Well, I said things have changed for our family in my past post. However, I wasn't ready to blog about it. TODAY, we are! We are ready to announce to the world, that by God's wonderful grace, Nicholas and I are excitedly and anxiously awaiting the arrival of another healthy baby! We have already made it through the entire first trimester, without a peep to the internet world. Matter of fact, we just spilled to our family in the past 2 weeks as well. Many may wonder why we waited so long, but we just felt more comfortable waiting until we got to see our little one moving around on the little sonogram machine and hearing a strong beating heart! And two weeks ago, our little peanut was a wiggling like crazy on the monitor screen and his/her little heart was at a strong 185 bpm.
WOW, pure amazement and excitement to see God work that way. Many do not know that last September, I was 8 weeks pregnant and went from an ultrasound to being rushed into the ER. My pregnancy was eptopic, but not only was it outside of the uterus, it was buried into my cervix, leaving my life in severe danger if the baby continued to grow there. I went into a surgery at that point, signing away the right for the doctor to do a FULL hysterectomy. We both were saddened knowing we couldn't have more biological children, but we were already well on our way in the adoption process. So we found comfort in that. I came out of surgery and they informed us, that the only thing they had to remove was part of my cervix.
However, that particular OBGYN told my family while I was in recovery, that the likelihood of complications was very high and it was NOT in my best interest to conceive again. We continued on the adoption process and found a great desire in our hearts for this process. TRUST ME, it's still a strong burning desire...so some day we will be a family of 4 living children, possibly even five! This past March, on birth control for months, found myself pregnant again. And in April, we miscarried that baby as well.
NEVER again, in our wildest dreams, did we believe that God would bless us yet again biologically with a strong, healthy, and LIVE baby in my womb! I'm in the library now, typing this blog with tears rolling down my face. WE ARE JUST THAT BLOWN AWAY BY THE WAY OUR AWESOME GOD WORKS! Scared to death and almost afraid to even get our hopes up, we kept quiet. Honestly, neither of us ever expected to go to our ultrasound and hear a heartbeat! But, that just shows how faith the size of a mustard seed goes a LONG LONG way and we will be blessed.
The very same day, that we found out the status of our baby, our phone rang for the adoption! The phone call was for a set of twins, 21 one months. WHAT? That'd be 4 babies, under the age of 2; fine children under the age of 4. WOW God, REALLY??? You want me to do what? I questioned Him like crazy! Can we really handle that? And that's when He said, "Nicholas, Valerie....when will you learn?? Your life story is already written." So what right do we have to question that? So yes, our family is on the list for 21 month old twins as well. Our family may NOT make it into the next round of possible matches...but if we do, BOY OH BOY, we better be ready!! God has so much planned for us and we are beyond excited to see what our next chapter is! But, let's just say....our journey is about to get very exciting...and we COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!! Our family is growing for sure by one come the end of March! And possibly will nearly double in size by that time! GOD IS GOOD!!!
Please keep us in your prayers...our life story just added a very exciting chapter or two! We are still very fearful with this pregnancy, but God is our author so we know it's all going to work to His Glory!!
And more of the details...right now, it appears my scheduled c-section will be March 29 or April 5th. The doctor was more than blown away when he asked us how our families reacted when we told them and we said, "well we haven't yet". He said with a comfortable voice, "I think now it's okay to spill the news, things look great!" And I'm officially in my 2nd trimester, still sick and vomiting daily, but I AM SO BLESSED by every wave of sickness and sign of a healthy pregnancy!! Praying for a HEALTHY baby and really have no desire either way as far as gender, just so thankful for another chance to feel little jabs in my womb!!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
imperfect blog
I've once again failed at the mommy blogging world. Life has become silent for a moment and I took a moment to take it all in. We are officially done teaching Sunday school for the summer, family outtings are coming to an end, everything seems to be slowing down. Normally I would absolutely hate that, hate the stillness, and hate the quietness. I admit: I ENJOY IT!
I never forgot to blog. I just didn't feel I had anything worthy of blogging about. Majority of the blogs I read are from moms who have it ALL together, cook 3 wonderful meals a day;7 days a week, their house seems to be spotless, and their kids seem to always look like Mini Boden/Gap models without a hair outta place, always dressed adorable and 100% well mannered! That is NOT my house or my life, so is my blog really worth reading?
Things have changed so much in our family since I last posted, but one thing that hasnt changed is our heart for adoption. I often find myself wondering why such a desire was placed in my heart. I get frustrated. I need to take "mommy time outs" way more than I'd like to. So what makes me think that I can handle 2-5 more children? What makes me think that I am capable of being someone else's mommy yet too? I can't help but to ask myself all these questions...and I'm reminded, "who cares if my house isn't perfect in order or that my kids hair gets messy and their clothes get dirty?" I can put what I want into writing on a blog and more than likely that's just what all us blogging mommies do. God gave me a gift with children. He blessed me beyond measures as a mommy. And I OWE MY LIFE to Him. He placed that desire in our hearts for a reason and we need to follow through. He placed a love in our hearts for our children, biological and adopted. So what right do I have to feel like maybe I'm not capable. There are children out there in huge need a love and the desire placed in their hearts is for a mommy and daddy to love them. WE CAN DO THAT! And that's what God is calling us to do!
There's days where I try to channel my inner Michelle Dugger and can't seem to find her, but then there's days where I'm menu planning, couponing, cleaning every nook and cranny, and my kids are being taught some of life's most important messages. My kids throw fits and huge tantrums. I just had our youngest to the doctor because for a moment we thought she was possessed, literally. It was horrible. Both of us were in tears at night because we just couldnt figure it out. She was hit with a terrible terrible case of night terrors. The doctor said, when she's "acting out" like she was, that she doesnt even recognize us as her parents but that she also doesnt remember them in the morning. It was one of the scariest things we've ever seen. But along with all those fits, our kids laugh, giggle, and explore. They makae us smile, they make us laugh and they are our world.
All this being said, my blog may be failing because I stop blogging for weeks, I don't have it all together, and my house is messy.
I never forgot to blog. I just didn't feel I had anything worthy of blogging about. Majority of the blogs I read are from moms who have it ALL together, cook 3 wonderful meals a day;7 days a week, their house seems to be spotless, and their kids seem to always look like Mini Boden/Gap models without a hair outta place, always dressed adorable and 100% well mannered! That is NOT my house or my life, so is my blog really worth reading?
Things have changed so much in our family since I last posted, but one thing that hasnt changed is our heart for adoption. I often find myself wondering why such a desire was placed in my heart. I get frustrated. I need to take "mommy time outs" way more than I'd like to. So what makes me think that I can handle 2-5 more children? What makes me think that I am capable of being someone else's mommy yet too? I can't help but to ask myself all these questions...and I'm reminded, "who cares if my house isn't perfect in order or that my kids hair gets messy and their clothes get dirty?" I can put what I want into writing on a blog and more than likely that's just what all us blogging mommies do. God gave me a gift with children. He blessed me beyond measures as a mommy. And I OWE MY LIFE to Him. He placed that desire in our hearts for a reason and we need to follow through. He placed a love in our hearts for our children, biological and adopted. So what right do I have to feel like maybe I'm not capable. There are children out there in huge need a love and the desire placed in their hearts is for a mommy and daddy to love them. WE CAN DO THAT! And that's what God is calling us to do!
