Christmas Fundraiser Update

We are half way through our joint fundraiser with The Apparent Project and we have packaged up and sent out more than half our ornaments!  Every ornament and every bracelet means a family in Haiti has a job and can stay together. It also means we are one step closer to bringing our girly home from Albania <3  Just look at all the places we've shipped packages to this week!  Isaac has diligently stuffed envelopes and helped pray over each one as we welcome another family onto our adoption journey. 

If you would like to order your bracelets or ornaments---there is still time!  Friends are using both for teacher gifts and stocking stuffers and gift embellishments.  One friend even bought 3 bracelets just for herself...cuz the were pretty <3

To order, send me a message HERE and you can offer your tax deductible donation HERE.

Home Study DONE

Our Home Study was signed off last evening and is in route to be delivered to me TODAY. This has involved medical physicals, interviews, house inspection, documented training, references, proof of employment, financial statements, birth certificates and being on first name basis with our local notary. It's been a process, but the turn around was in record time--less than 3 weeks! (For comparison sake, Isaac's home study took nearly 5 months!) I am so very impressed with our dear social worker. When I explained the small window of time we'll have to travel to Albania next summer she jumped right on board to make sure everything that we do have control over would be expedited. She wasn't messing around!!  

So our paperwork to the US government is being shipped tonight with a request to bring a child INTO the USA. They will (hopefully!) say yes and give me an appointment to be fingerprinted (again--as I have already done that for the home study---don't get me started) which we can then send to Albania and ask them if I can bring a child OUT of their country.  (A whole new process of "mom said yes, go ask dad" starts after that). 

Thank you for all your lovely prayers and support.  Please continue to pray for favor over each piece of paperwork, and specifically over our file as it heads to the USCIS. I'm praying that our file finds the short stack and is processed quickly so we can be fingerprinted and get our stack of paperwork sent off to Albania before the start of the new year. 

For those that have given financially...oh my goodness, THANK YOU. Your generosity melts me. We have nearly covered the cost of the home study and we seriously couldn't do this without you <3 

For those that would like to give a tax deductible donation that goes directly to our adoption agency to help cover some of our costs, please click HERE.

We are one step closer, Sweet Girl!  You'll be HOME soon <3 

2017 Holiday Photo-A-Day Project {Days 2-5}

{Day 2}: First, the Star

The last load of thanksgiving dishes were being run and the fall decorations were put away, so we dug out the Christmas boxes and tree. Isaac happily helped me unload goodies, oohhhing and awwwing and excitedly signing "Christmas!" over and over again, which made my heart happy.  But when he wanted to put the star atop the tree first I hesitated---the star goes on LAST, right?  But why?  What's the purpose of waiting?  Didn't the nativity star actually come FIRST?  Well, heck--let's spice it up and start a new tradition: First, the Star. 

{Day 3}: Panda Date
We've been so blessed to get to know and walk the adoption journey with a fellow Bamboo Project family just 45 min from us.  We see them at least once per month and Brenda & I are known to text until late into the night.  Thankfully, our little pandas love each other too and enjoy the adventures that their parents drag them too. Today, it was a mall & movie date. The movie was excellent, but these two seemed to enjoy the free carousel most.

{Day 4}: Come on' Packers!
Our Pack has had a rough season. If only collar bones weren't so fragile! We rooted hard, played a GOOD game against a good team, but alas...we needed just 4 more seconds.

{Day 5}: The First Package

The first of many packages arrived on the doorstep today, but I didn't order this one. It was sent RIDICULOUSLY EARLY by my BFF with a taunting message on the side "Do NOT OPEN if your will power is WEAK!"  What normal human writes that?!  (ANGELA)  And for the record---photo-documentation of a rip in the package for the ENTIRE interwebz to see that I, and my weak will power, did not cause.  #proof  #themailmandidit

To be continued...

Christmas Fundraiser

I am SO very excited to be partnering with The Apparent Project in a joint fundraiser for our adoption and an amazing orphan prevention program in Haiti.  The Apparent Project was started as method of providing jobs to Haitian mothers & fathers so they didn't HAVE TO abandon their children. Jobs = orphan prevention = original families = God's ideal plan.  While many countries, like China and Albania do not yet have this level of orphan prevention leaving adoption as the best redemption available, I am proud to associate our adoption with this program.  (Also, I went to college with the lovely lady who started this ministry so I feel like I'm partnering with an old friend).

If you would like to join us in bringing our Sweet Girl home by supporting The Apparent Project, you can donate below. Five dollars of every donation towards a lovely handmade bracelet or uniquely designed Christmas ornament goes back to the artisan who created it. With these funds they can support their own families.  The remaining donation will be directed to our adoption agency specifically to bring HOME our Sweet Girl from Albania. 

Please message me HERE with your order and shipping address ($2 shipping).

Donations can be made directly via our (tax deductible) donation site HERE.

