Open Adoption(s)

This beautiful family has been such an inspiration to me & I'm sure to many, many others. They live LOVE out loud! Just read a little about their adoptions in Kim's own words. 





From early in our marriage Bruce and I knew that we wanted to adopt. We had four biological children and when our youngest was 7 we decided that we didn’t want to grow old and say “why didn’t we adopt?” We adopted Trey in 2012 through Mother Goose Adoptions. Some close friends had used Tracie Loux through Christian Adoption Consultants as their consultant and couldn’t say enough good things about her and the process.  We knew that this was the route we should take. After 20 + presentations to birth moms and one adoption we chose to walk away from midstream, we were matched with Trey’s beautiful birth momma.  She was able to fly to Arizona where she stayed for two months until she delivered. During this time we were able to get to know her very well and she bonded with our family and us with her. Bruce and I were both in the delivery room when he was born. The doctor even let me “catch” Trey! We now continue to have a close relationship with Trey’s birth mom. We talk on the phone at least a couple of times a month and she has been out to visit a couple of times.                                                                                               
We started to feel like Trey needed a sibling that looked like him. So we began the process to adopt again. In November of 2014 I got a call out of the blue from a friend who asked if we were home study ready. The agency they had adopted through was looking for a family that was open to a full African American baby. That was exactly what we were looking for! We presented and were chosen! Sadly, this adoption ended in heartache as it turned out this mom was scamming and was using multiple agencies. Not a month later though, I got a call from the agency I work part time for asking if we would be open to a sibling set. We decided to proceed and meet the birth mom. Long story short, on Valentines Day, 2015 we were flying home with not one but TWO babies….a 14 month old boy and 6 week old baby girl. We now also have a very close relationship with their birth mom.                                                     
We have been so blessed by both of our adoptions. I cringe when people say to me “Those kids are so blessed” because anyone who has adopted knows that the truth is that WE are the blessed ones. Adoption is such a redemption story and has grown and stretched us in ways that we could never have done without walking this road. 

Twofold

I love being able to share adoption stories and this one is extra special! Why? You have to read what Amy shares to find out! 


Our heart for adoption started long before we even met.  I (Amy) grew up around adoption and always felt someday it would be a bigger part of my life.  Before we were married we talked about adoption and said maybe someday down the road we would adopt. A few years after we were married we decided to try to have a biological child and ended up struggling with infertility.  Then we felt strongly that God’s someday and our someday were not in the same time frame.   After lots of prayer we dove into the adoption process.  In April 2012, we were matched with a brave expectant mom.  We are blessed by our relationship with her. I was even able to go to an ultrasound appointment and spend time with her about a month before baby was due!  Then in June, Ella was born and our whole world changed! We fell in love instantly.  At that moment, we knew we wanted to adopt again, but we didn’t know when.  Our passion grew as God’s heart for adoption became vivid to us.  We were shocked to learn there is tremendous need for infant adoptions in the United States.  Not long after Ella was born, we started praying about when to adopt our second child.  God’s plan was different than ours again! We were blessed with our biological son, Emmett the following year!
Two years later God began to nudge us to pursue adoption again! This spring we really felt God saying “now” in a variety of ways throughout our lives.  And once again God’s plan was more than we could have imagined! About a month after we started the waiting for ‘the call’ phase of our journey, we were shocked to find out we were matched…and the expectant momma is carrying twins!  Our twin boys are due the beginning of February 2016.  We are so excited to meet them!


I'm so excited to see this family grow! Follow their story here and you'll also find fundraising links to help bring the twins home! 

Little Bits

I can't even begin to express the adoration I have for this precious family! Jessica shares from her heart below, but catch up with their beautiful family over here and I guarantee you'll adore them, too! 





When we first announced to our family and friends that our household was expanding from two children to five the most common expression uttered was something akin to this- "You have 5 children? Why would you say yes to that?"  Here's why-  Two years ago I had a recurring dream.  For nights upon nights I would dream of a little one crying out for mommy. The voice was unknown to me, and honestly I can still replay it in my head.  The dream rattled me.  The feeling that there was a little child crying out for their parent and hearing no response affected me to the core.  One day 
with tears streaming down my face I said yes.  "Whatever it is Daddy God, whatever children come across our path, my answer is yes." My heart nearly burst as holy approval seemed to rest on those words.  That night at home I relayed to my amazing husband the events of the day and proving that he's just as crazy as me- he said yes, too.