There's days where I try to channel my inner Michelle Dugger and can't seem to find her, but then there's days where I'm menu planning, couponing, cleaning every nook and cranny, and my kids are being taught some of life's most important messages. My kids throw fits and huge tantrums. I just had our youngest to the doctor because for a moment we thought she was possessed, literally. It was horrible. Both of us were in tears at night because we just couldnt figure it out. She was hit with a terrible terrible case of night terrors. The doctor said, when she's "acting out" like she was, that she doesnt even recognize us as her parents but that she also doesnt remember them in the morning. It was one of the scariest things we've ever seen. But along with all those fits, our kids laugh, giggle, and explore. They makae us smile, they make us laugh and they are our world.
All this being said, my blog may be failing because I stop blogging for weeks, I don't have it all together, and my house is messy.
BUT...
My heart remains.
The desire is still in place.
AND....
GOD CHOSE US.
GOD CHOSE US.
Like I said, some things have changed in our family, but...we are still chugging towards the financial part of bringing home our babies! For my faithful blog readers, which I think there are far few inbetween, there's going to be some exciting news coming to our blog soon I hope!!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
YOU ARE INVITED....Friends, family and the church
Trying to do some research for Orphan Sunday this is what I found....And I truly do believe that our churches NEED to be stepping up to this...unfortunately we don't come from an area that has this as a main mission of the church...and it saddens me and makes my heart very heavy.
• There are 143 million orphans in our world. If all the orphans in the world were moved to the country of Mexico, Mexico’s population would more than double, growing from 108,700,000 to 251,700,000
• Over 16 million children were newly orphaned in 2003
• There are approximately 17.5 million orphans who are ages 0-5
• There are approximately 47 million orphans who are ages 6-11
• There are approximately 79 million orphans who are ages 12-17
• 87.6 million orphans live in Asia
• 43.4 million orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa
• There are as many orphaned and vulnerable children in Ethiopia as there are people in greater NYC
• 12.4 million orphans live in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Almost 1.5 million children live in public care in Central and Eastern Europe
That’s our world.
With this many orphans in the United States and in the world the church has a monumental task before it if it is to practice true religion. James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undeled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their afiction." Clearly, the church has its work cut out for it.
We're not saying you all need to adopt an orphan. We truly believe people are called to this journey...but those of us that do feel this calling CANNOT do it WITHOUT our family, our friends and OUR CHURCH. We currently are doing fundraisers and we dont even expect you all to be part of them, but we do ask for a significant amount of prayer. After enduring through this journey, I can honestly say this has been one of the longest and even one of the most stressful journeys we've been on. The rollercoaster of emotion can be very heartwrenching but yet rewarding all at the same time. So I have also found a VERY interesting and IMPORTANT link that gives other ways you can be involved in Orphan Care if you arent feeling the call to expand your family!!
http://524hosting.com/os_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/10WaysPoster.pdf
Tomorrow Nicholas and I start a 40 day prayer for the orphans. At one point we were praying for our child. The child we would adopt one day...and now....God's changed our heart and our prayers. OUr pray is for every single one of the 147 million children walking this world without a family to love them. God is moving mountains in our hearts. Our prayer now is that He opens the hearts of all our friends and family and church for this ministry. We invite all of you, OUR FRIENDS, OUR FAMILY and OUR CHURCH to join us on this 40 day journey.
Below is the link of the guide we will be following. I am going to try and post the 40 day prayer guide but if I dont get it you can surely follow the link!! Help us pray for our area churches, families and all the children in this broken world!
http://www.pearpod.com/oc/downloads/40DaysofPrayer.pdf
• There are 143 million orphans in our world. If all the orphans in the world were moved to the country of Mexico, Mexico’s population would more than double, growing from 108,700,000 to 251,700,000
• Over 16 million children were newly orphaned in 2003
• There are approximately 17.5 million orphans who are ages 0-5
• There are approximately 47 million orphans who are ages 6-11
• There are approximately 79 million orphans who are ages 12-17
• 87.6 million orphans live in Asia
• 43.4 million orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa
• There are as many orphaned and vulnerable children in Ethiopia as there are people in greater NYC
• 12.4 million orphans live in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Almost 1.5 million children live in public care in Central and Eastern Europe
That’s our world.
With this many orphans in the United States and in the world the church has a monumental task before it if it is to practice true religion. James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undeled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their afiction." Clearly, the church has its work cut out for it.
We're not saying you all need to adopt an orphan. We truly believe people are called to this journey...but those of us that do feel this calling CANNOT do it WITHOUT our family, our friends and OUR CHURCH. We currently are doing fundraisers and we dont even expect you all to be part of them, but we do ask for a significant amount of prayer. After enduring through this journey, I can honestly say this has been one of the longest and even one of the most stressful journeys we've been on. The rollercoaster of emotion can be very heartwrenching but yet rewarding all at the same time. So I have also found a VERY interesting and IMPORTANT link that gives other ways you can be involved in Orphan Care if you arent feeling the call to expand your family!!
http://524hosting.com/os_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/10WaysPoster.pdf
Tomorrow Nicholas and I start a 40 day prayer for the orphans. At one point we were praying for our child. The child we would adopt one day...and now....God's changed our heart and our prayers. OUr pray is for every single one of the 147 million children walking this world without a family to love them. God is moving mountains in our hearts. Our prayer now is that He opens the hearts of all our friends and family and church for this ministry. We invite all of you, OUR FRIENDS, OUR FAMILY and OUR CHURCH to join us on this 40 day journey.
Below is the link of the guide we will be following. I am going to try and post the 40 day prayer guide but if I dont get it you can surely follow the link!! Help us pray for our area churches, families and all the children in this broken world!
http://www.pearpod.com/oc/downloads/40DaysofPrayer.pdf
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Cards for a Cause
One thing I love doing is reading through old greeting cards that I have received over the years. We have a basket stored in our bedroom with all these cards and when I'm having a bum day I often pull out a card and just read the message someone sent us at one point in time. God knows exactly which one I need to when I go to reach for one. With that I made it a new years resolution to personally write and mail one card a week to someone in our life. Everyone needs a card at some point, whether for an anniversary, birthday, loss, thank you or just because.
Our grant process is NOT going as planned and the amount of money needed is getting overwhelmingly scary. We are leaving that all to God, but we also need help from our family, friends and church with prayer for this reason. We are remaining obediant to Him and our heart is growing stronger and stronger to be advocates for His children, the orphans of the world. God calls each of us to be part and care for the orphans. If you/your family are not able to give them a forever family, there is nothing wrong with that! There is SO SO SO much more you can do. You can sponser a child through world vision or lifesong. You can sponser a family with a monthly donation. You can get involved with fundraisers (we love help, but wont ask you specifically), and YOU CAN PRAY!! We currently have the opportunity to make 43% off of every box of greeting cards we sell. They are $30 for a box and one box contains 30 cards.
WOW, $1.00 per card!!
When Walmart sells them for at least $2.99 a card....
