A court date, with more to come. Uncomfortable moments that you just get used to.

But somehow we still manage to homeschool (we're always a bit behind) and run a household (it's 100% clean 0% of the time.)

And the reality is just that there's a lot we have to say no to. During this season of cocooning and bonding that means no even to some family events, which is emotionally difficult as we have wonderful extended families, but so necessary, both for our sanity and for our kids emotional well being.

A window into my day, let's take today for example. This is how we do.

6:30 get up for a few moments of reading, prayer and coffee.

7:00 make a bottle and a big ol pot of oatmeal, set out bowls, spoons and cups, maybe empty the dishwasher quick...

7:20 wake up hardest sleeper, Sleeping Beauty, who happens to be the first to leave for school

7:30 allow the early risers to finally get up, do Sleeping Beauty's hair, feed baby, feed hungry hoard, keep peace at table of 6 wild banshees wonderful children.

8:00 cajole first leaver into coat, hat, mittens, boots and backpack, while keeping peace between the other six, all the while keeping an eye out for the wily bus that shows up mercurially in a 20 minute window

8:13 deliver said child to bus, hope my hair doesn't reveal too much of inner state, as I have not looked into the mirror yet today, later realize day-old make up and hair both reveal inner state

8:15 take a bite, grab baby before he pulls that thing down that he shouldn't touch, take another bite break up boy fight, take another bite, remember I should check K's backpack, forget I was eating and start washing dishes, remember, take another bite, jump up to remove object from baby's mouth, etc...

8:30 load dishwasher while running after baby constantly, finally put him in exasaucer...peace reigns for 7 seconds

8:45 have you ever tried to get a 6 year old to get ready for school when he just wants to stay home and play with his brothers??

8:55 bribe Conscientious School Objector into his ride to school
get ready to leave with one year old to go to a meeting with teachers and staff at school

9:10 chat with babysitter, leave

9:30 meeting with important school people, pretend to be calm and in control of everything while wiping spit up off my shirt and the floor and drool from their table...

10:10 arrive home

10:20 start homeschooling

11:30 run outside to get Sleeping Beauty from the bus, make lunch, read science

12:30 do dishes

1:00-4:00 homeschool, have afternoon coffee survival ration, sneak chocolate when kids aren't watching

4:00 make a bottle for baby, turn on the TV for the kids that will actually sit and watch it....because I'm human, that's why

4:10 make dinner

4:15 check what time it is to see if hubby is off work yet

4:18 check watch to see if it's 4:30 yet

4:23 check watch, still not 4:30...

4:25 resign self to the fact that he will NEVER BE HOME

4:30 at least he's on his way home now

5:05 check phone for text from hubby

5:10 look longingly at empty driveway

5:12 (I'm ashamed to admit)

5:17 (Stop reading crazy lady post)

5:22 Really? FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING WHERE IS THAT MAN????

5:23 (Plotting revenge)

5:24 Cute little gold car pulls into driveway, get off couch and pretend I haven't been scanning the region directly in front of the house like a veritable eagle of desperation

5:30 Dinner, aka training feral
sweet and rambunctious children to eat like human beings that were born into civilization with good manners.

6:15 clean kitchen, but wonder why I bother, in twelve hours it will be a disaster, remember oh yeah, we won't have anything to eat on if I don't...

7:30 happy dance, bed time;)

Life is relentless. Stuff keeps coming at you. Appointments, decisions. It gets complicated dealing with all the legalities, wondering what if and remembering that they're not mine yet. There is risk and there is the cost. But the fact is that regular life would bore me to insanity. Literally. Challenge is good for me, and I daresay, good for most of us. Push yourself. Say the hard yes. If God be for you, who could possibly be against you? I mean really, who???

Because mixed in between the crazy is "mom I love you" and quietly playing for 30 minutes with no brawls!!!! And stick figure moms with heart shapes. Teachers amazed at good behavior after so much trauma. And God bless this stingy Midwest Spring because if it's sunny (about every 10 days or so) and above 45 degrees they think it's summer and ride their bikes around as happy as could be, with no shirts on (the boys I'm talking about here.)

And walks in the woods in the rain, with cold fingers but warm hearts.

Grace For The Day

Sometimes you go around a bend in the road and come upon a need that you just can't ignore. This happened to us. There were these three children. Precious, wounded, needing so many, many things. They had been living as a foster placement with our relatives. We got a chance to know them, their voices, their likes and dislikes, their unique needs. We knew the county was looking for a concurrent placement for them, a place they could stay forever, if...

We felt a very imperative concern. We had many, many late night conversations, and prayed many desperate prayers. Could this be His will for us? Would He lead us to such a cliff of possibilities? Would He give us the wings we would need to navigate such a complex, challenging, heart-wrenching shift to our comfortable life with four kids?

Three more kids, K boy age 6, K girl age 5 and J baby boy, 10 months. Not just any kids, kids with trauma, deep and raw. I felt very certain, from the first little ripple of thought surrounding this possibility that no, I could not do this. Of my own ability, energy and wisdom, I simply could not.

Three weeks in, after K's therapist tells us he doesn't need him any more, he is doing 75% better coping with life, I am convinced...this is not of us. God has shown us so much grace, He is healing these children, somehow, through us, flaws and all.

We went from a family of 6 to a family of 9 and we're starting to thrive. Amazing. This was our path, laid out by the Master Planner.

Before we said "Yes", I tried to find some grand sign that this was meant to be. I needed to make sure I wasn't certifiably insane to even consider it. I didn't want to ruin my kids' life...no, really, I didn't want to ruin mine. We were comfortable. We slept well each night, our house was reasonably tidy, I was keeping up. We had four perfect/imperfect children who did what we asked (mostly), played happily (with occasional fights) and were, generally, doing great.

I have long been a strong pro-life advocate. And I have heard the criticism that people like me, Christian, conservative, a group that has the audacity to believe that life is sacred, no matter what...don't care about the babies once they become "unwanted kids." We just want babies to be born, we don't care what happens to them once they're here. And many of us don't put any shoulder behind our belief, it's true (although more and more are becoming aware and finding ways to help those of us who can adopt!)

Dan and I have never taken the easiest path when it came to adoption, for this very reason. Our third child came home with many health issues; we took a risk. Adopting a four-year-old from Uganda was no easy task. Saying yes to three more children when we live in a 1500 square foot home, on a single income, when we already have 4 that are homeschooled, was not an easy decision. It was a risk. But these are children. Their souls will live forever. They are some of God's perfect creation.

