Tummy Mommys

A dear friend of mine who have lived Janaa's life and adoption with Brent and I will often remind me that adoption is born from grief.  It is tomorrow right now in Thailand. It is Veteran's Day.  That day 6 years ago was one of my greatest answers to prayer for Janaa (and myself, to be honest).  Without going into long details, I had to meet Janaa's birthmom (her tummy mommy) to have her sign papers.  

These papers weren't just any papers.  You see, she had already signed papers for Janaa to placed up for adoption.  She had done so TWICE almost 4 years earlier.  She should never have had to sign these papers again.  However, this time she had just re-signed 4 days earlier and those papers were not accepted so this last time she was required to write a paragraph in her own handwriting as to her decision to place Janaa. 

Too often birth moms get bad wraps for their "decisions".  First, a sinner is a sinner.  None of us are better than the next.  When you're going through an adoption it is easy to over-read people's experiences.  I realized early on that I would love for Janaa to know her tummy mommy.  It appeared that most children who knew their "whole" story were able to put their life together in a healthy manor.  

But, for this to happen there was great loss.  Loss of a daughter, loss of a mom, loss of ever knowing a father.  The forever family generally has lost parts of their child's life. The sweetest gift was our meeting that day.  Janaa has a very similar spirit of her birth mom.  She is sweet and kind.  She is tender and loving.  I have only spent a few hours total with her on 2 different occasions, but there is no question that Janaa is loved beyond words.  

Until Janaa, I had always thought of adoption as what birthmom's did if they had no way to feed or care for their child or if they were just really heart-less.  How ignorant I was!  I often wish I could remove that thought from ever being in my mind.  The reality is that many birth moms could provide for their kids, their necessities and even be loving mothers. However, their love is so great that they want more for their child than they can give as a single and sometimes young mother.   

I have read several accounts of precious birth mothers and how the Lord has used their adoption to change their life.  Most of these precious moms are quite contrary to what my concept was. They love with a love that I struggle to understand. They love with a love that placed part of their heart with another for the good of their child.  I can't imagine that pain, especially at the beginning when the separation is new.

Having what we had with Janaa is nothing short of a miracle, almost unheard of!  I'm already wandering what the chances are that I will be able to collect any information for Caleb.  If not, which is most likely, I am praying that the Lord will provide the right words to answer the "unknowns" for him one day.  God gives more grace when the burden is greater, but it's hard not being able to tell your child answers to gaps in their life. 

The thought of another also having the name or roll as "mom" was concerning for me at first. I have learned that a child can't be over-loved.  While God's plan was never for broken families He redeems all things to Himself.  We are a broken people loved perfectly by our gracious Heavenly Father.  I pray He will mold me into a mother that reflects His love and grace to my children as He has done for me. 

 

Concerns

I have been slow to post a lot of information about the Congo and adoptions.  Let me begin by saying there is a lot of misinformation.  Just because we may have strong feelings one way or another, posting them may not always be helpful.   Even though pages may be secure, it is still on the world wide web.  With that out of the way... Christianity Today has a great article about the halted adoptions in Congo.  I am going to post it for you to read if you care to know more. Congo Halts Adoptions

(I am full of very raw emotions right now.  We just got back from the airport welcoming friends who returned from the DR Congo with their son.  It doesn't help that this time 6 years ago we were in Thailand getting Janaa.  I'm always emotional in October and November.  It's just pitiful folks.  I thought age was making me more emotional, but maybe it's the beauty of adoption.)

Watching our friends come down the airport escalator as a family was pretty emotional.  We were in the same place 6 years ago and words just don't explain these experiences in life.  Not only that, but we are with the same agency going to the same country.  We have been excited and anxious for them as we have watched their journey. They have been an encouragement to us in our faith as we watched them face some difficult decisions with grace, love and integrity.