Fast forward a few months to see that David,  Judah and his twin sister Annika have been added to our family.  We've enjoyed glittering family moments as well as a few moments that have prompted less than glittering emotions to be felt.  To be honest, some days have been downright terrible.  But our yes is still (and will always be) a resounding yes.

Family is an adventure. Is it difficult? Sometimes, yes. But every difficulty is overshadowed by the opportunity to shower love upon precious babes who are in need.

Psalm 98:4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music

In His Timing

I will never tire of hearing stories of God weaving families together through adoption. Just look at this beautiful family and read in Beth's words the amazing way they became a family of 7. 

My husband, Jim, and I knew from the beginning of our relationship that adoption would be part of our story.  We both felt called to adopt and decided early on in our marriage that Haiti was where we were headed.  After three biological children and eight years of praying and saving, we began the process to adopt from Haiti.  Initially, we decided that a toddler boy would fit best into the dynamics of our family and we were matched with our sweet little guy.  He was malnourished and tiny but began thriving in the orphanage.  I, then, felt that God was calling us to adopt a daughter, as well.  I knew she should be about four years old; around the age of our oldest son.  Circumstances prevented us from adding another child to our adoption process at that time, and I was a bit discouraged, but we moved forward and were finally able to bring our son home after two agonizing years of waiting.

I always felt that there was a daughter missing from our family.  I had originally thought she was in Haiti, but maybe I was wrong?  We looked into adopting out of foster care but the timing just never felt right or lined up.  This past February, at an adoptive moms retreat, a dear friend found out about a little girl who was in need of a forever family.  She had been living in a group home for the past four years and she was originally from… Haiti.  Four months ago, we brought our newest daughter home.  She is the age of our oldest son.  In all of this, we have seen God’s sovereignty and have learned, even more, to trust in His perfect plan and timing. 

Psalm 27:14 

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Smile!

Smile!

That's what I do every, single time I see a photo of this precious family! I loved watching them walk through their adoptions with such grace. Hannah was gracious to share a little about adoption & you can catch up with her over here on her blog. 

Adoption was nagging at me for a couple years. When I read adoption blogs, I’d cry and ask my husband to donate to their cause. I talked about adoption all the time and tried to convince everyone I knew to adopt. Except myself. 

We had two kids keeping me on my toes and I was set in my ways. So I was good at talking myself out of adoption. But it wouldn’t stop nagging at my heart.

One day my husband came to me and said he felt that God wanted us to pursue adoption. And suddenly all of my hesitancy melted away, because I knew this had been a long time coming. I just needed someone else to push me over the edge!

Saying yes was just the beginning of the process. There was paperwork to fill out, phone appointments, meetings, doctor visits, and more paperwork. But we rushed through the early stages as fast as we could! And then came the waiting. And more waiting.

The path that led us to our two babies was bumpier than we expected. It didn’t always look the way we envisioned and definitely wasn’t as smooth as we’d hoped. But it was so worth it.

Because when we started the adoption process, I thought it was something we were supposed to do because babies needed us. But I was so wrong. We were the ones who needed them. The joy they have brought into our family, the laughter, the love: we needed them to complete us.

Chris & Hannah,

Isaiah, Leah, Enoch & Phoebe

In honor of National Adoption Month, I'll be sharing many beautiful adoption stories. 

It seems most appropriate to begin this series sharing a dear friend's story who walked hand in hand with us to bring home our sweet little man. Through being an adoption consultant, she has helped 100's of families grow through adoption. 

Tracie, John & their beautiful family are treasured friends. Check out their amazing family here.

Ephesians 1:5

 He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

So, There's This Guy....

So, there's this guy that stole my heart. In my eyes, he's beyond handsome. And ever so charming. He can be rather hilarious. He's definitely a keeper. In fact, 21 years and counting. 5 kids & 4 grandkids later. 

                                  

                              

There's been some for better and for worse
There's been some in sickness and in health.
There's been some for richer or for poorer. 