....and we'd be ever so grateful for helping us bring Baby Rice home!
If you have no need for greeting cards or just cant afford to buy a box right now, please consider helping us share this blog post. Our phone call, Lord willing, could come any day now and we have to be ready!!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
Today was such a special day for us as a family. We had the opportunity to stand before the church family and dedicate Kynzie to the Lord. To us, raising our children could NOT be done without the loving support of some of our strongest supporters within the church. We were so blessed to be able to have all 4 of Kynzie's great grandmas there, some of our aunts, Nick's mom and two of Nick's nephews and grandpa Chuck. After the dedication we went to the Barn Restuarant and just enjoyed a very yummy homecookin' meal and time with our family together. Kynzie brings so much to our lives and we love her more than anything. Our children all hold a very dear and special place in our lives.
We followed that by an awesome family bike ride where we met at the park and the girls had fun playing together. Lots of laughter and giggles, as always at the park. We couldnt thank the Lord anymore for the blessings He has given us and the gifts of HIS children, entrusting us to be their earthly guidance to raise them in the way they should go. We truly have to be the luckiest people ever to be blessed with such an incrediable gift and feel so very honored to have the priveledge to be the parents of such wonderful children. They are our everything!!
Tonight while laying here in bed, Nicholas and I prayed together. Many nights, we just take turns praying aloud together and then we say our own silent prayer individually, but we both felt led to pray together aloud, instead of it just being one or the other. Thanking Him for all our blessings and then asking Him to be with us through all the trials of parenthood and in our adoption journey. In this journey our hearts are in so many places. We both feel 100% in knowing God is calling us on this adventure. We both are honored to be where we are and we both are a tad bit overwhelmed by all the paperwork, the tasks that need to be accomplished, and the heartache that is involved. Our entire family longs to be completed. We long to know what's going to happen and where we are going to be. Ashalyn talks daily about her brother and sister. She begs to go see them. She asks when we will go on an airplane to meet them. She wants to know all the little details. And everyday she makes something. The most recent being a family picture. She drew, Nicholas and I, Kynzie and herself...along with 3 other children. I asked her who they were and she says, I don't know them mommy but they are my brother and sister. I want them to come play with me and Kynzie. So she knows and I really feel she understands. And honestly, I know God is calling her to the place of being a big sister to these children. She asks us throughout the day to pray for them, without us saying a word. She goes up to Kynzie and in her mom voice talking to a little baby, tells Kynzie everything she knows about them and how we will have to go pick them up and bring them home to our house. We're just all so anxious and excited for this journey of a lifetime. We are so anxious to grow our hearts and our family, as well as an unexplainable love for these children that share nothing with us genetically, other than that pure and whole place in our hearts.
I'll be honest, just tonight we talked about the numbers again financially...and it scares us...it scares the crap out of us. "What if we are unable to come by these kinds of numbers?" "What if our family is denied the grants?" and "What if we get that call tomorrow morning and we cannot come up with the next $1000 payment?" So many what ifs, but we pray...we pray for God to show us a way and to calm everyone of our fears. We ask that you join us in these prayers, because it is scary. It's scary to have the unsure when talking about such large amounts of money. We pray for opportunities to be able to save the funds we need. Excuse me with this scenario, but it's not like the moment you find out you are expecting biologically and you can go to your physician and turn it into insurance and see what portion of these incrediable opportunity they will cover. A OB will not deny you services because you dont have the moeny to cover at that exact moment you go into labor. But it's scary knowing that if we dont have those funds readily available we could lose the precious chance to get to know a beautiful baby girl or handsome little boy. So that's my prayer request tonight, that God provides us with a sense of comfort in knowing that He will take care of us, He will provide us with the opportunities when the need arises, and that we are equipped with the faith needed for the mountains to move and doors to be opened. Our journey is only in it's beginning. Our family life is still at the early stages and there is so so SO many things for us to be thankful for. Our blessings are beyond numbers and we truly are grateful for every opportunity to be with each of our children, in our presence and in our hearts. We pray for each of our children, the ones here in our home with us, our ones in Heaven, our ones clear across the world and across the states, and every other child we are not able to adopt but who are waiting for their forever love and family! It's been a very special day with some very special people! GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME!
We followed that by an awesome family bike ride where we met at the park and the girls had fun playing together. Lots of laughter and giggles, as always at the park. We couldnt thank the Lord anymore for the blessings He has given us and the gifts of HIS children, entrusting us to be their earthly guidance to raise them in the way they should go. We truly have to be the luckiest people ever to be blessed with such an incrediable gift and feel so very honored to have the priveledge to be the parents of such wonderful children. They are our everything!!
Tonight while laying here in bed, Nicholas and I prayed together. Many nights, we just take turns praying aloud together and then we say our own silent prayer individually, but we both felt led to pray together aloud, instead of it just being one or the other. Thanking Him for all our blessings and then asking Him to be with us through all the trials of parenthood and in our adoption journey. In this journey our hearts are in so many places. We both feel 100% in knowing God is calling us on this adventure. We both are honored to be where we are and we both are a tad bit overwhelmed by all the paperwork, the tasks that need to be accomplished, and the heartache that is involved. Our entire family longs to be completed. We long to know what's going to happen and where we are going to be. Ashalyn talks daily about her brother and sister. She begs to go see them. She asks when we will go on an airplane to meet them. She wants to know all the little details. And everyday she makes something. The most recent being a family picture. She drew, Nicholas and I, Kynzie and herself...along with 3 other children. I asked her who they were and she says, I don't know them mommy but they are my brother and sister. I want them to come play with me and Kynzie. So she knows and I really feel she understands. And honestly, I know God is calling her to the place of being a big sister to these children. She asks us throughout the day to pray for them, without us saying a word. She goes up to Kynzie and in her mom voice talking to a little baby, tells Kynzie everything she knows about them and how we will have to go pick them up and bring them home to our house. We're just all so anxious and excited for this journey of a lifetime. We are so anxious to grow our hearts and our family, as well as an unexplainable love for these children that share nothing with us genetically, other than that pure and whole place in our hearts.
I'll be honest, just tonight we talked about the numbers again financially...and it scares us...it scares the crap out of us. "What if we are unable to come by these kinds of numbers?" "What if our family is denied the grants?" and "What if we get that call tomorrow morning and we cannot come up with the next $1000 payment?" So many what ifs, but we pray...we pray for God to show us a way and to calm everyone of our fears. We ask that you join us in these prayers, because it is scary. It's scary to have the unsure when talking about such large amounts of money. We pray for opportunities to be able to save the funds we need. Excuse me with this scenario, but it's not like the moment you find out you are expecting biologically and you can go to your physician and turn it into insurance and see what portion of these incrediable opportunity they will cover. A OB will not deny you services because you dont have the moeny to cover at that exact moment you go into labor. But it's scary knowing that if we dont have those funds readily available we could lose the precious chance to get to know a beautiful baby girl or handsome little boy. So that's my prayer request tonight, that God provides us with a sense of comfort in knowing that He will take care of us, He will provide us with the opportunities when the need arises, and that we are equipped with the faith needed for the mountains to move and doors to be opened. Our journey is only in it's beginning. Our family life is still at the early stages and there is so so SO many things for us to be thankful for. Our blessings are beyond numbers and we truly are grateful for every opportunity to be with each of our children, in our presence and in our hearts. We pray for each of our children, the ones here in our home with us, our ones in Heaven, our ones clear across the world and across the states, and every other child we are not able to adopt but who are waiting for their forever love and family! It's been a very special day with some very special people! GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Clearing up the confusion...