SO...You're probably wandering what we are going to do.  Will we continue with the Congo?  We don't have a lot of answers right now. We are in a great place, as we are waiting to have our fingerprints done to receive approval from the US government to adopt internationally.  At this point we plan to keep moving forward.  We will watch what happens in country for the next couple of months.  When our friends have had time to rest and feel more adjust to their new family, we hope to learn a bit more from what they know being in country.

Tonight I am overwhelmed with God's blessings.  Growing up, I never thought of adoptions as being miraculous.  Birth was, but adoptions were just a paper process.  How incredibly wrong I was!!!  Each time a child enters a family I am reminded that God wrote a unique story for them and probably parted more than one "Red Sea" to bring them to their forever home.  

Right now, we are asking you to pray for us.  We need great wisdom as to how and when to proceed.  We have no doubt that this is part of Caleb's story.  Pray that the Lord will use this to show us more of Himself . My very selfish prayer is that when he comes home that he will still fit in my nephews' hand-me-downs that are hanging in his closet.

The day before heading to Bangkok for the adoption board meeting
and all the paperwork that must be processed before flying out. Yes, we all
slept in that bed.  So much space for someone so little. 

Praying for DR Congo

Our checked cleared USCIS (though it's actually made out to Homeland Security)!  Yesterday we got the letter that they received our stuff and we should be contacted with fingerprint appointments in the next few weeks!!!!  This is so exciting!!  Things are moving!!

We have friends who are in the DRC at the moment with their son.  They have been there a few weeks and are scheduled to fly home at the end of this week.  Please join us in praying that they would get the final paper that they need so that they will make their flight home.  They have 2 children here at home.  It is difficult for parents to be separated from their children.  It is a real possibility that the trip would need to be extended or a parent come home if they do not get their paperwork.  Again, Please pray with us that they will be able to fly home together and be a family of 5 by next Sunday!  

Janaa and Emma swinging at preschool 6 years ago.

Of course this just brings back sweet memories of traveling to get Janaa. 6 years ago today she and I spent the afternoon with her best friend, Emma and her mom, Kosharah.  I was able to go to Janaa's preschool, which she talked a lot about. More importantly, it was a great time to get to know Emma and Kosharah.  They have been precious to bring me in and love me.  You can't help, but fall in love with them.  I am so thankful for Emma and Janaa's friendship. They live a world away from each other, but understand each other in ways that no one else does/or can.  They are so different, yet so alike.   Emma and Kosharah were able to spend a week with us this summer while they were in The States.  One of the best weeks ever!  The girls are old enough to work our phones and ipads so it is not uncommon for me to wake up and hear Emma or Kosharah's voice.  I am ever thankful for technology.  I love few things more than listening to Emma and Janaa talk.  My prayer is that they will always have a special and close friendship.  I LOVE these girls!

Janaa and Emma at Mellow Mushroom this summer.

Post Baby Weight and Post Partum

With my brother at his wedding, 2 monhts before
I flew out to get Janaa.

I have always played ball, worked out, been cautious of what I ate...Terrified of weight!  I always assumed I would have kids and figure out how to get the weight off quickly.  When we started Janaa's adoption our first purchase was a Schwinn jogging stroller.  The last summer before she came home I had my niece and it was great practice!  Bottle first thing, strap her in for a jog, she slept on the ride, and nap time covered too.  It was perfect. I thought I had it all worked out because even on the morning I didn't get a run in...There was always an afternoon nap.

I assumed any weight I did gain would be short-term and due to adjusting to our new lives.  How little did I know!

I didn't really know people who had adopted.  (I did, but it was never spoken of.) I don't have the words to express my thoughts for fear of hurting someone or appearing to be judging. I am in no way doing that. We each have our own journey, and often we find others who have a similar story.  I didn't know others with a similar story to ours. There were few books written on family who chose to adopt and the daily life struggles they had. Even the internet offered little support.

All this to say, I didn't think much about baby weight or post-partum depression.  Those were "different" struggles that moms who adopted did not have.  Again! Was I in for a shock.

