Letting Go...For Now...We Are Not Giving Up, Just Re-Grouping...

So, BIG DEEP BREATHE...I have had to do a lot of that lately. With frustration, pain, anxiety and much sadness...here goes...

First, a week ago our oldest son, Chris, came to church, which is not usual for him especially when he is working. He came to make sure he saw us because he needed to tell us that we are now grandparents of a 5 month old baby boy named Dillon. We don't know details and we are not even sure if we will ever be able to see him much less spend anytime with him. Yup, all of the above descriptive words, that is how I'm feeling. :( Letting Go...

Then, Austin, our middle son, told us on Monday night that he was moving out to live with friends across town. OMGosh...my one of my biggest fears became reality! This truly will be an empty nest as of Thursday night. Yup, all the above descriptive words again! :( More Letting Go...

Well, the biggest problem we are facing right now is our homestudy. We are facing a lot of pressure from the powers that be to finish the homestudy and get our USCIS approval. We are not concerned about passing our homestudy, and we never have been. our biggest challenge is the same now as when we first began, we need money to complete everything...and it's just not there. Tony's job really has messed him over big financially, so coming upon $2250.00 for a homestudy is no easy task. No one told him that if he became a manager he would take a cut in salary, and in this economy, there would be a small commission bonus, otherwise he wouldn't have accepted the offer. We have exhausted every avenue to secure that money but have been unsuccessful. Remember, we have always said, 'God's Will, God's Bill' and that if He wanted us to bring the beautiful princesses home He would make a way. Well, so far we have had nothing but trials. So...ALL OF THE ABOVE DESCRIPTIVE WORDS...AGAIN! And MORE Letting Go...

So, I am about to write a note to Andrea to release the twins to make them available for adoption. I am going to ask that she wait until Monday though. We are still going through with our yard sale and we are hoping to put up our FSP so people there will see that it's for real. The money made this weekend will be used toward our homestudy and if there is any extra, it will go to our USCIS application.

So with my broken heart in hand, I have been crying all week. Crying because I am a grandmother with no grandchild to show for it, and basically no hope to see him either.

I am also crying because I haven't been without children in my house in 28 years, and I am afraid of the quiet. I have always had a child's voice in the house with needs to be met, I was needed. Now what???

And crying because I have to, hopefully temporarily, let go of the dream of bringing home those beautiful twins that we have been posting all over our house and telling everyone about. Now what????

SO....here is the message...

I always thought that God was teaching me patience, and I think He still is, but He has added the part of 'Let Go and Let God'. I really have learned that God is in Control of ALL circumstances, but sometimes it's hard to move out of the way and let Him do what is necessary. I woke up thinking about this message this morning. God is in Control, including our grandson, our son wanting to grow up and do the natural thing, and to work through the details that will allow us to bring home the twins, or who ever God has deemed to be our newest child(ren). God is so Good, He really won't leave us on this walk...

So, here is the reality of our future.

At least we know about Dillon. All we can do is pray that his mother will allow his paternal grandparents visits now and then.

All of my children are gone from home, but they're not dead! I will have to be happy that we have a great relationship with them and they will be over once in a while.

While I am very sad about our 'empty nest', it will allow us to downsize to a 2 br apt or house to rent that costs less and WILL pass a homestudy inspection!

I was pretty amazed this morning when I woke up with all of this on my mind. God gave me those thoughts, I know, because I went to bed crying about all of the above and I actually woke with peace.

As far as letting Sandra and Slavka go, we aren't letting them go permanently, when the homestudy is complete we intend to commit to them again, if they are still available. We are certain we will complete our homestudy with flying colors, we just need to finance it. This is a temporary setback, we still love them and we are looking forward to the day we can bring them home.

So, please pray for us as we move forward, pray that the girls will still be available for us when we are finished, or that God protects our hearts if that is not to be so, and that He will show us who He has for us.

We are going to keep blogging, so please don't think this is the end. We still have fight left, and those girls are so worth it, as is any child that needs a home. Thanks for reading my blather, and please just keep us in your thoughts and prayers...Thank you! Have a blessed day!

Some Fairly Good News and...well...some other stuff...

I haven't been around much because I have been trying to get a blanket finished that I promised. Then, I have planned a Yard Sale and Kids Fun Day for Slavka and Sandra! Please Pray that everything comes together for November 6th, including weather :) I have also busied myself with another baby blanket to sell at the sale. I am really hoping to make enough to pay for our homestudy and USCIS. We'll see what happens.

One of my best friends, Nancy L, moved back home to CT from Tennessee earlier this month. Well, long story short, she and her sister have hired me part-time to sit with their dad during the day while everyone is out of the house. It will be used to help pay for things in our adoption, sooooo....I finally have a job. I am applying for another part-time job in retail too, and hopefully that will be enough to move our mountains...

We have been waiting for almost two months for Tony's HR department to move on this letter they were supposed to send us for our home study as well as to the girls country. Well, Tony made a series of phone calls and kept leaving messages, which were never returned. He finally just made a cover letter and faxed a form letter to HR and they actually responded....and they even notarized the letter! OMGosh I was blown away!!! Now we are sending it back to New York to have it apostilled...each little step brings us a little closer to them. Not fast enough for us, but apparently fast enough for God. He is the one that is moving the mountain of debt and paperwork in His Timing...not ours! Can't wait til we get those little ones...

Well, back to filling out applications for jobs...have a blessed day! :)

Doing More And More To Do...

Here is another seal from our state, we just had a couple of other documents apostilled and they just arrived...now if we could just hear from the foundations we applied to!

We really are still plugging along, hoping mountains will be moved for us to go forward.

We were told from someone who is going through the same thing we are that most people we know will not be the ones helping us through this, but it will be the kindness of strangers...

hmmmm...so far that is what we've seen. And those strangers that help may receive more of a blessing than those that don't.

God adopted the gentiles into his family which is a big example of what God wants of us and his plan...why is it most christians don't see that?

Oh well, enough pondering...I'm spending the next 6 hours applying on line for every seasonal job I can in that time... please pray that something (or 2) opens up for me! :)

Have a blessed and beautiful day~

Keeping Our Eyes On The Prize...

This adoption has had so many ups and downs and bumps...I feel like a milkshake! We are still plugging away, with the vision of my two girls in our arms, holding our hands through the airport on our way home...that is what I see and dream of the most! That is the 'Prize' on this journey, to be able to escort two beautiful little girls home, something my heart has wanted for a very long time!

I just sent off a couple more documents for apostilling, hoping for a quick turn around! We have also applied for two grants in the past two weeks. If you are a praying person, please pray for quick answers on those grants! They could be answers to a couple of our prayers...

I started an online fundraiser last week and finally figured out how to make it an 'event' on FaceBook. Every time I listed it, it got lost in the status/news updates...now it's an event that will be hard to ignore...I hope!

I'm having my grand opening Tupperware Party this Saturday. I sure hope I have a better turn out than I have had with my fundraiser so far...I am praying for success in this venture. It has the potential to make us pretty good money towards our adoption, as well as saving money for others!

I am open to starting an online fundraiser for you if you have the need. It's really pretty easy, it just requires participation from your friends and family! Email me kidz2luv@gmail.com and I'll explain it all out for you! I'd love to help...it'll keep me busy and out of trouble! :D

Have a great day!

I Can't Believe How Great It Feels!

I sent out my birth certificate to have it apostilled in the state I was born, Maine, last Thursday. It arrived on Friday, was apostilled and sent back out on Friday...and I received it YESTERDAY!!!

Here are the pics


























Isn't the Maine seal pretty???

We are making progress...can't wait to be done!!! Please pray for our grant applications. We know that God will provide :) But prayers sure do help!

Well, We're Still Plugging Along...

I have been spending time gathering info on grants that we may qualify for toward our adoption. So far I have three I am applying for. Hopefully we'll hear something positive. I am also trying to sell my hand made pins.

I have also, for the time being, signed up to be a Tupperware Consultant to help fund this adoption. Stay tuned, I'll be sure to post when things start heating up with parties! And yes, you guessed it, I still don't have a job :) But that's okay...

God's Will...His Bill. God will provide for this adoption, even if it's when we are about to travel...we just feel it :)

Keep tuning in, it can only keep getting better! I just ask you all to continue to pray! Thanks...