We received a text message the other day and another friend asked..."If you get a US opportunity first will you NOT be going to Africa?" I can completely see where the confusion took place, because it may seem crazy. But Yes, we will do BOTH. We ARE doing both. There is a super long wait time right now for children in Africa. We are still being called there. And we are still WAITING. In the meantime, we have filled out paperwork and been approved for a domestic adoption.
What does that mean?
What does that mean?
Within the week our electronic profile will be on the web and available for birth mom's across the United States. For the last 5 weeks we've been getting emails with birth mom scenarios that come through our agencies. When we find one that matches our family specifics we submit ourselves for the birth mother to go through. She could get 10-20 families interested. And from those profiles she chooses the family she would like to place her child with when he/she is born.
Only God knows, but our United States wait time could be just as long as in Africa. We don't have a clue what God has planned for our family. But, I can say with 100% certainty that He is moving mountains in our household.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
A weekend = a full time job
Logging onto our email account today, I stumbled across a yahoo story. I never considered my weekend as a full time job! This article stated that research shows that the most successful Americans in the work force are those that plan their weekends around relaxation and unwasted time. One way I never looked at it is that starting at 6pm on Friday night until 6am Monday morning there's 36 hours, which is considered a full time job!
Nicholas and I sat down and talked about how many of those hours are wasted in front of the tv, computer or just down time! And after we looked at it that way, you wouldnt believe all the things we got done, and it wasnt even all hard work!
First we sat down and made a list of 300 things we want to do on a weekend. Some were things that cost money and others were very budget friendly. Some allowed us to relax, others allowed us to give, and others helped us accomplish stuff around the house!
After our list, here's what we accomplished today....
*BMV for new tags and a new license (7 months after we bought our house)
*delivered some 31 stuff to my customers
*groceries
*garage cleaned while the girls played in the sand table
*dishes done
*bathroom sink, toilet and shower cleaned
*floors swept
*delivered a baby/toddler slide to someone
*made party mix TOGETHER
*spent one on one with each child before bed
*Ashalyn and I cleaned her room together
*girls played playdough while we cleaned
*made clothing list (this is a blog post in the making)
Can't wait to start our list of want to do's so we can enjoy our weekends and become refreshed for the work week. Just having the list makes me feel so much better about everything we're doing and gives us a second or two to breathe and chill! Can't wait to see how this transforms our lives and how it improves our weekly attitude!
Nicholas and I sat down and talked about how many of those hours are wasted in front of the tv, computer or just down time! And after we looked at it that way, you wouldnt believe all the things we got done, and it wasnt even all hard work!
First we sat down and made a list of 300 things we want to do on a weekend. Some were things that cost money and others were very budget friendly. Some allowed us to relax, others allowed us to give, and others helped us accomplish stuff around the house!
After our list, here's what we accomplished today....
*BMV for new tags and a new license (7 months after we bought our house)
*delivered some 31 stuff to my customers
*groceries
*garage cleaned while the girls played in the sand table
*dishes done
*bathroom sink, toilet and shower cleaned
*floors swept
*delivered a baby/toddler slide to someone
*made party mix TOGETHER
*spent one on one with each child before bed
*Ashalyn and I cleaned her room together
*girls played playdough while we cleaned
*made clothing list (this is a blog post in the making)
Can't wait to start our list of want to do's so we can enjoy our weekends and become refreshed for the work week. Just having the list makes me feel so much better about everything we're doing and gives us a second or two to breathe and chill! Can't wait to see how this transforms our lives and how it improves our weekly attitude!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Who says you can't save $120 a month??
I'd say its time for another post. Really nothing new going on with our adoption. We are all ready as far as the paperwork...and now we are just waiting for our approved copy of the homestudy! We are very anxious.
Next step is another payment. So starting to get a little more strapped for cash and no upcoming fundraisers, we have sat down and made major adjustments to our daily living.
* We've eliminated going out to eat.
*We're selling the unneccessary items within our house.
* We've read over every bill we receive. We found 2 bills that we could lower just by making a simple phone call.
1. Our cable tv bill showed a $45 fee for HBO and Showtime Cinema, which are channels that we never watch. In addition we were getting charged $8.00 a month for our second tv and $6.00 a month for the rental of our 2nd tv equipment. The second tv is in our bedroom and we have only ever turned it on once or twice at the most. So that to us was $14 a month that we could be saving just by eliminating a second tv and $45 just by getting rid of a few channels we didnt realize we were being charged extra for.
2. We use the cheap straight talk phones from walmart. One phone has the 1000 minute 1000 text plan and the other has unlimited, an extra $15 a month. We looked at our monthly usage and realized we would be safe with both phones having the 1000 minute 1000 text plan. $15 savings a month. Considering starting our magic jack phone service back up to eliminate a cell phone in its entirity.
*We found a local lady who was making cloth diapers for extra income to her family. I am not a fan of changing messy panties so this really wasnt an option.....UNTIL....I calculated the savings. Our youngest daughter, 15 months, is pretty much on a schedule with her "messy" diapers. So we thought if we can eliminate 3 diapers a day by using the cloth diaper, that would be a savings of 90 diapers a month, over one jumbo box of diapers....$24.99. We still are using disposable for when we go places and in the mornings when we know a messy one is coming! Can't believe we didnt do this soon...absolutely LOVE it, LOVE the savings, and think our little girl looks absolutely adorable in them!
Our oldest daughter, still wears pull ups at night because she sleeps so sound that she doesnt wake herself up. So our next step is to purchase a set for her too. Pay $7.00 to eliminate a pack of pull ups a month as well. $19.99.
So all these savings = a total monthly savings of .... $118.98 SCORE!!!!!!
$118.98 more that we dont have to ask for to go towards our next payment! And for that we are grateful and beyond blessed!
Next step is another payment. So starting to get a little more strapped for cash and no upcoming fundraisers, we have sat down and made major adjustments to our daily living.
* We've eliminated going out to eat.
*We're selling the unneccessary items within our house.
* We've read over every bill we receive. We found 2 bills that we could lower just by making a simple phone call.
1. Our cable tv bill showed a $45 fee for HBO and Showtime Cinema, which are channels that we never watch. In addition we were getting charged $8.00 a month for our second tv and $6.00 a month for the rental of our 2nd tv equipment. The second tv is in our bedroom and we have only ever turned it on once or twice at the most. So that to us was $14 a month that we could be saving just by eliminating a second tv and $45 just by getting rid of a few channels we didnt realize we were being charged extra for.
2. We use the cheap straight talk phones from walmart. One phone has the 1000 minute 1000 text plan and the other has unlimited, an extra $15 a month. We looked at our monthly usage and realized we would be safe with both phones having the 1000 minute 1000 text plan. $15 savings a month. Considering starting our magic jack phone service back up to eliminate a cell phone in its entirity.