We were detained in Thailand an week longer than expected.  Issues came up with the American government as to Janaa's status as an "adoptable" child.  We were told, with Janaa sitting in my lap, that we could not adopt Janaa.  This sent us into an emotional state that I have never experience before or since. That is one of those moments that is hidden in my heart that words will never express.  The next week was spent locating her birth mother a couple of times, getting paper re-signed a couple of times, extra trips throughout the country and exhaustion at a new level.  At one point Brent was looking for a job in Thailand because we had decided that we would move and take care of her before leaving her.

When arriving home, I don't remember much about the first couple of weeks.  I remember laying on the sofa so sick I couldn't get up at times during the first week.  I remember feeling intense guilt for not taking care of Janaa and sadness missing out on more of her life. (My sadness was mixed with joy though.  My parents, brother and sister-in-law were with me about anytime Brent was at work that first week.  I loved seeing their sweet new love for each other.)  I went back to work immediately, which sucked what little life I had out of me. For about 2 months I couldn't keep any food in my system. Apparently the stress has taken its tole on my digestive system.  I lost about 25 pounds.  At one point I was just under 110 pounds.  Then it hit! I could finally eat and it was amazing!  I still watched what I ate and worked out, but my body has never been the same since. I gained my 25 pounds back then a few more and canNOT get those dern things off.

I, also, began to realized that though it wouldn't be called "post-partum", I was experiencing many of the same symptoms.  In psychology we talk about emotional highs and lows.  After any kind of exciting life event there is often an emotional low. Basically, your body produces lots of extra "feel good" chemicals during these events and then is slows down the production after the events leaving a person feeling sad, depressed or emotionally empty.  I would love to have known my chemical levels the last week and a half we were in Thailand because I bet there was a pretty intense drop once we got home.

I know that I have several friends on this journey with similar stories to ours.  I overlooked these things for a couple of years before I began to grasp what was going on. No one around me had been in my shoes. Though people cared I would never have shared the struggle because, OF COURSE! I didn't HAVE a baby so I shouldn't HAVE those struggles.  Know that they may come. Know that they may not.  But, remember that while your journey is different it is the road that all mommies take...loving their child selflessly...even if it means a few more pounds.  Those pounds are priceless!

Janaa's Story

Just like every birth, every adoption has a story.  We look forward to seeing Caleb's story unfold, but while we wait I'll share our first story....

Six years ago (Has it REALLY been that long?), I was frantically getting lesson plans together, working on a yearbook deadline and packing to leave for Thailand.  I had 3 days before my flight left to take me to the only place in the world I wanted to be...Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Brent and I had "met" Janaa when she was just 7 weeks old. I had a friend, Rachel, that I had met on a trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea when I was in high school.  Who knew that God was using that trip to bring my family together 10 years later.  Rachel (Yea, I know it's confusing, but that's our story.  Her name really is Rachel and it really is spelled the same as mine.)  met Janaa at the orphanage in Thailand and began fostering her.  The last sentence seems pretty straight forward, but that was a miracle in itself.  Janaa's story continues the same way...as a miracle.

Brent and I fell in love with Janaa and her foster brother. Eventually, 2 other foster sisters joined the family and we enjoyed few things a much as we did their updates.  We started sending packages to the kids when Janaa was about 9 months old.  At this point we NEVER imagined we would adopt her. Actually, we would not be ALLOWED to adopt her.  Thailand does not allow parents to request their child.  They have some great reasons for this, but that meant it never crossed our minds to request any of Rachel's kids.

A few weeks before Janaa's second birthday we found out that her paperwork was moving so she could be adopted.  6 days before her 4th birthday we flew home as a family of 3.

Was it impossible?! Yes!!  It would take a book to mention all the "impossibilities". During the time Brent and I were waiting, we read a book on the life of Moses.  Talk about a man who's life was filled with impossibilities!  It became a HUGE encouragement for us.