This Wait Is Over...For The Moment...

Apparently the company I applied to work for liked me but hired someone else, but...my staffing agent told me that they wanted him to keep in touch with me as they may hire me in the near future! The important thing is now I know where I stand. Time to move forward...

So, last night I went to visit a favorite cousin of mine through the years, Beth. She is very much a proponent of our adoption is now looking to do a party to help us fund-raise, as that maybe the only way for us to afford our home study and USCIS submission! Details will be shared in the future...

Beth, and her husband Kenny, threw ideas for fund-raising at me for a couple of hours last night and there were a couple of great ones! One is contacting an organization that gives grants for certain circumstances, so I am pleased to say I sent a note to them, so hopefully they will consider a grant to the twins fund! :)

Then Kenny mentioned running clubs for a walk/run for Reece's Rainbow awareness, I had never heard of running clubs, so I search for some on Google and found one here in our home town and a town over. I sent them emails asking if they would be able to help us to organize a run for the twins and to help RR!

My house work is backed up now because of this job hunt and fund-raising endeavor...but it'll be there when I'm done sending letters and emails! :D

Please, I am asking for prayer for our endeavor to fund-raise and bring our girls home...it may seem self centered, but this is their chance to have a loving home with a mommy and daddy, dog, bunny and BROTHERS...something they won't experience where they are now. Thanks! Have a great day!

Waiting...and waiting...and waiting...some more...part II

Okay, with the roller coaster ride of the day, I once again didn't hear anything from my staffing agent. So I called him at 4:30 this afternoon and left him a voicemail. Once again I don't know whether I have the job, but I am encouraged to have a wonderful husband to set things right in my mind. God really does match you up with the right mate for life. I can't thank God enough for him!

Tony told me that I have more competition this time looking for a job, and that the right job is out there for me...we will do whatever God wishes to raise awareness and raise the money to bring our princesses home, even if it means my not having a job. At least Maddie will be happy about me staying home...we have 'girl time' every morning while I eat breakfast. It's practice for when we bring the girls home! :)

Anywho...hopefully tomorrow's update will bring great news...don't worry girls, God will make a way! :D

Patiently Waiting...and waiting...and waiting...

So, I said hopefully next time I blogged I'd have news of a job, but I'm still playing the waiting game. A friend told me I've been waiting so long, I must be an expert...I think she's right! :) I told her I am going to write a book about waiting and invite many Reece's Rainbow families to send me their stories of waiting...might make the best seller list, maybe...

So, today is an upside-down day. Tony usually has Wednesday afternoon off and we do what we need to do and then chill. I can do everything I need to get done in the morning and be ready to go when he gets home. Today he had to work in the afternoon, and my mind and body is all confused! I have a lot to do today but I figured it will all be there when I'm done updating my blog!

We sent out seven letters yesterday to area churches about our adoption and advocation of Reece's Rainbow. Praying we hear from at least a few of them about what we are doing. It would be great if Tony got a chance to go speak at a couple of them to get the word out here in New England! Please pray for that...

Anyway, both interviews for the job went well, I'm just hoping and praying that the reason I haven't heard from my staffing agent is because he is checking on my job history and such. I guess if I don't hear from him by tomorrow morning, I'll be calling him. Gone are the days you are hired on the spot I guess! :P Oh well...

I guess I'll update you all tomorrow after I speak with the SA...all of your prayers are coveted!

I Guess...

I've taken far too long a vacation from this blog! I'm back and on my way out to my first interview in a year! I am so afraid to get excited, although I had a tough time sleeping last night thinking of the day we would go get our new daughters! :)

Hopefully the next blog will be that I have a job!!

Well...Finally!

We have finally decided on a homestudy provider, and are really excited to get started! We decided to change places because they seemed to take too long for just returning a simple phone call...and their web site seemed to be too interested in domestic adoption anyway, and almost to the point of trying to talk you out of international adoption. Oh Well...moving on now... :)

I had a really bad month last month with migraines and all, and then a stomach bug last week...yuk! But that is the way we are attacked, always with our health. So glad I'm feeling better.

Today I actually made red pepper relish! OMGoodness was it fantastic!!! I know what everyone is getting for christmas next year!! :)

Well, just thought I'd stick my nose in and let you all know we haven't fallen off the face of the earth...just needed time... Thank you all for hanging in there looking for us! Can't wait to go get our princesses!!!

Happy Fathers Day, And More...

I have to say this has been a tough month. Nothing too difficult, just lots of stuff...and tomorrow is Fathers Day!

Fathers Day is going to be rather melancholy for me. Tony is going to work because our sons are not going to be here, Chris is working, Austin is in Kentucky at a christian concert, and Cale is still in Kentucky, so Tony has no reason to be home...this year! :) He gave his assistant the day off so he could spend it with his little ones, and I'm just dreaming of next year when the girls will be bringing him breakfast in bed and then going to church with their new forever daddy! That is soo exciting! :D

Tomorrow is also a very important anniversary in our lives...June 20th was the day that Tony said I could look into Reece's Rainbow again, I did and saw these two beautiful faces looking back at me asking to come home. It's the day I texted Tony and asked if we could have two instead of one that they are twins, and he said sure write to Andrea and ask about them...so I did! Tomorrow is a very important day in our lives and the lives of our new girls. June 20th will always be a very important day to me, as will when we submitted our paper work to Andrea, our travel day, our gotcha day, the day the get home, their birthdays...our lives are about to change and we can't wait!!! :D

Well, I'm off to clean my house, again...I'd like to wish every dad that reads my blog an incredible Fathers Day!!!

Just A Quick Update...

I just wanted to share what I received for my birthday from my 96 year old grandmother, my kids call her bobche, which is polish for grandmother. She is the girls great grandmother. She told me she couldn't think of anything else she wanted to give me other than a hand made crocheted hat and scarf set and a hat with little ear covers for the twins! What a true blessing :) I have a set for each of them! What a wonderful birthday gift for me...

Have a wonderful day!

Getting more excited...

Okay, so I called our social worker and told her I was sending an email to her regarding scheduling our homestudy. That phone call was on Friday and I sent the email on Friday. Now I am sitting here on pins and needles waiting for the all important phone call...VERY EXCITED!

I have been sitting here ticking off the holidays before we bring our girls home. We have fathers day, 4th of July, Labor Day and, in the event that we can't travel in late October/early November, Thanksgiving! That should be it...VERY EXCITED!

Right now I'm getting ready to go away for 3 days to Rochester, NY for a Gifted Talented Conference. I've been going to these conferences with my friend Cindy for quite sometime now and really enjoy learning about the different games and curriculum that there is for children and deciding what curriculum and games to get for our girls when they come home. I'm looking forward to this weekend!

I'm also excited about weekends again because for 3 Sundays a month I have Tony back and we can go back to church as a couple! That is really exciting for me!!! This Sunday, one of my closest friends husband is going to take pictures of Tony and I so that we can have some semi-professional pictures of us for our profile and to send in a little book we are making and sending with another couple that we hope will be traveling in June! A book so the girls will recognize us when we arrive! And let them know we are their mommy and daddy and are coming to get them...we hope it all works out that way!

Well, gotta go do some laundry and pack for the weekend. Hopefully I'll blog some more before we leave on Thursday. Have a blessed week!

Well, It's Official...

Tony went to work yesterday afternoon and took over as the new manager! He really likes his new staff, and he actually was in a great mood when he got home :) He said the 30 minute ride home gives him time to unwind before he gets home...a plus for me!

His store isn't top in the market like the store he just left, but there is tons of room for improvement, so it could be a better store in a while. To put it differently, he won't be making the money we thought at first, but that's okay and here is why...

Remember my constant rant of not finding a job? Well please pay attention, this is really important and a lesson I'm learning along the way:

God is in the details. Did you get that? God is in the D E T A I L S...that's right! So this whole time, God was planning for Tony to be promoted giving us just about the right amount, nothing more and nothing less than what we will need. And that always seems to be His Way!

