Opened Eyes

6 Months of Waiting - Stay With Me

2012-02-22T08:14:00.000-06:00

Last night I was thinking about how today marks exactly 6 months since we received our referral. I wondered how I would write when I don't have words to say. It's not that I am in a place of despair or doubt (right now anyway), but again, all the news I have for you is that there is no news. No change. No update. We are still waiting. We may end up bringing home our sweet little one who has been matched with us for the past 6 months or we could end up being referred another child if things don't start moving along. I refuse to let evil in and cause me to doubt God and His plans for us.

I was reminded of a song by BarlowGirl last night called Stay With Me. I've always loved the song, but the lyrics have never resonated with me more than they do in this moment. I hope you'll read them and feel encouraged.

Hopeless, getting through this night
And life is not dying in this fight
I'm begging you to deliver me
Confused why you won't take this pain from me

My steps never felt so hard
The end never look so far but
If you won't take me out
Then please take me through this

Stay with me so I won't leave
And make me see that this is not forever
'Cause all I need is your love pulling me

What is the reason for this night
Is hope found in fullness with no light
Does strength grow in our greatest fears
God I pray something good will come from this pain

With you here I know
I don't go alone
I am yours and so
Through the fire I'll go

My steps never felt so hard
The end never look so far but
If you won't take me out
Then please take me through this

Stay with me so I won't leave
And make me see that this is not forever
'Cause all I need is your love pulling me

Listen to the song here:

February Photo A Day Challenge

2012-02-21T09:55:00.000-06:00

Do you use Instagram? I do. I'm actually slightly obsessed with the awesome, free app. I've been participating in a little photo challenge this month. The challenge is to post a picture every day in February from a given list. Here are some of the photos I've posted this month:

Time - Time has flown by since our first date almost 10 yrs ago!

Hands

Buttons - Thankful for my heated seats!

Sun

Front Door

Self-Portrait

Something That Makes Me Smile

Inside My Closet

My View

Blue

Heart

Something New - My newly organized kitchen cabinets

Handwriting

A Giveaway!

2012-02-20T11:15:00.000-06:00

Check out Briss Days Blog for a chance to enter her Birthday Giveaway! I've added a prize to the giveaway pot - my cream colored slouchy beanie. Make sure you enter before February 29th!

Slouchy Crochet Beanie - $20 value Lindsay Lou Creations

I Need Your Help! Adoption Myths

2012-02-16T22:05:00.002-06:00

We are planning our next James 1:27 orphan ministry event at church entitled "Adoption and Foster Care Myths Busted." Our leadership team thought it would be good to get to the core of what holds people back from adopting and fostering and try to break through those myths and fears. There are countless statistics and resources online that have been very helpful with our research, but who better to turn to than the amazing adoption community who knows this process best?! I would love to include input from those of you who have or are currently adopting or fostering. We want to pass this knowledge on to people in our church who might be considering orphan care in some capacity, but are overwhelmed, fearful or simply don't know where to start.

To give you an idea of our event here are the topics we will be going over:

blending
cost
direction-international, domestic, foster care
family response
"Will I love an adopted child the same?"
"Will my adopted child love me?"
kids that are available to foster or adopt
what the Bible says about caring for the orphan

So, what are we missing? What would you like to share with a couple/family on the fence about orphan care? Please comment below, friend me on Facebook (Lindsay on Facebook) or send me an email: lindsaym_83 at hotmail.com

Thanks so much in advance for supporting this ministry!

Secret Project

2012-02-16T14:16:00.002-06:00

I, along with 19 other bloggers, get the opportunity to spread the news about secret project from The Shine Project. The really cool thing is, it's being kept super secret until the unveiling on my birthday, February 24th! What is The Shine Project? I'm glad you asked!

Ashley, the creator of The Shine Project

Meet Ashley! She is the creator of The Shine Project. She started the project to inspire and support others. She has raised money for college scholarships, organized service projects and used her positivity to encourage others to do great things and change lives. For the past few months she has been working on a brand new, top secret Shine project. I'm so excited to be one of the bloggers spreading the word about it!

The only thing I can tell you about this secret project is a little description I'm passing along from Ashley,

This project has the potential of impacting millions of people for the better, and will allow people to make a change in their own communities by doing really simple things.

Check back on February 24th for the big reveal! In the meantime, check out The Shine Project and be inspired.

Happy 10 Months

2012-02-12T18:36:00.000-06:00

Little B drew this for me. Thanks son!

Our baby girl is 10 months old! I can't believe she was a little over 4 months when we were first matched with her. Back in August, Brian and I believed we'd have her home by now or at least that we'd be making travel arrangements. That's certainly not the case. Actually, just last week we were told we may have to be matched with another baby instead of the precious little one we've been matched with for nearly six months. Details are uncertain at this point. She simply just might not be our daughter. All we can do is be patient until this process unfolds and becomes more clear.

Please know, although this process has been unimaginably rocky for us with fallen through referrals, God has strengthened us and given us the peace we need to go on living our lives without falling apart. Of course it's painful, confusing, frustrating, and slow, but we have to stay positive and allow God to work his plan.

We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be. ― C.S. Lewis

Oh, the Insanity!

2012-02-11T22:03:00.000-06:00

Trying to hold my plank form with a little added resistance.

My husband ordered the Insanity workout program last week. I really wanted to hit the gym today, but then my 4 year old and I decided we would test out Insanity for ourselves. I was really proud of my little guy who stayed with it throughout nearly the entire Fit Test dvd. My baby boy, however, thought it would be fun to try and foil my workout intentions. I tried my best to stick with it while I was being climbed on, yelled at, and attacked from every angle. Oh, and at one point my sweet little bundle thought I made a good prop for his target. I was trying my best to keep my core tight and hold my form as magnetic darts were being thrown at me.

Please excuse the mess in my living room...keepin' it real people!

Finally, big brother decided he would join in on the fun. I really hope I can move tomorrow!

"Are you trying to jump, mommy?"

I don't plan on following the entire Insanity program, but I do look forward to trying more of the workouts. It definitely challenged my cardio endurance and strength. I haven't addressed enough on this blog just how much I enjoy health and fitness, studying it and living it! After majoring in health exercise science in college (Boomer Sooner!) I was a bit obessed, but thankfully my kiddos have mellowed me out. Honestly, I haven't hit the gym enough since my second kiddo was born. I do love being an active mom though. Who has time for the gym 3 or 4 times a week after the exhaustion of playing duck duck goose, airplane and tickle monster all day?!

How do you keep yourself and/or your family as a whole fit and healthy? Do you carve out some individual workout time? What's your motivation? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Guest Post on Falling Whistles

2012-02-08T19:28:00.000-06:00


					Laura from Falling Whistles, Me, Kathryn McCampbell RN, and Brian

Bro-in-law Billy, sister Ali, me and Brian

Back in October we had the opportunity to meet some of the passionate people of Falling Whistles who visited Oklahoma City during their U.S. tour. Today the Falling Whistles blog featured a post I wrote. Check it out HERE!

Featured Sponsor and New Item

2012-02-06T12:22:00.000-06:00

I'm a featured sponsor today on a charming little blog, Briss Days. Hop on over and say hello!

I also just added a new item to my Etsy shop. I love the yellow and gray color combo and I am really into chevron right now. I combined the two and came up with this lovely scarf:

Yellow/Gray Chevron Scarf on Etsy

Crafty Valentine's Day Inspiration

2012-02-03T10:08:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day always puts me in an extra inspired mood to create lovely things. I have a classroom full of cutie pie 3 year olds, a secret sister, a co-teacher, wonderful neighbors, family, friends and of course my husband and 2 little guys. I'd love to be able to give something special to all the previously mentioned, well-deserving people in my life, but buying that many gifts would break the bank pretty quickly! (I must remember this as I browse the pretty, Valentine-y aisles at Target and Hobby Lobby!)

I've compiled a little list of my favorite FREE Valentine printables and tutorials so that you may be inspired to create beautiful things for the special people in your life too.


Free DIY gift tag printables by Good Gravy Designs

Good Gravy Designs offers these adorable Valentine gift tags. These tags would instantly add Valentine charm to a simple, inexpensive gift like a bag of candy or a coffee mug.


Free bag topper printables by Makoodle

How cute are these bag toppers by Makoodle?! The site offers another bag topper design and several other free printables.

Printable Valentine cards by 74 Lime Lane

74 Lime Lane offers these simple, yet beautiful Valentine cards for your love(s).

Fake Calligraphy tutorial by Jones Design Company

Perhaps you'll be sending some Valentine cards in the mail or you want to add some fancy personalization to your Valentine cards or crafts. Check out one of my all time favorite inspirational sites Jones Design Company for a fake calligraphy tutorial. Emily Jones will show you just how easy it is to create your very own fake calligraphy to dress up your envelopes. If you find yourself getting frustrated or you don't want to spend the time doing it, she also provides calligraphy type font you can download for $3.99.

I hope I've inspired you to create some special Valentines of your own! Let me know in the comment section if you've found a Valentine printable or craft you just have to share. I'd love to hear from you!

My Guys

2012-02-02T15:32:00.000-06:00

Love this little guy!

And these guys too!

Kids in Congo

2012-01-31T14:11:00.001-06:00

Kids in Congo is a new online resource created for families considering, in process of or who have already completed adoptions from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Information on this site is a collection of resources gathered by adoptive families to help connect families with information they want and need on their adoption journey.
-Kids in Congo website

Anyone who has information to contribute to the site may contact the site's creator. You can also add youf family's blog under the "For Adoptive Families" tab. I hope more individuals and families will take time to contribute to the Kid's in Congo site so that we may share the knowledge we've acquired throughout the adoption process to others considering a DRC adoption as well.

Love

2012-01-28T13:37:00.001-06:00

I co-teach a 3 year old class at our church's weekday program. As we teach our classroom full of curious little minds, I've been amazed at the impact it's had on me. I was planning the lesson for February and included the verse about love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

I have heard that verse so many times that sometimes it loses it's effectivness. That is until I'm thinking about explaining it to my 3 year old students. Who do you love? Your spouse? Your children? Your friends? Now look at the verse again. What a great reminder from God's word what our love should look and feel like. I want to put this verse up somewhere in our home so I can focus on it everyday.

