Pretty Patience

I was talking to someone this week about the many lessons God has taught me on our adoption journey thus far. I have truly learned the value of prayer, and the art of patience. I have prayed for patience many nights, and I've been quite impressed with the results. However, something happened this week.



Perhaps it was the week long break for my grueling graduate courses. Maybe it was the start-up of our "Adoption is Love" fundraising campaign. Or it could possibly be the dream I had last night about another little Christmas stocking next to Big G. Either way, my heart is heavy this week.



I am still being patient. But my patience is not as pretty as it has been. The smile is not quite as light-hearted. It's more of a "hold your head up and fake a smile" kind of patience. But it's still a smile. That counts, right?

With all that said, WE HAVE SOME NEWS. The agency director called today and asked permission to present our profile to a birth mother. We are not the only adoptive parents being presented.



I'm not sure what to pray for. Pray for a match? Pray for God's will for all involved? Pray for an ill birth mother choosing who will raise her baby boy?



Either way, please pray. Remember us when you talk to God tonight.

I am alive and blogging!

I am still alive! I have not kicked the bucket or bit the dust. I am, however, extremely busy and completely scatter-brained. Thus, the lack of blogging. But I am back.

A quick update on the adoption. We were chosen by a birth mom in Iowa back in early September. She said we were the "perfect" family! She was very close to her due date. But she stopped answering any calls and we lost all contact. The agency director thinks she had the baby and changed her mind :(

We were presented to a married couple in early October. We weren't chosen.

The director is not advising us to change our profile yet. She is confident that we will hear something in the near future. I keep reminding myself it has only been a few months.

So we wait. We pray. We cry. We wait. We enjoy our spunky little boy. We fundraise. We wait.

We do have names chosen. But we are keeping them to ourselves for a while.

For those of you following our journey, we are beginning to fundraise to help with expenses ( which I will blog about later!). I contacted an artist in Corbin who designed a super-cute shirt. Thanks to those of you who have already jumped on board. If you haven't, keep an eye out for the final design and prices. I will post the final design and prices on Facebook in the next few days.

I promise I am going to be a better blogger from now on. I swear it Ma, I really am this time!

The cause of my insomnia!

I do not stay awake at night thinking about how I have NO baby clothes or supplies. I do not toss and turn wondering WHEN we will get a call. I don't even ponder on how we'll adjust to a new little baby. I know that God and family will take care of all that.

I spend countless hours laying in the bed thinking about baby names. I run through the alphabet with both boy and girl names. I surf the internet at least every other day. I wear my family out suggesting and questioning new names I've come up with.

I have nothing. It seemed so much easier the first time. Big G's name was strong, timeless, and spunky .

I think I do this because it is the only thing I have to hold on to in terms of a new baby. I have no pregnancy symptoms. I have no due date. The paperwork is done.

I would LOVE input. I probably won't stop my name-finding antics anytime soon, but i would like to hear what other people think.

Girl Names:
Lucy Caroline
Lucy Blair
Elin Blair
Amelia Blair
Amelia Suzanne

Boy Names:
Ian David
Hayden Scott ( Hayes is my middle name, as well as my dad)
Micah David
Alec David
Isaac David
Jonah David
Colin David

I may have months or even years to pick out a name. I may have to decide next week. Who knows!

My eyes are crossed & the pen is out of ink!

Okay, so I feel like every aspect of our lives have been put under a microscope and examined. We've been poked, prodded, questioned, and studied! I've stared at this computer for days and signed umpteen documents. However, our homestudy is being edited and will be complete Monday.

BTW, I do not think umpteen is a word, but it fit my purpose :)

Proposed Name Change: Above said " homestudy" needs to be changed to " Whole Life, Inner thoughts and feelings, ability to gather 1000+ documents" Study!

I worked on our Family Profile for the placement agency into the wee hours of the night, and that should be completed and on it's way early this week.

There is a substantial discount if the homestudy, contract, and profile is completed by June 30th. Brandon and I went to town today and had the agency agreement and contract mailed overnight so that we don't miss the deadline.

Just got back from Charleston, SC. Had an awesome time with my preggo sister Liz. Baby Cole will be here soon! We are all sooooo excited!

Chickens & Weasles ( you have to read on to understand)

Yesterday afternoon conversation...

Big G: Mom, I have tiny bumps all over my body.

Me: It looks like a heat rash.

Big G: No mom, it looks like I have the chicken box.

Me: I don't think you have the chicken pox Gavin. You are fine.

Big G: Well maybe it ain't the chicken box. Maybe it is the weasles.

On the road again!

The new-ness of my job has started to wear off. 3 years ago, I loved everything about teaching. Well, that feeling is no more. The paperwork, schedule changes, student drama, and discipline problems start to break ya down a bit. However, I feel that just this week I have started to see what it is that keeps teachers in the profession for so long.

Almost every day of this past week was spent on the road going somewhere with a whole bunch of fiesty 8th graders! On Wednesday, a few of the teachers walked a group of students to 2 Amigos Mexican Restaurant (the pollo loco is soooo good). On Thursday, our whole team went to Dollywood. On Friday, our wonderful FRYSC director arranged a trip to the Corbin Cinemas (we saw Letters to Juliet) Whew! What a busy week! Needless to say, I am extremely tired this morning. But man, we had fun!

8th graders are tough to read sometimes. They are constantly bouncing back and forth between childhood and adulthood. They are trying to deal with parents, homework, and hormones, all the while still staying "cool". All that aside, the look on their faces when they are riding those roller coasters or hanging out at the movies during the school-day is priceless. They know they have worked so hard to have earned those trips, and they enjoy every second!

Those are some of the moments that remind us all why teaching is so important. Next time I feel overwhelmed or stressed with my job, I am going to remember the excitement in their eyes when they are enjoying the rewards of hard-work. It really does make me feel so blessed!

* I have to add that the food and service at 2 Amigos was excellent! They handled 90 kids extremely well!

Who will cry for the Orphan Child?

This video takes my breath away every time I watch it, which is pretty often. To think we dare complain about our hectic schedules, grocery bills, or the weather! 143,000,000 orphans in this world . Who will cry for them? Who will love them? Who will pray for these beautiful little children?