So now that I don't have a car during the day, because we need our car to last for a while, I will be able to do things at home instead of worrying about finding work and I'll be able to get paperwork done and prepare the bedroom for our twins...God has allowed me to stay home and be the stay at home mom that I have always felt called to be :)

Well, I have alot of things I need to do, especially call to schedule our HOMESTUDY!!! Plus some other not so fun things like clean the bathroom, do laundry and wash the floors :( But all the while I'll be thinking of my girls...can't wait to add homeschooling to my list of things to do! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Well, Kind Of A Big Day...

Let me back-track a bit...Our week started off with some so-so news. It seems that the country that we are adopting from closes down for summer vacation from July to September. Well at first I wasn't too happy, but as I started to think about it, that actually works in our favor. At the time of that news, I was feeling pressure to get things in gear and find a job (no pressure at all right?), and start planning and trying to get everything done...blah blah blah. Well, suddenly I realized I had a timeline and my brain cleared and it is clear as a sunny day. So I now can truly say that we should be traveling in October. So then today...

My day started off like most others, trying to get motivated to do something. That is difficult when you start your day with a migraine. Then it got interesting...

Tony called me about 10:30 to ask me to pray for him. Hmmm, not an unusual request, but different because he said he was going to get a visit from his Regional Market Manager. Well he didn't know what to expect, except that he was going to be given his own store! Yes, ordinarily a great thing...but under the present circumstances it could be a tumultuous situation.

Well, he had his visit and was given a store about 20 miles from here, which will necessitate a move to another town, which we may or may not do right away. We have already started our adoption paperwork here so we may just complete the adoption and move later on...still on the fence about that one.

He becomes a manager tomorrow. Along with additional hours, he will have 3 Sundays off a month (up until now he has worked almost every Sunday since last October :( ) so we can go back to attending church again, YAY, he will receive a commission on sales every paycheck and he will receive a quarterly bonus! That is the biggest news! I don't have to find a job and we will be able to move forward without fundraising for our initial fees anymore!!!! So now when people want to donate, we can direct them to our FSP so their donations are tax deductible. Then we are going to have business cards printed with the picture of our button of our twins, with our fs page and blog address to hand out to everyone and anyone who wants to see.

Our very next adoption item is our home study fee and passports which I can proudly say we can provide for those fees...we'll just have to fundraise for 12,000.00-13,000.00 for all of our other fees!!!

So, as long as things goes forward as was told to Tony today, tomorrow afternoon I will be calling to schedule our homestudy for late in June! And then we have all of our other paper monster to plan for....OMGOSH! This could really be happening....AAAAAAGGGGHHHH...Going to bed now, I can't believe what tomorrow can mean...time to dream of finally bringing our beautiful girls home forever! :)

God's blessings...

What A Beautiful Service

I just finished watching Chrissie's Celebration of Life Service a while ago. She was a beautiful princess that finally found her forever family. It was a blessing to hear about her and the story that her mother, Lorraine, told about her adoption, the joy and happiness Chrissie 'Jewel' brought to the family and the decisions they had to make regarding surgery and treatment. It really was a uplifting time.

As much as I am saddened by her passing, I can't help but feel some joy that someday soon we will see her again, this time in person, watching her dance and jump, run and play. She has been totally restored to her original splendor which God intended, and I'm sure she will still 'be the boss'!

I am grateful to the Patterson family for sharing their Serbian Sensation with the world, during the hospital stay and today for her Celebration into life. The love they all have for their princess was very evident in the service today. I am honored I was able to attend, even 2000 miles away. God has gifted everyone with many blessings today, I just pray that others can see that.

Well I'm off to spend time with hubby. I pray that you will have a God Bless evening too.

Barbara Christyn Joy Patterson

I took a few days off to just re-evaluate things and returned to my email group for Reece's Rainbow and facebook only to find out that our beloved Chrissie had passed away early Wednesday morning. My heart is broken for Chrissie's family right now. There is nothing more to say.

Click on the title of this blog and it will bring you to Lorraine's blog for Chrissie.

I'll blog again soon, just not now, I'm just too sad.

Our Anniversary...25 YEARS! When did that happen? Part II

Well, like I said earlier, we spent the day reminiscing about and visiting our past. Spent a chilly, but beautiful day together, and it's funny, it was quiet and I didn't mind too much...must have been the 'special-ness' of the day :D

We came home and after dinner, we had our beautiful anniversary cake from my sister! Here we are cutting the cake...

And the cake is being eaten...

When we cut our cake at our wedding, May 10, 1985, Tony wouldn't let me do what I did last night, and it was fun...so the next picture is what I had always wanted to do...

And yes that was a staged annoyance frown! We had fun with that and he couldn't believe I took the pic, but I just couldn't help myself... :D I'll have to work on that for next year for our renewal...everyone is welcome!

And this is how we spent today...

I can't wait til the day that the twins can 'Hop on Pop' as he is sleeping just like the boys used to do... :)

Good night all, God's many Blessings to you...

Our Anniversary...25 YEARS! When did that happen?

For me, it feels surreal...it just doesn't 'feel' possible, and yet everytime I do the math, it comes up the same...25! Unless I'm doing something wrong with my math, maybe I'm not applying the proper 'new math' rules...Did someone change the rules again without telling me?? :D Anyway, it just doesn't feel possible, and I don't feel my age either! I don't get it, but that's okay...time flys when you are having fun?

I am so happy we've made it this far. We wanted to renew our vows, but when we saw Slavka and Sandra, I wanted to have them more, so we didn't do the whole gown, preacher, meal thing...we felt we needed to bring them home and then celebrate our new family all at once, corny I know, but that's me! Take me or leave me...I always wanted a daughter, and now we're getting two! :D Complete family (maybe, we'll see what God has to say later)!

We didn't do a lot yesterday, we drove around Tony's hometown and saw places that we went to while we dated and visited his family grave and just reminiced about our early lives. I had a wonderful time, but Tony felt like he should have done more...little does he know what he is doing now will certainly benefit us all down the road. I love that he feels he needs to do more, I just wish he'd get that I never care what we are doing, I just love being together...he says it's a guy thing! Poor guys! :D

Anyway, Sunday was a special day, and I didn't realize that my sister was going to celebrate our anniversary on the same day as Mother's Day and my mothers birthday. She started her day creating a replica of our wedding cake, minus the cascade of butterflies along the side. This is the picture:

The color matched our wedding party colors and our original cake colors...I don't know what inspired her, but I'm not complaining! We were so blessed :D

She also gave us a beautiful silver anniversary frame:

I can't wait to have a nice picture to place into the frame :)

Well, that is all for now, I will blog some later since I have pics of us cutting and eating our anniversary cake! I still have 3 other days to make up for, and I really haven't run out of blog ideas, at least not yet... I'll see you and blog about last night! Hope you have a great day full of blessings!

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day today!

My day was special. I spent the day at my parents house and had a nice time catching up. We celebrated Mother's Day, my mother's birthday and our silver anniversary. That was special.

Unfortunately Tony had to work, as did Austin and of course Cale is away and had to work all day. But I did have a wonderful time! I'll share what we received for our anniversary tomorrow since tomorrow is our big day!

See, I told you no pity party...I'm too blessed for one! And by the way, one of the biggest gifts was Austin getting high speed internet for the house...that means no more interuptions and more blogging and email for me! :) YAY!!

Have a blessed night!

Wow...36 + hours without internet...

Can really cramp my plans! Sorry I didn't blog, I would have if I had the chance!

I was hoping to keep up on how things were progressing with Christyn Joy, Chrissie, but not having the internet was like being on a desert island :( I had no contact with anyone...I didn't like it. The biggest issue was Chrissie updates. I really freaked when I got the digest from Lorraine and it was looking rather dark for her. But I know that God is bigger than anything we are going through, so that helped. Then when I told Tony my frustrations and how I thought it was all satan, Tony said it was all God...making me rely on Him and not the internet...wise, and that is why God put Tony together with me!

Anyway, Chrissie is doing better right now and we just need to remember to pray for her. God will take care of the rest!

Sorry for not blogging, I'll make up for the last couple of days over the next couple of days, I promise!

Hoping you all have a VERY HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!! I know that I will! :) Love to all!

Pity Party At My House On Sunday!