The big sign I was so longing for, the slamming door or the giant yes spelled out in the stars, did not come. It was simply a series of small steps revealing themselves to us, and a string around our hearts that kept pulling and pulling us forward.

We say we believe in the sanctity of life. We say we believe in a God who turned water into dry land, water into wine and fed thousands on a few loaves and fish. How could we say no? How could we say this was impossible?

They needed a family; we needed them. I am already seeing how the yes has transformed OUR life. Yes there are challenges. Battles over the souls of these little ones. We are tenacious; we won't give up. We have lost sleep. We have dealt with fear, anxiety, discomfort. When more passengers get on, the little boat is rocked. But we are learning how to sail our little ship.

I couldn't be more convinced that this is where God has led us. I wasn't sure at first but now I am. The signs continue to be small. A genuine smile. Hearing a sweet tone in the voice as he sings. Wet but welcome kisses. Fast crawling and arms upreached when mama gets home. Sharing treasured treats with mama. Even though I'm not yet mama, in their hearts.

This relationship is still tenuous. And there are no guarantees yet that it is permanent. But it doesn't matter as much as I thought it would. Maybe that's a sign in itself, I don't know. I hope this is a forever, but it's not up to me.

We have felt incredibly supported by our different communities and that has made a world of difference. Even though, I know, most of them heard our news and watched us take this step with a mixture of shock and concern.

I am so thankful for the meals that have been so carefully prepared with so much respect for our unique food culture here. I know not everyone can relate to needing to be so careful with food, nonetheless, we have been so well cared for with food, I just can't even find words for this grace. Our church, friends, adoption support group and family were so quick to step in and help, so much love poured out. Blessing upon blessing to us. Even when I know, they all secretly think we're crazy:)

We are thankful for our wonderful friends and family.
For a larger vehicle that carries all of us, and happens to be black, my favorite car color
For a chubby cherub who loves with all his little self and fills early mornings with smiles and kisses
For the beginnings of trust and attachment
For a sweet greeting from siblings, even when hours before there were angry words and frustration boiling over the edges
For a taste of Spring in a month when winter still holds it's claim

Life is not perfect, it is not easy, it is not always fun for us. But I really don't think that's what it's supposed to be, when you're living to the fullest. We would miss out on so much of God's grace if we never put ourselves in a position of needing it. This is just a path deeper into His heart. We are just getting the opportunity to know Him more. He gives us the grace we need for each day. We try not to get too caught up on what comes after that.

As eluded to before, there are still unknowns. But we don't look back. And really, seven is only a number. It's not daunting, or formidable. Just a few little people who were meant to be all together. And it works. And we'll see what is around the next bend for us.

Six Months In

Ah, it has been quite a while since my last post. Life has been moving with dizzying speed, and I have done my best to keep up and stay sane...judging by my house and my hair style right now, perhaps not very successfully.

We have now been a family of 6 for nearly six months. Beginning in a sunny, energetic and exhausting region of East Africa and finally making our way back to the vanilla pudding Midwest after 11 weeks in country, we have had moments of triumph, moments of utter failure and have learned a ton.

It's been on my heart to encourage other parents preparing for and living this reality along with us. As we have gone deeper into the jungle that is adoption, from transracial, domestic infant, to special needs, to international special needs, we have stretched and sometimes broken in ways we never anticipated, although we did all the required training and reading, and then did more. The truth is, with human beings, their is a dynamic unique to each individual. You just can't know what your kid will "be like" or how you will respond.

The one single piece of advice I would have liked pounded into my head pre-adoptions 2 and 3 would be...Give grace. Give grace to yourself. Don't put pressure on yourself at first. I was so quick to re-enter life because I had been gone for so long. I should have taken much more time to heal. The reality is that bringing home a new kiddo, especially an older one, in my experience, can be demolishing. It can rip you apart, temporarily. You need time to solidify yourself and your family members, as a family. We were in a hurry to get back to life, we should have taken more time.

In discipline, give grace. To the new kid and the old kids. This is seriously hard on kiddos. Especially if extended travel is involved. And it's going to manifest itself in weird ways, that take you off guard, and might make you angry! Let's be real, not sleeping, a lot of extra crying, accidents, whining, doing mean things they never did before. This might be your reality for a while. Brace yourself. BUT! The more grace you're giving yourself (i.e. ignoring comments about "we can't wait to see you"!!!!(so well meant, full of love, but for a people pleaser, more like a command), "do you need a maid"? (now I am self-conscious about another realm of my life), or the myriad of inner thoughts of "I shoulds")the better your mental health. Sane people can handle crazy. Crazy people get more crazy from crazy. Can I get an "Amen."???

Now, let me take a step back and declare that there have been millions of wonderful moments amidst the struggles. Getting about 400 million hugs and kisses per day per little one (confession: I wipe the wet ones off, sensory overload). Family outings (most of my kids behave 140% better in public ((except at church)), go figure). Seeing my kids read to each other, play house together, imagine together, hug and kiss each other. Genuine love and friendship. Priceless. Seeing my oldest step up and become a leader, helper and encourager. Watching how the Lord transforms me as a mom. Relishing my marriage (because he's the only sane person in the house, and us crazies are all his fanpeople.) I could go on and on. I could characterize our days as a roller coaster still. We have really low moments, and really high. But truly, things are evening out here. Even though it's January. In the Midwest.

Some mean curious people have asked me if I would ever "do it again." When I think back to the fear, the loneliness, the anxiety that was more intense than I have ever known, the feeling of never really being able to relax, the 7 days in hospital with a very sick child, the 2 days of travel home...I would say, basically, you know, the logical answer is.....yes. Maybe not next year, maybe not in 5 years, but yes. Looking back, it was so, so hard. The hardest thing I've ever done. And being home is also the hardest thing I've ever done, as a matter of fact. BUT when I look at my girl, with all the diagnoses, all the unknowns, all the special needs, underneath all that is a little kid with grit and spunk, more personality than 50% of the world population combined, brilliant and cunning survival skills, resiliency that brought her through what would most likely crush you and I. I get to know her, and what's more, I get to be her mom! This is a gift. Don't we have to work hardest for the biggest treasures? I know, I know, you can't earn a gift, but many who have adopted know this, that there are no guarantees. So yes, a gift.