Finally Some Answers

2012-01-26T12:03:00.000-06:00

After 5 months of waiting, we've finally gotten word about why we have yet to receive our baby girl's relinquishment report. We got an e-mail Monday about a situation going on in Kinshasa, which has prevented the report from being released. At this point, I don't feel that it's proper to share all the details because it's a legal matter. We still have no idea when our case will start moving, but we feel like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. We are no longer in the dark about why the important paperwork we need hasn't been handed over.

There have been many times over the past months, especially recently, when I've felt like God has been silent regarding our adoption. I knew in my heart that He was working in a mighty way, but it wasn't something we could see or feel. He chose to reveal some answers to us at the right timing. I'm rejoicing in God's perfect plan and timing, despite those very hard, silent moments.

I found a wonderful article, When God Seems Silent, on the Campus Crusade for Christ website:

Silence can also be a sign of God's trust.

The Gospel of John tells a story about Jesus' friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha. When Jesus found out that Lazarus was ill, he didn't rush to Lazarus' house to heal him. Instead, Jesus stayed where he was for two more days (John 11:6). And before Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus died.

To Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, Jesus' silence could have been interpreted as neglect -- that Jesus didn't care or didn't want to help them.

This mirrors many of the emotions we feel when God doesn't immediately answer our cries for help.

But in Jesus' silence we, along with Mary and Martha, are drawn into a new closeness to God and understanding of His power. Four days after he died, Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus, showing His power.

"When you cannot hear God," says Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest, "you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible -- with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation."

I know waiting is hard. I know the hopeless feeling that fills your heart when God seems silent. Silence does not mean God isn't working. Know with confidence He is working. Know that, pray that, believe that. God knows you better than you know yourself. He has a perfect plan with perfect timing. Revelations come when He is ready and when He knows you are ready.

Quote of the Day

2012-01-23T18:38:00.002-06:00

5 Months and Give1Save1 Total

2012-01-22T07:19:00.000-06:00

5 months ago today we learned about a tiny 4 month old baby girl in our agency's orphanage. 5 months ago we accepted the referral of her. 5 months ago we were in the exact same position of our process as we are today. That's right...it's not that our process has been slow...it simply hasn't moved at all.

God certainly has worked on us in the past 5 months. Honestly, some days we are confused about the adoption. We, along with numerous others, have been praying that we'll be provided with the paperwork we need so that the process can progress. Some days it's quite a blow when I pour my heart out to God, boldly request that he moves this big mountian to allow the process to move and then...nothing. I know my God knows what he is doing. My faith hasn't waivered in him, but recently I wonder if his silence in this matter is his answer.

Regardless of the pace, all other Congo adoptions to my knowledge have been moving along. Ours has not. We continue to pray. If you're praying with us, please pray that God would direct our path and we'd be at peace about the decisions we make in this process. Pray that if God wants this precious baby girl home with us as part of our family we would get the needed paperwork for her so the process can begin moving.

On an extremely happy note, after our week with Give1Save1 we have $2,608 more in our adoption account! $2,608 in one week! Brian and I are so thankful for all of the donations, prayers and spreading of the Give1 link. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!*

*My sweet 4 year old just woke up, sat next to me and noticed our fundraising thermometer as I'm typing this post. He asked, "Have we almost raised enough for baby sister?" I told him, "Yes, look how close we are!" as I pointed to the screen. He got a big, satisfied smile.

Warm Fuzzies

2012-01-20T14:47:00.000-06:00

Photo courtesy of Art and Soul Photography

This week has been so amazing as the Give1Save1 featured family! Currently, our donations are at $2323.95! Give1's Friday blogger Lindsay (also a fellow adoptive momma and my blogging buddy), wrote a post about supporting our adoption by purchasing my crochet items. I love that she titled it Warm Fuzzies. Click on the link to check it out and read why I started my beloved hobby.

Almost Over!

2012-01-18T21:14:00.002-06:00

Our time as the Give1Save1 featured family is almost over. Our donations are right around $1900! It's not too late to spread the word!

By the way, have you clicked the "Shop" tab yet at the top of the blog? I'm getting some items added right here to this site and all you need is a PayPal account to purchase. I added two little newborn hats today. They would look so sweet in a newborn photo shoot.

Yellow/Gray Newborn Hat $20


Pink/Blue Newborn Hat $20

Thanks again for sharing and donating! We are blessed!

Woo Hoo!

2012-01-17T09:43:00.000-06:00

$1536!!!

That is how much we've raised in less than 48 hours with Give1Save1! We are overwhelmed by the love and support we've received already. So many of you have shared the Give1Save1 link, donated, and prayed for us. Each time we get a new donation, no matter the amount, we are amazed and filled with awe because of the way God is providing for this adoption. Thank you so very much for all the support. We still have several days to go! If you haven't checked out Give1Save1.com yet, please do and share, share, share! I'll even let you make fun of me for how many times I blink during our video. What's up with that?! I guess I was nervous...Ha!

Keep checking back to see how one little dollar can do BIG things!

It's Time!

2012-01-15T15:45:00.003-06:00

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

-Helen Keller

We are the Give1Save1 featured family of the week! We would be so honored if you would check out the link and click the share button to post it on Facebook, Twitter and any of the other ways you'd like to spread the word. As I type this we have received $73 already! Brian and I are so excited to see what God has in store for our adoption this week.

*Current total as of Sunday at 7pm = $633.39*

Lindsay Lou Shop Coming Soon!

2012-01-13T15:04:00.000-06:00

I'm in process of setting up a shop right here on the blog. I do love Etsy, but I'd love to provide potential buyers my products from me directly, versus having to setup another account somewhere. Thank you to my friends Jennifer, Sarah, and my sister Alison for allowing me to use your pictures. Just a few more tweaks and I'll have the shop up and running within the next day or two!

Please Help Us Spread the Word

2012-01-10T12:17:00.001-06:00

We've have been blessed with the opportunity to be the feature family on Give1Save1.com next week beginning Monday, January 16th! We'd be honored if you would help us spread the word. Here is a quick description of Give 1 Save 1 taken from the Give1Save1 site:

"Every monday I’m going to ask you for a dollar (via PayPal). I’m going to tell you who it’s going to and what it’s being used for. We’re mostly funding African adoption for the people, by the people. We’re just going to rain down a crazy blessing on a family, organization, orphanage, or project and we’re going to do it every week. We’re going to get huge. And the world will be changed for lots of people because of your generosity. That sounds exciting, doesn’t it?! Let’s do it."

We even recorded a video of ourselves detailing our adoption journey. I do NOT like watching myself on video. That was hard for me to do, but it's worth it if it brings us closer to our baby girl. So please share via blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, call your friends, e-mail your family and let them know about this awesome site and how their little dollar can do BIG things!

Happy 9 Months and Message from a Stranger

2012-01-08T19:03:00.002-06:00

Our baby girl is 9 months old today! Each month without her is getting pretty tough. It's difficult knowing she is growing, developing and acclimating more and more to her surroundings while we have yet to make any progress with our case. Throughout this process I am mostly at peace and look at it optimistically, but yesterday was a down day for me. Most of the down days I feel sad or frustrated, but yesterday I allowed fear to creep in. Oh, what a dangerous emotion fear is. I really haven't struggled with it related to our adoption in a very long time, but as time passes and I lose focus my mind sometimes wanders toward the what ifs.

Yesterday as my husband and oldest son were on the road returning from a trip and my baby was napping, I was able to enjoy some rare quiet time. I don't mean reading my Bible quiet time, but literally just a time in my home when all was silent and I just sat with my thoughts. It was then I got an e-mail from my oldest brother Brandon. Brandon just moved to Costa Rica for a year to become fluent in Spanish. I'm so excited for him and can't wait to hear more about his experience! Anyway, in his e-mail he explained that on the plane ride from San Antonio to San Jose, Costa Rica he talked to a nice couple who were headed to their honeymoon. A little while further into the conversation the man shared that his two youngest sisters were adopted. He frequently got emotional as he shared what a joy the girls have been to the family. He then asked my brother if he was familiar with the adoption process. Brandon shared about how Brian and I were in the midst of our adoption. The man then asked my brother to pass along a message to us as soon as he could. Here is a portion of what my brother wrote in his e-mail:

He wanted me to tell you he understood how long this process could take and how stressful it could be, but he said to not lose hope, faith or get discouraged. He said you will NOT regret this decision and to keep strong.

Perhaps the message will not have the same impact on you all as it did me, but as I got to the part...to not lose hope.. I completely broke down. I realized that I was, in that very moment, feeling very hopeless and very weak. I also felt like God used this random stranger to get my attention. It still blows me away that Brandon was seated next to this gentleman who was very familiar with adoption and was intent on passing along a message to us. Little did he know, it was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you Jesus for sending a message through this man at the perfect time.

Bennett with my brother Brandon

Free Blessings Print

2012-01-06T15:01:00.000-06:00

One of my goals for the year is to start learning some graphic design. Luckily, my husband has taught himself quite a bit in Photoshop over the years and is a great teacher. There are also tons of online tutorials that spell it out for a beginner like me.

I've been playing around while the baby sleeps and came up with a design which includes one of my favorite quotes. Please feel free to save this graphic for yourself if you'd like.

And just for fun I made this graphic of my little cuties with help from my Photoshop savvy husband.

Help Send Emily to Uganda

2012-01-04T16:25:00.002-06:00

Emily is a high school student who lives in our neighborhood. She has been our boys' babysitter a couple of times and is a wonderful young lady who has a heart for the Lord. I am so impressed and inspired by her faith. She has been given an awesome opportunity to travel to Uganda this summer to teach abstinence to Ugandan high school students. If you have adopted or gone on a mission trip you know the fundraising part is a big obstacle. Emily has to raise $4532 for her trip and is doing everything she can to do it. Again, quite impressive.