Well here I am again. I thought I'd run out of things to blog about, but my children and family keep me going... :)

Really, there won't be a pity party, but the day won't be nearly the same as it would if I had all three of my boys and my beautiful little girls with me! I found out today that my youngest son, Cale, Austin and Tony had planned to surprise me by flying Cale home for my birthday in 2 weeks. He called Austin and told him he can't make it home for mothers day or my birthday...that made me sad. I really miss Cale...phone calls don't take the place of hugs and 11:00 pm kitchen talks that we have when he is home...can you tell I miss him? I am, and have been, praying that he changes colleges and moves back here, but unfortunately we raised him to be an independent young man who enjoys being out on his own, and he likes his friends in KY... :( So, I am like a good number of mothers who have to hear from their children that live or attend college far away from home. I guess I am just happy that he is here in the US, he could be a soldier in Iraq...always an upside...

Speaking of upsides, next year at this time, I will have my princesses home and yes this will be my last mothers day without daughters, and maybe I will be blessed enough to have all of my sons here too! Then my mothers day will be complete! :D

Have a great night! I know I am!!! :D

Well...This is a record for me!

I think now, if my math is correct, I am 1/7th of the way to forming a habit...it takes 21 days to form a good habit, and this is day 3 :D We'll see how long this lasts...

I will start with an update on Chrissie...God is Amazing, not that I, or anyone should be, surprised! It looks like things are looking up for our little Serbian Sensation! Just keep her in prayer that she continues to do as well as she is doing...To Our God Be The Glory!!!

We had another 'quiet' day, the kind I don't like! But on the up side, my middle son, who is still living at home, is spending more time at home...I'm not going to lie, I'm one happy mama! I don't think many people understand families that are close. I actually caught an eye roll from someone who thinks it's ridiculous that Austin is still at home. Not all children that stay at home sit around all day playing video games and eating mom and dad out of house and home! He contributes his share of chores, pays rent and works full time. That is what is required of him...and he is good company, too.

I have always had a dream that we would someday own a huge home with enough room that all of our sons would be able to live with us, with their wives and all of their children...What can I say, I really enjoy being a mom! And yes, everyone, with very few exceptions, thinks I'm off my rocker! If I'm off my rocker, should it be a surprise to anyone that we are going to adopt? I think not! :D So now my dream is expanded to include Slavka and Sandra and their husbands and families too! But that won't happen for a really long time...Tony says he isn't going to allow dating until they are in their 30's...so that's that! ;) ROFLOL

Well, I actually did do some things today, I planned where we are going to relocate the bunny and how to re-arrange the house to organize and get started on the bedroom for the twins! So see it wasn't all that quiet I guess...

Well, it's Tuesday night, I need to go start getting ready for bed now because my favorite family is coming on tv at 9:00...the Duggar's!!! Tony doesn't like it when I watch them at night because when he dreams at night the Duggars are usually in them. He calls them Duggar Dreams...poor hubby :D

I hope everyone of you has a great night!!

Wow...Here I Am Again.

Well this isn't a record yet, but I'm blogging for the second day in a row. :) I'll start by telling you that Chrissie still needs prayers, she has another big day ahead of her tomorrow. We're praying for her too, and her wonderful family...

Well, then Tony received an email today from a local BMW dealership for an advisor position he applied for the other day. The manager seemed to be interested in Tony's transfer to Indiana a few years ago...don't know why or where that is headed, but this dealership has other stores in Florida and New York State...hmmm... What next? :D Maybe a move again? Bring it on Lord, you know we'll go anywhere You wish...

Tony and I had a great quiet day together, but we really need little ones to keep us young, I felt old and I don't like that... cuz' I'M NOT!

One of my best friends told me a few weeks ago that she had been praying for a way to raise money for us to bring the twins home. Well, she said He told her to paint pictures, so she painted us three sweet pictures and we just got them today! I am not sure how I am going to sell them, I think we'll do some type of 'give away' on this blog or my fundraiser blog, we'll see...

Please pray for us now too, we need to plan our yard sale, when and where, so I can plaster our neighborhood with flyers asking for donations and also send out an email and message to everyone we know... we really want it to be a success so we can finish fundraising for the first few things we need to do. Then we can move on to the BIG ticket items like grants and such...pray for success so we can bring our princesses home before October... :)

Well, I'm going to go now, I have things to do so Tony can surf for a while...hope you have a wonderful evening! Til tomorrow...

Let's see...

I know I missed blogging yesterday, but here I am and I think I have a new goal.. A Blog A Day, All Through May! Let's see if I can do this... :D

Just letting anyone not following along about Matt and Lorraine Patterson and their Serbian Sensation, Chrissie, who is four years old and underwent open heart surgery on April 19th. She seems to be doing okay. They are changing her ventilator today in hopes that she will feel better. She has a fever but drs think it's due to internal swelling of tissues, not necessarily an infection. She is an amazing little one and her family is wonderful. We are continuing to keep her in prayer, especially since she seems to be in more pain than she has had. Please pray for her and her family.

Now, I am also going to blog about my two princesses! They are beautiful in our eyes...yesterday I went to my mothers house to scrapbook and looked through my old pictures and noticed that Sandra looks just like me at her age! And she looks just like my Aunt Nancy and cousin Julie! I can't wait to unpack my pictures to see pictures of Tony's family because I think that Slavka looks just like Tony's mom...I'm really 'chomping at the bit'! :D Have I told anyone lately that I love those two sweeties!

A couple of weeks ago, right after Easter, I went shopping, not for the girls but that always happens :D I happened to find the Easter sale at Kmart and most of the decorations were 90% off. Well I saw their bunnies. The first one I found was this cute little pink one, at 5.99 regular price. I scanned it and found it was $.59 so I picked up two!

Then I was looking at the cute white one that cost $9.99, it was $.99, so I bought two!

Then there was the cutest, and biggest, purple bunny and he is usually $19.99, and he ended up being $1.99, so I bought two!!!

So here they are waiting patiently for their princesses to come join them! :)

I have chosen and bought their quilts, they are beautiful Laura Ashley Heirloom quilts! They are a bright pink with white daisy's all over them and they are reversible, white with pink/dark pink narrow stripes on the other side, and I bought them at Burlington Coat Factory at a fantastic price!

Awesome for them...now it will look like their new bunnies have a field of daisies to eat and sleep on while they are waiting!

Well, enough already, gotta go get dinner planned...Have a wonder-fun evening of Blessings! :D

Hmmm...Blogging AND Making Money At The Same Time, Who Knew?

Okay, so I logged onto my blog this morning and found out that there is a new program for bloggers to raise money. Apparently I can blog about books that we are using/reading for our adoption and if we use Amazon and somehow connect our blog to their site, we can make a commission on the sale. Interesting concept, I think I'll look into it...hey, it's another way to get these girls on their way home quicker ;)

I haven't blogged about our twins in a few blogs, so here is an update...they are still ours! We are still looking for ways to raise money to bring them home. Recently a couple of people have come up with an interesting way to market their fundraising venture. I would love to incorporate it into our fundraising, but I'm just not sure how it will work in my circle.

Here is the deal...

We have to raise $12,000.00 to $13,000.00 for the travel expenses and other expenses while in country. That means that if 1000 people donate $13.00, that would cover all our expenses and we would be able to get it done!

Now, I am thinking that we would print up flyers and leave them in the doors in our neighborhood and perhaps ask our internet friends to pass the word around the net with the girls sponsorship page address.

I'm not sure how it will all work, but please feel free to leave me messages and let me know if you think it'll work or if you have better ideas. Always open to other ideas...

On an exciting note, I now know my paypal account works! I had a person donate to my puzzle fundraiser for our twins and her donation is sitting in my paypal account waiting to pay for our home study fee! We are so excited, and I would so love to get all this 'stuff' taken care of quickly. Please continue to pray for us, we love those girls so much, and I am beginning to dream of holding them and rocking them a lot more often, which means my heart is going to ache soon, so I just want them here... :) Thanks!

Hope you have a fantastic day!

More Of God's Blessings...

Like I said recently, God has a way of placing things in perspective for me. This has been a difficult month for us here, and it's not over, but that is okay, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm pretty sure it's not a train...trains don't really run around here anymore!