Some last words to parents who are raising kids from really, really hard places.
Don't give up. I fail, you fail, we make little mistakes, we make big mistakes. Hang in there. Forgive yourself, move on.
Smile. Even if it's a fake one. It still helps. Science backs me up here.
Hug your kids.
Be you. God gave you this particular child because they needed you and you needed them. Don't try to be someone you're not, use your strengths to build up your child.
Grow.
Meditate.
Relax.
Do things that you love. This will be good for your kids and you.
Remember, this too shall pass. Try to savor the moments, or at least, just hang on and do your best.
Push out what detracts, hurts, stresses.
Embrace what is healing and refreshing.
Fill your space with sensory pleasing sights, smells, feels and tastes.
Pray that the Lord fills you so you have something to give.
When dealing with the trauma-crazy, pray first.

Good thing there isn't a video camera in my house, showing me not taking my own advice. So. Much. Room. To. Grow. I do not, in any way, claim to be an expert. I'm telling my story and basically reminding myself of things I should be doing. If you are able to glean anything from these ramblings, well, good.

Travel On The Horizon

We are so thrilled to have a departure date, a court date and that the days are flying by! We are busily prepping our home, and stocking up on items we will need in Uganda, as well as figuring out where we will stay!

The legal procedures in country are going to take at least two months. Most likely, it will stretch longer. Your continued prayers over this whole process are much appreciated. Please pray for all of us as we prepare, that we would physically and emotionally ready, clear headed and patient. That the Lord would prepare the way and soften hearts. For safety, health and peace for all of us.

I'm continuing my journey of learning ASL, so if you run into me and you know it, feel free to test my skills!:) I'm looking forward to teaching my little princess from the get go!

We'll try to stay connected while in country. For those interested in getting updates, please email me and I'll put you on the list!

Letting Go

"You've brought me to the end of myself
And this has been the longest road
Just when my hallelujah was tired
You gave me a new song

I'm letting go
I'm letting go
I'm letting go
Falling into You

I confess I still get scared sometimes
But perfect love comes rushing in
And all the lies that screamed inside go silent
The moment you begin

You remind me
Of things forgotten
You unwind me
Until I'm totally undone
And with Your arms around me
Fear was no match for Your love
Now You've won me"

Letting Go by Steffany Gretzinger

click here to see this excellent song!


This song is therapeutic to me today! We have journeyed through this adoption now for 420 days, and have reached the ocean, so to speak, with no boat. We're waiting for our ship to come in, but it's still nowhere in sight.

After waiting for over four weeks to hear something, I couldn't wait anymore, and emailed our agency. I was informed that the judge is now returned from leave. Please pray with us that she appoints a court date soon!

I have become pretty good at distracting myself. It is a unique kind of crazy, waiting for a child you dearly love, but not really having any idea when the day will come when you're actually allowed to go to her! We know that delay can come again at any time during this process. Something could come up and push this out further and further. We had allowed ourselves to start imagining our Easter celebration as a family of 6 in her country of origin...now we're just hoping we get a court date some time before the courts recess in August...hopefully well before, but at this point, I'm not holding my breath.

When I am tempted to doubt, I am reminded that He has brought us this far. He is surely able to complete what He has begun. Each step that He had led us through has been miraculous. None of this could have been accomplished in human strength. Only by the will of the Father have we come this far. Only through His strength in us can we accomplish what we have set out to do. He loves our girl even more than we, or anyone else does!

He is the God who is able to perfectly complete...And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

And, after all, there is no fear in love.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. 1 John 4:18

I am letting go. Not giving up, no, never. But I'm learning so much in this waiting. I'm falling into Him, more and more. Trusting it into His hands, over and over.

Holding Pattern

Spring has sprung here in the Midwest. February was bitterly cold. It had us all pining for the warmth of the sun.

About a week ago we received word that our file had been assigned to a judge in Uganda. And now that judge is on a one month's leave. This means we will not be travelling for at least another month. I would imagine it might be reasonable to assume we would get a court date in May. Ambiguity is the flavor of the day around here though. Anything more than tentative gets our hopes too high.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't quite disappointed at this delay. Going from "we could get a travel date any day", to, "we won't travel for at least another month or more", is quite deflating. It's not just a trip we're talking about here. Or a package in the mail. It's a little person. We need her. She, I believe, needs us.

The stingy bit of sunshine we've been getting around here lately is a bit of a consolation. Now that the snow is gone, the little people can at least get out to play and get a change of scenery.

As much as I want to be angry with someone, and rant about foreign governments and judicial systems, I really do know that God's hand directs it all. I don't like it all, but somehow this is right, good and meant to be. Each day that I don't get to hug those little shoulders and caress those smooth brown cheeks hurts. Our grace-giving, all loving God knows this. He knows.

So we wait some more. It's been 403 days since I saw a photo on social media and opened my heart, this possibility, this door. The labor process since has been arduous, and has not yet ended. Relief is not quite in sight, but surely this misery has to end soon. Surely, we will turn a corner, and all these bends in the road will be behind us, and there will be our girl.

We've been tucking away little things for her, here and there. Some new, some handed down. One intangible inheritance from generations ago will precede or accompany her wherever she goes. It is beautiful and we hope she loves it. In my mind and heart it's who she is, blended with the day dreams of a new daughter and the dreams that come, unbidden but welcome, in the sleeping hours of the night, of a beloved memory.

Hopefully, the next time I write will be a hurried announcement of our impending travel! Please continue to pray for a court date, safety, good planning, health and no more bumps in the road. Thank you.

Oh and one more thing, a praise! We are overjoyed that my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, along with their two daughters, will be able to come to help and minister in Uganda for a period of time while Dan returns home. I am so grateful for their willingness to come out of the Comfort Zone, to love in a tangible way! Praise the Lord! Please pray for them as they prepare and fundraise.

Drawing Ever Closer

We are finally going to be able to make some tentative travel plans! We were informed that we will PROBABLY travel in April! This feels like a momentous day! Especially as we are drawing very close to the one year mark. It was February 14th of last year that I sent an email to A's agency. Two weeks later we found out they had accepted us as her family.

There have been multiple phone calls, many emails, hundreds of sheets of paper. Fundraising, prayer upon prayer upon prayer, months of waiting with no news of our girl, days when I open my email to discover the beautiful gift of a new photo or 30 seconds of her little personality, a cancer battle fought, holidays celebrated with the nagging notion that someone is missing, knowing that next time, next time we celebrate, A will be here. We've all been waiting and praying so long, she's a famous person around these parts. Her picture is everywhere. Her story is on many hearts. Will she really be ours? Do I really get to be her mama?