*We found a local lady who was making cloth diapers for extra income to her family. I am not a fan of changing messy panties so this really wasnt an option.....UNTIL....I calculated the savings. Our youngest daughter, 15 months, is pretty much on a schedule with her "messy" diapers. So we thought if we can eliminate 3 diapers a day by using the cloth diaper, that would be a savings of 90 diapers a month, over one jumbo box of diapers....$24.99. We still are using disposable for when we go places and in the mornings when we know a messy one is coming! Can't believe we didnt do this soon...absolutely LOVE it, LOVE the savings, and think our little girl looks absolutely adorable in them!
So all these savings = a total monthly savings of .... $118.98 SCORE!!!!!!
$118.98 more that we dont have to ask for to go towards our next payment! And for that we are grateful and beyond blessed!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
a heavy heart....and we're off!!
My heart has been so heavy over the last few weeks. I know we are being called in this direction. I know we are being called to Africa. My heart hurts because I want to be a part of something big...something huge! But it hurts because my children here...they're ages really do not allow us to take them with us. We havent ever left our girls for more than a night. And when we have we've not traveled out of the town they were in, yet alone the country. The anxiety of this is overwhelming. It's scary. But God still calls us. He still is saying, "I need you here!" So it is my prayer today, that we can answer this call with a peace amongst us, to know our girls here will be taken care of and that we can open up to this adventure fully!
I am amazed at how my heart is opening for these children. I never once doubted we'd ever have a hard time loving our babies...but my heart is opening for ALL of these children. Yes, every one of the 147 million that are without a home and a forever family. I've joined the prayer battle, daily!! Praying for every single aspect of this life. I pray that area churches can be more open minded to this. I pray that when a family feels the call they can openly say, "Yes God, use us." and I pray more than anything that He uses our family in whatever way He desires.
As of yesterday we are COMPLETELY finished to be available for domestic adoptions, as well as state waiting. So now whatever God has planned we are completely ready!! For those that do read my blog...hold on...this could get interesting!! WE ARE VERY READY!!!
I am amazed at how my heart is opening for these children. I never once doubted we'd ever have a hard time loving our babies...but my heart is opening for ALL of these children. Yes, every one of the 147 million that are without a home and a forever family. I've joined the prayer battle, daily!! Praying for every single aspect of this life. I pray that area churches can be more open minded to this. I pray that when a family feels the call they can openly say, "Yes God, use us." and I pray more than anything that He uses our family in whatever way He desires.
As of yesterday we are COMPLETELY finished to be available for domestic adoptions, as well as state waiting. So now whatever God has planned we are completely ready!! For those that do read my blog...hold on...this could get interesting!! WE ARE VERY READY!!!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Bringing Home an Orphan by helping a widow and the chance to win $250 in gas!
Those that our following our blog know that we've been praying about something exciting!! The time has come for us to share our vision!
I've been following a blog of Lifesong for Orphans. And one thing they do is a program called "Both Hands", which after reading this I realized this is a complete God thing. Because the two verses he's laid most upon our hearts in all this are...
James 1:27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
AND....
Deuteronomy 14: 28-29 At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest and store it in the nearest town. Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, was well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord will bless you in all your work."
With those two verses in mind, and through lots of prayer...God gave us the vision of doing this together as a family. We are inviting others to join Nick and I one Saturday a month til our babies come home to help the widows of our church and community...whether through visiting, taking meals, lawn care, whatever! We want to invite you to help us bring joy to the days of our widows. If you don't feel this is for you or you don't want to be part of our team, then we invite you to PRAYERFULLY "sponser us" financially on this journey so that we can in return care for the orphans God has chosen for our family. And we also invite EVERYONE to pray for us...pray for our journey...pray for our hearts! And maybe even pray for our mission
Bringing Home an Orphan by Helping a Widow!
We have applied for grants for the remainder of our adoption process but there are so many families who also desire to be part of God's plan and on the same journey as our family. So if we can raise all our funds on our own that would be wonderful. The chunk of money needed is extremely large, but by God's grace and with the help of our friends/family/church family I know we can do this. YES, God is that AWESOME!!!!
Our shirts we got for this journey. (Msg me if u're interested in a shirt.)
If any of you feel that in your heart you would like to help in this process in anyway...please contact either of us and we'd be more than glad to have you get involved.
And there's more exciting news....
Anyone who sponsors us financially (by clinking on the donate button to the side) will be entered into our giveaway for a $250 Gas Card!
Every $5.00 donated = 1 entry
Sharing our blog on your facebook, twitter and google accounts = 1 entry
(must message us and let us know you shared it for it to count!)
Drawing will be held June 26th!
Every $5.00 donated = 1 entry
Sharing our blog on your facebook, twitter and google accounts = 1 entry
(must message us and let us know you shared it for it to count!)
Drawing will be held June 26th!
AND in ALL seriousness....
This will not all be possible without your prayers!! So PLEASE if you cannot help in any other way...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... REMEMBER US IN PRAYER!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Happy Father's day!
Today wouldnt be complete without a post today for Nicholas!
I couldnt be more thankful for the man in my life that blessed me with the children we have!! He couldnt be a better father. I am so lucky to share the parenting responsibility with him and our kids couldnt be more blessed. Happy Father's day Nicholas James!
Also would like to wish the birth father of the children we will adopt some day a happy Father's day! We will always be so grateful to you and want you to know you will always be a father to our children!
I couldnt be more thankful for the man in my life that blessed me with the children we have!! He couldnt be a better father. I am so lucky to share the parenting responsibility with him and our kids couldnt be more blessed. Happy Father's day Nicholas James!
Also would like to wish the birth father of the children we will adopt some day a happy Father's day! We will always be so grateful to you and want you to know you will always be a father to our children!
Friday, June 15, 2012
5am coffee, convos and prayer...
We have a very exciting mission ahead of us. But before we announce we are going to spend every day next week waking at 5am to spend an hour in prayer!! Alone and together! We ask that you join us on this journey...to join us in prayer! Pray for our family. Pray for our hearts. And pray that God uses us to do something VERY BIG!
And please follow us on this blog and in a week we will share things we learned during this time!! And by then hopefully our mission will be even more clear and we can bring you all up to speed on this "plan".
Thursday, June 14, 2012
A day off!
What an awesome day!!
The girls and I packed our lunches this morning and headed to the zoo! We met 2 of the best girlfriends there that I could ever ask for! We all have kids the same ages and so we planned to all take a day off and a playdate picnic at the zoo! It was a wonderful much needed time together! I have been so busy planning our community days and getting our adoption stuff around that this day was well overdue! We all had so much fun! However, we really missed Nicholas there with us.
He also took a day off work. It takes a lot for him to take time off but he's just as anxious as I am to get the bedroom done for the adoption! Last weekend my dad and mom came down and so generously bought all the supplies needed to expand the room and to add extra lighting and electrical. Dad and Nick tore out a wall seperating a small room and a storage closet; making one big room! They had to raise the closet floor and retile the ceiling. They added wiring to add some outlets and a ceiling light. They didnt get it all done so Nicholas finished the room today! The carpet should be in next week and then the room is ready for children!! yea!