Plus some. For sure. But everything we've experienced, the rough times and the smooth times, have enriched our marriage for the good. Through the grace of God, we are a couple. And for that, I'm grateful.  

You, Mr. Langston, still make my heart go pitter-pat.
Happy 21st Anniversary to my very best friend.
I love you so very much. 

Could There Possibly Be A Reason For An Update?

And the abandoned blog gets revived. Why, you ask? Because maybe, just maybe, we have some news to share. 

We've been quiet. But, that doesn't mean God has been. We've been waiting. But, that doesn't mean God has been. Our journey has seemed so very long to us. But, not to Him. He has been changing us and preparing our hearts through every single "No" we've heard along the way. We've answered His call with a resounding "YES", and He is faithful. Oh, so very faithful. 

In the midst of our waiting & wondering, growing & changing, praying & crying, He was preparing a young woman's heart to also say "Yes". Yes to the life growing in her womb. Yes to the family who she would choose to raise her baby. 

The tears are still flowing, but they are sweet tears this time. Our "Yes" has come. We will be welcoming a precious baby boy into our family very, very soon. The due date is May 11,  our 22nd anniversary, but he could arrive any day now. 

Please remember us in your prayers.  And if you would consider helping us bring him home, the best way at this point is through THIS link. Thank you! 

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

 Because of the Lord’s great love

  we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.

   They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.

The Truth Is...

The truth is, I'm happy a new year is beginning. I'm usually not that great with goodbye's, but I'm really ready to say "Goodbye" to 2012. For us, it has been a tough one. I don't want to relive specifics, but we've been through some battles emotionally, spiritually, physically and financially. I know these challenges have stretched me and caused my heart to be changed.  I totally realize my tough times are relatively small in comparison to what many have faced this past year. I will continue to pray for others and won't dwell on me.  Movin' on! 

I'm looking forward to a fresh start. There is excitement stirring from within to get recharged and refocused on our adoption journey. Our road hasn't looked how we thought it would, that's for sure. We can't wait to see how God leads us in this area of our lives. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to say "Yes!" with no reservations. We're blessed to have an adoption consultant and friend who has held our hands and loved us through this roller coaster ride called adoption. She's priceless. If you've considered adoption, let me tell you first hand, Tracie is the first contact you should make! Read here to see some of the beautiful families whose lives have been touched by adoption because she walked beside them on their journey. Amazing! And also, read here to see what another precious friend has to say about Tracie. 

How are you starting your New Year? Any resolutions? I've always made the cliche' ones, you know, lose weight, eat better, etc. Not going to go there this year. Do I want those things? Yes, but my focus is simply less of me, more of Him. I want to be more of His hands and His feet. That should pretty much cover everything else! I pray 2013 is truly a year of God's richest blessings for each of you and your precious loved ones.

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

Matthew 5:13-16

Wait! What? Summer is over?

I do still realize I have a blog. I haven't abandoned it completely. Really, I haven't. 

The last post I wrote was wrapping up the end of a school year. And, poof! Summer came and went. One trip to see family in North Carolina is all we squeezed in before the new school year began. We are now back in high gear with 2 college student schedules, 1 middle school, 1 elementary and 2 preschool. I now have a HUGE desk calendar and I shall do my very best attempt at keeping up with everyone. The first week was a success. I didn't forget anyone or leave anyone stranded. ;)

Our area has just dodged a major storm, but we're remaining prayerful for those in the path of Hurricane Isaac.

In adoption news, a few changes have occurred over the last couple months. The wonderful agency we've been working with has decided to close. We're getting refocused on this journey and hope to share more news soon. Our fundraising efforts are still if place and if you feel you'd like to help us, check out one of our sidebar links. 

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes. =)

"If God is calling you to take a step of faith that defies

earthly wisdom, put obedience first and let logic catch up. If

 you can't understand the why, trust the WHO." UNK

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day (that's a mouthful!)

If you're not military, you probably didn't know this day even existed. President Ronald Reagan thought enough of military spouses to give a little shout out to them way back in 1984 for all the support and sacrifices they make. That was awfully kind of him. 


Today, the lovely ladies of Household 6 Diva and RC of Riding the Roller Coaster are hosting a virtual "Meet & Greet" for Military Spouse Bloggers. I'm joining in on the little blog hop party. 