Help Send Emily to Uganda

I would love if you would pray for sweet Emily and consider making an outright donation or purchasing some of the lovely items she is selling. You can join her "Help Send Emily to Uganda" Facebook page to encourage and communicate with her. I know she would appreciate it.

Check out the following items she is selling:

Leather cuff bracelets $20

Another view Leather cuff bracelet $20

Uganda wristbands $5

Custom canvas $25 plus shipping made by Emily (you pick country, colors, quotes, etc.)

Emily has also signed up to be an affiliate with Ordinary Hero so if you make an order be sure to select "Emily Barton" at check out. Visit the Ordinary Hero store HERE.


Christian recording artist Natalie Grant and her girls sporting their OH gear.

Finally, to simply make an outright donation online go to: www.globalexpeditions.com. Simply click on the “Donate” tab, enter Emily's missionary code, 2661003, and fill out the info.

If you have any questions about donating or purchasing leave a comment below and I'll be sure and get in contact with you. Let's bless Emily in a big way!

Still Nothing

2012-01-03T10:25:00.001-06:00

I'm having a hard time writing this post in my usual optimistic tone. I've written and deleted a few lines several times as to not sound like a complete Debbie Downer. Truth is I am down. I am sad. I am frustrated. The hardest part about this whole waiting on single document for over 4 months is we've had our hopes up a few times only to be knocked back down again.

We have received a bit more information as to why we're waiting, but it's by no means comforting. Apparently the hold up originates with a social worker in our baby girl's commune. Our in-country representative went to him personally to try and get the relinquishment report or at least more information about it. Several times the social worker has made empty promises about the document. Those promises then get relayed to us in the form of, "We should be receiving the report this week." I should know at this point not to put too much hope into those statements, but we have to hope. One of these days it will actually be true. The only answer our caseworker can give us is the social worker probably isn't in much of a hurry and will get to it when he gets to it.

What?! We have a precious baby girl hanging out in an orphanage in Congo for months with a family here who loves her and can't wait to start loving on her and bonding with her. We are stagnant just because they haven't gotten around to it yet?! Whew... that's tough.

I must continually stay focused on God's promises as to not throw a big pity party for myself. I know he knows our timeline and when exactly our baby girl will finally get to come home. He's got this. He's got us. He's got our baby girl. I will put my trust in him and have confidence he is working.

I must share a huge praise. Brian and I continue to discuss that if we had our baby girl home in December, as we had originally prayed, there is no way we would have been financially ready. We have had the most seemingly random things happen last month. It's continued into this month as well. It's God. That's the only way I can explain it. Surprising checks in the mail from family and complete strangers. Just two nights ago a friend contacted me about a friend of hers who wanted to donate to an adopting family. We have no idea how much it will be and it honestly doesn't matter. The fact that God is using his believers to bless us and in turn bring glory to himself makes his awesome power evident to us. And it reminds us that he is BIG and he cares about our little family.

Well, looky there... I turned my frown upside down. God, you know what you're doing. Please don't let me get in the way.

A Great December

2011-12-30T22:20:00.000-06:00

Posing with Santa

It has been a great December full of family get-togethers, work parties, our son's 4th birthday, lots of baking, eating and playing. January needs to be full of cleaning, organizing and working out!

Looking back on the month here are some of what I'll remember the most:

Picking out a Christmas tree at the tree farm with my family
Decorating the tree and watching a movie with Brian's family
Being awarded a matching grant from Hand in Hand
Reaching the matching grant goal and then some! See thermometer
Watching Bennett in his first Christmas program at school
Getting a new picture of our baby girl
Watching Brian play Call of Duty with our teenage niece and cousin...very entertaining!
Witnessing God do amazing things in the lives of so many families who are adopting
Feeling overwhelmed with love from family, friends and even "strangers" who are supporting our adoption in various ways, especially prayer
A fun trip to Norman with my sister to see my bestie to exchange gifts and laughs
Being surrounded by our wonderful family

Hope you all had a blessed month as well!

Bennett at his birthday party

Caleb and my beautiful mom

Brian reading the story of Jesus' birth before opening gifts

There are definitely protective glass doors on the fireplace!

Caleb enjoyed Santa's leftovers for Christmas breakfast

Drummer boy

"Cheeeeese!"

It is!

Striped Infinity Scarf

2011-12-28T15:57:00.000-06:00

Striped Infinity Scarf Etsy Listing

I was so blessed over the weeks leading up to Christmas to have so many crochet orders. I wish I could have made more items, but my two little hands would not allow any more! Now I'm excited about adding some inventory to the Etsy shop. Here is an Infinity Scarf I just added. I love how soft and cozy it feels. Click the link for the complete listing. Thanks! Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas!

Striped Infinity Scarf Etsy Listing

Happy Birthday!

2011-12-23T08:02:00.001-06:00

Happy 4th Birthday Bennett!

We are so blessed to be your mommy and daddy!

It's awesome to see the big boy you're growing up to be. You are such a happy guy and have never met a stranger. You even become fast friends with the cashiers at the grocery store. It's amazing how much you love to learn. It started with colors, shapes and letters and now you are reading some words, spelling and doing simple math.

Everyday you say something that makes us laugh. Just this morning you said, "I'm the silliest boy! I wish Santa had a silly list because I would be on it."

Daddy and I are excited to see what big plans God has for you throughout your life. You are such a sweet, polite, handsome boy, a great big brother and we are so proud of you everyday.

We love you SO much!

4 Months

2011-12-20T11:06:00.004-06:00

9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises

-Hebrews 6

It has been 4 months since we were matched with our baby girl. Our in-country rep (the person in Congo who works for and communicates with our caseworker) has labeled our adoption case in updates sent to us in October, November and December as "too slow," "kind of a slow file," and "unfortunately still slow." Are you catching onto a theme here? Our faith and patience have been tested for sure. There's one thing I'm certain about. A year ago, December of 2010, God placed international adoption on our hearts. He didn't promise quick, easy, or affordable ;) BUT He has certainly remained faithful. He has shown us his power when we were at some low points, he has continually financially provided (have you seen the fundraising thermometer?! It was at $0 less than 2 weeks ago!), he has connected us with some life-long friends, and our faith and patience have been tested. Being tested is no fun, but growing and maturing in faith is and will be eternally rewarding.

We pray and pray and pray that God would work a miracle. "God, move these huge, seemingly impossible obstacles out of our way!" Until he chooses to bring our baby girl home we will continue to keep the faith and hoping and praying...praying her all the way home. We have no indication of when that will be, which at times is extremely heartbreaking, but we are doing well. We have peace and know that God is working even when we don't see it.

Thank you!

2011-12-19T09:09:00.000-06:00

Fundraiser

Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

We have a winner! The winning bid for the OSU framed poster was $325, which will be matched by Hand in Hand to add $650 to our adoption fund!

God has provided in so many unexpected ways last week. Brian and I are so thankful and in awe of how friends and family have stepped up to support us more than ever.

To make things even better, we received two new pictures of our baby girl! She has grown quite a bit since the last picture we received. We are so thankful that she has grown and is looking so healthy. The political climate in Congo and especially the capital, Kinshasa where our baby is, is still very tense. The runner up of the presidential election, Mr Tshisekedi declared himself the winner and said he will take the oath of president on Friday. He's also offering a reward for the capture of Kabila who was declared the winner of the presidential election. See the full news article here.

We continue to pray that God would move mountains and work miracles to get our baby girl home to us despite how slow the process has been thus far. We can't wait!

Oklahoma State Weeden Blackmon Autographed Framed Poster Auction

2011-12-12T16:05:00.000-06:00

Benefit our adoption and bid on this Oklahoma State Cowboys Schedule Poster that is signed by Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon! It has also been professionally matted and framed. What a fantastic piece of OSU memorabilia for any Cowboys fan!

The bidding will close Sunday, December 18th at midnight central.

To bid just comment below. If you have trouble bidding please contact Brian or I via Facebook or e-mail

The minimum bid is $50. All proceeds will be matched dollar for dollar!

The winner may pay via PayPal or by check if you wish to receive a tax deduction. We will give the winner the mailing address and all other info needed for payment and also make arrangements to get the poster to you in a convenient, timely manner.

Have fun!

Happy 1 Year! Celebrate with Us!

2011-12-11T13:50:00.001-06:00

It's been one year since we made the decision to adopt and we want to celebrate!

We've been matched with our beautiful little girl for almost 4 months now. We don't know for sure when we'll get to bring her home, but we feel like we are getting close. It's amazing to reflect on the past year. Just this time last year we were overwhelmed by God's adoption call to us. We had no idea where God would lead, but we chose to follow. Now we are SO close to having our baby girl join us and be a part of our family. Like I said...amazing!

We will be devoting the next month or so to fundraising the remainder of the funds we need to complete our adoption. Our final agency fees plus travel expenses are right around $10,000. We are very excited to see how God works to provide because it will be HE that has to provide.

We were very excited last week to find out we had been awarded a matching grant through Hand and Hand Christian Adoption, Inc. We have until January 17th to try and raise $2,500 which will be matched dollar for dollar up to the total amount of $5,000. That would be half of our goal!

So, here we go! Please help us get this final amount raised to complete our adoption and get our little girl home in our arms! Remember, until January 17th if you give $1 we are actually earning $2. Wanna give $20? That puts $40 toward our adoption...you get the point. :)

Please feel free to donate via PayPal.

If you prefer to receive a tax deduction, send your check directly to Hand and Hand and it's important that you do not write our names on the check, but instead just on the envelope to look like this:

Hand and Hand Christian Adoption, Inc.

Brian and Lindsay Morris

18318 Mimosa Court

Gardener, KS 66030

Thank you SO much in advance. Be checking back as we hope to have some online auctions/giveaways this month as well.

Let's fill this thermometer to the top!

