ONE LAST PUSH - ADOPTION!

Happy weekend! 

So... we got word this week that we are JUST waiting on our referral... THAT'S ALL!! The referral is our pictures of our Eric (and maybe Ziggy), the medical records, education level, and TRAVEL DATES!!!!! Woo hoo!!! We are expecting this ANY day... please note that "any day" could mean tomorrow... or in two months... we are at the mercy of the Belizean government. 

Either way... we want to be prepared.  Thanks to our AWESOME God and you amazing people, we have the funds for the last payment for the actual adoption.  We are still raising money for the travel fees.  


Travel fees include:
2 round trip flights to Belize = around $1,700
1 ONE-WAY flight from Belize (for Eric... oh happy day) = around $500
Hotel cost
Transportation in country
and everything else that goes into traveling... 


We want to include you on this last piece... leaving a personal touch on bringing our boy(s) home! We started this fundraiser last year, but I have not done a good job of following through with it, so NOW'S THE TIME! 

It's the PUZZLE FUNDRAISER!!! Our LAST push for our adoption funding!!! HALLELUJAH!!! Here's the deal:

We probably have about 400 puzzle pieces left

Once you 'purchase' a puzzle piece (see directions below), we will write your name, friend/family member's name, or family name on the back of the puzzle piece. Once it is completed we will hang it in one of the clear picture frames so you can see the front and back. It will hang in our Eric's room as a reminder of all the people that helped to bring him home. Plus it will give us a lasting record of who helped make this possible.

 Step 1: buy a piece of the puzzle for $10 (or more whatever you like!) just click on the donate button above to purchase or contact us for other methods of payment, then we'll write your name on the back of the piece. 

When you pay through PayPal, you can enter the name you want on the piece in the comment box! 

Our goal is NOW 400 pieces which would be a HUGE step in raising our travel fees - $4,000!

 

Step 2: once it is completed we will hang it in our Eric's room in a double sided frame so you can see the back with all the names of the people that helped to bring him home! How awesome will it be for Eric to see all of the people who have loved him before they even knew him! 

Step 3: spread the word! I'm having a hard time thinking of 400 people I know!

Here's what the completed puzzle will look like: 

So... would you help us get Eric home? 

I can't wait to show you all the pictures of our beautiful boy when we get them!!!!! Be on the look out!!! :) Let's keep praying him home! Our God is faithful and He hears our prayers! 

makes me wanna shout!

This week has made me wanna shout - sometimes with frustration, sometimes with confusion, sometimes with hurt because of what other people are going through, BUT mostly with JOY! Hooray! 

First, happy birthday to the best, cutest, most loving, sweetest, and all the other good words PawPaw in the world!!! 

I'm so thankful for my grandparents - Nanny and PawPaw. Thankful for the examples they have been to all of us. Thankful for their legacy. for their marriage. for their laughter. for so many memories at their house. They love us well. And I'm thankful for my mom and aunts and uncle - they have sacrificially taken care of them over the last 6 months. Are they not the CUTEST??? 

 Nanny and "her man" 

Nanny with her cake she helped mom make for PawPaw's birthday.  Hate we weren't there to eat it with them!  

So READ this crazy God story.  He blows me away.  Why do I ever doubt Him? I just don't know. Why do I limit Him? 

God is FAITHFUL -
Yesterday our adoption social worker contacted us and said Belize needed extra originals of forms that we did not have originals for... Because they were already in Belize (why they needed ANOTHER one is beyond me... but we just do what we are told). 

So... For the first time, I did not freak out. I really didn't. I TRUSTED - Jacob actually freaked out this time. We called Lifeline (our home stdy agency) to try to figure it out and get the paperwork we needed. They were great! BUT Jacob and I are going out of town next week so I wanted to get the papers and mail them TODAY.  When we are told to do something for our adoption, we do it IMMEDIATELY... a delay in this process will NEVER be our fault.  WE WANT OUR ERIC HOME! Then, Lifeline said "To get the papers today would be an act of God, you know that right?" I said, "Yes, I know that." (we are dealing with the government...)
So, I hung up the phone and said, "Lord it will take an act of YOU to have the papers ready today. You are able."
I waited for 2 hours... Got a call... And I just drove to Montgomery, ugly crying the whole way (in a car with no AC which made it uglier) to pick up these impossible papers. I jammed out to Kari Jobe's CD and bawled because God is just SO good. He loves us so much. He LOVES Eric. He is taking care of Him. He will WIN! He will show His faithfulness. He is in control!
Yep, He is in charge of EVERY detail!