You see, we knew God had called us to adopt Janaa. Neither of us can explain it, but we have never felt the Lord move us to a decision as He did the day we learned her papers were moving.  From that point on we prayed in a way that we didn't really understand. We prayed BELIEVING.  It was hard sometimes. There were people who would ask what we would do if we didn't get Janaa.  We had no answer.  We believed God called us to her and believed He would show Himself great and mighty.  We knew that He could say no and be teaching us something else, but until we had reason to believe that we had to walk in faith...believing.

As we wait for Caleb we knew there is a different risk in his adoption.  DRC is concerned about their children who have been adopted internationally, and rightly so!  I appreciate that they are working to make sure their children are well cared for. However, this means that a few families who make poor decisions could hurt many children's chances to find a forever home.  When a country has to look into adoption situation it often holds up all the other children in the system.  This has been the case in the DRC, on and off, over the past year.

Please pray that families who are adopting are healthy families for their children.  Pray for the officials in the DRC to be able to place children in loving homes without needing to close operations for evaluation.  We fall more in love with the DRC every day.  We have friends traveling to get their son, right now. (I'm a little jealous, but I have goose bumps because of my excitement for them!)

Meeting my sweet girl in person! Priceless!
Brent came over 2 weeks after me. 

Home Study is Complete!!!

Yep! That took more than a bit. I do not remember the first one being so painful. But! It is finished!  What does this mean?

It means that all we need for the dossier at this point is approval from the US government to adopt and bring home a child from an international country.  Well...I guess that's if it doesn't shut down tonight at midnight. :)

In all seriousness, please keep praying for us as we make decisions.  Most pressing: That both the US and DRC governments will keep open and functioning for the people.  Secondly, Once our dossier is complete and we submit it, we will owe a large sum of money.  I don't remember worrying about this as much the first time.  But this time around has been more challenging.  Please pray that God will use this in our lives to remind us to trust Him in all areas.

Updated...T-Shirt Colors and Sizes

Below is a list of shirts and the sizes that we have left.  We do not plan to order anymore right now.  If there is an interest in long-sleeve we may order those.

Shirts are $15 each

To Order: Sent an email to WardRachel@outlook.com and include the following information

1. Name

2. Address for shipping

3. Shirt color and size

4. Payment Type

Payment Method: Check, Debit or Credit.

1. Check - We will email the address when we receive your order.

2. Debit or Credit - Use the side bar to the right of the home page.  You do NOT need a Paypal account.  

Free shipping on ALL orders!!

Color	Y-XS	Y-S	Y-M	Y-L	A-S	A-M	A-L	A-XL	A-XXL
Red	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0
Blue	0	0	0	3	1	0	1	0	2
Pink	3	3	2	3	2	1	4	2	0

Checking the List

We are finalizing our home study amendments tonight. Brent is putting the finishing touches on the email. Hopefully, we will have that back by the first of next week.

Apart from that we only need a few more things to have our dossier ready to send to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  We need about 6 documents notarized, 2 "mug shots" a.k.a. passport photos and our I171-H.  The I171-H is the longest of the process, but we have heard that it is MUCH quicker than it was 7+ years ago with Janaa.

It feels great to finally have check marks by most of the required documents.  I'm pretty sure that if I weren't a "list maker" it would still feel pretty good.  I'll have to ask Brent when he finishes up with the email.  ;)

Please be in prayer for us as we start nearing the end of the dossier preparation.  Once we have approval from the I171-H we will be allowed to be "matched" with Caleb. (No, we still don't know who he is.)  From this point there is much required from a financial and emotional standpoint.  In some ways, it has been emotionally easier so far for Caleb.  I think the main reason is because he doesn't have a face yet. Shoot! He may not have taken his first little breath of oxygen yet!  But, once we see his sweet little face things change.  With Janaa, when we were at this point, we were already emotionally involved and were consumed with getting her home. The switch will flip quickly with that one little photo!