Today started with news about Chrissie, she was being weened off of the medication that she was on to keep her in a coma. Well, they didn't think she would respond to anything for about a week, and PRAISE GOD, she has been responding to her mothers, Lorraine, voice and her touch! It looks great that there is little to no brain damage and she can feel others. Her family has asked that people continue to pray for Chrissie as she isn't out of danger yet. They are still dealing with her heart and the possibility of infection and the list goes on...please continue to pray for little Chrissie. The fact that she is responding and is still living is a HUGE blessing from God!

Another blessing is that Shelley and her new son Kullen are almost home. It has been a very long trip and if we don't hear from them for a few days, we won't be too surprised! God is Awesome to have blessed them abundantly over in Bulgaria and Serbia with successful orphanage visits and such, but the bigger blessing is that they are finally home.

I'm still looking for a job, but in the down time, I have been able to come up with what I hope are successful ways to raise money for us to bring the girls home as well as bless Reece's Rainbow in the years to come.

And then there is the other stuff, like preparing our homestudy paperwork and planning Slavka and Sandra's new bedroom! I am turning their room into a 'garden party' bedroom! I am going to paint a field of wild flowers on the wall, perhaps a trellis with fake ivy climbing up in the doorway and I have the plans to their beds made complete with a picket fence headboard and footboard with bird houses on it... I also bought, on sale of course :) , a huge purple bunny, a medium white bunny and a little pink bunny for each of their beds. I can't believe I am actually going to be able to do this FINALLY! I saw a picture in a craft magazine years ago and I really wanted to do it, but my boys thought it was too sissy ;P, who would have guessed :D... and I can't even get Tony to wear a purple or pink shirt, so the garden theme wouldn't work in our room! We do have John Deere sheets and a John Deere quilt I made for Tony...maybe we can add some garden into that theme?

Anyway, I am really looking forward to what our Lord does this week in the lives of others...Hope your week is God Blessed!

God's Blessings...In Hindsight

Truly God has blessed many this week, in many ways. Here are just a few...

Chrissie, the little Serbian Sensation, as her mother Lorraine has penned, is still alive and fighting. We have been praying for her and her family since her open heart surgery began on Tuesday morning. It has been a roller coaster all week, she died twice and right now she is on life support, and she is alive. I have been humbled and brought to tears by the strength her mother and father, Lorraine and Matt, have shown through this ordeal. What amazing faith! Please go see their blog about their precious princess Chrissie.

http://allarepreciousinhissight.blogspot.com/

Finally it's time for Shelley, Kullen and Leah to return home to the US after such a long time away from their families. Praise God!

Others, even if it doesn't feel like a blessing at the moment, have been blessed with an answer of no it's not time to adopt. Another received a date for them to travel to pick up their son! Dossier's have been sent out! There has been a successful adoption, and now we're just waiting for the GOTCHA DAY!

Tony and I have finally been able to meet a family from Reece's Rainbow that live in Massachusetts, and they live just an hour from us! :)

I guess you could say that once again I am being blessed with peace about not hearing from any of the jobs that I applied for last week. I really can only look at it as God hasn't prepared the perfect job for me yet.

This week I have watched satan try to bring christians down, but all he did was succeed in bringing them to their knees...in PRAYER and PRAISE to our heavenly Father, our Great Physician!

An aside, I believe I read on Lorraine's blog that they had over 13,000 hits on their blog...take that satan!!!

What A Week! Praise God...

At least it feels like it has been a week already...and it's just Tuesday.

Once again my troubles have paled in comparison to others problems. Yes, God has a way of doing that to me...not a bad thing really, but it sure is humbling.

I thought my car was a major frustration, then onto the way I felt when people ignored things.

Then I got home...

There was Shelley and her brand new son Kullen and her friend Leah. Blessed to go visit orphanages but when they needed to come home, they couldn't. To top it off, Kullen is sick. :(

Then there was Chrissie and her heart surgery yesterday and her mothers gut wrenching plea for prayer for Chrissie...she had died and now is in a medically induced coma and on life support.

Now there is the little 6 year old special needs boy they found dead in a park in Texas, with no identification.

It kind of placed my troubles on the back burner, so to speak and now I am able to concentrate on praying for others and their difficulties.

Yes, I am praising God for making me Aware of others. I'm glad He re-focuses me and shows me what is really important. Thank you Father for your correction! :)

Hope everyone has a great night...and please pray for Chrissie!

Please Pray For Our Friends!

r HisWe are asking for prayers for Shelley, our friend, her newly adopted son, Kullen, who happens to be sick, and Leah. They are in stuck in Bulgaria after adopting Kullen and they are waiting to fly home, but the volcano erupted while they were in another country visiting an orphanage.

We are all worried about them, Kullen especially because he sounds like he has a sinus infection. So please, pray for their safety, finances and ability to get back home. And pray for her husband and other members of her family while she is away.

We all know that God is still on His throne, but asking for His help is what we are supposed to do...Thank You! Have a blessed day! :)

You Know, God Is Really Amazing!

Okay, while I was steaming and sad this morning, I did leave out a positive detail...we are blessed with my oldest son who is a tow truck driver. He towed the car to Tony's work for free. And Tony works on cars for a living, so for about $30.00 he was able to replace the timing belt and it was done already! :)

God really has blessed us! Oh, and I freaked out too because I lost an envelope of money from our budget, and we found it in the car!

Praise God! He is Awesome the way He takes care of the details :)

Have a wonderful evening and enjoy your family!

Anger ends in GRRR...

You know, if I laughed as much as the time spent aggravated lately they would haul me away in an ambulance! :) Yes, I admit I am finding more to complain about lately, but sometimes I think I am righteously angry. Let me explain...

Today I dropped Tony off at work, on a Sunday AGAIN :( Righteously angry? Yes, in a perfect world, but not so much here. Once again satan wins. On my way home with the car, suddenly the car dies without so much as a sputter or cough. Righteously angry? You bet, I was going home to get ready to go to church to so I couldn't go. satan won. Still righteous? Not so much, it's a car and cars break. The timing belt broke again for the second time in 5 months! Righteously Angry? YES! Better quality components put in the cars would be helpful. But let's face it, it's a car and cars break! So not really righteous...

While I sat for an hour and 15 minutes on the side of the road waiting for assistance with my flashers going, not one person stopped or looked at me to see if I was okay or if I needed to call someone. Righteously angry? YES! I was pulled over at a stop light too...roll down your window and ask me if I need anything? You can't always assume that someone has a cell phone or that they are okay enough in that type of situation. What has happened to everyone? I understand that people are creeped out about stopping in these situations, but you can't stop, roll down your window and ask if I am okay or do I need them to call someone for me? And to top that off, I recognized 2 cars that drove by as members of my own church. Righteous anger? YES indeed.

I posted this on my fb status and one person mentioned that we all have crosses to bear and sometimes that means covering our eyes...not quite sure I knew what that meant, but I reminded her that I felt like the samaratin that was ignored by the priests and pharisees. Anyone remember that story?

Two things struck me this morning as I saw the apathy in God's people:

1. Any one stuck on the side of the road is some one... someone's mother/father, son/daughter, brother/sister, grandmother/grandfather, aunt/uncle. Turn the table and say the person was YOUR (fill in the blank) and no one stopped to help?

B. If I am invisible to God's people, then does that mean that we will ever receive help from my christian brothers and sisters to bring our twins home?

The cost of stopping this morning would have been 5 minutes and they may have been a few minutes late to church. If time, as precious as that is, can't even be spent on making sure someone is okay, then how can I believe that they will spend precious dollars on making sure that two of God's children have a forever family? Righteous Anger...GRRR...YES!

I don't make a habit of stopping for people that are with others or are visibly on the phone, but if there is one bit of doubt, I will turn around and make sure they are okay and have someone coming for them. I don't ever want to have to look Jesus in the face and give an account to Him that I was going to be late to church or dinner and I just didn't have time to stop. Righteous Anger...GRRR... YES!

GRRR...But Hopeful!

We gotta whole lotta GRRRin' goin' on!

With tax day in our rear view mirror, we are grrr'ing because the state we lived in before was just a bit greedy, so any hope of having a tax refund to put toward our adoption is out because we owe! We don't owe a lot, but enough to be a pain in the back side! That made us rather annoyed!!! GRRR...