Fundraiser

Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

An update on our little one

2011-12-06T14:16:00.001-06:00

Although everyone in Congo is anxiously awaiting the presidential announcement tonight (hopefully), we actually did get a little update on our baby girl! Our in-country representative saw her today and reported to our caseworker that she looks healthy and is growing. We also found out she has a boil on her little bottom, but will be taken to the doctor to get it checked out. As I was sharing with another adoptive momma today, even though I got an update on my baby's bottom, it's still an update! Anything at this point to feel connected with her, especially in the midst of such a tense political situation, is definitely a comforting feeling.

Our in-country rep has an updated picture of our baby girl in his possession, but can only access a computer to send the picture from his office. Currently, he is avoiding going to his office because of the political situation. I definitely don't blame him! I pray that the country remains at peace and that things will settle down quickly.

I just read about protests going on in Toronto over the Congo election. Check out the article here.

Pray for Congo

2011-12-05T10:06:00.001-06:00

Every time I visit the beautiful, vast ocean, I'm reminded of the power of God

I just read a report released by the AP titled: Dread permeates Congo ahead of election results It goes on to explain that many Congolese citizens are fearful of the violent reaction to the presidential announcement Tuesday, so much so that many are fleeing across the Congo river away from Kinshasa. Where does that leave our helpless little ones sitting in orphanages in the city? My first inclination is to feel helpless, worried, mad... but then I make a shift to feeling powerful tapping into the power that resides in us from our Creator. We have the power of prayer!

Jesus taught, "…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." The Bible urges us, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18). Allaboutprayer.org

Pray with me today and this week for the country and citizens of Congo. Do not let your thoughts drift to worry, instead remember the divine power God gives us through prayer.

Africa Ornaments

2011-12-03T14:19:00.001-06:00

I've just made a few Africa ornaments for any of you who'd like a little African embellishment on your tree this year. These sweet little gems would also make very cute gift wrapping decor. You can check out the Etsy listings or comment below if you'd like set up arrangements to purchase outside of Etsy.

Africa Felt Ornament $9.50 - Etsy listing

Free Christmas Decor

2011-12-01T15:24:00.001-06:00

I just framed my new Isaiah 9:6 print and the best part...it was FREE! I love finding good deals and freebies so I had to share. I've been following Emily of Jones Design Company for a while now. I'm amazed at how many free graphic prints she offers, as well as amazing tutorials and wonderful inspiration. Get your own print HERE.

Busy, Busy!

2011-11-29T20:40:00.001-06:00

With colder weather and Christmas shopping my orders definitely pick up the pace! I've been so busy fulfilling orders for friends and Etsy. Check out a few things I've made over the past couple of weeks.

Sweet crimson and cream owl hat

Charcoal & Mustard Flower Head Wrap just listed to Etsy.

Leg warmers I actually made for myself. Something I hardly ever do. :)

Turquoise and plum owl hat

Missoni inspired ripple baby blanket

Football hat made for friends bringing home their baby boy from Taiwan very soon!

Baby Santa hat for my friend, Jennifer's little man!

I do some orders via Etsy, but many are done outside of my shop. Please feel free to contact me if you're interested in a custom order. I'd be happy to try and get a few orders fulfilled before Christmas.

Thanks for the Reminder

2011-11-26T10:28:00.000-06:00

That is me today... feeling a bit broken. God knows it. He knows about your situation this very moment as well. He reminded me of it this morning when I opened my Heartlight devotional app and His comforting words were waiting to meet me. The exact reminder I needed:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

I am ashamed to admit it, but I realize I've created a distance with God the past couple of weeks. We have been praying and praying for an update with our baby girl and nothing. I don't know why I haven't made more time for God, especially now, but I wonder how many days He was waiting to speak to me with His powerful words and nothing...I didn't show.

Just a few verses before in Psalm 34:15 I read this:

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.

The New John Gill Exposition explains that verse with this:

"for though they are righteous, they are sometimes in distress; their afflictions are many; the good days they are to see are hereafter; and at those times they cry unto the Lord; which is to be understood of prayer, and of the vehemency and fervency of it, when they have the ear of God, and he shows himself to be a God hearing and answering prayer."

I know many of you who read my blog are adopting, or thinking about adopting, or trying to get pregnant. Whatever your situation may be, please don't stop trusting God and passionately praying to Him. His words reminded me today that when I'm feeling brokenhearted and crushed He remains close. And when I continually pray with vehemency and fervency (energy, passion, intensity, empathy...) He hears and answers us!

Are You A Trophy Wife?

2011-11-25T06:01:00.001-06:00

I've had the privilege of getting to know Sarah Roberts over the past few months. I first met her at an event, Race 1:14, created to encourage young women in their walk with Christ. (If you live in Oklahoma and have a daughter, niece, cousin, sister, etc... you should definitely look into signing her up for the next Race 1:14 event!)

Shortly after the event, my husband was hired on at The Fellowship of Christian Athletes where Sarah serves the Director of the Women's ministry. The ministry includes female coaches, female athletes, and coaches wives. She is an amazing speaker, encourager, friend, mom and of course a "trophy wife"!

I know you've all heard the term "trophy wife" and I'm sure it's not exactly the type of woman you've set out to be. Sarah, however, was given a different perspective of the term and I'll allow her words to describe it:

God laid it on my heart to call this ministry for women: Trophy Wives (not my first choice:)). He showed me what it meant to be a Trophy wife, not as the world would see, but as the Creator of the Universe sees it.The Trophy: the most prized and coveted possession of a coach or player of sports. Although we are not called to be a possession, by any means, we are called to be someone our husband cherishes, adores, and pursues. Proverbs 31 is best known for the Proverbs 31 woman: the woman that every Christian woman wants to attain. I believe the Proverbs 31 woman showed me we are more than a trophy, we are wives. Proverbs 31:10-12 says, "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies (or trophies:)) Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good and not harm, all the days of her life." This wife, scripture talks about, has character, integrity, strength, and is worth more to her husband than any trophy. You are more than a trophy, you are a wife!

Please check out the Trophy Wives blog and get some Christian encouragement and maybe even some laughs. You won't be disappointed!

Trophy Wives Blog

So Thankful

2011-11-24T21:54:00.001-06:00

I'm so blessed to have a big, amazing family. We had a great time seeing many of them today. When I tucked my 3 year old in bed tonight I asked him what he was thankful for the most. He replied, "food, my family, and my blankie."

3 Months

2011-11-22T06:30:00.001-06:00

Today marks 3 months since we were matched with our baby girl. Looking at the big picture I can't believe we have had our referral for 3 months already, especially because it hasn't quite been a year since we first made the decision to adopt. God has done some big things in that short time frame. On the other hand, some days or even some moments throughout the day seem so long.

Perhaps it's the holiday season approaching or maybe it's the fact that it's been several weeks without an update, but my heart aches to know something more about my baby girl. We miss her so much! It's hard not to feel a bit of sadness in the depths of my heart as our family is baking cookies or just playing duck duck goose together in the living room because we just don't feel complete. I definitely am not letting my emotions get in the way of enjoying my boys and our family time, but this momma needs to love on her baby girl! I pray daily God would move mountains to get her home to us. I don't know whats going on behind the scenes, but I know He is working. I look forward to the day He finally reveals His plan for our little one.

Traditions

2011-11-18T23:19:00.001-06:00

My husband and I frequently talk about traditions we can start now with our family that will carry on through the years. One of our favorite things to do leading into the Christmas season is making cookies together. This time it was even more fun as Caleb is now old enough to "help" with the process.

All the boys hard at work

Love those eyelashes

Messy helper

My husband wears his pink "Opened Eyes" bracelet everyday for our baby girl.

We started a new tradition tonight!

Daddy reading "Elf on the Shelf"

Breaking Toppy out for the first time

"Hmm..who is this guy?"

It's a beautiful thing to watch children grow and comprehend more and more everyday. I love that Bennett is starting to understand and ask more about God and Jesus. He told Brian a few nights ago that he wanted them to come to his house. Caleb was barely walking this time last year and now he's a running, dancing little boy! I look forward to all the memories we'll make during this holiday season. What a joy it will be when baby sister gets in on the fun!

I'd love to know some of your favorite traditions during Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Videos

2011-11-17T10:02:00.001-06:00

I wanted to share two fun videos with you all. My youngest sister, Maddie, is 13 years old and extremely musically talented. For as long as I can remember she's always loved singing, performing and writing poems and songs. Just recently, she, my dad and youngest brother have learned how to play the guitar from some instructional videos online. I'm amazed that she hasn't taken a lesson and now is playing her guitar so well and singing along. Last night she was practicing a song she will perform at church next month. I'm so proud of this girl!

Our next up and coming star is our baby boy Caleb. His new favorite dance move has a little pop and lock action. I think he'll be a performer too!

My Little Loves

2011-11-14T22:45:00.001-06:00

It's moments like these that remind me how blessed I am to wake up to these beautiful little faces every single day. Very, very blessed.

Add Your Site to Shopping with Purpose

2011-11-09T21:16:00.002-06:00

I've just added a "Shopping with Purpose" tab on the blog. I've searched for similar lists in the past, especially for Christmas gifts. I love getting a really cool gift for someone while knowing the money I spent was very much appreciated and went on to serve a bigger purpose. If you are trying to raise money for your adoption, mission trip, hospital bills, etc...please comment below with your blog address or shop site and a brief description to be added to the list.

Feel free to spread the word so we can get as many shops as possible on the Shopping with Purpose list!

Happy 7 Months Baby Girl

2011-11-07T23:09:00.000-06:00

Happy 7 months baby girl! We hope we get to meet you soon! Mommy broke down at Target a couple of days ago and somehow got lost in a frilly sea of baby girl clothes. I didn't even know what size to buy you, but I've been missing you so much lately that I couldn't leave empty handed. What do you think?

It sounds silly, but it made you seem closer to me. We are so far from you in distance, but your daddy and I have you very near in our hearts. We, along with lots and lots of other people are praying for you and thinking about you and loving on you as best we can from so far away.