It was strange. One form I was working with tonight asked for our child's birth date.  We always knew Janaa's birth date. It really started making me wonder will he be a Fall Baby like his daddy, sister, cousins, aunt and uncle? A Winter Baby all by himself? A Spring Baby with his mommie,  grandparents, uncle and cousin? Or, a Summer Baby with his aunt?  I think I'd kind of like him to be a winter baby.  Those months are so long and monotonous, long and gloomy.  I think it would be nice to bring a little warmth into life.  Then again, summer would be great for a pool party.   I should take a poll...Guess the baby's month. At least there's a 1 in 12 chance.  As opposed to guessing the day of the month with a 1 in 28-31 chance.

As always...Thanks for following along and loving us and our little passions in life!

Where are we?

Date night at Panera to get some paper work done.
It's quiet there on Friday nights. 

We got our home study draft last week. However, our placing agency is in Kentucky and there are a few things have must be changed before it can be finalized.  We are hoping to have that done in a week or less.

At this point we are compiling our dossier. This is a huge pile of documents that are sent to the DRC.  It is at this point that we can accept a referral for a child...Caleb.

There are things that are very familiar to us having gone through this with Janaa. But 6 years have now passed and things have changed a little, not to mention the differences in requirements for different countries. We have had a few moments where we feel as if this is all new again.

Thank you for continued prayer and support. It means more to our family than we could ever express!

Clothes and Gummy Bears, but not Clothing Gummy Bears.

Our home study should be completed and back to us in the next few days. We are so excited to really be able to start filling out paper work again. Yes, the necessary evil of adopting, but it's better than sitting around doing nothing.

My nephew apparently hit a growth spurt. So, last weekend when they came down my sister-in-law left me with a bin of clothes.  I love my nephew's clothes. I love we will be able to see Caleb in the same clothes.  Silly maybe, but I like it. 

I ironed all those little clothes before hanging and folding them. Will that happen when he's at my ankles demanding attention?  Probably not, but he's not. So I did. I haven't figured out how I'm going to organize the pajamas yet so they are still piled in the crib. 

On the home front...

Janaa and I are several weeks into school now. We have started to get a routine down, which has made our day much more fun.  This week we learned about the scientific method and did an experiment with gummy bears. She was so fascinated by it.  Watching her keep check for changes in the gummy bears was so much fun. I am really beginning to enjoy this. However, to be more than completely honest, it has been very difficult to leave the professional world. I miss my colleagues and friends, but I also have great peace that this is God's calling on my life for the moment.  I do still work. I am seeing clients at my house.  So if you need a dyslexia therapist...you know where to find one. :)

Day 1

Day 1 of the home study is complete. We really like our case worker!  If you've ever had to have a case work, you know how CRAZY IMPORTANT this is.

If you haven't had a home study I'm sure you must have questions. The first time around I was SO nervous at the idea of someone coming to inspect whether we were a "fit" home or not. In reality, they want to find good homes so they are not looking to find everything wrong with you.

What was tonight like?

Lots of questions.  Janaa was up first so she could go play.  Basic questions about school, interests, her feelings on being a big sister...pretty simple stuff.  On our end questions like: How do your friends and family feel about you adopting, parenting style, disciplining style, how will we help incorporate Congolese culture for Caleb, how will we discuss adoption with him and how will we represent his birth parents.    These are things that I have found much easier to answer this time around.

I had my TB and HIV testing done today.  Oh not fun, but with much love I took the pricks.  The HIV was not as bad as it was 7 years ago with Janaa. They didn't take as much blood and the needle was smaller. TB was the one that almost took me out.  I caught myself in time and got my head between my knees.  I would much rather someone punch me than stick a tiny needle in me.

Only 2 more nights to go!

Busy Thoughts

I feel as if there are way too many thoughts for me to write, but I also feel as if I need to write. One week ago I left my safe, secure, full-time job;  moved a classroom of materials into the basement room; spent much needed time with my nieces, put shelves together, painted a dresser and re-organized much of the house. The past 3 days have been spent running errands almost the entire day.  It was a huge realization of the imbalance that my life had become.