But, on a happier note, I have just applied for 4 jobs, 3 receptionist positions and 1 retail within 15 miles (round trip) of our house! I left one of the places hopeful today, the office manager was not in today but is in on Monday so I should hear something from her on Monday! YAY!!!

So please, if you are a prayer, please pray for this job! I really liked the place as soon as I walked in. I'm not a psychic but I had a really good feeling about it. We'll see if this is where God wants me! And thank you for the prayers...He is the only way to get through all this!

So now I have to get rid of this sinus headache because I have so much to do, a room to clean, organize for a yard sale, get my daily chores completed...but right now, healing!

I sure hope you're have a fantastic day! Bless you!

I guess I don't understand companies anymore. I was really excited to see that Target was hiring, then when I went on line to apply, the Target in our town isn't hiring, one about 18-20 miles away is. So why did they advertise there then? Aldi did the same thing last fall, when I inquired with them and was told it was for a store about 18 miles away from my house. Aldi may pay alright, but I am not going to travel 20 miles to go work in a retail store that isn't going to pay me more than minimum wage, especially with gas prices on the rise again :( So it looks like we are still waiting...

On a brighter note, I have started digging out the room that will be the girls bedroom! I am moving things and re-arranging to fit everything where it needs to be! :) Just trying to keep busy while I wait for a job! I just can't contain my excitement!!! :)

Soon girls...mama and daddy will be there as soon as we can! :)

The Waiting Game...

Well, I put in applications today, and I will again tomorrow. If we can do it before our homestudy is complete, we are also going to apply in the next week or so to the Both Hands Ministry through LifeSong Ministry. Both Hands is a project to help a widow and at the same time you are earning funds toward your adoption. You can earn up to 10,000.00 in funds. What a huge chunk of money just for spending a day volunteering to help a widow! Wow, what a blessing...

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/bothHands.html

Please check it out. What a way to help widows and orphans :)

Getting Ready To Go Out...

Looking for a job AGAIN!!! Something has to give soon. And I am noticing other job opportunities as we are out and about, soooo....

I am going to Target. I figure if I get a job there, that money will go toward our immediate adoption expenses, and maybe there will be a discount? I saw a beautiful comforter/sheet set that we want for their room! And some furnishings for their room, too. Not to mention all the pretty clothing for girls there :)

Also, Babies/Toys R Us is hiring. Either place will work for the same thing, adoption expenses and discount for future purchases. Just praying that something comes available soon! God is Great and He will provide what we need! :)

Have a great day!

Happy 28th Birthday Christopher!!

You know, I woke up today with a thought...my oldest son Chris is 28 years old today! WHAT...where did the time go??? Boy did I feel old, but then I remembered that Chris is my oldest! I felt so much better because my youngest son, Cale is just 20! WHEW! :D

28 years ago today was Easter Sunday and Christopher was born! I went into labor with him on Good Friday, was in labor for 36 hours and the dr. finally gave up and did a c-section. I was young and he was my first! God gave me my son and He changed my life. My sister and I are totally the opposite, like night and day! My sister was always the babysitter for all the cousins and neighborhood children, and I wasn't and I loved that! That is until that fateful day, April 11, 1982 when I became a mom! I absolutely fell in love with Chris and have LOVED each of my children and have been in love with children ever since! I have taught preschool Sunday school, high school Sunday school. Children are the future...we really need to invest in their lives in a big way! Investment starts with love...

We came back in town last year right on his birthday, so celebrating happened a few weeks later, but this year we are going to celebrate ON his b'day and are having his favorite...grilled barbecue chicken, potato salad and Coke! We missed doing this while we were in Kentucky.

We loved our boys and really did have a time of it trying to raise each of them, in different ways, and sometimes had to question whether we'd make it through every stage...but we are happy to say that Chris is exactly how we raised him to be. He is loving and caring, would give the shirt off his back to help someone (even in the cold) and he is a great kid!

He is looking forward to the twins getting here, and I think they will really LOVE their big brother Chris!

Happy Birthday Chris...we're glad we're home again to celebrate your day! We love you! :)

Here Is Our BUTTON!!

Grab This Button

Here is the blog button that Lu made for us! Thank you sooo much Lu! If anyone knows me, that button is perfect for what I am about! We are so excited to share our button with anyone who wants to share it with others to help us bring them home sooner! :)

About 3 weeks ago the MOJ of the twins country gave us the okay to file papers for the twins to be ours... That, to us, is HUGE! We are so excited for the day we fly to pick them up!!! They are so special to us.

So now I'm in 'super get busy' mode. We figure if we need to stay here a little longer, then we will bloom where we are planted. God provides, we just need to be patient and wait for Him. I won't lie, being patient isn't easy for me, and this seems to be an underlying thread of learning for me, but at least I can see that now, and with His help, we will be fine.

So, today I am in the pantry and the kitchen. I am clearing things out to sell in our yard (tag sale here in New England...just a little cultural lesson :) sale, organizing for our eventual move and getting ready for our homestudy to begin.

Then to switch wardrobes from winter to summer so we can get rid of all these storage tubs out of the twins bedroom.

I am also going to put in an application for a job. They are not hiring or interviewing until 4/15th, so if I get that job, at least I will have had a jump start on cleaning and getting ready for our homestudy! Yay!

So please pray for this job opportunity...it could easily help us to bring Slavka and Sandra home to us! :D And that will make me one happy mama!

Can You Tell?...

Can you tell how excited we are to have them with us next Easter? This is the pic of a couple of things we bought for them...cute felt Easter baskets, some bunny necklaces and rings, some stickers and grape flavored lip balm and a bible matching game...I can't wait to go get them, we'll be bringing these things with us when we go... :) I just thought I'd share!

Keep us in prayer as we do our fundraising...so we can go pick them up soon! :)

Happy Easter! He has Risen!

We had a very nice Easter Holiday with our family. We enjoyed spending time with my parents and our boys! Even more, we had a glorious day remembering that this is the last time we will be alone on Easter morning...next year we will have two beautiful little girls, Slavka and Sandra, to have an Easter morning Egg hunt, and then dress in frilly dresses for church! And I will once again be able to color Easter eggs and all of the other fun things we did on Easter morning...until the boys grew up!

I have to admit, I did buy Easter hats (pictured above, for some reason I can't get this blog to put pics where I want them) and little Easter baskets with little trinkets...I just couldn't help myself this year :)

I am beginning to count down the holidays we have without the girls... Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, first day of fall and hopefully they will be here before Thanksgiving! What a wonderful Thanksgiving that will be! We are so excited to have a full house again! God is so Great! :)

Have a great night!

Recapping...Again...STILL...

We are still waiting...for a lot of things...still...

I am working on a crib sized baby blanket, still. I am in the process of making 20 more pins, still. I am trying to figure out how to get them out where people can see them and where we might sell the pins so that we can reach our goal, still.

I am trying to get the word out about our puzzle fundraiser, pins, prayer blankets so people will help us bring the girls home, still. I am working on a huge yard sale, still.

I am still waiting for a job, I will be going to fill out an application for a receptionist job that I qualify for, but won't know anything until after April 15th. Praying real hard for a job, still.

We just had someone donate to the girls, she purchased a few pins and donated above that, so we are in the neighborhood of $650.00 to $700.00 away from our commitment fee! Another step closer! That truly did our hearts good...so as of tonight we have a new way to view 'STILL'...

Psalm 46:10-Be still and know that I Am God. He truly is Great and has provided thus far, so we are still and we know that He is in Control. :) We'll be there for you girls, your Father has Promised!

Happy Birthday Cale!!

How's this...two post updates in one day! It's a record for me I think :) I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my youngest son, but he's no longer the baby. I just spoke to him and he is excited about his new sisters, but I didn't dare call him the big brother yet :)

I miss having him here all the time, making me laugh and saying silly things. I guess we can say that he is the reason we are adopting. I had so much fun with him having him here all the time, homeschooling him and teaching him right from wrong, I just stayed young through it all. He is goofy, like his dad and I was lucky enough to have him home with me!

Well, as much as I am proud of him, I am also melancholy as today my last teenager turns 20...so no more teens at this time. But I take great comfort in the fact that soon we will have little ones again in the house...keeping us young and making me happy! No more silent empty nest! YAHOO!!!