With the joy, there is also much to ponder and much to be done.

Here's a glimpse into my brain at 5:30 a.m., lying in bed with thoughts whirling like a hurricane.

Malaria, TYHPHOID, Yellow Fever, Luggage, Two months, parasite, bills, homeschool, UGANDA, dirt roads, transportation, emergency, HOSPITAL, packing list, GET IT DONE, food, foodborne illness, mosquito, skirts, summer clothes, sunscreen, DEET, guest house, walking to town, three kids, four kids, sign language, anemia, HOME, no hot water, paperwork, delay, water, visa, tickets, what if, leaning in.

God's words rise in my mind as I type these words, to paraphrase what it means in my words "You're not supposed to be worrying about anything Gina. Pray about it. Let ME take care of it." "You have only to be still and watch the Lord defend, protect and fight your battles."

The Israelites were gripped in fear. Why had Moses led them to this dangerous place away from all that was familiar, where they would surely DIE? But Moses, representing Father God, reminds them:

“Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

The Lord Himself has brought us here. The Lord Himself was with A every time she was deathly ill and her mama was not there. The Lord Himself has allowed our paperwork to all go through so far. The Lord Himself has moved in each love-motivated heart that sacrificially gave towards the redemption fund of our girl. Allowing us to be FULLY FUNDED, so that we could focus on packing, preparing, cleaning and do a little dreaming of our new daughter too! These are HUGE battles that He has won for A, for us, for our family.

I should not be worried, but I do feel twinges of anxiety. We love to know that there are friends praying for us! It is no small feat, to pack, to prepare, to plan, to bring three young children to a third world country, to stay for two months, and sustain all those little lives, with another joining us, with trauma, and strive to keep them healthy and happy. But it's my job. I can do everything I need to, with Christ giving me strength. Please pray that He would be tangibly near to us, from here on out.

To those who are reading these words and have already been praying, have donated money or time to our adoption fund, who have kindly encouraged or given helpful travel advice, I am so deeply grateful. It shows His love in you, beautifully.

Where We Are

Our hearts are so full. Many emotions bubble up to the surface. We are joyful that the days are flying by, each day bringing us closer to our girl. We still don't have a travel date. There are a couple of queues we will get that will alert us that it's getting close, but it seems that once we get our court date, we will need to leave asap. It would be wonderful to be able to travel as early as March.

It has been thrilling to receive videos and picture updates of A. At the same time, to see her sweet personality, and see her big smile, and to know that, as mama and daddy, we're still thousands of miles and many weeks till we see her, weighs on our hearts.

We received a letter at the end of November informing us that we were approved to receive a sizable grant towards our adoption. This is a huge, huge blessing.

Our adoption fund currently has a deficit of only about $5500, and we are praying about what steps to take to make up the remaining amount. We have recently applied for another grant, and are waiting to find out the decision of one more foundation. Getting blessed with either/both, would get us closer, if not all the way, to our goal.

Also, we have received a medical update on A. She seems to be doing well, but we have learned that she has most likely suffered profound hearing loss, at some point in her young life. We had suspected this for a little while, not knowing how severe it was. It is obvious that she is really not hearing much, and doesn't really speak. This is something the Lord knew from the very beginning and we grieve for her loss, but feel very able to manage, as we already see many specialists and have experience with hearing loss with Finn. We look forward to learning ASL, and hope to begin teaching her when we FINALLY get to meet her:)

So, to sum up, here is a prayer list:

1. For A's safety, health and happiness till we can bring her home.
2. That there would be no snags in the process, that everything would go as smoothly as possible.
3. That our time spent travelling (with 3, then 4 children) would be blessed. That everyone would be safe and healthy.
4. That our adoption fund would be at 100% by the time we need to travel.
5. Also, we appreciate continued prayers for my dad recovering from colon cancer. For healing, energy and high quality of life returning soon!

Update

We have recently received some hard news. First of all, we will be so grateful for prayers for my dad, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. This is quite a shock to us, as he is such a vibrant, healthy person. We are hopeful that with treatment, he is almost certain to recover, but will need much prayer for the next two months of chemo and radiation. And prayers for his wife as she cares for him as he goes through this difficult time.

Second, we were told by our agency to expect to be in Uganda 8-10 weeks. I saw this coming, but was really hoping that 4-6 weeks would be enough time, as that was the estimate when we first started this journey. We have figured out travel expenses and fundraising needs based on 4-6 weeks, so we have had to up our amount that we will need. This is a bit discouraging, but we know the Lord has a purpose in it. We joke that our kids will think that we are living in Africa, after staying there for up to 3 months:) I've wanted to be in Africa for some time now so am looking forward to it, but the downside is that of those 10 weeks we will likely be in Uganda, Dan will only be able to be with us for about 5 or so, we think. This thought brings me quite a bit of apprehension, as I can't sleep when he's not in the same vicinity, much less country. And to manage four little ones, on my own, in a new place, it will be challenging! Especially if/when someone gets sick! Please pray for a brave spirit for me, that can rely completely on the Lord, to bring me help when I will need it!

We are waiting to hear the decision for 3 of the 4 foundations we applied to for grants. One has made a decision already, and has promised us a grant of $1,000 that will be able to be used towards post placement fees. Unfortunately we will not be able to get it pre-placement, or pre-travel.

We need to start planning at least a couple more fundraisers, one big, one smaller, maybe.

All donations are, of course, very welcome! We are totally humbled by the sacrificial giving that continues to bless us, and ultimately, our little girl. At this point, anything we raise goes to fund our travel and stay in Uganda, to go through the necessary legal process of bringing A home. Please don't think that we are just trying to get a really nice, exotic vacation paid for by everyone else. We would much prefer to pay for it ourselves and for it to be quicker, but this is the necessary process and we are stepping out in faith. We are trying to find deals, and do everything as inexpensively as possible to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us, but, when all is said and done, this is an expensive mission.

Sometimes I do wonder, is this the right thing to do with around $40,000??? But then I am reminded that many spend that much on a new vehicle, or jewelry, or vacations, or various other "things." This is a precious little human we are talking about! The most precious of all preciousness. Of course it's worth it, though, yes, the money could be spent in many other philanthropic ways. But to think, a little girl is going to get a mama and daddy from this money. It's allowing her to become an American citizen with access to the best in everything, and the gift of being raised, as we were, on the Bible and it's invaluable teachings. A worthy cause? Absolutely!