Those impossible papers... are now in the mail on their way to our adoption agency.

BOOM! 

This study is RoCkIn' My WoRlD!!! 

I am learning to be a Daniel in our Babylonian world. I think so many people assume Christian living in America is easy, no stress, and care-free... it's all about prosperity and Starbucks. It's easy... because we make it easy.  Living like Jesus in our culture is TOUGH. We are bombarded by CULTURE -

self-centeredness

self-righteousness

self-interest

SELF... ME ME ME ME...

Daniel lived in a culture just like ours - Babylon.  The words used to describe the FALL of Babylon in Isaiah are this: 

“Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security
and saying to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.'

Isaiah 47:8

Sound like the American culture? OH YES! We live in a culture that makes us believe that "I am, and there is none besides me... no one else matters..."  I am busy so you other people who don't matter in the Walmart line... get out of MY way. I want THIS and will do whatever I have to do to get it... because I am... and no one else matters. GROSS! 

We are called to live a life of integrity. We are called to live like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  When everyone else bowed down to the gold statue... they stood for the Lord... even if it meant being thrown into the fire! We should live like that - WITH INTEGRITY. We should stand for the Lord when everyone else is bowing down to the gods of culture and the rules of tradition... even if it means a fire.  BECAUSE... GUESS WHAT?!?!

When King Neb (that's what I call him) threw them in the fire (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), he didn't see 3 men in the furnance... HE SAW 4 MEN walking around just talking! Jesus (who has, will, and always will BE) was with them! WHAT?!?! That's stinkin' awesome! So... when you stand up for the Lord... get thrown into the fiery furnace... Jesus is right there with you... loosening the things that bind you (the only thing burned on the three were the ropes that bound them)... and refining your faith!! TAKE IT WITH JOY! 

We are in the fire... waiting for our Eric. But... I know with NO doubt... Jesus is waiting with us! He is good. He is refining us like NEVER before.  And I will choose to wait with JOY! I will choose to wait and SERVE. I will choose to wait and PRAISE Him. He is good! 

BE a Daniel in this culture! 

My heart is FULL

Don't worry... I didn't die after last week.  I thought about hiding in a closet for a while... but I decided that visiting the BESTIES would make my heart all better! AND IT DID! We were ALL reunited... WE EVEN FACETIMED WITH AMI!!! :) It was fabulous. 

I made it to Nashville just in time for the end Beck's Christmas party (the one I blogged about that was suppose to be a surprise that I almost ruined... man... I'm good at that!).  So... I didn't get any pics of it. It was festive - Christmas music, Christmas trees, cookies, and friends.  She loved it. She loves Christmas more than life... and she won't be in America for it this year. She'll be IN AFRICA!!!! She leaves on Friday... so pray for her, her shipmates, her patients, her energy!  

I don't really have a lot to say except I'm beyond thankful for these ladies. If you don't have BEST friends... find them.  I love them.  Jacob accidentally overheard me tell my Bible study girls last night that if I was a boy I would have already married Emily because she's just that great.  He was offended... but o well.  I just love my besties so much! Don't know what I'd do without them.  

Here's our weekend: 

"Normal" picture... this doesn't happen often

Ah yes... there we are in our natural state! 

Beck and Em on our Farewell Beck (for a while) photo shoot

This describes there relationship perfectly... Em smothering Beck with love and Beck terrified but willing to accept it.

Beck and Clarissa! She lived with us in our college house... The Schlappi. :) She is fantastic! 

  

This describes me and Beck. I'm trying to convince her to get on my back. She claims I'm to weak and she's to big... WHATEVER.  She forces me to to a normal pose... and I am not satisfied. 

When Beck and I lived together, we woke up at the same time every morning. Beck = NOT a morning person. ME = If I'm awake... I'm pumped! So, we would meet in the kitchen.  EVERY MORNING... it never failed this very conversation took place:

"Mornin' Beck!" (super chipper voice)

"hey ann..." (super annoyed voice)

"How's your morning, Beck?"

"fine ann, I just woke up..."

"Well great! What are you doing today?"

"I don't know ann... I just woke up. I'm going to school."

"Okay, Beck... (insert all that I am doing today and when I want to see her again that day)... I hope you have a great day!!!" 