I am ever thankful for what the Lord has done in our lives over the past 4 years.  It's hard to believe He has brought us as far as He has in so many aspects of our lives.  Honestly, it's very difficult for me not to work with colleagues.  I enjoy what friends bring to the table day to day.  They keep me sharp by making me explore things out of my box, stand with me in never settling for less than the best, share ideas that I would never think of and simply make the day enjoyable.

The past 3 1/2 years have been a blessing in so many ways, but it is time for me to spend some time re-focusing on my family. Janaa has begged to be home schooled since she started kindergarten. SOOooooo...We are going to spend the year together learning.  Am I scared?  excited?  Yes to all of it. I said "never" so I should have known I would be doing this. I only agreed to it after I got my Masters.  What I learned over the past 2 years assures me that I am more than able to teach, but what wasn't taught was how to teach your own child.  Elementary...ALL subjects...NOT really my thing.  Just never enjoyed it.  But, listening to Janaa  and preparing for our home study I realize that time is moving quickly.  I may hold her back a year just so I can have her one more year of her life.  As things pick up with Caleb much of the attention Janaa has grown accustomed to will be shared.  I don't think she will mind, but I look forward to being able to focus her alone for a bit longer.

So as I am prepping for our up coming home study that starts on Monday, I am also prepping for school. I will still be working.  I will teach students from home and probably do some contract work. When Caleb comes home I want to be able to be with him and not torn worrying about my outside job.

What we didn't take into account and where my selfish fear comes in is the time line.  This is very normal for international adoptions, but our time line extended about 3 months (as best we know).  I had planned to take a year off, but it's looking more like two (please pray my worrying mind will be calmed).  At first we were bummed to hear of the delays.  It turns out that it really is in the best interest of the children and families.  Apparently, children were being referred to families before the extensive work was done to make absolutely sure they were true orphans.  What would inevitably happen is that the parents would be found or an extended family member would be willing to take the child.  At this point families are already attaching.  This disrupts everything on all sides.  Now, they are taking longer, and researching BEFORE referring children to families.  We are thankful for the protection even if it is a bit longer.

If you read all of this you are just too kind!!!

New Puzzle Pieces!!!

I don't think I'm cutting it on Wednesday Puzzle Updates! Brent travels too much and I'm just not that together.

But!!! We have an awesome update.  My brother and his wife, along with my parents, had another yard sale in Lynchburg, VA.  We sent some of the remaining stuff from the first yard sale up there, but basically...they sold their stuff and gave the money to Caleb. Yeah, he's a pretty blessed little guy already.

We were able to add 24 pieces to the puzzle tonight. That means we are only 20 pieces short of completing the perimeter of the puzzle. I'm just a little excited.

Pieces from Uncle Bubba, Aunt Whitney, Drew, Wyatt, Papa and Gramma.

Ready for night 2 of "puzzling". 

This means that we are just over 10% of our goal!!!

Puzzle Pics

Well look who forgot what day of the week it was!!!  Somehow Wednesday slipped by without me noticing.


Puzzle Stats:

Total Pieces: 1,000
Pieces Added as of today: 82
Main Colors: Blue and Brown
Feelings of Puzzle Assemblers at Beginning: Slightly Fearful (Our 1st 1,000 piece puzzle)
Feelings of Puzzle Assemblers During Assembly: Enjoyment and Gratitude

Beginning pieces with names of our sweet friends and suporters.

Perfect family night on the deck!

Slightly sidetracked catching bugs.

Final progress for the night!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Puzzle Pieces

The puzzle is in the works... 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's 

"Wednesday Puzzle Update"

The Lord Provides

My plans to update the blog were interrupted by the unexpected need for excessive sleep.  I don't think that either of us realized how exhausted we were. But here it is before 8:00 am and I'm am communicating in writing. That is big stuff, friends!

