Adoption really is a family affair...

There is a book out with the title "Adoption is a Family Affair."  I need to try to pick it up sometime and read it. I was just thinking this morning about how true that title is. During this process, and the ups and downs that have gone along with it, I have been so focused on how the roller coaster ride has affected Ryan & I. Obviously it affects us more than anyone else BUT I never really gave much thought to how much it affected our families. Our parents have thought they were going to be grandparents (Ryan's for the first time) 4 times now only to be disappointed each time. Our siblings have had to ride that roller coaster thinking they would be aunts and uncles (some of them for the first time) over and over again as well. I feel so bad that I've only focused on how it affected us and not thought about how they would be feeling about it. :( I've been selfish and I intend to change that going forward! I'm not sure how many of our family read this blog but if you are reading this, THANK YOU for going through this process with us! Thank you for being supportive and at the same time trying to be cautious in what you ask so that you don't make it harder on us! Thank you for the thoughts and prayers that we don't even know about. We can't wait to introduce you all to your new grandchild, niece, nephew, cousin! I also can't wait to be able to share with them how loved they are and how many people have been praying for them long before they were even born!!!!!

Most importantly, I want to thank GOD for letting us go through this process! Yes it's been hard but already it's been so worth it! We have met the most wonderful people through this process! Some will be lifelong friends. God has also helped us be able to educate people about adoption which has been amazing. Mostly though, he has used this journey to help bring us closer to him and for that in itself, I am incredibly thankful!!!!!!!!!

While I'm writing, I should say that we are still just waiting for "THE CALL." We met with our new caseworker last week and we really like her! She seems really sweet and seems to be a very caring caseworker. We loved and miss our last caseworker but we are excited to see what happens this year and are excited to have a fresh face to work with! We have already told her that we hope not to work with her long. Haha! We have been working on getting our paperwork updated since we have been approved for a year now (I can't believe it's been that long already!). At first, it was hard to realize we have been waiting for a year and were having to update everything but we are confident that this year will be MUCH better!!!! Thanks to everyone who is keeping up with our journey. I'm sorry that I'm not a better writer. I should have Ryan do the posts as he is a lot better with words than I am! Regardless, I hope to give an update with good news really soon!!!!

It's almost Spring!!!

I can't believe how warm it's been already! We have had high's in the 70's some days. We are really enjoying it. I can't wait until it's officially spring!! :) Hopefully the warmer weather will inspire me to update this blog more often! My sister yelled at me last week about not updating so here goes.... 

We really haven't had anything happening in regards to the adoption lately. We are still just waiting. At the moment, we are working on updating our home study since it is now a year old. Ugh! To be honest, I NEVER imagined we would wait this long... however.. our Faith is still in God and we know he has a plan! For now, we are trying to just enjoy the life we have now and enjoy doing the things we won't have time for once we finally are blessed with a baby like going to movies, taking Sunday naps, etc. Anyways hopefully I will have a real update to post soon!!! 

Almost a year later...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!!! We had a great one and really enjoyed spending time with our families!

I can't believe that in 2 weeks, we have been "active" and waiting for a whole year! It doesn't seem like that is possible. I'll be honest, I didn't think it would take this long at all! Our caseworker didn't seem to think so either. We have actually had a lot of "almosts" and possibilities which is good (except for the sadness that go with them falling apart). I'm really hoping that 2011 is our year! It's definitely been a rough 6 months are so but I know that HE has a grand plan and I'm exciting to see what that is! I had a rough day yesterday thinking about how it's been a year but this morning I feel a lot better about things. Hopefully that holds up all day!!!! Anyways if you are reading this, please pray for all of the waiting adoptive couples that they will hold on to their faith (in God not anything else!) and know that one day their child will come to them! Also please keep birthparents & expectant parents considering adoption or those who have already decided on adoption in your prayers! They truly are making (or have made) a life changing selfLESS decision. It has to be the hardest decision they will ever have to make and one that will stay with them forever. They are truly wonderful people who put their child's needs before their own. Please pray for the caseworkers working with both adoptive parents and birthparents/expectant parents that they will work hard to do what's best for the child above anything else!