Everything is getting super close to being finished! I just cannot wait to see what God has in store! Pure amazing!
The girls and I packed our lunches this morning and headed to the zoo! We met 2 of the best girlfriends there that I could ever ask for! We all have kids the same ages and so we planned to all take a day off and a playdate picnic at the zoo! It was a wonderful much needed time together! I have been so busy planning our community days and getting our adoption stuff around that this day was well overdue! We all had so much fun! However, we really missed Nicholas there with us.
He also took a day off work. It takes a lot for him to take time off but he's just as anxious as I am to get the bedroom done for the adoption! Last weekend my dad and mom came down and so generously bought all the supplies needed to expand the room and to add extra lighting and electrical. Dad and Nick tore out a wall seperating a small room and a storage closet; making one big room! They had to raise the closet floor and retile the ceiling. They added wiring to add some outlets and a ceiling light. They didnt get it all done so Nicholas finished the room today! The carpet should be in next week and then the room is ready for children!! yea!
Everything is getting super close to being finished! I just cannot wait to see what God has in store! Pure amazing!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
"Why adoption?"
This past week we met with a pastor who asked us, "Why adoption?" and today at church during commissioning of a team going to Africa...a different pastor asked "Why? Why Africa?" It wasn't directed to us specifically but it made me really really think. I can sit and say all day we are adopting a child to complete our family. I can sit and talk about all the things that need to be done to make this happen. And I can advertise each and every one of our fundraisers. But none of those things actually tells "Why", why we chose to head in the direction we are headed. So during the commissioning prayer today I broke down in tears. I'm not sure I ever explained why to the people we are asking to pray and to support us on this journey.
We could give a whole list of reasons.
1) we love kids
2) we want a large family
3) these are the kids that need the extra love
4) we want to make a difference in the life of a child
5)...
The list could go on and on.
But the one reason that has led us to this journey and to our "Why?" is the calling from God.
I'm not real good with expressing myself through biblical verses so I will try my best.
In Ephesians 1, Paul writes, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to ADOPT US into HIS OWN FAMILY by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure. SO we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins."
Nick and I don't deserve salvation. We are sinners!! But because God chose to ADOPT us long before we were ever born we will get to experience eternal life and are righteous of God's grace.
At one point in our lives God chose to create and knit Miranda in my womb as a gift to Nicholas and I. As Ephesians also states, "Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan." Miranda, and our 3 children following that too did not make it into this earthly world, are what we believe as gifts from God that we will get to enjoy in Heaven some day. We truely feel God saying to us, My plan for you is to father the fatherless. I need 'your' children here right now. And you need to take care of my children there." Over the past three years being convicted by this we learned that the word "fatherless" is used 41 times in the Bible, most frequently in the Old Testament. Our hearts have turned to those less fortunate. And currently our family's biggest hearts desire is to give back to God (our tithes) for his gifts to us as parents.
Deuteronomy 14: 28-29 At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest and store it in the nearest town. Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, was well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord will bless you in all your work."
We break these verses down as our calling to care for those living in poverty or without families. In this verse God tells His people to tithe every third year for those that are helpless, hungry or poor. I feel He has chosen us to give the responsibilty to care for His children whom are less fortunate. God has given us the ability to love children other than our own, He has given us the heart for the children of the world. And we truly believe He asks us, CALLS US, to go beyond our regular giving and on this third year after He chose to take Miranda home to be with him, to tithe everything we have to give to His children living in poverty!
So if that makes any sense at all...that is our "WHY?" "WHY ADOPTION?" And "Why Us?"
So if that makes any sense at all...that is our "WHY?" "WHY ADOPTION?" And "Why Us?"
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Praying for our birth mom...
So I'm realizing that at this moment there isnt a whole lot of exciting things happening as far as the adoption process. This weekend my mom and dad are coming down so dad and Nick are going to be tearing out a wall in a bedroom to make a bigger room so it's ready when the time comes. And the following weekend our caseworker is coming out for our final vist! Then we are homestudy ready!! WOOT WOOT!!!
With that being said, this post isnt really about our adoption process...but in a sense it could be. If any one followed my previous blog at all you would know that our family's story is one of tragedy. A tragedy that brought us to sooo many positives in our life. Tonight, just as I was getting ready to think about hopping in the shower my computer made that sound of someone trying to get ahold of me on facebook. First I thought, "ahh...it's probably nothing! I'll hop on when I get out." Soemthing told me to just go check anyways. Got there and devastating news. An old church youth group friend. She went off to college a year before I did, so we grew miles apart. But she says to me, "Valerie, a friend of mne just lost her baby 2 weeks before her due date. How can our small group be there for her?"
My heart suddenly hurt. I couldn't specifically answer that question for what she would need over the next few days, weeks or months. But I could share what helped me. One thing I've realized is that everyone needs different things in these situations. After our conversation finished, I continued on to my shower...but with a much sadder and heavier heart than if I would of gotten in when I originally planned. My heart hurt for this mother and father. I cannot pretend to know exactly what they are feeling at this exact moment...but I do know all the pain that lies ahead.
I hopped in the shower and as I started to shave my legs I had that nudge. Tears rolled down my face and I had to pray. Prayers for this family and prayers for the birth mother of the baby God chooses to allow us to be their adoptive family. A million thank yous are not enough and we will be ever so grateful to her. Tonight I was reminded that not only today should I be keeping her in my prayers, but today and every day forward. I have never walked in a birth mother's shoes. But I guess that she will ALWAYS think of her baby. There's not a day that goes by that I do not think of our sweet Miranda. There's days that are harder than others. And often I see children that would be her age and I wonder what she would of looked like or what she'd be doing now. And I guess the same goes for a birth mother that chooses to place her baby/babies.
So, all while in the shower and with the facebook conversation I had prior I was reminded of how often I will need to pray after the finalization of our adoption. I pray for a peace and comfort in knowing her baby is being taken care of to the best of our ability. I pray that she knows her baby will always be her baby and I know without a doubt that if they aren't ever reunited over the years that in Heaven they will be! I pray that if she ever chooses to want to see pictures that we are reminded of what it would mean to us to see a picture of what Miranda would look like. I pray that we will ALWAYS have an open heart to be able to share with her the things she wants to know. And I pray that when she has tough days that God gives her the comfort that she needs.
We havent met her yet and maybe we never will. But I will ALWAYS love her! And we will be ever so appreciative of her!!
With that being said, this post isnt really about our adoption process...but in a sense it could be. If any one followed my previous blog at all you would know that our family's story is one of tragedy. A tragedy that brought us to sooo many positives in our life. Tonight, just as I was getting ready to think about hopping in the shower my computer made that sound of someone trying to get ahold of me on facebook. First I thought, "ahh...it's probably nothing! I'll hop on when I get out." Soemthing told me to just go check anyways. Got there and devastating news. An old church youth group friend. She went off to college a year before I did, so we grew miles apart. But she says to me, "Valerie, a friend of mne just lost her baby 2 weeks before her due date. How can our small group be there for her?"