We plead for your prayers, and would welcome any and all ideas on ways to smooth the stay, raise funds or great Bible verses to encourage our hearts now, through these very challenging times we find ourselves in. There is so much to worry about these days, we all need peace in our hearts. I'm fighting to be peace-filled (that's quite the paradox) for my kids, my husband, and others who need me. I just need to be reminded, over and over, that "I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me."

Remember our girl in your prayers, as ebola claims more and more victims, as she has underlying health conditions, and we won't be able to go to her for at least another 5 months!!! I am so thankful that our Lord loves her more than even we do, and can easily protect her and that if she is meant to be a Church, then nothing can stop her from coming HOME.

Dossier Done

Well, it is finally done! The dossier is the grand finale of paperwork for the international adoption process. We had to compile original, notarized versions of our home study, medical certificates, marriage license, birth certificates, letters of employment, letter of recommendation, 5 references, the deed of our home, proof that our immigration application was approved, photos of us and our home, proof that we had current passports, and child abuse clearances and background checks. All of this times 6. And then I had to make three photocopies of each original! The stack was quite tall. And today it was sent on it's way to North Carolina, first stop, then to Kampala, final destination.

We began the process of gathering documents in March, because we had an idea of what we would need, but we didn't really officially start until closer to May. It took us a total of about 4 months, partly because we needed to wait for our home study, and then wait for immigration paperwork. We couldn't have done it any faster. It's been 7 months since I first saw A's photo. Six since we knew we would be her family. The earliest we could imagine travelling would be March, but it's all dependent on how her paperwork goes. They say 6-9 months is what it takes. So over a year since the whole process began. That's a long time to wait for your small, parentless girl.

We feel very blessed that we are able to pay the fees involved with submitting our dossier, a tidy little sum of $8,150. And once the request comes from Uganda for the rest of the fees, around $6500, we'll have that too. Thanks to those who have donated, prayed for and helped out with our fundraising. This is amazing, miraculous, huge! We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

We have one last mountain to summit, and that is the expense that travel will incur, along with a few other fees that pop up here and there. The total could be as high as $12,000 or higher, depending on how long our stay is. We were told 4-6 weeks, but it's sounding like families end up being there longer, sometimes double that length. Some may question our choice to bring our children, however, I cannot imagine not seeing my 7 year old, 3 year old and two year old for that amount of time. I don't think it would be good for them at all, and I don't think it would be good for our family. Not that it couldn't work for some or in a certain situation, but we are prayerfully planning on bringing all three. Even though it adds extra expense.

We are continuing to put our best efforts into fundraising. I know not everyone agrees with doing this for family building. The way I see it, orphans are everyone's responsibility till they find homes. But not everyone sees it that way, and it's ok. The Lord has worked with our 5 loaves and two fish. He has multiplied what we have done with generosity from the most unexpected sources sometimes. And that is just God for you!

Current Fundraisers

We will be at the Mahtomedi Farmer's Market for three more Saturdays. It is a fun, small town, quirky experience that I highly recommend.

We also are still accepting donations toward the Puzzle Project

And a great way, I think, for families on a tighter budget to help out would be Collecting Change.

We also are very honored that a Car Show will be held to help bring A home a week from Saturday, September 20th, from 9-5. For more details see the facebook page

You could say that now we're official. In our hearts, she's been our daughter since March. That means that we lay in bed and worry about her maybe getting sick, or being sad or hurt. It means we think of her often. I love that feeling of all my kids safely tucked in bed at night, but I always think to myself, no, they're not all safely tucked in bed. Someone is missing. My daughter.

There is something visceral about this mama daughter relationship already. I have a knot in my soul right now, considering recent events in Uganda. We beg for your prayers for her safety, for peace in Uganda, and that the process would not be delayed. My feelings for that little sweet girl are the same as if LuLu, Harry or Finn were in Uganda, surrounded by deadly dangers. Not that I think those things threaten her at this moment, but they could, they're much too near for comfort, and they loom with the threat of blocking our way to get our girl. This is something that is on our minds constantly. We won't truly rest till she's home.

Making Progress

Well, it continues to be a busy summer. It seems that is my normal state...if you ask me how I am it's always, busy. And a bit stressed and tired too. We have settled into somewhat of a rhythm, preparing for Farmer's Market each week, making lotion, GF bread, and blueberry muffins, among other things, and trying to keep up with housework, potty training, getting more organized, ordering homeschool material and planning for the school year.

It's been a cool, rainy summer this year, which is ok, but I would not mind a more seasonal temp after the long, bitter winter we had. The children have enjoyed getting outside quite a bit though. They still splash around the kiddy pool and love going to the park.

We are thrilled that our home study is done, finalized, notarized, and we have all the copies we need (we had to have 7 originals!!!) I sent in our immigration paperwork July 5th, the earliest we would expect to see that approved is in about a month. Once that is approved we can finish our adoption paperwork and send in our dossier!!!

We are almost done with our dossier, all the hard parts have been completed, we just need to make a few photo copies and take some pictures. It's been a 3 month process so far, 4 months if you count the application process, and 5 months since we saw that first little picture of A on a social media site and decided to find out if we were meant to be her parents.

The Lord is certainly preparing our hearts, filling us with more and more anticipation for her homecoming. I think about the difference between bringing home a newborn and bringing home an older child. To us, it will be a momentous occasion, but to the world, maybe not so much. Seeing a newborn people comment, and ooh and aahh. Seeing a 4 year old, dealing with the loss of her home and "family" and trying to adjust to a new culture and language, will certainly not evoke the same reaction.

I hope we can make up for some of A's losses, or at least soften them in some way, with the Lord, the healer of the brokenhearted. We are trying to prepare ourselves for the grief that she will feel, being separated from the only home she's ever known, and no longer surrounded by friendly, brown faces, under the warm Uganda sun. What a tremendous change that will be for a 4 year old.

The big question continues to be, "When?"

The answer is still hard. Hopefully February, more likely March, quite possibly April, May or June of 2015.
Please pray!
For the right amount of patience and that the Lord would mercifully speed the process along.
For A's physical, emotional and spiritual safety and health.
For the remaining funds we need to submit with the dossier.
For blessed fundraising for what we will need for travel.
For the Lord's peace and wisdom during this season of much pressure and strain. That we would respond in a godly manner in every challenging situation.

Update, and Farmer's Market Adventures

The days are flying by. We are in almost constant preparation for A and her adoption. Currently I'm going through the entire house, top to bottom, cleaning and organizing. My progress is slow but steady, one room is done! I've needed to do this for a while now, but extra motivation for me is that we'll be photographing our family and home for the dossier.