Well, I have to go finish email and being a housewife...HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY CALE!!!

Well I Thought...

I really thought I would just feel the way I felt when I heard from our facilitator about the country's decision to allow us to adopt the girls...just loaded with nervous energy! Right? Yeah, that's all, and then I'd want to go out and window-shop, looking for things for the twins! Yeah, that's it.

I have seen others who say they were moved to tears when they found out and such, but that didn't happen to me. Then, on Wednesday afternoon when I received a note from Andrea, it didn't say anything in the subject line, so I opened it and there was a link and the message was copied to the woman, Lu from England, who makes the blog buttons. All the note said was 'Up and running'. So I sat there and couldn't figure out what that was all about...that was probably the longest 1 minute of my life, then I clicked on the link...

And then the tears came pouring down my face and I must have cried for at least the first 5 minutes...there on the opened RR page was our beautiful twins faces and our family profile that said 'Slavka and Sandra for the Stancil Family-Manchester, CT'. It was probably the first time it wasn't surreal for me! If you were sitting here watching me type this right now you would see me crying again!

I called Tony at work and told him through my tears, and he said 'There's no crying in adoption!' which did get me laughing...he's a goof-ball like that! I still can't look at that page without tearing up! I didn't think I'd be this sappy, I just figured I would be full of nervous energy, but no, cry baby is more like it. I really have to practice not crying, I'm gonna mess those two babies up when we finally go get them...they will think I was sad or something! And going to see the officials! UGH...I hope they can discern happy tears from sad!

Well, gotta go look at my daughters again and cry some more...have a very blessed day!

They are OURS!!!

I just love saying that :D We are so excited and our love grows stronger everyday! I get up everyday and check the 'my family found me' page just to make sure this isn't really a great dream that I just woke up from...and everyday their pictures are there, and I just want to reach into the screen and squeeze them both and give them hugs and kisses! I have been waiting too long for daughters, they don't have any idea what they are in for!!!

We are about $800.00 away from promise fee...I have a couple of good friends that are helping me plan a large yard sale, complete with baked goods and maybe some lemonade (or just kool-ade, or maybe some sweet tea-we learned something while we were in Louisville)! I am now starting to plan a 6 to 10 mile walk for adoption...just trying to get a hold of people that have organized large walks like I'm thinking...we'll see ;)

I am also looking into 2 job possibilities this week, maybe at Babies R' Us and the other at Walgreen Drugstores. Please pray that I am successful! I am really getting excited at the prospect of working and being able to take care of our homestudy within the next couple of months, and then for the other expenses that we are finding in our guide book for their country. I am getting excited by the hour, I can't believe they are ours, right now it seems surreal...maybe I'll go back to see if they are still on that mffm page! Yup, they are still there! :D Did I say I'm really excited? :)

Thanks for following our blog! We hope you had a very blessed weekend!

Oh HAPPY HAPPY WEEK!!!

Well, if you have been looking at the 'my family found me' page on Reece's Rainbow, you will notice that our 'TWINS' are there! We had sent in our information to our facilitator and to Andrea, but I had not thought things would happen so fast, at least not until Monday of this week. We found out kind of by accident, someone emailed about the new page that was created and she was happy to see new commitments there including our two, Sandra and Slavka!

So my heart sank, :( I worked up the nerve to email Andrea to ask who had come forward, or was it us. She responded so quick that my stomach flipped. I told Tony I couldn't look, so he said he would...and here was her response:

YOU are the family! :)

I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!! I think my heart really sang! I have only felt that way a few times in my life, the day I was married, and everytime I found out I was expecting! I totally feel like we are pregnant, minus the sinus headaches for three months and the night sickness! We are SOOO EXCITED!!! I had so much nervous energy we took a drive and ended up looking at things for the girls! Like I didn't already create a tote of things for them, like cute magenta tops I found on clearance, Hello Kitty hot cocoa mugs, a bouquet of 'stuffed flowers' with faces, a bible memory game...and more!

I'm not sure if we can announce it on the elist until our FSP is posted, so until or unless I hear otherwise, this is the only place that we will announce that Sandra and Slavka are OURS!!!!

Now reality of the work ahead has set in...we received the guide for the country we are adopting from...and there is so much to do! I just thank God for those who have walked this path before me, their experiences will certainly be appreciated! One step at a time. And I refuse to panic about the money. There are several people we know who are nay-sayers and are really trying to make things much bleaker than it needs to be. If it is God's will, these girls, God's girls, God will see to it that every penny, dime and dollar will be there! :) AAAAAHHHHH - THEY ARE OURS!!!!!

We did find out that we cannot rename the girls the names that we chose when we adopt them, the only change will be their last names. I'm just excited to bring them into our family, I think I'm okay about not renaming, at least at first.

The information on the hows and whys of their country is really exciting, but intimidating. There is so much we will need to gather, but after following many blogs, especially 'beautifulgiftofGod', Bella and her family, I know we can do this and that it will feel amazing when it's over!

Our biggest prayer is that we can get everything done and have them here with us before Thanksgiving...What a wonderful day of Thanksgiving that will be!!

We are PRAISING our God for the opportunity to be Sandra and Slavka's mama and daddy! AAAAAHHHHHH!!! The TWINS are OURS!!!!

Well...we just keep plugging along!

Our days are filled with bad stuff like cars breaking down to exciting things like friends coming along side us and making donations to our adoption! I truly feel like life right now is a roller-coaster ride! This past week, we had someone who has become very special to us on this journey tell us that she and her husband would like to donate to our adoption. Well, I was speechless, (which doesn't happen very often) then I regained my composure and emailed back. They sent us a wonderful love offering which is allowing us to send in our Voice Of Hope fee and Family Sponsorship Page fee along with our applications. We can now concentrate on our promise fee and then our homestudy fee. Little steps, but steady steps. We also had a couple of people donate to the twins fund page which is even more encouraging to us! We really had a very blessed week from truly special people in our hearts, and God will bless you for your gracious gifts! Thank You!

Tony and I chose names for the girls the other night and we are so excited about our choices! Can't wait to share them...email me if you want to know what they are, we aren't going to share on our blog until after the facilitator and court accept us to adopt them.

I went out looking for a job this morning at temp agencies, because once I get the twins home I intend on devoting my whole being to them as a full time sahm and homeschool them, as I think that teaching them one on one is the best way to overcome their issues.

Well, the trip to the temp agencies were very unfruitful...there is truly nothing out there, so I am just praying something will open up soon, anything, even retail! I will be going out again tomorrow morning, so if you can pray for success in this, that would be great!

But as we go out on this journey, we know this...God does have a plan for us and for the girls, we just need to continue to be patient...He will provide a way for us to bring them home! :)

What I'm Doing Now...Prayer Blankets

Pink, Purple, Blue, Green, Yellow with Pink Border

I am making my Prayer Blankets available for order. I started making Prayer Blankets about 10 years ago in Ashley Nichole's honor. I call them Ashley's Dream. Here are pictures of them in the colour pallet I follow.

Blue, Pink, Purple, Green, Yellow, Blue border

Green, Yellow, Blue, Purple, Pink, Green border

Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Yellow border

Small is Carseat sized $45.00
Medium is Nursery/bassinet/layette sized $55.00
Large is Crib sized $75.00

All prices include shipping unless you are out of the US. And these prices are subject to change if prices of yarn goes up astronomically. I am selling these to raise funds to bring our girls home! Yes another fundraiser :) Anything to get them home! Please email me if you are interested in one and we'll talk price then. And if you are a Reece's Rainbow family, I have special pricing for you so that it isn't so pricey...adoption fees are bad enough without having to spend a lot for something special!

I am keeping my idle hands and minds busy, so that I don't become discouraged in our journey! So, To God Be The Glory!

Have a blessed weekend! :)

Plugging Along...

Well, yesterday was a busy day for me. I went comparison shopping, found a better place to shop, visited with our friend that hosted our party, and I may have landed a temporary part-time tutoring job to teach a woman from Peru how to speak english, and she and her friend would pay me for the tutoring which will be a donation to the twins. I am beginning a very temporary pt english tutoring job starting this Saturday. I will be helping a woman learn to speak english and understand what she is reading for her citizenship exam in a couple months.