Keep getting big and strong for us. You have two silly big brothers that are ready to play with you. We love you!

Love,
Mommy

The day is here!

2011-11-06T14:02:00.000-06:00

The day has finally arrived. It's Orphan Sunday! It's also the day we begin our church's James 1:27 Orphan Ministry with 3 other families who share our heart.

When my husband and I first visited our church less than a year ago, I instantly felt at home. I also felt an excitement that God had something big in store for us (for Him!) there. Fast forward to this day and I am bubbling over with joy (and some nervousness) because it's the start of something great! We have no idea how many people are coming to our event this evening. I wonder if anyone noticed the signs promoting the event in the hallway, the numerous Facebook posts and event reminders, or if hearts were stirred during the video that was played in church service this morning.

One thing I'm confident about is God hasn't required that I work out all the details, He simply needed my "Yes!" so that He could work through me (us..YOU!). My prayer is that God will move mountains and change hearts within our church and community for lots and lots of kiddos... His sweet little ones for whom He has a plan.

Sweet Baby Owl Hat

2011-11-03T22:48:00.000-05:00

Owl Earflap Hat Etsy Listing

I hope this hat finds a special home soon! It was so fun to create. Please click the above link for all the details on Etsy.

Good Night

2011-11-01T07:16:00.000-05:00

Me and my baby monkey

We had an amazing Halloween with family and friends yesterday. Our neighborhood organized a carnival type atmosphere for our little trick or treat-ers. My 3 year old began not to care about the houses just giving out candy, he wanted to play games! My mom, Brian's mom, my sister and her husband all joined us for the evening. We weren't sure how our baby monkey would do in his costume since he cried last time we tried it on him, but once we got him out with treats in hand, he did great!

Last night was another reminder at how blessed we are. We have a wonderful family who support us and love on our boys, we live in a great neighborhood with people who actually care about each other and like hanging out together, and we've got the cutest little chicky and monkey around!

Proud grandmas "Oma" and "Nannie"


Happy little monkey with his Aunt Ali

Posing with our friends/neighbors

Caleb and Brian

Uncle Billy and Caleb

buddies

Fishing for treats

Meant to Be

2011-10-31T00:16:00.001-05:00

We are a week away from kicking off our church's orphan ministry! I am so excited to see what God will do with this ministry.

As I was searching for online adoption resources for our event I came across Steven Curtis Chapman's music video Meant to Be. It's a great song that can relate to orphans, but really to anyone. Each and every one of us is meant to be here on this earth for a reason using the gifts with which God has blessed us.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10

Have a great week! And if you're taking prayer requests please pray that our first orphan ministry event is a great one. Thank you!

What I've Been Up To

2011-10-28T02:04:00.001-05:00

It's only the end of October and I already feel a busyness creeping upon us!

I've been making lots of crochet items as usual. My son loves the movie Despicable Me so he got his very own Minion hat. He even slept in it the first night I finished it.

We had an amazing experience at the Falling Whistles event at Blue Seven (an awesome retail shop in OKC). The organization has created a campaign for peace in Congo. My brother-in-law, Billy, and sister, Ali, were kind enough to join Brian and me at the event. We shared our story with the others in attendance that upon feeling lead to Congo, researching the country and finding the Falling Whistles organization website it prompted us to pursue our Congo adoption. Falling Whistles briefly mentioned us in their blog post here.

Meet Yves click to find out about this great Congolese man who works for Falling Whistles.

Bennett and Brian at a HS football game

Brian has been busy visiting schools during their FCA huddles, meeting with coaches and players at football practice and watching them in action during the games. I'm so thankful he's able to include family in his work.

Finally, on the adoption front, we got a brief e-mail from our caseworker tonight that although some files that we've been waiting on have been slow moving, other parts of the adoption are progressing. It gives me comfort to know that progress is being made. We are even expecting updated pictures within a few days! God is good!

What have you been up to?

2 Months

2011-10-21T23:48:00.001-05:00

It's been exactly 2 months since we were matched with our sweet little one!

What we know:

She is from the commune Massina in Kinshasa. Each commune has it's own court system, with different documents and different time frames. Massina is less familiar to the orphanage director and our file has been a bit slow at this point. We are continually being reassured to have patience because everything is going fine and that the paperwork we need is being issued.
Our baby girl is doing "very well". We even received an updated picture of her not long ago. She is 6 months old now and has a lot of hair already! She still looks itty bitty, but healthy. We can't wait to love on her!

What we don't know:

How much longer until we can bring her home. Initially, we were given a timeline of 3 to 10 months. I'm not confident that anyone really knows how long (or short) our wait time will be. There's nothing we can do, but pray and wait and PRAY some more. We are at the mercy of the orphanage director and the Congolese government.

I also know that we must have faith! I know that God already had this adoption journey mapped out long before adoption was even on our radar. He knows when our baby girl will join our family. I continue to have faith in His plan:

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:20

Another One

2011-10-20T19:34:00.000-05:00

I just completed another Missoni-esque throw. The only difference between this and the last one is I switched the navy out for a beautiful, deep plum.

You can check out the complete Etsy listing HERE.

Knowing a little more about our baby girl

2011-10-14T17:18:00.000-05:00

Even though we have been matched with our precious baby girl for almost 2 months now we know very little about her. I suppose the information we'd love to know about her will never be made known to us, seeing as she is considered an abandoned child. When she is legally ours we'll receive court documents with as much information about her as possible, but again, it may not be much. Any and every little tidbit of information we do receive is very precious to us. Just this morning our caseworker e-mailed us to let us know from what area of Congo our baby girl comes, the commune of Masina. Let me back up to explain a bit about DRC.

Here is a map of Africa so you can see where the Democratic Republic of Congo is located:

The capital of DRC is Kinshasa, which is made up of 24 communes (individual communities). Masina has one of the largest markets of Kinshasa. Although the commune of Masina has a heavily populated urban area, most of it's area is occupied by a wetland bordering the Pool Malebo, a lake widening portion of the Congo River.

Wikipedia image of a Kinshasa view of the Pool Malebo


The Pool Malebo (aka Stanley Pool). Image by NASA

I'm so thankful for the continued reassurance from our caseworker and the orphanage director that our baby girl is doing well and the adoption is proceeding as expected. (I use the term expected loosely though. Is anything really "as expected" in the adoption world?!)

I really do feel a peace about our adoption, a true God given peace. This isn't to say I don't feel weak some days, but I am amazed by God's presence throughout our journey. I'm so blessed that He has brought us to this point only 10 months in. There definitely have been some days that have weighted my heart. Without those days, God wouldn't have had the opportunity to reveal His glory.

I also want to add, I'm am thrilled with the response of the Adoption Blog - Blog Hop! I have hopped around a bit and tried to become a follower of the bloggers who have taken part. I'm excited to continue reading and following each and all of your blogs. I hope you have started making a few connections by listing and hopping around. There is still plenty of time to add your blog if you want to take part. Take the opportunity to reach out to each other. I find it so cool that some of us may be traveling to Congo at the same time. What if some of our children are becoming buddies right now in the same orphanage?!

I'll leave you with some beautiful images taken by Julien Harneis, who I believe has worked as a member of UNICEF providing aid to misplaced people in Africa. You can check out the complete flikr stream here.

Beautiful country. Beautiful people. I'm so glad God put Congo on our hearts.

Blog Hop - Adoption Blogs

2011-10-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

I've said it many times before, I love the blogging community...especially the adoption blog community. I've found support through so many others who blog about their adoption. It's also so cool to see when God does something big in a family's life. I love rejoicing with other families, praying for them, supporting, encouraging, and helping them spread the word when they are fundraising.

I've participated in linky parties and blog hops before. I thought it was about time to host my own. It's a great way to get your blog out to new readers and get in touch with other bloggers who might be in a similar situation as your own.

The directions are simple:

You obviously must have a blog about adoption to participate in this blog hop.
Enter your blog address in the space provided.
The blog hop will go on for one week so you are able to add your blog address until next Tuesday (Oct. 18th). After that, readers will still be able to find your blog address here on this post, but no more submissions will be allowed after the 18th.
Spread the word! Create a post on your blog about the blog hop so your readers can find a great collection of adoption blogs and be sure to include the link to this specific post.
Check out the other blogs listed. Click around and leave comments for people who have linked up their blogs. You can let them know you found them through the blog hop. If it's successful, we can do more blog hops in the future.

I look forward to reading new adoption blogs and connecting with new blog friends. Have fun! Let's get started!

Orphan Ministry

2011-10-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

Quail Springs Baptist Church is teaming up with Orphan Sunday to kick-off our first ever Orphan Ministry event! We feel that God has big plans to provide for orphans in our city, state and all over the world through the people of Quail Springs. One of our goals is show those interested how to care for the fatherless whether it be through adoption, foster care, sponsorship or prayer to name a few.

If you are in the Oklahoma City area, we would love for you to join us November 6th at 5:30pm at Quail Springs Baptist Church (located on N. May just north of Memorial) in the cafe area. Refreshments will be provided as well as childcare.

God's call to us in James 1:27

Let's come together and discover how we can each personally answer that call!

Hope is Fading - Orphan Ministry

2011-10-06T09:27:00.002-05:00

We have dreamt about, discussed and planned over the past few months to create an orphan ministry at our church. We aren't yet sure what God has planned for the ministry, but we know we have to start somewhere! The church has to play a vital role in supporting people who are in process of or have completed their adoption(s). I'd also love to educate others about orphans, adoption, fostering, etc.. especially when they have no idea how to support children in need or who to turn to for honest answers. I'm hoping and praying God does amazing things through this ministry and creates a passion in others to care for the fatherless. Whether it be adopting, sponsoring, or fostering a child or even (and probably most importantly!) committing to pray for a child who needs a family, we can't deny that there is a need. There is a need for people to step up for children in other countries, in the good 'ol USA and even the many, many children right here in our own county who would love to have a family to call their own. You may not be able to physically join us in this ministry, but we would definitely appreciate prayers as we are set to kick-off in exactly one month, November 6th, National Orphan Sunday. Pray that God will use us to make an impact for His glory by helping make a difference in the lives of children all over the world.