We've started selling items at the Mahtomedi Farmer's Market...things like Gluten-free bread, handcrafted lotion and lip balm, hand knit items, and handmade jewelry.

So far we've sold a few things, but are hoping as the season matures we'll see more traffic.

We are so grateful to see the donations continuing, the need is still very much there. We are working on what the next fundraiser will be, probably near the end of September.

It's been 4 months since we found out about A. We found out we would be her parents in March. We began the process immediately, and still are up to a year away from placement. What we have experienced so far in this process is that everything takes a bit longer than projected. We would love to travel to Uganda in February, but that's beginning to look like an impossibility. We're still waiting for our approved home study. It's been written for a few weeks now, but the approval process is proving to be longer than we had anticipated. We just found out today that it's in the mail, and that sort of feels like Christmas for me!

Once we have our home study, there are two more steps, paperwork-wise till we're finished. Our next step is the CIS application, which is asking for advanced immigration approval. This could take up to three months to get approved. Hopefully more like a month or less. Then the dossier gets submitted. Once CIS approval comes through the dossier will be ready to send right away (because we do all that mostly ourselves.) Once the dossier is in, then they start A's paperwork, which can take up to 9 months. It may seem like impatience, but we are praying and hoping for a best-case scenario, quickest-case scenario. I cannot explain the urgency we feel. It's like running a marathon. Each step takes energy, and the farther you go, the harder it is. You are glad you're doing it, but you can't wait for it to be over, because each day we love her a little more and want to meet her, hear her voice and start being her mama and daddy.

Please pray
~For A, to be surrounded with love, to be safe from everything that could harm her so far away from us, to stay healthy (there is limited medical treatment available, to have all her physical needs met till we can go to her.
~That the total amount we will need when we submit the dossier (around $15,000) will be there when we need it!
~That our travel expenses could be kept low, and that fundraising would continue to be blessed.
~For our kids already at home, that they learn through this process to have faith in a God who provides and how much He loves us ( as parents we can learn this lesson too)! And that we as parents would be able to keep their stress level low, despite how busy and worn out we are:)
~For Dan and I, for the spiritual and physical endurance and strength to handle everything coming our way right now. It's the hardest/best thing we've done, I think.

The How-To's of Adoption Fundraising, Part 1, The Ice Cream Social

One of the most intimidating things about adoption can be the cost. Many, many people have looked at me with shock/dismay at the amount it will take to get A home. It seems like an impossible task. I think a lot of families/individuals would pursue adoption if they weren't so doubtful about coming up with the thousands and thousand of dollars that it can take to bring a child home.

I would like to put a plug in here for foster adoption. Adoption from foster care can be very, very low in cost. A fraction of what other types of adoption can be. But more on that a different day. Even as an adoption advocate, I can only handle so much at a time:)

Also, I would say, consider your priorities. If it's important to you, you will find a way. I don't write this flippantly. We are a low middle class family, mostly single income. This adoption is surely being boosted by our last two, because of the adoption tax credit, but we could have put that tax return into other areas, other needs. We have chosen to sacrifice and face a slimmer margin, because we believe a soul hangs in the balance. A's, as it so happens.

BUT, there is no way we could have scrimped and saved the thousands and thousands it will take to bring her home. We needed to reach out to our community. We have shared our burdens with the Lord, our family, our church and our community. We have seen incredible generosity pour forth.

"I don't always think of myself as rich, and I'm guessing you may not think of yourself as rich either. But the reality is, if you and I have running water, shelter over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat, and some means of transportation (even if it's public transportation), then we are in the top 15 percent of the world's people for wealth." from Radical, by David Platt

Sometimes, you need a channel by which people feel comfortable or inspired to give. Today, I'm highlighting the Ice Cream Social.

Here's what we did, if you have some suggestions, please feel free to mention them in the comments.

1. Plan a date, find a space.
We used our church building. They allowed us to rent the space free of charge. Wonderful blessing!

2. Invites! It wouldn't be a bad idea to mail our post-card type invitations. I'm just not convinced that e-invites, facebook events, etc are the way to go. We announced, announced, announced, through social media, email and in our church bulletin. Our total guests, including about 10-15 volunteers, was only 90 people. However, these precious 90 people happened to be very generous, as we were able to raise about $2100!!!

3. Find volunteers. You will need help. A friend of mine sent out an email sign-up sheet. We had volunteers for scooping ice cream, keeping things re-stocked, keeping things tidy, sitting at the donation table, keeping an eye on the silent auction items, selling raffle tickets and for clean up. One thing that we didn't do, that I wish we would have, is to have a brief meeting with volunteers, just to run through how you envision the evening going. If possible, do it at the venue.

4. Make a list of everything that needs to happen or needs to be collected before the event. Decide when you're going to do what. When you're going to set up tables, when you're going to pick up supplies etc. We chose to have toppings at our Ice Cream Social, whip cream, sprinkles, chocolate etc. We also had coffee. We started about 1.5 weeks before the day and that seemed to work well. Don't plan too much the day of, or you'll be stressed and exhausted by go time.

5. Find Ice Cream!!! For this, you'll need to plan ahead if you want anything special. There's nothing wrong with swinging by the local grocery store and loading up there. We wanted something homemade, and were able to find a local distributor, but it was about 3 x or more the price. Very good, quite expensive!! We ordered 7.5 gallons and that was more than enough.

6. These are optional items, but we chose to do a silent auction/raffle concurrently with our social. This brought it approximately $100 extra and was quite a bit of work, gathering items and setting everything up. Not sure if we would do that again. We also prepared a little presentation, including a slide show, which was fun and very well-received. Doing these little extras helped, but were not necessary.

7. Pray and ask others to pray. Our event was not super well attended, but as I said, those who came were obviously passionate about supporting our adoption and put their money where their hearts are.

~extra little tid-bits~
~we made sure (suggested by a smart friend) that those waiting in line/coming in would go right by the silent auction tables
~we didn't charge a fee to get in, we just kept a donation box for those who came in to give what they felt, there were hundred dollars bills, and very large checks in the box at the end of the night, and like I said, we raised $2100!!!
~if possible, try to find enough volunteers so that you won't need to do anything after set-up, you'll want to go around and chat with your guests, and you will have different folks coming up asking questions and what-not



So far, in our third adoption adventure, we have been blessed with over $10,000 in gifts and fundraisers. Two garage sales, hosted by others for us, brought it around $4,000 total. I plan to write another entry in this series on putting on a successful adoption fundraiser garage sale, as we have participated in and put on three now, over the course of our last three adoptions. a huge and heartfelt thanks/shoutout to our dear church family and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law for all the work and inconvenience of putting on these garage sales for our A.