Thank you for supporting US and The Apparent Project.  And please feel free to share widely with your friends and family!  You are caring for the widow and the orphans as you partner with us!  (James 1:27)

2017 Photo-A-Day: Holiday Edition {Day 1}

It's time for our annual Photo-A-Day project. I've been so excited for this this year!  It's become fun to think of how to photo-document our days differently, but also this year will be the last holiday season as a family of two. I want to fill my little boy's memory tank with momma-and-me events that will carry him through the transition of becoming a little brother next year, and also empower him to show his new big sister how special the holiday season really is. We boldly celebrate because we too have been boldly celebrated into God's family through His son.  'Tis truly a wonderful time of the year. 

{Day 1} My Little Turkey:
Between Thanksgiving Day parades, snacks, pilgrim books, meals and games, we worked on a gingerbread Turkey...because, why not?!  Not once did I mention that this craft project was eatable, and yet... 

Stay tuned.
Thirty-two more days to go!

Happy SEVENTH Birthday, Isaac!

My boy woke up a SEVEN year old today. That is mind blowing to me.  I love that I've known of this child since before his first birthday...although he wasn't with me on that first celebration, there has never been a birthday that he wasn't loved, wanted, and celebrated!  And now instead of a generic ONE cake, we have very specific and FAVORITE "Cave of Wonders" cakes (because that's a normal request, right?!).  Happy to oblige, my son. 

We had a bowling party over the weekend. It didn't take him long to decide that bowling shoes suck...took me longer to figure it out though and actually take his shoes off. Once the shoes came off, he couldn't be stopped!  "And no ramp for me, sir. I want to bowl like everyone else. In fact, I'm going to put my fingers in the holes too and attempt to launch the 7 pound ball from five feet back---and almost give every adult present a minor heart attack every time the ball NEARLY dropped on my toes.  But I got THREE STRIKES by myself and put those same adults to shame...because I'm seven now." 

Bad bowling lane pizza, flat pop and good friends & family make a party good.  His heart was fed with boy things--balls, games and robots, and a guitar; the one thing that speaks back to his heart. He's outplayed two kid sized ukuleles and I'm sure this youth guitar will be played down to the strings. Music is a special language for this boy and I'm happy to support it. 

School birthday snack and a celebratory birthday dinner rounded out our weekend

Happy birthday my son. You are such a treasure to me and those around you. Your heart is full of such joy and compassion and adventure. You make me proud to be your mom and love Jesus with you.

Amazon Fundraiser

You all....this is TOO easy!

Amazon is giving us up to 10% of all shopping done through the link below DIRECT TO OUR ADOPTION FUND!  And this is PRIME Amazon shopping season (no pun intended!)!   There is zero risk to you. If you are doing ANY Amazon shopping, please use the link below. It is also listed on the RIGHT SIDE of our blog.  

I'll post frequent updates, especially as the shopping season kicks up.  

Let's get my girl HOME while we are shopping!!

Albania or Bust Amazon shopping link

Paper Pregnancy

So...where are we at in this crazy adoption journey?  One word...PAPERWORK!  Ugggg. After six years I had forgotten about all the paperwork required to complete an adoption. And I suppose like remember what it is like to be physically pregnant, it all comes back to mind at some point. I am remembering the acronyms and titles that are so prevalent in the adoption world.  I've already asked for grace from our local social worker as I have absolutely FLOODED her in-basket with my requests, questions, and updates. (We love you Amy!!)

How is this for a weird way to compare 'pregnancies'?

2011

2017

Because we have such a small window of time to travel to Albania (next summer) we are on the FAST track for processing all of our paperwork. Fast really isn't even the right word...what took nearly six months to complete for Isaac's paperwork has taken less than 3 weeks this time around!  That includes getting police clearance (same day!) and fingerprinting results (less than 8 hours!). Although not legally necessary, Isaac has even been able to get in on the paperwork action. The picture below is him signing for a background check!  *wink*  

The graphic below is specific to China, but it is a good representation of the number of steps it takes to welcome a child HOME.  Currently, we are waiting for my birth certificate to arrive from Oregon then we can send all our info to US Immigration for processing (Step 4).   If that is processed quickly, we can send everything to Albania before the end of the year (Step 6). Please be praying for favor over each piece of paperwork and every hand that touches it!  

Isaac Has An Announcement...

Yup...you read that right: LITTLE Brother.  Someone is getting a BIG sister next summer!  Yup...you read that right too!  ;)

Adoption is such an unpredictable journey. After years of walking along side Bamboo Project and Village21 families we have been joyfully welcoming child after child into beautiful families across the globe. It's been so AMAZING and I wouldn't trade one moment but there was a quiet part of me believing that Lord would open the doors to adoption again. My go-to answer when people would ask (which happens frequently) was "When God says GO, we'll be ready!".

Then, in the last month, in the middle of a hum-drum conversation with the Lord, He said "purple shirt" out of no where and hangs up the prayer phone.  Wait. What?  What's a purple shirt have to do with the price of tea in China (as my mother would say)?!  Especially anything we were just chatting about?   Fast forward a few days later, when I'm busying myself with some web-work for Village21 and lo-and-behold there SHE is...my daughter...in a purple shirt.  A child that I had been advocating for for over a year and hadn't give any more thought than "I'll help find you a family, sweet girl". Not once did I wonder if we were her family.  But on THIS day, it hit me like a ton of bricks. The same overwhelming emotion when I first saw Isaac's picture: "Oh there you are!" and I didn't even know I was looking for her. 