We are planning on showing this short video, Hope is Fading, at church to promote our orphan ministry kick-off. Please be warned, it is very touching and may produce a tear or two!

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Ripple Scarf and Reminder

2011-10-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

I just finished this custom Etsy order for a little girl's scarf. The buyer wasn't exactly sure what she wanted. After making the Missoni inspired blanket I was anxious to create the same look in another product. I think it will look super cute on a little girl. Please contact me if you know a little girl who would love a scarf like this. I need an excuse to make more!

Also, I wanted to remind you that we are participating in Ordinary Hero's grant contest. If we sell the most product by midnight on Sunday we will get 40% of all our sales PLUS a $500 grant toward our adoption. They have some of the same great t-shirts like the ones pictured below. The pink is by far my fave! They have many new products as well... Africa pendants, Ethiopia hats, handmade shoes and now you even have the option to donate shoes, backpacks and even a donkey or sheep to an African family! Please take a look at the Ordinary Hero store and make sure to pick my name "Lindsay Morris" at check-out so we receive credit. Thanks!

Ordinary Hero Store

Ordinary Hero Contest

2011-10-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

NOW is the time to order Ordinary Hero gear! Shop today through October 9th.40% of your purchase goes toward the adoption of our sweet baby girl in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Simplychoose my name "Lindsay Morris" from the drop-down affiliate box. There is even a specials tabwhere prices have been slashed. The top seller receives $500 grant from OH!

Brian and I would love your help in winning this grant. They have GREAT items to choose from. I've included a few of my favorites, but be sure to take a look on the Ordinary Hero site to see all of the merchandise.

Thank you!!!

One Month

2011-09-30T23:06:00.000-05:00

It's been one month since we got word that baby girl is healthy and we could legally proceed with the adoption of her. When we first began the DRC adoption process we were told to expect to bring our baby home anywhere from 3 to 10 months after the time of referral. What a range, huh?!

We think it would be the perfect gift to have our baby girl home by Christmas and have our family of 5 all under one roof. *

* We JUST got a new picture of baby girl from our caseworker! The only other pictures of her, received upon referral, were a bit skewed and not the best quality. This new one is so much better! In the pic our in country rep is holding her so we can really see how small she is. Ahhhh... She is soo cute! I can't wait to publicly post her picture for you all to see. Come on court date! Come on court date!

One month down...

Missoni Inspired Blanket

2011-09-29T09:03:00.000-05:00

Missoni Inspired Ripple Blanket - $65

I just finished the blanket I posted about last week. I hope someone out there loves it as much as I do. It's ready to go to a good home! To see the complete Etsy listing click HERE.

This blanket was so fun to make I'm ready to get started on another one.

Today is a Really Good Day

2011-09-26T19:35:00.000-05:00

I woke up feeling like today was going to be a good day. I had no idea it would be this good! We have some dear friends who Brian and I feel certain God used to place adoption on our hearts. They've been encouraging us every step of the way throughout our adoption journey. They've rejoiced with, prayed for, and supported us in so many ways. Now it's our turn to celebrate with them!

Check out Rebecca's blog and join in on the excitement!

Congrats sweet family!

Kicking Monday in the Pants

2011-09-26T08:07:00.000-05:00

It's Monday. No wait, make that a groan-y, "it's Monnnndayyyy.." We don't have a very good perception of the day, do we? I wish we could think of it more like, "Yay, it's Monday! Let's get started!" Before you envision punching me in the face for that, grab another cup of coffee and just go with it.

I came across a really cool post about Benjamin Franklin this morning and was very inspired.

source

Of course, there are lots of other accomplishments credited to Mr. Franklin, but I love that the above list speaks to his character. He saw a challenge and he figured out a way to tackle it and inspired others to do the same. I think it's cool that Benjamin Franklin made charts of his daily goals. So many days I feel like my day is controlling me and I'm just fumbling my way through it. This silly Monday is my day. It's an opportunity to tackle something. I don't want my days to just happen, I want to make something happen. As a stay-at-home mom it's really easy to get stuck in my little bubble of kids, the house, the bills...yuck! And while all those things are good (well, bills aren't necessarily "good" but it's good to pay them!) I don't want that to be all I am.

Maybe you don't do anything different with your Monday than you would normally do. The challenge I have for you and myself is to make it more intentional. Make a list! We are only given a certain amount of time each day to do the 583 things we wish we could do. My list gets longer every time I login to Pinterest. ;) Try to make the most of that time, enjoy it and be good to the others around you.

Give Monday a big kick in the pants and let me know how you rocked your day!

Saturday Inspiration

2011-09-24T11:23:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my new blogger buddy, Aurie, at Our Good Life for introducing me to some new blogs in her "Saturday Shout Out!" post.

I can barely contain myself from the cuteness I've seen on the Simple Simon & Co. blog. I just had to share the upcycle and thrift challenge the Simple Simon peeps participated in, which was inspired by Audrey Hepburn. Are you kidding me?! I'm getting giddy just imagining putting an outfit together like this for my own little cutie!

Simple Simon & Co.

Please check out Simple Simon & Co.'s Project Run & Play post to see more inspiring photos and find out how you can vote for them in the upcycle and thrift challenge. I'm definitely looking forward to more posts from the Simple Simon folks!

Something New

2011-09-22T13:31:00.001-05:00

I really appreciate all the feedback from this post when I asked you all to help me decide what my next crochet project should be. I got to work right away on a really chunky, ribbed pouf cushion. I still need to stuff it properly. I had two square pillows on hand so the pouf is too lumpy to be revealed just yet, but soon!

For now I wanted to show you the progress of my latest project. I've loved chevron print for a while now and plan on using it to decorate our baby girl's room. If you haven't been under a rock lately and have heard anything about Missoni for Target you might have seen all the fabulous, colorful chevron in all things Missoni. All of the fun, colorful prints inspired me to try a new pattern of my own. Here is what I have so far of this lovely throw:

The fact that fall is approaching and there is finally some coolness in the air in Oklahoma makes it even more fun to make this blanket. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Upcoming Elections in DRC

2011-09-20T16:44:00.002-05:00

On November 28th, the DRC is set to hold it's second democratic election. According to officials at the country's Independent National Electoral Commission there are 31 million people registered for this year's vote. That's , about 6 million more than in 2006. The U.N. is already concerned with the violence between opposing sides. You can read the complete article here if you're interested in more information.

I knew before we even officially changed countries from Ethiopia to DRC, elections were coming in the fall. I told myself to expect violence during those elections, somehow thinking that when the time came it wouldn't bother me as much.... however, my baby is in Congo! There's not a lot I can do to stop my momma heart from thinking about her amidst the chaos. My husband and father-in-law will be traveling there in the coming months to get her (God willing!). I'm also BEYOND frustrated that I have never ever seen any coverage on the news about DRC, the militias, or anything relating to the overall suffering of the Congolese people. It's a beautiful, naturally rich country that has been taken over by corruption and pure evil. I just wish more people knew.

For some reason God put the Democratic Republic of Congo on my heart. I get so frustrated at myself at times because there's got to be more I can do. I'm sitting on my comfortable carpeted bedroom floor as my boys are watching a movie, eating their 47th snack of the day. In the meantime, I wonder if my baby girl in Congo has eaten much today. Has she gained any weight since we last got the report that at 4 months old she weighed just over 11 pounds?

I really hope and pray that the upcoming elections in DRC go smoothly and with little violence. I pray they don't interfere with any adoption processes. Just because there have been some violent incidents doesn't mean there will be a violent uproar regarding the elections. This has been God's path for us and others all along. Instead of wasting energy wondering why this is the path, I will try my best to put one foot in front of the other knowing the creator of the universe knows exactly where I'm headed. What comfort we can take in Him!

Waiting Here for You

2011-09-16T14:59:00.001-05:00

I feel like we are all waiting on something.

Healing, peace, a new job, a child...an answer.

This song reminded me that while we wait for God,

"We wait, with our hands lifted high in praise..."

I hope this song touches you and reminds you that even if you've been waiting for a long time for God to reveal a plan, you can praise him during that wait. Come to Him with expectations knowing He is working and moving on your behalf.

Some Favorites

2011-09-15T05:04:00.000-05:00


My sister, Alison, best friend, Kari, baby Izzy and I

Bennett showing me a heart

Caleb and Aunt Ali at the zoo

Family pic at the zoo

My little t-baller

Love this face!

Enjoying the scenery in Missouri

Missouri

Mommy and Bennett

Snacking as usual

My favorite guys

Ready to Talk About Our Referral

2011-09-13T12:24:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been suffering from writer's block. I LOVE blogging! I love the support, the openness, the friendships I've made with some of you who I've never met in person (maybe one day!). My goal here is to be honest. It may not always be eloquent or entertaining, but the words are from my heart. Not being able to come up with a heartfelt entry for a while has really been bugging me. The problem I've realized is I don't feel like I've been honest. It's not what I've said, but what I haven't said...

We have a daughter!

Please God let her be our daughter.

If you've been following our adoption story for very long you know we've had quite an adventurous ride thus far. We've made numerous friends within the adoption community, both international and domestic. Honestly, I can't pick out one family who would consider their adoption process as "smooth" or "easy". If you are considering adoption you need to know there will be surprises. While many times painful, God has an ultimate purpose for those "surprises". Just Sunday I was talking to another adoptive momma, whose domestic adoption of two precious children had just been finalized last week after two long years. She wrote me the sweetest note of encouragement and included a verse that got her through the past two years of dealing with court date reschedules, uncertainty and waiting.

Praise God that HE knows more than ME!

So the details...We were notified of a 4 month old baby girl in the Democratic Republic of Congo the same day, the same conversation actually, that we learned that we were unable to adopt the little girl we thought was going to be our daughter. If you're keeping count, this is our third official referral. Try to keep up. ;) We received several pictures on August 24th. On August 31st we received the medical report that she is a healthy baby girl and we could proceed with the adoption.