My heart suddenly hurt. I couldn't specifically answer that question for what she would need over the next few days, weeks or months. But I could share what helped me. One thing I've realized is that everyone needs different things in these situations. After our conversation finished, I continued on to my shower...but with a much sadder and heavier heart than if I would of gotten in when I originally planned. My heart hurt for this mother and father. I cannot pretend to know exactly what they are feeling at this exact moment...but I do know all the pain that lies ahead.
I hopped in the shower and as I started to shave my legs I had that nudge. Tears rolled down my face and I had to pray. Prayers for this family and prayers for the birth mother of the baby God chooses to allow us to be their adoptive family. A million thank yous are not enough and we will be ever so grateful to her. Tonight I was reminded that not only today should I be keeping her in my prayers, but today and every day forward. I have never walked in a birth mother's shoes. But I guess that she will ALWAYS think of her baby. There's not a day that goes by that I do not think of our sweet Miranda. There's days that are harder than others. And often I see children that would be her age and I wonder what she would of looked like or what she'd be doing now. And I guess the same goes for a birth mother that chooses to place her baby/babies.
So, all while in the shower and with the facebook conversation I had prior I was reminded of how often I will need to pray after the finalization of our adoption. I pray for a peace and comfort in knowing her baby is being taken care of to the best of our ability. I pray that she knows her baby will always be her baby and I know without a doubt that if they aren't ever reunited over the years that in Heaven they will be! I pray that if she ever chooses to want to see pictures that we are reminded of what it would mean to us to see a picture of what Miranda would look like. I pray that we will ALWAYS have an open heart to be able to share with her the things she wants to know. And I pray that when she has tough days that God gives her the comfort that she needs.
We havent met her yet and maybe we never will. But I will ALWAYS love her! And we will be ever so appreciative of her!!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Our support...Thirty Days of Nicholas!
One of the biggest things that is most important to us in our adoption journey is our support system! We have some of the best friends and family any person could ask for. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in our busy lives that taking the time to slow down and say thank you to those that are there for us most goes undone and things left unsaid. I began to wonder how many people that love us actually had the time to sit down and do the old fashion write a letter anymore but I decided to give it a shot.
Nicholas turns 30 on July 3rd and I wanted to do something that wouldnt cost much since we are fundraising for our adoption...but something super special. I made a list of all the people in our life that is super important to us and has been there for us over the years. Those that would have fun memories of Nick growing up or even recent memories. Then I took the time to write a letter to each of those people and asked them to share something special about Nick. Within a few days the letters began to roll into the mailbox and I was able to keep it a secret for 2 months!!
I found a safe spot to hide the letters and made Nicholas a book titled, Thirty Days of You! And starting June 3rd (this past Sunday) I let him open one letter per day for the next 30 days! The first ones that he has read so far have been quite humorous and even sad! Goes to show Nick's personality and the reason I fell so hard for him!
He said he wanted to share the letters with us (I gave him the choice to keep them private if he wanted) and I cannot wait to join this journey with him of 30 days all devoted to him and why he's so special to so many people that love him and stand behind him and us as a family!
And with all that also goes to show all the people that will be part of our family as we wait to see where we are being called in our adoption process. The support we have received from so many of our family and our loved ones is absolutely amazing!
More specifics of our adoption journey...Nicholas and I spent this past Saturday in Medina, Ohio where our agency is. We were a little nervous traveling there without the girls. Leaving them for several hours to do family stuff is not our strong suit. We love roadtrips but have NEVER taken one without them. But we knew that this roadtrip was one that led us towards completing our family! As soon as we reached our road we knew we were in the place that we are meant to be! Medina would be the town of several annual adoptee picnics and outtings and it is the perfect little town and fits our family style so well. We walked hand in hand from our parking spot on a little adventure to find Building Blocks. Everything we have done so far has been through snail mail, email and over the phone. So to put a place and a face with the wonderful ladies we have been working with was super exciting. The little (big to us) town intrigued us. Cute little shops along the way, one way streets around town, and super friendly people standing outside the shops...and then we eyed the Building Blocks building. Right across from the most beautiful park. This weekend the park was filled with vendors for shopping in the park. It was absolutely perfect! A library very near, another perfect fit for our family...and a Buffalo Wild Wings. All of our favorites in one little place! We cannot wait to enjoy this little town celebrating our family with all other families that chose adoption as their way to complete their family as well.
During our time with our caseworker we laughed, we smiled, we cried, we remembered and we grew more anxious and excited for our journey. OUr caseworker has got to be one of the sweetest ladies ever. And we scheduled our final visits from her before our homestudy is complete! June 16th we should be completely homestudy ready and we can start the actual process of submiting our homestudy to birthmoms across the states! Our prayer at this time is for all birthmoms out there that are trying to choose which way to go with their children. The strength that they have amazes me and I pray for those decisions daily! They too our on our hearts just as much as their children! I pray that they have the support system that we do as they walk through their life journey and make some of the toughest decisions they will ever have to make! If they don't have the support it is my prayer that if any one in this situation reads this blog that they can feel a sense of comfort and support from Nick and I!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Memorial Day weekend
What a weekend it's been! I wish I could share pictures because I have some pretty cute pictures to share. However, I cannot. Nicholas, my husband, dad and step mom and his sister are here visiting for the weekend. They were able to bring along two very sweet children with them. Currently they are fostering two awesome children and our family couldnt enjoy them anymore than we do. This afternoon we took all the kids swimming and they had a blast together. Yesterday we all attempted the mall together! It was quite interested...shopping with a teenage girl (Nick's sister) and 7 children! Definately a fun family moment. The children all play together awesome and it'll be a sad day in our family when they go back to their family! But so exciting for them to be reunited like that!
Nick's dad and their little family had a graduation party this afternoon and so we brought the girls back here for a nap. Here in about an hour we will be heading to the park for pizza in the park, playground time and a family game of whiffle ball!! I love that our family can be so active together and have so much fun. The heat index today is 98 degrees with a temperature of 95. It's hot but we're keeping the kids all hydrated well. I couldnt be more blessed by the family I married into! I have a wonderful father in law and step-mother in law. A super strong mother in law and some great in-law siblings! Our girls are blessed with lots of cousins their age and our time with all them is always so much fun. Makes the weekends go way too fast though.
I have many pictures I'd love to share but only one that I can share right now. With that being said, look how adorable Kynzie is with her daddy and the love of my life! Nicholas is such an amazing dad and I couldnt be more proud to have him as the father of my children and as my husband!!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Mailbox Diversity
So today the girls received a little bit of culture in the mailbox. Last week I ordered some African baby dolls from a lady here in the States who is originally from Africa. Our girls have several caucasion babydolls, an African American and an Asian baby. The thing I love about this experience is that the girls have never once asked questions about their skin differences or the appearance of their eyes or hair. To them it's just a normal everyday thing. I LOVE THAT! So often in today's society you hear comments about different races, with many stereotypes labeling the different cultures.
Our playroom consists of a globe and play items of many different diversities. Kynzie is too young yet to really notice the differences and similiarities but Ashalyn absolutely loves getting the globe off the shelf and talk about different places. We discuss how we would have to get to Africa or China or Ukraine. First it started out by her thinking we could get there by boat. Makes sense in the mind of a 3 year old who has never flown in an airplane and travels to our family lakehouses to boat on a regular basis. But what I love most about this...throughout the day when playing with the other children I babysit for, I hear her say things like, "my brother and sister live in Africa. It's far far away. We will go see them someday."
