Ramblings of Spring Time

Oh how I love spring!
I mean seriously.
This time every year I just get so excited. I feel alive again just watching all of God's earth come to life again. The brown turns to green. The flowers start to bloom.The joy of sitting out in the yard watching my doggy run and play. Smelling sweet flowers starting to bloom. Thinking about changing out my winter clothes for things lighter and more fun. Thinking about the sacrifice of Jesus and how joyous this time of year is!
 Spring break is lingering on my mind and in just a couple of weeks I will have a full week of precious time with my husband. Oh how time goes so quickly and yet I want to treasure it so much. Our adoption paperwork is finished and I am anxiously awaiting to learn who this child is who God placed on my heart. I really cannot express the joy I feel.  I am loving this season of life.

Officially Waiting :)

We...

are so excited...

to be finished with our paperwork

and to finally

be waiting...

on the day...

We can see your sweet face! We are trying so hard to be patient and praying for you daily.

Pray and Act for Ethiopia

We have been a little disheartened lately as we heard the news that officials plan to start cutting the number of Ethiopian adoptions processed by 90%. This is really difficult news for those of us in this process and especially for the millions of children who are identified as orphans in this country. I urge you to pray for Ethiopia, these officials, and all of the families adopting.

Please read this article to know more and follow the link below to sign a petition that will be presented to try to help stop this action from being taken! There are only a few days to do this!

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html

And here's what it says:

Last week the Ethiopian Ministry of Women's, Children's and Youth Affairs announced their intention to reduce intercountry adoptions by 90% beginning March 10, 2011. The Ministry's plan for a dramatic reduction is apparently based on two primary issues; 1) the assumption that corruption in intercountry adoption is systemic and rampant and 2) the Ministry's resources should be focused on the children for whom intercountry adoption is not an option. Without further announcements by the Government of Ethiopia, it is our understanding that the Ministry's plan will be initiated this week.

The Ministry's plan is a tragic, unnecessary and disproportionate reaction to concerns of isolated abuses in the adoption process and fails to reflect the overwhelmingly positive, ethical and legal services provided to children and families through intercountry adoption. Rather than eliminate the right of Ethiopian children to a permanent family, we encourage the Ministry to accept the partnerships offered by governments, NGOs, and foundations. Such partnerships could increase the Ministry's capacity to regulate service providers and further ensure ethical adoptions.

The Ministry's plan, which calls for the processing of only five adoption cases per work day, will result not only in systemic and lasting damage to a large sector of social services, but will have an immediate impact on the lives and futures of children. Moving from over 4,000 adoptions per year to less than 500 will result in thousands of children languishing in under-regulated and poorly resourced institutions for years. For those children who are currently institutionalized and legally available for adoption, the Ministry's plan will increase their time languishing in institutions for up to 7-years.

Joint Council respectfully urges the Ministry of Women's, Children's and Youth Affairs to reconsider their plan and to partner with governments, NGOs and foundations to achieve their goals and avoid the coming tragedy for children and families.

Kelly's Korner - What Do You Make?

Today at Kelly's Korner she is showcasing the things other bloggers make and perhaps try to sell. I started making fabric wreaths last summer for fun and it has turned into one of our fundraisers for our Ethiopian adoption! My Etsy shop is linked at the side of my page of you can click here to see what I have. I can also make custom orders so if you have a specific theme or color in mind for your wreath I can do that!

Praying

I am praying to be a better servant. I am praying to not worry so much. I am praying that I can have more faith. Adoption is wonderful and adoption can be scary. I pray for my child whom I do not know yet, and as excited as I will be to see their face I know that there is a sad story behind that sweet picture. Adoption seems like an easy choice for us, yet adoption pushes us in ways we need to be pushed, but in ways we  never expected. It is hard sometimes to feel needy. It is really hard for me to request things of others. I know that through all of this I am becoming stronger and I am having to truly rely on Him....not on myself. I believe God calls some to adopt and for all to help these orphans. My prayer today is that I would believe in 2 Corinthians 9:8 ‎"God will generously provide for all you need".

Finished Dining Table and Hutch

So after a few hours of sanding, more hours painting, and a few more minutes putting a top coat on this table that was given to us by Derek's grandparents (It had belonged to his great grandmother), here is the final product.

Here is the table! I should have taken some before pictures, but it was just a solid wood table with a light stain on it. So I had to sand off that layer and I used an electric sander which made that process way easier than doing it by hand. I also re-covered the fabric on the chairs as well.

 At times I wondered if I would ever complete this project! The wicker chairs on the ends were my Christmas present from IKEA and I just love those.

This is the little hutch that came with it which means more storage!!! I love how it looks and I am soooo happy to be finished with it (well except for a couple of touch-ups...I kinda got in a rush towards the end :)

Rushing to the Finish Line

I feel like I am rushing toward something. Constantly. This is good and bad. I don't like that feeling of wishing/running through life too quickly. In the past few years I have realized just how quickly this time will pass. However this has been such a busy week that it really felt as if it just rushed by. We had our 2nd homestudy appointment on Tuesday! We are officially done with that portion of our adoption. Oh how thankful I am! Now we wait on the approval paperwork for that and soon we will be rushing to the county office and the State capitol to get the appropriate notarization so that all of our paperwork (our dossier as it is known in the adoption world) will be sent off to Washington D.C. then to Ethiopia. How exciting! I will post more about that as it gets closer.

So far through this process we have rushed to collect information such as: birth certificates, marriage certificate, background checks, child abuse checks, medical reports, tax information, homestudy/agency approval, letters of recommendation from friends, bank information, vet information, employment verification, health/life insurance info...a LOT of verification! Praise the Lord this paperwork phase is almost over.


So, please pray with us that we will finish all our paperwork soon and be ready to send it off. Once it is out of our hands we will officially be waiting on our baby! Also, please pray for us financially. The services for adoption can be costly. We will begin applying for grants soon and trying to think of any and all fundraising ideas we can (besides my wreaths). We are trusting that God led us to adoption and He will see us through it through love and support of others. I am so thankful to be on this journey. I know it isn't the road most traveled and I know in a lot of ways it doesn't "make sense". I am so thankful because I am learning everyday that I can not rely on myself...that I have to trust in God. I have to trust and obey as the old hymn says. I know what the Bible says about orphans and I know I feel the calling to adopt. I know that God has led us exactly to where we are now. I am anxious for all that is to come, yet I feel peace in knowing I am where I am supposed to be, even if I don't have it all figured out yet. I know that He does. I know that all of this is so much GREATER than all of the little things I worry about :) That is a pretty amazing feeling.

P.S. If anyone has any fun fundraising ideas we would be happy to hear them!