My Greatest Offering

Since my last post, we have almost reached our last goal, which was selling 27 puzzle pieces. Two recent donations have gotten us really close! Such a blessing! We realize that most donations have come from sacrifice, and this touches our hearts so much. That you all would do that for our baby girl!

The Ice Cream Social is just a few weeks away! It will be held May 30th, from 6-9 p.m. at Twin Cities Bible Church in Maplewood. There will be delicious, locally made ice cream and some exciting items raffled, some great silent auction items. If you are local, please attend!

Saturday we spent part of our morning going from shop to shop in our local downtown. We received a couple of donations toward the silent auction/raffle. We have had other donations come in from advertising on facebook and word of mouth. We are so thankful for the things that have come in so far, and are hopeful for more. We have a few places yet to visit, and hopefully the Lord will open doors.

In other news, we received four out of five passports (mine was sent in a couple days later, so it hasn't come yet)and our home study packet was finally sent last Wednesday!!! That felt so good! Getting our home study in writing (this is something our social worker does and should be complete soon, now that all our paperwork is in) is a huge key to the next series of steps we need to take. Then on to apply for advanced immigration approval and start to tackle the dossier, which actually seems a little easier than the home study documents. I am eager to get the dossier in, as that is when the 6-9 month time clock to get our court date starts counting down. Realistically, it will take at least two months before it's ready.

Each day that goes by we grow more eager to meet our new daughter. We are jealous of all the time we are "missing" from her. We do trust in the Lord's timing, nevertheless, it is very hard to be so far away, in time and space, from our sweet, darling little girl. We haven't seen any new pictures, or really heard much of an update at all, but hopefully soon.

One thing that makes this process easier is our supportive family and our sisters and brothers in Christ. We have received contributions of money, help, items for garage sale, encouraging words, prayers and cards. It all helps so, so much. Thank you all. We love you!

Our kids at home are doing great, Lu is turning 7 on Sunday!!! Harry broke another pair of glasses, but continues to amaze us with his vocabulary, intelligence and love for life...and cars. Finn will be getting hearing aids soon, but he's actually doing really great, he's hearing things he's not supposed to:) And I heard him singing Let It Go today. Super cute.

LuLu picked out her first present to her sister today. It's a pink, sparkly tiara headband.

I heard "Spirit Speaks" by All Sons and Daughters on Pandora today. It was timely. Two of my favorite lines...
"To every word you speak, I'll go where you will lead
To love the least of these, is my greatest offering"
Yes, yes it is. My greatest offering, loving the least (littlest), one at a time.

Getting Down To The Wire

Just a little recap of where we're at in the process.

We have a referral. We're in the process of updating our home study. We recently submitted our contract. Once the home study is updated, we'll submit our immigration paperwork. We're expecting our dossier checklist soon! Once the dossier (huge stack of paperwork that gets shipped off to Uganda) is on it's way, we expect to travel 6-9 months from that time.

So this is me.

Stacks of papers to fill out. Forms to photocopy. Questions to email. Phone calls to make. Dollars to raise.

Diapers to change. Lessons to teach. Homeschooling. Dishes. Laundry. Etc...

But it's all worth it. Each day, I grow more excited to meet my new daughter. Each day I am thankful for my kids at home.

And thankful for the warm sun when I take the kids outside to play.

And grateful that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, who knows and sees with compassion, all of our struggles.

I do worry. I try not to, but I am anxious for my girl, who seems so, so far away. I hope and pray that she is staying healthy. That she is full at the end of the day. That someone is showing her the care and love that she needs.

And I have what if moments. And they are scary.