Every little bit helps, and I'm still praying for a full time job to hurry to bring the girls home, but we'll see what God has planned! Can't wait for the day that I can look back on all this and 'laugh?'...

Today, I took all of our donations to date and wrote names on the back of the puzzle pieces to begin! We had enough to write names on 80 pieces today! You can see pictures on our 'Puzzlemaniac' website. At least I feel like we are getting somewhere...not fast, but we are getting somewhere...And we are grateful for every donation! :)

Well, time to get some more house work done, enough day dreaming of the day we get to bring them home! :D Okay, I'll multitask...I'll daydream and do housework at the sametime! Sounds like a plan...

Hope you have a blessed day!

New Sense of Purpose...

It's funny, the longer we wait, the more determined we are becoming in our quest to get those girls! Everyday that passes, my desire to be their mommy is stronger. I am sad that we couldn't commit to them on their birthday Saturday, but it's okay, that was MY plan, obviously not God's! I just pray that God gives them a sense of peace that they will be okay while they wait. They are wanted in the worst way, I just pray that He tells them they will have a mommy and daddy, and three big brothers waiting to spoil them! And a beautiful black lab named Maddie that will finally have her own little girls to love on!

I can tell that we have a couple of friends praying for us right now because I do have a sense of peace myself. I'm still not sure how everything is going to happen, but I do feel that God 'has our backs' ;)

So in the meantime, I am busying myself with adoption paper work, reading materials, fund-raising crafts and making plans for our presentation at church. Staying busy is the only way not to go stir-crazy for me! Thank you Father for busy work! :)

Have a blessed night!

Happy Birthday Girls...

Today is a difficult day for us. Today is Slavka and Sandra's 7th birthday and they still don't have a committed mommy and daddy. We still want to be, and some of our family is on board...but a simple $1000.00 stands in our way to begin that journey to bring them home. Just last night someone said they thought our gold party was today. :( We are still reminding ourselves that God is in control! So...we keep plugging along...

These are our steps:

I make prayer blankets for babies in Ashley's honor and I just received an order for one this morning and the profit will go toward the twins. I will be posting them on my Etsy.com store if you are interested. And if you are a RR family and wish to purchase one, let me know, there is a discounted price than what is posted on Etsy.

I am applying for full time job that pays a fair amount. I'm praying I hear from them soon so that we can start the process. I have also decided to go to some of these temp agencies and see if I can find temp work that pays a fair wage.

We are going to share what we are doing at our church on March 14th at our pastors request. Maybe that will place some solidity in people's minds that we are serious and perhaps convict some others to either step forward to help or maybe commit to giving to RR in the future.

We will keep on fundraising in any way that we can come up with. As I have said in past posts, God is still in control and if it is His Will, these girls will become ours on His schedule, not ours, although I like my time table better :) He knows we love them already and He also knows what is best...I guess I still have some learning in patience... That seems to be a NEVER ENDING lesson for me...

Pray for us, please, as we continue to try to commit to bringing these girls home...

God Is Still In Control...

Well, we had our GlitterBug Party yesterday. We had pink and white frosted cupcakes, and my son's girlfriend Virginia, her friend Courtney and I sang happy birthday to Slavka and Sandra! There was lots of food, and I had wonderful fellowship with the GlitterBug Rep that drove down from Maine to be here for the day.

The party was planned to be 11am-4pm as an open house so that while people were out and about, they could stop by for some refreshments and to sell their gold and walk away with money. Not sure at this point what God is up to, but time will tell. One of my best friends thought the party was at 7 pm so she didn't make it, but she is still going to sell her gold, she is thinking locally and just give us the total, which would be better than 10% of the sale. I also had a few that said they couldn't make it, but they'd be praying, and others that didn't have any gold to sell but they would give a donation. Out of 160 invitations sent out, a total of 12 people responded, and only 3 people came and we had a total of 3 sales...yes 3, one being my own gold. Our total was $204.00 toward our promise fee. Not alot, but something is totally better than nothing!

I would be a liar if I said I wasn't disappointed...I'm very disappointed at this point, but...I also have immense faith in my Father. I know that He has a plan, and it's better than mine :).

Even though we didn't make much, my parents are donating some of what they sold at the party yesterday, My BFF is donating what she can to the promise fee. The best part of yesterday was getting to know our Rep from GlitterBug. It was funny because the past few times we talked on the phone, she kept talking about what we would do during our down-time, but there were no awkward moments at all, the six hours flew by. We got along great, she was so sweet, we had alot in common and she was like a sponge about homeschooling and adoption. Because she did a party in Virginia a few weeks ago for someone on RR, and then she did my party, she is very interested in learning more about adopting through RR. That may be what God had planned all along. And if that is all He had planned, then that is all that mattered. It's up to us to keep praying and having faith that He will provide for this adoption in His own time and way.

To God Be The Glory...

First Fundraiser: GlitterBug Gold Party/7th Birthday Party!

We are excited at the prospect of having many family members and friends come to sell their unwanted gold/silver jewelry so they can make some cash and the twins will benefit by bringing us closer to committing to our beautiful daughters! I am praying that we will be able to do this sometime early next week so Slavka and Sandra will have the hope of a mama and daddy for their very own! What a wonderful birthday gift!

And as soon as they get home they will have a princess party like the one we will have for them this Saturday! I already have a princess table cloth and pink and white streamers... and we will be picking up balloons and cake for them. Pictures will be taken and added to their lifebook that will be scrap-booked.

Soooo excited to see what can be done for Slavka and Sandra... please pray for this weekend and for the twins that really need a mama and daddy! :)

Getting out of first gear

Well this is hubby/daddy writing tonight. The last few days have felt like we have kind of shifted gears a little bit. Still a long way from full throttle and racing to the finish line but progress nonetheless. I will be sharing with our church the second week of march. JoEllen can't do it because she is a big wimp when it comes to public speaking. That is okay though since she does a lot more than me anyway. I can't wait to let people how God wants to use His people to give these awesome kids a home. I hope I don't turn into a boring windbag. We are very excited to begin partnering with our wonderful church family. Unfortunately my current job keeps me from being there on Sunday mornings. We are praying that changes soon. My prayer and focus will be to inspire more men to take the lead when it comes to adoption. I'm tired of hearing story after story of women having to sell their husbands on the idea. Its time for us guys to get off the couch and into the game and start taking the lead in this. That is God's plan, not mine. If God is calling your family to bring a child home from another part of the world then it is the husband that leads the way into those far away places, not the wife. She is our helper but God has commissioned us to lead the way. Ladies, tell your husband to read the wonderful piece I have linked here tonight. I was convicted. I hope you guys will be too.

http://www.reformation21.org/articles/the-manliness-of-adoption-testosterone-and-pure-religion.php

What An AMAZING Day! My Head Is Still Spinning!!!

Okay, we started our day with a visit to our pastor, and he was totally encouraging of our plans to adopt! He prayed for the girls, us and our time with our parents this afternoon. That was step one...he also asked us to gather as much information that we can about Reece's Rainbow and make a dvd presentation on the children that are available for adoption so we can present this to our church family. Tony will be working on a sermon about adoption to present to the congregation... and we may begin an adoption ministry at our church! That was amazing in itself, but...

The most amazing thing of all was that we went to visit my parents this afternoon, we just stopped in, my grandmother was there with them to share in the news of our adoption plans, and we told them! It went over okay, which is what we had hoped. They had the few questions that we thought they would, and we were able to answer them, and they thought the girls were so cute. I'm sure that when we receive our information after paying the fee that they will be just as much in love with them as we already are! And my grandmother seemed happy that she would be a great grandmother (Bopche, she's polish) again! I feel blessed that God gave us peace enough to tell them and He helped things go very smooth...and we are sooo EXCITED!

We also have a Glitterbug Gold Party planned for February 20th. We are going to make it a Birthday Party for the twins! We are just praying for a larger venue for this event because we are hoping that A LOT of people will come, we are spreading it out as an all day event so everyone that wants to come can anytime they want.

Please be in prayer for us as we look for a large enough place to hold the party and for most, if not all, of the promise fee to be provided on that day so we can pay it on the twins birthdate, February 27th! Don't worry girls, mommy and daddy are working on it! :)