So here we are again, matched with a beautiful, Congolese baby girl. I'm excited. Well, sometimes I'm excited. Many times I'm guarded, fearful, vulnerable, weak and in need of my Savior to just take over. I feel ashamed, but I really haven't talked about the referral that much. I forgot to even tell my own wonderful mother about her!

I'm continually reminded that I'm in need of my Heavenly Father's refinement. He will use these hurts and ups and downs to bring the yucky stuff to the surface and then remove it to reveal something beautiful, for His glory.

For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

-Psalm 66:10

You know what? The moment I publish this post our caseworker could call and give us bad news. Believe me, I struggle with this type of negative thinking every day. I am in a constant battle with my own heart, but God's ways are higher than my ways. I will take comfort in Him and His plan, even when it hurts.

Today I choose to be excited about my daughter. I'll daydream about her playing in the backyard with her brothers. I'll imagine kissing her little cheeks and caressing her sweet, curly locks. I'll envision the looks she'll give her daddy and the way it will melt his heart.

I Need YOU

2011-09-06T08:08:00.002-05:00

source

I would love your opinion! I always appreciate the feedback I get from my readers. Now you will help me decide what to add next to my Etsy Shop, Lindsay Lou Creations. Thanks to Pinterest, I've seen so many inspirational craft ideas. Please look at the three photos above and comment with which item you love the most, that you could actually envision yourself purchasing.

The top photo includes a granny stripe blanket similar to the ones I have been making, except the edging has fun fringe.

The second photo is a fabulous chunky cowl.

The third photo includes several colorful floor cushions.

Thanks so much! I appreciate your thoughtful feedback!

First Day

2011-08-29T16:25:00.000-05:00

Happy first day of school to my big 3 year old Bennett!

We are very proud of you!

Love Mommy & Daddy

Another Heartbreak

2011-08-25T12:58:00.000-05:00

Rainstorm over Destin beach

Brian and I got some difficult news Monday that the little girl we've considered our daughter for the past six weeks will not be joining our family. Our caseworker spoke to their Congo rep and discovered that the little girl's birth mother has gone back and forth several times with whether or not she will in fact give up her parental rights. They, at this point, do not believe she is mentally stable enough to make the decision.

Of course, we are hurting and disappointed that the beautiful face we've stared at day after day and week after week is not the face of the little girl intended to be our daughter or our boys' baby sister. We do however know that God has a plan for our family. He never promises our lives will be easy, but he does say that he works all things to the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).

Kristi, a new friend I met through the blog world who is also adopting from Congo, brought some verses to my attention this week. She had no idea what was going on with our adoption, but posted the powerful verses at just the time I needed to read them:

1This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 2 I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. - Isaiah 45:1-3

We continue to cling to God's truths throughout this process knowing that He has been and will always be in control. Your prayers are much appreciated. We are still confident that God called us to adopt from Congo and that he has a special little one perfect for us! We won't stop fighting for her.

Adopt Congo Shirts

2011-08-22T11:57:00.001-05:00

Adopt Congo Shirts by Our Tree of Hope

My friends Kathleen and Clint are selling these really cool "Adopt Congo" t-shirts for $20. They have hot pink or dark heather gray.

They are currently #7 on the DRC waiting list for their baby(ies) and are boldly praying for a referral soon. They are also boldly praying to raise $9000 in the next 3 months in order to accept their referral. Would you help them reach their goal of selling 50 shirts? Let's surprise them and go for 100!

Get some Christmas shopping done extra early while helping grow this wonderful family. I can't imagine a better gift. I know Kathleen and Clint would agree. Visit their blog Our Tree of Hope to order.

What if...

2011-08-18T10:45:00.000-05:00

517 Creations

Waiting waiting is no fun.

Earlier this month I wrote a post celebrating the one month mark since we had been matched with our precious Congolese daughter. It was maybe an hour after I typed the words, Right now I'm feeling strong... that I had a complete emotional breakdown...twice...in public. Thankfully, the public breakdowns were in church and not somewhere more embarrassing. One minute I'm singing in worship service and the next I'm doing the ugly cry for all to see. Actually, I wasn't embarrassed about bawling my eyes out at church. I mean... if I can't be emotionally vulnerable at my church in God's presence and with other believers, where can I be? The embarrassing part was looking in the mirror after the service to see mascara all over my face. Thank goodness the lights were low.

Even though my crazy emotions got the best of me that day, it felt good to let it out. I cried, I prayed, I worshiped, and requested prayer from our friends in Sunday school.

⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it (the thorn in Paul's flesh) away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

-2 Corinthians 12

Waiting to hear something, anything about our daughter is definitely no fun, but what if God didn't allow us these times of wait, hardships, difficulties?

What if I never felt weak?

Would I need Him?

I'm so thankful that God's power and strength is exemplified even through a teary-eyed, mascara stained face.

And the Winner is...

2011-08-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

Kathleen!!!

Result: 4 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Kathleen said...: No. 4 Praying for this giveaway to help your adoption fund in a BIG way!!; August 8, 2011 8:34 AM

Congrats Kathleen! I'll get in touch with you on how you will receive all of your amazing prizes.

Thanks to all of you who donated and spread the word about this giveaway!

Giveaway - Winner Takes All!

2011-08-08T07:01:00.000-05:00

I’m so excited to kick-off this amazing giveaway! The prize package includes 17 items – one winner will take all! Many of the prizes were donated by talented artisans, so the winner will get some fabulous, unique items. All proceeds of this giveaway will go into our adoption fund. Just by entering, you are taking part in bringing home our little girl from Congo.

How to enter: Simply donate $10 for one entry into the giveaway and then comment below saying you did. Include your e-mail address so that I can notify you if you’re the winner!

Increase you chances: Every donation in $10 incriments is an entry into the giveaway. Donate $100 and you’ve entered the giveaway 10 times. Make sure you leave a comment for each $10 donation.

Increase your chances even more: Earn extra entries into the giveaway by sharing via Facebook, blog, and/or Twitter. Please leave a comment below letting me know. The giveaway begins Monday, August 8th and ends Sunday, August 14th at midnight central time.

Ready to see the prizes?

Satin Black Full Size Scentsy Warmer donated by Lindsay

Red Flowers, Set of 5 made of soft yarn by Betty's Salad

Knitted Candle Holder Cover by KnittingNY

Organic Hemp Keychain by Handmade Hemp Momma

Lime green, pink and white jewelry holder donated by me

Dessert Stand donated by Shop to Adopt

Drop Earrings with Gold and Wooden Beads by Earthy Eco Mama Jewelry

Flower Patchwork Tote by The Gift Garden

Sea Breeze Glass Bead Necklace with Blue Star Fish Pendant by Gumpaste Garden

Book donated by me

FCA t-shirt Youth size small donated by my husband, Brian

FCA T-shirt Youth size Medium donated by Brian

FCA Official camp shirt Adult XL donated by Brian

Cotton Candy Granny Stripe Afghan donated by me from Lindsay Lou Creations

Embroidered Applique T-shirt size of winner's choice by Decora Mood

Retractable Reel Purple Badge Holder with Cross Center by Med Bling

Yellow Flower Design Premium Textured Paper Gift Bag by Sarah's Sensational Bag

There you have it! One person will be randomly chosen at the end of the week (Sunday, August 14) and will win all of these amazing prizes! Remember, all who participate in the giveaway are helping us get our daughter home by donating to our adoption, so you're all winners to me. :) I'm so thankful to all those who took the time to make and/or donate these wonderful items. Thank you!

***PLEASE make sure you comment below after you've donated or spread the word so you will be entered into the drawing. I will be drawing a winner from the comments below. Think of each comment as a slip of paper with your name on it being thrown into a hat. Thanks!! ***

Simply click the Pay Pal button below to donate and enter:

One Month

2011-08-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

Today marks exactly one month since we've been matched with our daughter and seen her beautiful face. Right now I'm feeling strong. "One month down already. Surely I can survive a few more!" But honestly, sometimes it's pretty tough not having an end in sight. I know God's timing will be perfect, but the tutu I just bought isn't going to wear itself! ;)

I appreciate everyone's support as we wait. Mostly, people want to know if we've received any updates. We haven't, but it's what we expected. I believe that until we have a court date in Congo there's really nothing to report. So we wait. We pray for our daughter and that she will be able to join us soon. And we wait a bit more.

Check back Monday as I'm putting together an amazing giveaway to help raise more funds for the adoption.

A Big Thanks!

2011-08-02T21:35:00.000-05:00

I'd like to give a big shout out to my friend Angel. She not only purchased a blanket from my Etsy shop to contribute to our adoption costs, but also used it in one of her recent photo shoots with this adorable little cutie. Check out her amazing portfolio at Art and Soul Photography.

And don't forget to check Lindsay Lou Creations to get your own handmade blanket!

Hannah James

2011-08-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

We've been chosen by Hannah James as the partnering family for the month of August! That means 50% of every purchase from Hannah James this month will go toward our adoption.

Dez and her family are adopting from Ethiopia. This quote was taken from her blog:

Hannah James {the shop} started to help us raise money for our adoption, while helping other families as well. We believe most people are afraid to look into adoption because of the high cost. It is a huge sacrifice for any family to make. Hopefully this will help a little, while giving encouragement to those on the road less traveled. It is our mission that by helping other Hannah's we can bring home more James'.

Take a look at our interview here.

Visit Hannah James {Storenvy} or Hannah James {Etsy}.

Thanks!

DIY Furniture Design - a tutorial in pictures

2011-07-30T07:34:00.000-05:00


Jones Design Company

I've already told you how much I like Pinterest, right? Well, recently there I saw a photo of an amazing room with a gorgeous wall design. It looked like wallpaper, but in fact the design was just painted on.

I love the look of the wall, but decided to scale down the project by using the same design on a piece of distressed furniture. There's a little less pressure about getting the design perfect when using furniture that is supposed to look worn.