Where does one begin when speaking of the goodness of God?  He has used so many of you as His "hands" in our lives.  Last week we sent in our home study application and payment.  This week every cent that we needed was provided!

Thank you is inadequate, but it's all I have at the moment. So...THANK YOU!  Thank you for donating stuff for the yard sale, thank you for buying t-shirts, thank you for donating selflessly...Thank you!!!

I must say that our favorite part of Saturday's yard sale were our visitors.  We met some interesting people, made connections with people we knew but didn't really know, and got to spend time with precious friends who we know lift us in prayer continually!

Saturday morning...looking a little rough that early.

Janaa preparing her store sign

Brent loved this helmet. It was one of the only items that someone did not ask to pay less for.

Janaa raised $50 to bring her brother home. I realized at the end of the day that she had been asking people IF they wanted change back.  Little goober!!!

At the end of the day we cleared about $1,000!  With the other donations our home study is covered!!! The Lord provides!!!!

T-Shirts Are In!!!

Superman was adopted!!!!

T-Shirts are here!!!

Red, Blue and Safety Pink

Children and Adult Sizes

$15 each

We take, cash, check, debit or credit (Master Card and Visa)

We will ship!

You can either contact us directly or post through the site your name and size with contact information. Use the Paypal bar to the left of the page for payment if needed. You do NOT need a Paypal account. I will have a square to take "plastic" with me. Brent and I will try to keep shirts with us. 

Yard Sale

Welcome Arcadia Rd., Welcome, NC

 We will be up at the crack of dawn working to sell all of the cool stuff that friends have donated for us to sale.  We have Furnature, Kitchenware, Teacher Stuff, Computers, etc...

Come check it out!!!!

Janaa will have a store too!!! She's been busy working to bring her brother home!!!

Girl's Shower curtain, rug and matching towels

DVDs

Coffee Makers

Acer Netbook with NY Built Case

Lakeshore Learning Centers

Williams and Sonoma Casual place setting 

Fisher Price Doll House with accessories (not pictured)

One of 7 Different learning centers from Lakeshore. Most items are still in plastic. Never used.

Puzzle Story

During this adoption process, there are various fees and expenses that we pay up front, which total around $25,000. (This does not include travel.)  We've been looking for fun and different ways to get people involved with reaching our goal of bringing Caleb home, and the one we are sharing with you is definitely new to us, and hopefully one that everyone reading will get involved in!

I had never heard of a Puzzle Fundraiser until coming across the idea a few weeks ago while reading on our agency's Facebook page.  Here's how it works - for every $25 that we raise we will add a piece to the puzzle. Use the PayPal link located in the right column of the page to give.  Just put your name and "puzzle" in the comment box when finalizing the donation.  And you're not limited to one piece :).  Each week on Wednesday we will post a photo of the puzzle coming together so everyone can see the progress.  (You're also welcome to help us put the puzzle pieces together...Secretly, we're a little scared.)

Our plan is to write the names of every one of you who help us bring him home on the back of each piece! We want this to be a fun Ebenezer (that means "stone of help" in Hebrew) of how God is faithful in every situation, and in this case, using all of you to demonstrate that.  When he is old enough to understand, he will be able to see just how many people cared to see that he was brought home to his forever family.

We didn't want just any old photo, so we asked some good friends of ours, Jonathan and Holly Lesley, who live in Africa to see if we could use one of their amazing photos. They graciously agreed.  The zebras in the photo are from their commuting around various parts of the continent.

We have been so blessed with people around us praying for our family.  We know that we are backed by precious friends!!!

That is a LOT of little pieces!!!!

Puzzle

This puzzle has a story, and I can't wait to share it. 

Janaa is Working Hard

Breaking up the Crayons

Putting them in the oven.

Janaa has been busy. She is making bottle cap crayons to sell at the yard sale. I think she may end up with her own store that day.  This kiddo is tired of being the only child.  It has been so precious to watch her already love her brother.  I don't think there is anything she wouldn't do for him.