I little introduction to those who've linked up to the party. My husband was a Marine when we met out in California (8 years), then has been in the Army ever since. (25 years total). We live in Florida, have 5 kids, 4 grands and are in the process of domestic adoption. I blog sporadically about life in general. I look forward to meeting some of you and checking out your blogs.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the party!

New News!

I wish it was new news that we've received a phone call for a new adoption situation, but alas, it isn't. Yet! We're awaking each day with a new excitement and zeal as we wait for the call that will change everything. And we're happy to look forward with anticipation to God's handiwork. :)


The new news is we're ramping up our fundraising once again! We still have our tshirt and coffee fundraisers active with links on the side bar. And, >insert drum roll here< we're launching an awesome new fundraiser that anyone, anywhere can use AND help us raise the last of the funds needed. I LOVE restaurant.com and use them regularly to try out new places frugally. THIS is awesome! You donate ONLY $20, get a $50 e-certificate AND help us at the same time. It's a win/win for both of us!!! Check out the CoupAid link over there >>>> on the side bar. =) 


Have a beyond blessed, minimally stressed day!

I'd Like To Share A Little Story...

Today, on the way home from a follow-up doctor's appointment, I broke down and cried. Boo hooing while driving, not so smart. But, it was a good, I'm-SO-Thankful, feeling-blessed cry. I'll back up and share the whole story.


About a year ago, I noticed a little pea-sized knot under my ear. My family doctor felt it was probably a swollen lymph node that would eventually subside. I remained aware it was there. And that it was ever so slowly growing larger. I had my doctor feel it again in early March and she agreed it had grown and referred me to a specialist.


The following week I had my appointment with the ENT specialist and within fifteen minutes, I was scheduled for surgery to have it removed. He agreed it was most likely an enlarged lymph node, but that it needed to be removed. Although some thought I should have it biopsied first, I felt at peace with the surgery decision. 


Surgery was last Friday and all went smoothly. Well, accept for the lovely reaction I had to all the anesthesia and pain medicines. Hopefully, my husband won't tell that part of the story... God bless him for helping me through it. 


When I woke up in recovery after the procedure, I was greeted by happy faces telling me wonderful news that it was benign. And that it had actually been a tumor. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to hear the news, but without details, it really didn't sink in. Until today. My doctor showed me about how large the tumor was. (almost 2 inches in diameter) And explained how deep it was. And that I was right, that it didn't belong there. And that if wasn't removed, it would've caused further problems and damage. AND that 1 in every 3 persons with a glandular tumor such as this....finds out it's malignant. 1 in 3. So, I'm 2 in 3. That's what made me cry. Tears of gratitude. Tears of relief. Tears of thankfulness. Tears of praise. Oh, how I love Jesus! =)


In my grateful state of mind, I'm healing with NO pain meds, thank you very much. And telling you, if something doesn't seem right, pray. And go see your doctor. =) 






A little side note to my story: sneezing while healing from facial surgery is not pleasant. 

Crickets Chirping

What's that you hear, crickets chirping? Around the blog, yes. But we just know God is at work on our behalf. We're trusting Him completely and are so, so excited to see what little blessing He has created to join our family. 


We still have our coffee and t-shirt fundraisers active, along with the Paypal link on the sidebar for monetary donations. We won't know our legal fees until we're matched again, but would like to raise about $2500 more to put towards legal. Thank you, again, to all who have donated and purchased from our fundraisers. I believe you've sown seeds into very fertile ground. =) 


In other news, we're keeping up with our everyday, crazy, busy schedules to best we can with a family of nine. In a few short months from now, we'll have one daughter completing a degree in graphic design and one graduating from high school. It's amazing how quickly they grow up, but yet I'm so very blessed to be their "mommy". =) 


Short and sweet for today, but I'll leave you with this. 


Unconditional love from Jesus doesn't fear what others think, doesn't fear the nationality, the kind of clothes or car or house, but only sees the heart of a brother or sister and accepts them right where they are. 


(excerpt taken from "Fields of the Fatherless" by C. Thomas Davis)

Finding Words. Finding Faith.

I've been fairly quiet via social media. I've been searching for the right words to share. Finding out just how strong my faith is at this moment in time.