I used the template provided on the Jones Design Company website. You can find it at the painted wallpaper {a tutorial} post. Before I hit print, however, I shrunk down the design. Once printed, I cut out the template, traced it on sturdy cardboard (I used an old orange juice carton) and began drawing my design.

Let me just tell you now...if you're a perfectionist, doing something like this might drive you a little crazy. The design may be off just a bit here and there and when it comes time to paint, you will NOT get every design looking the same. Just relax and keep going because it ends up looking great at the end.


Starting to come together

Once I had all the designs painted I added a few to the front doors:

The final touch was finding some beautiful, more feminine hardware:

I'm so pleased with the finished product! For now, my baby Caleb has this in his room until baby sister takes over the nursery. Then I get to glam it up with some girly decor!

New Blog Button

2011-07-29T14:51:00.000-05:00

I found a very talented graphic artist on Etsy who designed a new blog button for me. I gave her my ideas and less than 10 minutes later she had a couple custom designs from which to choose. She can also do banners, business cards, logos, and digital scrapbook designs. Check Redvy Roxx on Etsy!

And here is the final product:

If you'd like to post this button that will link others back to my blog somewhere on your own blog just copy and paste the code below. Thanks so much!

Ways to Donate

2011-07-29T14:46:00.000-05:00

Ways you can take part in bringing home our daughter!

Pay Pal:

Visit the Ordinary Hero store here!

Waiting and Celebrating

2011-07-27T13:48:00.000-05:00


Love these girls!

As I wait for my daughter to come home, my best friend waits for her daughter as well. Kari is just about 2 weeks away from the due date of her first precious baby, Izzy. My other best friend (younger sister), Ali and I celebrated Kari and Izzy by having a special girls' day with Kari. We had her open her gifts first. I love ordering beautiful gifts from people who are also adopting. These are what I got for Izzy. I can't wait for her to show them off!

My friend Kathleen made this beautiful dress from fabric I got to pick out myself. Check out the "Caroline Dress" here to get a customized dress of your own.

My friend Anya made this Organic Hand Embroidered Owl Gown. It is so soft! Check here to get one of your own!

We were then treated to mani/pedi's (thank you Scott!), shopping, and topped it off with a fabulous dinner and even better conversation. We even surprised Kari with a cake Ali and I made. Didn't it turn out cute?!

Gorgeous girlies Ali and Kari

I can't quite convey how special these girls are to me. Ali and I are just over 2 years apart in age. Although we have always been close, we've grown to appreciate each other even more as we've reached adulthood. I'm so excited that her and her husband's home is being built in a neighborhood just a couple miles away from ours!

My beautiful sister, Ali and I.

Kari and I were in the same first grade class together and it was friendship at first sight. We have so many awesome memories that go back 20+ years! (I can't believe I'm old enough to have a friend for such a long period of time!) Throughout all of life's ups and downs she has been by my side.

Kari is almost to her due date and she looks amazing!

Love you girls! Can't wait for our next celebration...Izzy J's birthday!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2011-07-24T18:59:00.000-05:00

I took this video about a month ago of my little guys performing. Please pardon the fact that my oldest is pantless. Many times around the house, that's just how he rolls. Enjoy!

Sneak Peek at Baby Girl's Nursery

2011-07-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

source

One good thing about waiting for our daughter is having lots of time to put together a great room for her. Pinterest has been my best friend lately for inspiration. (You need a Pinterest member to invite you if you want to join. Leave me your e-mail if you want to get in on the fun and I'll send you an invitation!)

I've always been a big fan of turquoise so that is going to be the main color of our little one's room accented by grays, whites, a touch of yellow and I'm sure pink will make an appearance at some point. Here is a sneak peak of what I've already started putting together for our little princess:

The curtains were inspired by Lay Baby Lay and give instruction on how to turn a shower curtain and coordinating fabric into fabulous window curtains. I've already purchased two shower curtains from Urban Outfitters and love them even more in person! Next, I've got to order the chevron fabric.

Another purchase from Urban Outfitters is this fun heart-shaped chalkboard to hang on the wall. A bonus is that it's marked down from $36 to $19.99! I wouldn't wait around too long if you're wanting to snag one yourself as it could sell out soon.

Finally, the thing I'm most proud of is a piece of furniture I painted myself. It was already distressed so I felt less intimidated about the possibility of messing it up. I'm going to write a more descriptive blog post about how exactly I accomplished this paint technique, but for now I'll show you the end results:

There ya have it! The beginnings of our sweet baby girl's room. I can't wait until we have her home to see it herself!

Camp WOW and Details on Our Referral

2011-07-19T13:31:00.000-05:00


Climbing wall & zip line area at Camp WOW

Beautiful Sunset at Camp WOW. I already miss that view!

Bennett and Brian having fun in the water.

Bennett & my dad "DeeDa" watching fireworks the last night of camp


My beautiful littlest sister, Madeline at camp.

Hopefully by now my neighbors realize we didn't actually move, despite our absence of 3 out of the past 4 weeks and all of our dead flowers in the front yard! We just got home from our latest adventure, FCA Camp at Camp WOW (Walk On Water) a couple of days ago. I feel like I'm finally catching my breath from the craziness of the past week. It's been good craziness, but it's very good to be home getting settled back into our routine.

We had a great time at camp. There was childcare for Bennett a few times a day that he loved, which allowed Brian and I to go to various group sessions like women's, men's and married couples' group and chapel/worship time with the campers. What made it even more special is my little sister, Maddie, was a camper and my dad served as the camp doctor. He, my step-mom Amy and little brother Matthew also got to experience camp. Matthew is 10 years old and can come to camp next summer as an official camper. He told us camp was the best week of his life! He also was brave enough to go down the big zip line pictured above.

Caleb stayed behind with Brian's parents and his little cousins. My sister, Alison also got him one day for a baby birthday party. I missed my sweet Caleb dearly, but was so thankful to have my wonderful family showing him a great time while we were away. It was very special to get some time with Bennett at camp as well. Here are some of the pictures of Caleb enjoying his time while we were at camp:

Cousins Grant and Caleb at the zoo. They're 6 weeks apart in age.

Caleb enjoying the birthday party with new friends

Playing in Nannie's sandbox

The week after the Fourth of July Brian and I were made aware of a baby girl in Congo who needed a family to adopt her. It didn't take long for us to decide, "Yes! She's ours!". Although, we said yes, we still had to wait on medical testing to make sure she didn't have any conditions or diseases that were beyond our care. I suppose then July 6th was our official referral date, however it didn't feel like it. Blame it on our past experience, but with the sting of "losing" our first little one still lingering, neither of us felt completely ready to jump for joy just yet. We were extremely hopeful and thankful, but guarded at the same time. "Could this beautiful little angel really be my daughter?" I'd often wonder in disbelief.

As Camp WOW was nearing the end this past Saturday, Brian and I were e-mailed our little one's medical results and some other necessary paperwork for proceeding with the adoption. It was just Brian and I in a room full of bunk beds as I overlooked the medical report on my phone for the 20th time. I was sitting on an ice chest and he a bunk bed across from me as I remember feeling such joy and freedom to express that joy regarding our little girl. My human nature had kicked in prior to this, trying to protect myself from getting hurt again. Tears were streaming down my face as I again read, "HIV - Negative", "Hepatitis - Negative", "Estimated birthday..., weight..., height..., etc..." Not only was I happy to see the health report, but I was finally feeling a connection with our daughter. I was made aware of the details about her rather than just a picture. It was that day, July 16th that feels more like our referral to me.

Oh by the way...she's 14 months old! My mother-in-law was convinced Brian and I would be having twins at some point. With Caleb being 16 months and our little girl only 2 months younger I feel like she was right! Wouldn't it be fun to see the look on people's faces if I introduced them as twins?!

We've sent in all the necessary paperwork so that the Congolese government can begin their part of the adoption. The time line is up in the air, but last time we were told it could be up to 10 months before bringing our child home. We'd love for you to join us in prayer that God would work a miracle in bringing our blessing home to us in a shorter amount of time. Thank you!

I might just have to fly to DRC soon if I can't kiss this little hand for nearly a year.

Yes

2011-07-17T14:21:00.000-05:00

We've seen her face.

We said "yes".

We pray she comes home to us very soon.

And we pray, God willing, she simply comes home to us.

Happy 8 Years!

2011-07-12T07:23:00.000-05:00

OU football game

8 years ago today Brian and I were married.

We had only met one year before & got engaged 6 months later.

It's been an eventful 8 years of marriage!

Here are some fun facts about the past 8 years:

We've lived in 10 different homes in 3 different states
Brian has worked for 4 different universities (5 if you count K State when we were dating/engaged)
I have been a certified personal trainer, licensed real estate agent, worked for an oil exploration company and of course, a stay at home mommy
I was 19 when we got engaged and Brian was 23
When we first got married I was a full time student at the University of Oklahoma while Brian made about $750 a month working in the athletic department at OU. Somehow we managed on that little salary!
We lived in Jonesboro, AR for just over a year and met some lifelong friends.
We then moved to Wichita, KS for 3.5 years, had our two boys and made many more friends that have greatly impacted our lives.
We have now lived in Oklahoma for about one year exactly and it's been a great one! We found a home we love in a fantastic neighborhood, joined a church that felt like home from the first visit, decided to adopt and Brian changed careers to join the staff at FCA.

I'm so thankful to celebrate 8 years of marriage with my wonderful husband. Happy anniversary Brian!

I love you!

Brian and I with our niece, Alexa...she's 14 now!

Hanging out at my house in Norman, OK..wow I liked to pluck my eyebrows!

The night Brian proposed on my parents' porch on Christmas Eve '02

Our wedding day, July 12, 2003

The night we found out we were having a baby boy! (2007)


Brian and baby Bennett in the hospital

Family of 3


OKC Thunder game just a few weeks shy of giving birth to Caleb

Our new family of four!

Attending my sister's school banquet

Christmas morning 2010

Brian, I think Caleb wants a turn.