She finishes fixing her cereal and coffee and slowly walks back to her room.

She claimed she hated it, but I knew she secretly loved it. So, when I moved out to get married and stuff, I made her a recording of my routine convo with her so she could play it each morning... AND SHE DID! :) She loves me... I know she does.

This is PERFECT. I want to blow this up into a poster and hang it in my living room! YES! 

And this too... 

CUTIES! 

So... we prayed for Beck and sent her off with more cuddles and jump hugs! I'm praying God ROCKS HER WORLD and LOVES HER TO PIECES and lives are SAVED because of her obedience!!! 

We then traveled to see Lindsey Jo and her precious family!! Have you EVER in your life seen a cuter stud than this guy???? Oh my goodness... I'm in love! Doesn't your heart just melt??? 

AND Lindsey Jo is expecting ANOTHER boy!!! How much cuteness can one family handle??? I just don't know! 

So thankful I get to share life with these ladies!!!!! 

Sunday, I got to meet my Katy for brunch!!! I have missed her SO much!!! She is wonderful and I just loved spending this little bit of time with her!!! We ate at Noshville... and if you ever go... you should know that a NOSH is a side.... nothing more fancy than that. 

So thankful that I got to go see them all.  My heart is full and I'm ready to face the world again!!! :) 

One big pile of GLITTER...

I have NEVER been more excited for a Friday in my life.  This week has been... a really crazy, awful, emotional week. There have been some really great moments sprinkled in... but I am drained and ready for a break. This week has felt like someone playing a really cruel joke... and I just didn't like it.  Thankful for a GREAT... THE BEST... husband in the world and people that I can confide in when things get a little... a lot... hairy.  People say that their brains feel like mush sometimes... my brain felt like that all week... but I preferred to think if you cracked my head open and looked inside, you would be a huge pile of glitter (not mush)... because that is way more fun and feminine. So... that's that.  

BUT... no matter how crazy our weeks/days may get... no matter what happens... no matter the evil in the world that we must stand against... no matter the many things that can go wrong at work... no matter the amount of stress or "what if's" that we can think of... we must KNOW that GOD IS IN CONTROL. He is Sovereign over all.  He is good. He is the Judge. He is our Hope. He NEVER fails us. He is our Healer. He is our SANITY. 

Anywho... on to more pleasant things. 

FIRST, PLEASE READ THIS... you will understand me/us so much more (if you dare to care) as we have been in this journey of adoption!  LOVE the part where she talks about VAGINAL kids!! bahaha!! I have been using it... just to freak people out.  

Onward...

The first weekend of August we got to celebrate the sweetest little girl's 2nd birthday! Is she not the cutest thing EVER?!?!! Look at those blue eyes.  Definitely hooking this one up with IH, Lindsey Jo! 

We are best friends... :) 

And she finally loves her "Uncle Jake." She was pretty terrified of him for a while... but now she can't get enough of him.  I understand... :) 

Her party was owl themed. Check out this cute fruit owl my mom-in-law made for her partay!! Presh, right? 

Here we are with Jojo.  :) 

Last weekend we headed down to Ocala, FL to see some of our good friends. Every year, these fellas meet up in Ocala for a golf tourney called the "Nuts & Bones Invitational."  WHY? Well... Andy, one of Jacob's besties is a peaNUT farmer and his father-in-law is a Orthopedic (BONE) surgeon!!! Clever... and funny... huh? So they get a new piece of swag each year... this year they got golf shirts with "TEAM NUTS" on it! BAHAHA! 

Also, we went to our first Catholic Mass on Saturday evening for Welles' (Andy's son) baptism.  It was super sweet and educational.  

**If you want to cry and learn where they got the name Welles from, watch this: The Man with the Red Bandana

Here's cutie Welles.

 This weekend.... like TODAY... I get to go see these gems. YAHOOO!!!! They are the best friends a girl could ever ask for. Becky, on the left, is leaving next weekend to serve as a nurse on the Mercy Ships, stationed in the Congo, Africa for the next ten months.  I am so thankful to call her my friend.   She follows the Lord... determined, passionately, knowing she has purpose in Him. I'm proud of her and so excited to see what all God does out there while she's serving on a continent very close to my heart... oh, Africa.  You can read all about her journey (and her yummy cooking) HERE. We are throwing her a partay tonight... Christmas themed because it's her FAV... and sending her off with lots of cuddles and jump hugs!