First Payment...PAID!

So...went out for a great dinner with Jake for my birthday and we came home to some AMAZING news! Our 1st payment of $550 has already been paid for us! We don't even remember telling anyone specifically what it costs, but OMG it's done. We just received the request for the funds and paperwork this afternoon, and it's taken care of already!

Seriously, God is AMAZING!

Our little Girl will be home before we know it!

Formal Application...Accepted for the Ethiopia Program

We received an email today from Bethany Christian Services saying we have formally been approved to start the process to adopt from Ethiopia! We also received a list of 8 documents that need to be submitted so we can start our homestudy. This also means our first payment is due. Let the fundraising begin...here we go!

I'm ready to tackle all the documents...and get our little girl home!!!!

Couldn't ask for better news on my birthday!

It's been over a year since a post!!!

Well, where do I begin? In May of 2009 we were expecting to adopt a little girl. Instead, the birthmom disappeared on her due date. It was a horrible 2-weeks of my life. We couldn't locate her until then she had the baby and went home. It was sad, but in the end she had changed her mind and didn't know how to tell us.

During the Fall of 2009, we met another potential birthmom. Both times, the birthmom's just came into our life through people we knew. The second time around, we had a time to get to know the birthmom. When the baby was 4 days old, we were told the birthmom had changed her mind. It was very difficult to handle the second unsuccessful adoption. We had really expected this to turn out differently, but with domestic adoption, the mother can't legally sign away her rights until after the birth. I still keep in contact with the family, and wish they were doing better! The baby was born in January!

So, why start the blog back up again? Well, we are starting the adoption process yet again! We decided to go the International route and adopt from Ethiopia. It's going to be a long year+, but we are game for the adventure. I wish things would have been different, but let the new adventure begin. We are going to hopefully adopt a little girl who is 2 or under. We want to make sure that Jack stays the oldest child in our family. We are submitting our formal application today! It is my hope that you will take a moment and click follow this blog...to keep tabs on our family. This will be our main mode of communication about the adoption, fund raising efforts, and what's new with our family. We can't wait to share this journey with you!

Here we go....

Adoption Update

Well, the adoption didn't take place. The birthmother changed her mind about putting her baby up for adoption right at the time of her due date. She didn't tell us, our social worker or attorney about her decision. We figure she had the baby two weeks ago, but she hasn't had any communication with us. She went into the hospital as a non-public patient so we didn't know she was there apparently. We aren't sure what happened exactly, or why she won't contact us back. It is the weirdest situation to sit with someone who swears that she's given her baby up for adoption to you in 2 weeks and then she vanishes. No contact what so ever!

That said, it is what it is. We believe our family is going to grow regardless and look forward the process. It was a devastation at first, but as time passes we have decided to push forward and research our options. I'll keep ya posted, but nothing in our immediate future right now is scheduled for our family. God has a way of doing things His own way and timing...not ours:)

Life isn't always perfect...

Today was a breath of fresh air!  Jack and I took a day trip to the Children's Museum.  We haven't been in a few weeks, and we try to go often.  It is one of two places Jack asks to go to.  He Loves Chuck E Cheeses and The Children's Museum.

Some weeks balancing work, family, social and community can overwhelm me!  If I have a few busy days and Jack spends time with other people, he seems to be in a funk for awhile.  I wish he wouldn't be...but he is.  After we spent the day together, he seems to be turning his attitude around a little.  Being a mom is stressful, being a wife is stressful, being a business owner is ULTRA stressful...it will all be worth it one day...right?!?

Jack the Gangsta

Jack found his daddy's hat, and it is downhill from their!  What a goof!  He has so much personality!