In going over the more formal documents that we received last week, I realized that one application (immigration stuff) that has to be mailed ASAP includes a $720 fee. To be honest, I knew that this came somewhere in the process, but I wasn't sure when. The reason we need to get it in ASAP is because is takes 60-90 days to be fully processed. And we can't move forward with the final faze of adoption paperwork (dossier) till it's complete.

~~~~Please pray with us that we are able to raise the $1865 we will need, in about 3 weeks. That means we need to raise $621 per week till then.~~~~~

If we can get 27 more puzzle pieces sold, we will have reached out goal for the week!!!

Please pray with us that 27 hearts are touched.

More Little Steps

This week we finished our 10 hours of required training. I like to joke a little that I guess the last 3 years of adoptive parenting haven't counted:) While finishing up our training, which was a webinar, I folded little girl clothes. Mostly 4-5t. I've experienced baby showers...getting cute clothes to put your new baby in, and folding them neatly in preparation for the new little person that will fill them. It was sort of a similar experience, though these were Lu's hand-me-downs. It was fun to look at all the sweet little girl things A will wear. It's a way of feeling connected with her, the only way I can, for now.

Today we update our homestudy, which is just another of many steps in the paper chase. We're going to spend the cleaning and organizing, and it is just great timing because then on Sunday we host for Easter! Our new social worker comes here and we all chat (there will be a nice long movie time for the kids.) Then she updates the "story of our family" or homestudy, and gives us a list of documents to gather.

This updating process will involve a $1500 fee. Again, it's another big bill that we can cover, thanks in part, to timely donations.

Please continue to pray that more funds come in. We have fundraisers coming soon, but we will have big bills due before then. And by the time we submit our dossier (some time this summer) we will need to have $15,000 to cover all the rest of the international fees (this does not include travel.)

I know a lot of times we complain that adoption is too expensive, the costs are too high. But really, when you break it all down, a good part of the money is going to help care for our girl and to provide aid for the orphanage. Some goes to the government, and some to the agency, but not all. And our agency is very transparent about where all there money goes, so I truly believe that every penny is needed and justifiable. If you would like to help, please feel free to donate any amount by clicking the donate button to your right. Thank you.

Other ways to help:

Coin Buckets!!!

The Puzzle Project

The Latest

Well, we've seen the beginnings of better weather and the snow is gone. Praise the Lord! Another praise, our passport applications are in!!!

I was a bit nervous to do this, as it is so important (and expensive!) Thankful that everything went smoothly and it's done!

In facing the reality of the finances, dealing with other things that come up in life, and figuring out this whole passport situation with kids and forms, and printers not printing, and me making mistakes and having to re-do forms, then sitting down to do our training at 9 p.m. after a long day, I've been stressed! Finn has a sedated procedure coming on Tuesday, my house is in shambles, and the snow melting was wonderful, but revealed a ton of work we need to do cleaning up. I am concerned that from the outside looking in, we're crazy to attempt this huge, huge thing called international adoption.

But in considering this, I took a step back, and what I see is a sweet little girl, who I happened to find, who is not 100% healthy, who has no mama. And she needs me. And it's so beyond worth it. For her precious soul, it's an honor to do this. It's hard, yes. It's illogical, yes. But if we use our hearts and our eternity-seeing eyes, it makes all the sense in the world.

And if you ask my kids, they have a sister in Uganda. Or "Nuganda" as Harry terms it. She's their sister, the boys either identify her by her name, or by saying "sitter" (sister.) In my kids hearts, there are no questions about it. A is prayed for every night by daddy and boys, mama and LuLu, and she's going to be enjoying the longed for bunkbeds that LuLu now has a perfect right to expect.

Adoption is expensive, and yes, some aspects of it do seem ridiculously difficult. It's not the perfect solution, but for this 3 year old girl, it's the only solution possible.

And it is inconvenient to fundraise, and I know, it's not always convenient to give. And it won't make us richer, or less stressed, or anything like that. And it certainly won't really help you at all, to give to the adoption of this little girl. But imagine you were her. Living with next to nothing, not even family, and imagine how you would feel if a bunch of people in the USA pulled together to bring you somewhere safe, warm, loving and welcoming. Imagine that.

It makes me want to give everything for her, of course, because she is, or will be mine, but I know it moves your heart as well as mine. It's life-changing, to help kids like A. This is real, it may not be at our doorstep, but it doesn't make her need any less real. And ultimately, we're all part of the same race, the same family. Just because distance and a few bits of DNA separate us does not mean we aren't obligated, in some way, to help the motherless and fatherless of our world. This is my desperate, deepest desire.

Looking ahead, some prayer requests and things to be mindful of for us:

~Homestudy meeting coming up next Friday
~Finn's sedated ABR
~Reaching our first fundraising goal of $1600 ($1058 left to raise) which will allow us to pay the next 2 big fees, and reaching our ultimate goal of $23,000 total.
~Praise that our passport fees ($600) and our first professional services fee to our agency ($2700) is fully covered. God is good, and we see Him working through you!!!

Fundraiser #2!!!!

In conjunction with The Puzzle Project, which will be ongoing till we bring Alma home, we are introducing "Help Change a Life" coin buckets...

We have $1281 to go before we reach our first fundraising goal of $1600!!!



You could leave this on your kitchen counter, dresser, in your office at work, at a local business that you frequent, in your car etc...

Please let me know if you want one! When it's full let us know and we'll be happy to pick it up! All donations will go directly to bringing A home from Uganda.

First Official Fundraiser To Bring Alma Home From Uganda!!!!

The Puzzle Project!!


There are 1,000 pieces, and our goal is $23,000. Suggested donation amount is $23 or more. For each donation, we will put a name (yours) on the back of a puzzle piece (or however many pieces you choose to "buy") and when complete, it will mean that we can bring A home. The puzzle will be framed so that the front and back will be on display! You can either click "donate" or mail a check/give cash. Email me at Chicamia84@msn.com for address.


Our first goal, in the next month, would be to raise about $1600. That's what we're short for the first batch of BIG fees.

Please know we hate asking for money. The only time we ever have is to bring our kids home (this is our 3rd adoption.) We're pouring all our savings and pinching every penny, but it's not going to be enough. Alma has sickle cell anemia and has been in an orphanage most of her life. So please, please give what you can!

If you don't have any money (or just want to do more), and want to help consider these options...

~Share our blog! It has very, very few views, and I'm working on finding out ways to improve that BUT...you can share it on your facebook page, and that would be a HUGE help!!!

~Ask for a coin donation bucket, we're making them (photos to come) and you could ask your boss to put one in the office, keep one in your home, car, wherever loose change might be!

~Pass out our adoption cards. I always have some with me, or I will happily mail some out!

~PRAY! We appreciate this the most, as all things belong to Him anyway:)

What We've Been Up To...

Since finding out this amazing, life-changing news about Alma, we have been busy. For those who may wonder what our adoption process is looking like so far, take a peek into our frenzy...

1. The day I found out we were expecting Church kid #4, I began filling out applications. One for our placement agency (Carolina Adoption Services) and one for our homestudy agency (God's Children Adoption Agency.) It took me a total of around 3 hours to do both.

2. Along with the GCAA application, we had to include our fingerprints, which had to be done at the police station. Thankfully, there's always a helpful officer on duty no matter what time you show up. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was quick!

3. We've also been planning fundraisers.

We ordered our 1,000 piece photo puzzle, that will be a visual reminder of how each donation puts more pieces of the "puzzle" (which is a huge photo of our little Alma)of our adoption together. You can donate $23 to have a piece dedicated to you, and when framed it will be double sided, so we get to see all the love that was poured out that helped bring her home. (Photos to come)

Another thing we did (I keep saying we, I should be saying I, many adoptive moms, I think, can relate!!!!) was order a 250 business type cards with our adoption info and blog address on it, so if you would like a stack to pass out, or just one to keep in your purse or on your fridge, let me know!!

The ice cream social is being planned! The date will most likely be a Friday in May! It should be super fun and is open to all!

We're going to be making change collectors, to be placed in homes, offices, businesses, anywhere where someone might be so kind as to throw some lose change into a jar (photos to come). When it's full, just let us know and we'll come pick it up! If you would like a container or two, let me know and I'll get it to you ASAP!!

4. There is one adoption grant I can apply for, and plan to apply for more. Our experience with this in the past has been pretty great, however, most will not allow us to apply till we have our updated homestudy, which we will not have for at least a few weeks. Most of the fees will be due before we'll ever hear back about grants, so we are just not going to count on that for right now. But it could help with travel fees, which could be up to $16,000 total.

We were very blessed to receive two very generous donations just within the first few days of finding out about our new daughter. To those who have given and plan to give, we cannot thank you enough. Thank you and God Bless you!


If you haven't already, please share our blog with your friends. The more who know, the more that can be involved through support and prayer and...

Other ways to help...

~pass out our adoption cards
~place a coin donation collector in your home, office, workplace etc.
~pray, pray and pray some more!!!!
~volunteer for the ice cream social coming in May