I gave it back to the Lord.  "This is bonkers, God. I've never heard of a purple shirt prophecy, but I promise to listen---this MUST come from you".  And for a week I prayed. And for a week our Heavenly Father woke me every night between 2-3am: "I'll part the waters; I'll move the mountain".  After a week of not sleeping, I crankily laid out my old testament fleece/sleep deprived-somewhat disrespectful demand before the Lord:  God, our house isn't in order. We can't do this. If this is from You, I need to HEAR it...in a spoken word at church...TODAY. 

The word came.  From a dear friend who had ZERO clue where my heart was at or what I had been praying about.

"It's weird, I feel like someone is supposed to hear": "Don't wait for your house to be in order before you choose to step out in faith".  

I nearly fell out.  Oh God. This is real. 

The next step was calling our adoption agency with two absolutes that, if present, would not allow us to move forward. 

Another week of waiting and praying:

"Keep your eyes on Me and don't look to the waves"

Then on October 19th at 11:45am I got the call: those two absolutes were non-issues. We were officially moving forward to welcome home a nearly 13 year old daughter with Down syndrome from Albania....5,885miles in the exact opposite direction of China.  I NEVER would have guessed this would be the plot twist in our adoption journey. 

BUT GOD.

So we have stepped out of the boat onto the adoption waters and are going to BUT GOD through this entire process. A process that will require finding more than $50,000 in less than 7 months in order to make the very small window of time to travel to get our Sweet Girl. There will be fundraisers in the coming months and if you feel led to join us on this crazy journey, we'd love your support. BUT MOST IMPORTANT, we need your prayer coverage. Other than the designer genes (Down syndrome) this adoption will be nothing like welcoming home Isaac. Our Sweet Girl has known nothing except orphanages and group homes. She has memories of life before us, experiences, hurts and even joys that don't involve a blue eyed mother and an Asian brother. She has a name and speaks a language and even has a few friends her same age at the home she has been at for several years. ALL that she has ever known will be traded for a new future with us.  My heart hurts for the confusion she will feel through it all.  But God.

Please be praying for:

• Our Sweet Girl's heart. That she would be protected from fear, depression, confusion, and prolonged grief.  
• That the hearts of Isaac and I would be drawn to her and hers to us, even now as we prepare for each other.
• That she would remain physically and emotionally healthy.
• Favor over our adoption paperwork as it is pushed through multiple layers of government on both sides of the planet.
• Financial provision. I'm not going to lie, the dollar signs feel REALLY big this time around. God was quick to say HE would part the waters and move the mountains. We are standing firm on those promises!
• That this adoption would be a witness of God's heart for us all. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your faithful prayers and support. Stay tuned...It's going to be a wild ride!!  Albania, here we come!!

Two Mites

Getting to share over at Village21 today:

The spare bedroom in our little home has recently become my favorite room in our house. It had been a hodgepodge space that has recently found it’s decorating groove with garden green walls and reclaimed white furniture. But my heart knows it is more than a space for overnight guests.  It’s a room that is full of hope and anticipation of what Jesus might do; that room represents my YES.

Much of our life right now doesn’t have space for a YES. Work, school, life, medical appointments, church, IEPs, swim lessons, single parenting, all while trying to maintain a safe emotional space & routine for my boy unfortunately leads to a lot of NOs. NOs to playdates, coffee dates, social events, sports involvements, ministry opportunities, foster care, adoption. When your heart has been broken for orphan care the list of NOs feels emotionally debilitating.  But when you yearn to do something...anything to care for the widow and the orphan, a YES becomes a spare bedroom with garden green walls.

A year ago, that room became a first home for a medically fragile infant and her new adoptive family. For that month, our YES was clean sheets and towels. We can do that, Jesus. I can do an extra load of laundry and make sure there are muffins in the kitchen before my boy and I head off to school and work. I can say YES to this. It felt like so little. We weren’t the ones running the race, only providing the proverbial water on the side of the track, but it was exactly what we could do...it was our YES, our two mites for Jesus (Luke 21:1-4).

In the coming months that same room will host another sweet one and her new forever family as they meet in Seattle for the first time--a tiny child from China in need of life saving surgery and a family from Atlanta who was able to offer themselves as a YES. When we received call from the family“Do you happen to have a spare bed? Maybe a crib?”  I jumped!  YES. We have both. The room will be ready--baby gear set, sheets clean, towels hanging in the bathroom, muffins in the kitchen. We can offer this to you and to Jesus. If our YES can be of any ministry to you, it’s yours.  

Are you in a season of NOs? Seemingly checked out of life’s race? Out of the orphan care run?  I would challenge you to think differently. I suspect there is a YES tucked away somewhere in  your life that can be given boldly to our God.

As we welcome National Adoption Month and prepare our hearts for Orphan Sunday next week: What is your YES? What do your two mites for Jesus look like?