Another Failed Match ... :(

Last week we had yet another failed match. :( We had gotten the call on 11/1 that we had been selected again! She was due on Christmas day with a baby boy but would probably deliver much earlier. We were excited but tried to remember that things can always change. We told more people than we meant to but it's just so hard to keep something like that in! Anyways we were supposed to meet them on Thursday morning. When I got up to get ready, I noticed I had a missed call and voicemail from our agency. We honestly thought she was in labor or something! Anyways I called them back and she said those dreaded words... she has decided to parent. It was easier to process this time maybe because we only knew about it for 2 weeks or more likely because we have been through this 3 other times so we kindof knew what to expect. We know God has a plan and we truly do trust in him and his plan! I do wonder at times why we have to go through the pain and suffering of failed matches! I know that he has a reason though so we just push on knowing that one day all of this pain will be worth it!!!! I pray for all 4 of the baby boys ( how weird is it that they have all been boys?) and their parents everyday!!! Maybe that's the reason behind the failed matches.. just so we will pray for them? Anyways we have been very busy and are going to have a very busy holiday season! Lots of showers and weddings to attend/throw! We are still hopeful that we will have our baby home at Christmas, but if not, we will enjoy this season with our wonderful friends and family and be thankful for all that we have. We are truly blessed!!!

A no update .... update... :)

I thought I should probably post an update of some sort since it's been a while!!! There really isn't anything to update though. We are still just waiting for another phone call. I talked to our caseworker about 2 weeks ago and unfortunately things seem to have slowed down again. Luckily, Fall is a busy season for us! Football season is in full swing and we pretty much stay on the go between football games, fall festivals, school, work, etc. It's been nice though to keep our minds off the waiting!!! We have even gone to a few away Georgia football games this year! We figured HOPEFULLY next year we will not be able to go any away games so we should go ahead and go to as many as we can this year! It's been fun having some little mini-vacations!!! Especially since we haven't taken a real vacation this year saving all of our vacation to be out with the baby when we get him/her! :) Anyways that's about all for the updates. Thank you to everyone who reads our blog. I know I'm not the best writer and haven't had much to update lately but I appreciate all of you for visiting often and keeping up with our journey! I am also thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers!!!!! Hopefully I will have a more exciting update VERY SOON!!!!!!!!!!

Just wanted to share..

Have you ever felt so discouraged that you started doubting if something you wanted REALLY bad was ever going to happen? Ok --- I was that discouraged on Tuesday afternoon. I had spoken to our caseworker and while she's really sweet and I honestly feel like she does truly want for us to get a baby almost as bad as we do, she's not really the best at making me feel better. I actually usually feel worse after I talk to her because she usually tells me that they are really busy and have lots of pending matches but no one is looking at our profile anytime soon. ( ok she doesn't say it like that but that's the jist of it!) Anyways this was my day on Tuesday and I was in a foul mood! When I got into my car to go home I was praying that God would help me get out of my funk and let it all go and give it all to him. I pulled out of my work parking lot and onto a side street and out of the corner of my eye I see this man on the side of the road holding a cross. Yes a CROSS! I had to do a triple take on this one! It was a huge cross about the size I would imagine that Jesus carried the day he died for our sins! I have no idea who this guy was or why he was on the side of the road carrying a cross ( or even if it was a real cross and not something that just kindof resembled a cross), but I KNOW without a doubt that God put him there to remind me that he will carry all of the weight of this world if we will just let him!!!! I haven't told anyone about that until now but I just felt like I needed to share that. I've given it all to him and am just going to try to enjoy my life and not be discouraged. He WILL provide for us and he has a plan for our lives. Hopefully this might help someone else who is feeling discouraged and disheartened right now!!!!

Faith

Honestly without faith, I know without a doubt that I would not be able to get through this process!! We just had our 3rd failed match this past weekend. It wasn't truly a failed "match" but it was really close and hurts just as much! I am sad of course but have really been thinking about Faith and what it really means to have Faith in God thru the bad times. Faith is easy when things are going well, but when it really matters is when you are going through hard times. This morning one of my devotions was this:

On this day, God wants you to know 

... that faith is exactly what it takes to get through uncertainty. Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, - that's knowledge. It's in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. Faith is what gives you strength. Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it's all darkness outside. Now is the time to keep that faith alive!

Perfect huh? :) I pray that our time will be soon but most importantly I pray for God's Will to be done!!! ( and also some patience to get me through! :)). Here are a few bible verses that I love that are about faith.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)


Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11: 28-31)


Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," delares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." (Jeremiah 29:11-14)