There are many risks involved when you step out in faith to answer God's heart for the fatherless. But, you don't focus on the risks. You focus on the very one who is ordering your footsteps. And our focus remains there. At this time, it looks like the birth mom we were matched with has changed her mind. We may never know the reason, but that's okay. We'll continue to pray for her and baby boy. And stretch our faith a little lot more while we wait to be chosen again.


We are staying with the same agency, which is a huge blessing. We still have funds to raise for the agency and legal, so we'll continue on while we pray and wait. Thank you again to all who have helped us along this journey. We are eternally grateful. If you still would like to help, our Paypal link, coffee and t-shirt fundraisers are still available on the sidebar. 


Blessings,

One Down, Two To Go

Our countdown continues! With Christmas behind us, we are approaching the New Year and with anticipation, the birth of a sweet baby boy. 


We have been blessed so much by those who have given towards our adoption fund and through our fundraisers. It's so awesome to see the Father's heart at work through His people. 


Our deadline goal for the agency wasn't completely met, but we are so very close. We need your help in raising the last $1500 in agency fees. If 150 friends could give just $10 each, we'll have it! We're so honored to be working with a Godly agency (a post for another day). They're willing to give us a little more time to raise the final amount. Would you help us bring our balance to $0? 


With the agency goal met, we'll only have about $2800 more to raise for our legal fees. Our t-shirt and coffee fundraisers are still active. For monetary donations, our Paypal link is on the sidebar. We also have an awesome local fundraiser scheduled for January 10. A fun night of Blingo Bingo is in the works. Be sure to visit our Facebook page for more details. 


Do you make New Year's resolutions? Aside from my usual personal goals, like losing weight, getting out of debt, etc., I will walk out James 1:27 to the best of my ability. How about you?






Happy New Year!

Countdown!!

We're in countdown mode! 


Countdown to Christmas!


Countdown to the New Year!


Countdown to baby!


Countdown to the final amount we need to raise for the adoption!!


Would you help us bring home our baby boy? We have just this week to come up with the last $2200 for the agency! We'll still have about $2800 to raise for legal fees for next month, but our focus is getting the last amount to the agency in one week. 


Our coffee and  t-shirt fundraiser's are active. I'll be listing a few items for an online auction on our Facebook page. And last, but not least, our Paypal button is available on the sidebar for monetary donations. Any amount is a blessing!  We are so very thankful for all who are helping us bring home our precious gift! 


God Bless each and every one of you! Please take time to reflect what the true meaning of the Christmas season is all about and treasure your time with your loved ones! 

Amazing Updates!

Actually, I debated on the title being "Amazing That I'm Updating", but decided against it. Hopefully, the news I'm sharing will make up for it.


Well, without writing a whole novel, our big news is that we've been matched with a birth mom!!! She's due January 1st & we are absolutely ecstatic! There will be so much more to share about our story, but for now, we need your continued prayers that all works out according to God's plan. 


As most of you know, we've posted all of our fundraising efforts on Facebook and sent out emails. We had also applied for a couple of grants and a no interest adoption loan. We were denied for one of the grants and the loan, both stating they just didn't have the funds to help everyone who applies. We are still waiting to hear back from one of the grants. We also didn't have a specific amount, but now we do and we need your help! We will need to raise almost $12,000 total and $4,000 of that in about a week! Who wants to help bring our baby boy home? We still have our coffee and t-shirt fundraising links here on the sidebar and the paypal link for monetary donations. Would you also please consider sharing this with your friends? We are trusting God will provide through his people!


I will update often! 

Updating....

I'm behind. Anyone else out there know the feeling? 


I wanted to start a fundraising ticker with the amounts for quick updating, but haven't been successful. 
The 1st online auction brought in $176. The final amounts posted are less than what our total is, thanks to some awesome friends who added a little extra.  I consider every single one of those dollars a blessing! I'm gathering everything together to begin auction number 2 very soon. Stay tuned!

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act." Prov. 24:1

Coffee Fundraiser

Another wonderful opportunity for adoptive families to raise funds is the Just Love Coffee Roasters. Check out our store's link on the sidebar. They have really great packaging that would make a great gift teamed with a mug for someone in your life who loves coffee. Hint. Hint.