As far as the babydolls, the babies they play with most are the ones of different character traits than their own. I've never pointed out the differences in particular but we talk all the time about her favorite song..."Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red, Brown, Yellow, Black or white. They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves all the children of the world.
Right now, we have absolutely no idea what is planned for our family. Currently we are working on our domestic homestudy. Our international is on hold at this point with immigration. Who knows how long that's going to take. Seems like we have been on a standstill for that for months. It's a bit discouraging but at the same time exciting that our domestic is rolling as quickly as it is. I KNOW that God has huge plans for our family. One day we WILL travel to Africa to pick up our babies there! Whether now or ten years from now, only God knows! While we wait, we pray for all the children who will join our family! If while we wait God chooses us to be parents to a state waiting child or a newborn adoption AWESOME!!!! OUr doors, hearts and arms are wide open at this point! We have said, "Yes God!" and if he plans on us becoming the "Rice family Duggers" I couldnt be more willing! 5,8, 10 even 14!
I prayed last night, "Lord, whatever you want from us, use us! Use us however you desire." With that being said, we cannot wait to see where we will be. While we wait for our upcoming trip to Africa and on immigration. We are also on the wait list for an adoption within the United States. We want a huge family and if anyone were to ask us to raise their baby or child you better believe we will be praying for that opportunity and if that's where God leads us than how awesome is that? I cannot wait to see what's in store for us!
The girls were so excited to open the box of babies and couldnt have been happier!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Our story in the life of a blog!
Blogging has never been my strong suit. I'm very long winded but type and then delete most the time. However I am really feeling the urge to blog again but with a new blog sight. Our previous blog was started with the intentions to journal my first pregnancy! Nothing of major context other than that of what your "typical" family has to blog about. The pregnancy of our daughter Ashalyn was perfect. Our first baby girl was in our arms and we blogged about the everyday happenings of spit up, first smile, to first words. It was a cute little blog for 3 months! After those 3 months I learned I was pregnant again, super excited but very nervous for our two children to be so close in age, especially since mommy hood was all new to me!
The second pregnancy got blogged about but not near as much as the first. I was not super mom yet and not near capable of trying to blog and keep up with household chores and the responsibility of a beautiful baby girl. As we neared the final days of pregnancy number 2 I blogged much more. She was born and all together I stopped blogging. Not because I wasn't proud because believe me, she was just as beautiful as our first. But she was so much more perfect!
Now you're probably asking how in the world can a mother say her second born was more perfect than any of her other children?!? I say that with 100% truth in that matter. My second born was born sleeping at 8.5 months gestation. A car accident with trauma to my stomach claimed the life of our second born. In my world, she would of been more perfect if awake...but being a Christian I know without a doubt that my baby girl is flawless in a world of no hurt, no pain and no tears! Blogging stopped because I wasn't ready to face the world. I wasnt ready to share my thoughts and by far wasnt ready to show my weaknesses to people I didn't know. A long lost friend, previous co worker, found me on facebook and asked me my story. She had seen pictures I posted of me holding my sweet baby. And she asked me to share my story, she said that I should blog about it. So I began to blog about the life of my baby girl, Miranda Lyn. Days went by, months and years. Blogging was my out. I soon found myself meeting other women who shared somewhat similiar stories. And as that time went I miscarried and then carried my little miracle baby. Another baby girl, born "perfect" in the worldly manner. 10 fingers, 10 toes and beautiful!! Our two living children are the lights of our world. But our family is not complete. We tried again...and again....both resulting in miscarriages due to the previous trauma to my uterus. Saddened to find that for me to carry another child I'd be placed at a high risk pregnancy. But I am not one to dwell on that. My God is so big! My God provides alternatives!! And with just that He placed many opportunities before us to be wtih children. And He placed the biggest and most burning desires in our hearts! That desire that led us straight to the path of Adoption! We know we would like a big family. However many God chooses for us. And we know without a doubt that adoption is the way for us. We are open to all races and gender and pretty open to all ages. Whereever God leads us to we are ready to say, "Yes! Yes God!!" So with that being said..this blog is about our adoption process. It's about parenting our little ones and getting them accostumed to whatever situation will be placed before us. Whether its a cross cultural experience or a matter within our very own families, a newborn infant, twins/triplets or even octuplets! Maybe even a teen mom who just needs a little guidence! Whatever it is, our prayer is that the Lord uses us! That he protects our family as a whole and guides us into His direction!! So please feel free to join us on this super exciting journey!!!! :-) The Rice journey of a lifetime!!
The second pregnancy got blogged about but not near as much as the first. I was not super mom yet and not near capable of trying to blog and keep up with household chores and the responsibility of a beautiful baby girl. As we neared the final days of pregnancy number 2 I blogged much more. She was born and all together I stopped blogging. Not because I wasn't proud because believe me, she was just as beautiful as our first. But she was so much more perfect!
Now you're probably asking how in the world can a mother say her second born was more perfect than any of her other children?!? I say that with 100% truth in that matter. My second born was born sleeping at 8.5 months gestation. A car accident with trauma to my stomach claimed the life of our second born. In my world, she would of been more perfect if awake...but being a Christian I know without a doubt that my baby girl is flawless in a world of no hurt, no pain and no tears! Blogging stopped because I wasn't ready to face the world. I wasnt ready to share my thoughts and by far wasnt ready to show my weaknesses to people I didn't know. A long lost friend, previous co worker, found me on facebook and asked me my story. She had seen pictures I posted of me holding my sweet baby. And she asked me to share my story, she said that I should blog about it. So I began to blog about the life of my baby girl, Miranda Lyn. Days went by, months and years. Blogging was my out. I soon found myself meeting other women who shared somewhat similiar stories. And as that time went I miscarried and then carried my little miracle baby. Another baby girl, born "perfect" in the worldly manner. 10 fingers, 10 toes and beautiful!! Our two living children are the lights of our world. But our family is not complete. We tried again...and again....both resulting in miscarriages due to the previous trauma to my uterus. Saddened to find that for me to carry another child I'd be placed at a high risk pregnancy. But I am not one to dwell on that. My God is so big! My God provides alternatives!! And with just that He placed many opportunities before us to be wtih children. And He placed the biggest and most burning desires in our hearts! That desire that led us straight to the path of Adoption! We know we would like a big family. However many God chooses for us. And we know without a doubt that adoption is the way for us. We are open to all races and gender and pretty open to all ages. Whereever God leads us to we are ready to say, "Yes! Yes God!!" So with that being said..this blog is about our adoption process. It's about parenting our little ones and getting them accostumed to whatever situation will be placed before us. Whether its a cross cultural experience or a matter within our very own families, a newborn infant, twins/triplets or even octuplets! Maybe even a teen mom who just needs a little guidence! Whatever it is, our prayer is that the Lord uses us! That he protects our family as a whole and guides us into His direction!! So please feel free to join us on this super exciting journey!!!! :-) The Rice journey of a lifetime!!
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