The sippy cup

Dear Sippy cup, sitting on the counter filled with yesterdays milk,

     Some people would think you are disgusting and turn up their nose at your smell. But I am looking at you through tears of joy and crying from my hearts deepest well! Oh, sippy cup you are a welcome sight, and it is not because of what you hold. It is because of who holds you! You are only a reminder of many messes yet to come, and I cannot contain myself, thinking of them all. While often moms look longingly for counters that are clean, this mom can only look and wish that it was ok to leave you sitting there on my counter, waiting for the little one that you belong too. Though your stink will soon overtake the house, the reminder that you bring is of family and children that are so dear! I will wash you and put you in the cabinet for the 7 days that remain, until that little one come barreling through the door to find a drink one again.

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Last night, we had our last supervised visit. Our children got to come to see our home for the first time. It was special and we all had a great time. This morning when I woke up to a messy kitchen with plate, forks, and cups everywhere from our dinner, I was overjoyed. I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. I looked at it for a minute of two and had to share with all of you the joy and excitement that having more than two plates to wash brought me.

Next week, we have our first weekend visit. We pick up the children Friday night and then return them on Sunday afternoon! It is only 7 days away, but that seems like forever right now! We will let you know how it all goes!

PS~ Moms out there, please don't condemn me for my excitement. I know that it won't always feel this way, but after you have been trying for 3 years to bring children in your home, it is the little things that bring joy!

God-given work

Over the past month, Brian and I have been searching for a job for him that will show the courts that we have plenty of money coming in and that the money is stable. See, for the last four months, Brian has been working on a business, Kingston Woodwork and Farms (KWF). It has been steady work and we are making enough to meet our budget needs...AND...Brian is able to work from home making signs, building furniture, refinishing wood products, and farming. We have been so blessed by this endeavor that the Lord has laid before us. Because the courts are concerned about the stability of this new business, Brian has gotten a part time job to show them that stability. That hasn't slowed us down at all!!!!

Christmas is coming up and we would love to give you a price on a sign, table, bench, bookshelf, or more! Below are some of our products...just leave a comment, facebook message, call or text to get us started on your quote TODAY!!!

A vanity that Brian refurbished and put
top and legs on.

Our dining room table!

Children

We are proud to announce that we have been able to visit with our children as their adoptive parents!
They are all very excited! Some are even practicing their new last name. We will be having visits until December and then if everything goes well...they will be placed with us!

The adoption process is just that, a process. We have supervised visits, then weekend visits, then they are placed, then we have a court hearing to make that placement permanent, then we have 6 months of life to live to show that everything is working, and then we start the adoption proceedings. It is a long and frustrating road, but it is so worth it!

PS - Because the children are wards of the state until legally adopted, photos are not allowed on the internet. We will be sharing our beautiful faces as soon as the adoption is final! Please ensure that any photos that might include our children stay private for the time being. Thank you!

Truck religion

   A few days ago, my husband came to me and told me he had sold "his" truck. 

While we had been  discussing our vehicle situation for months, we had always shied away from selling it because it was the vehicle that my husband had looked high and low for about 6 months. He loved that truck's sound, build, everything...he worked on it...he painted parts of it...he even CLEANED it (which should tell you just how special it really was to him! hehehe). 

    So naturally, I was flabbergasted when he approached the subject nonchalantly and already had the deal worked out (save running it by his super smart, financially savvy, and extremely charming counterpart! ;) He had made all of the arrangements and the deal was in place, but that is not really the part worth mentioning. It is the reason that he sold his truck.

     Because God has called us to adopt a sibling group of 5, it has required a lot of changes to our live. We needed a bigger house, bigger cars (well SUVs or vans), a bigger budget, and so much more. We haven't had a car payment in many years, and with needing a bigger budget, adding one now wasn't really an option. So my husband, humbled himself, gave up something that he had worked years to get, and sold his truck to get us a vehicle that was big enough for 7, dependable for long road trips, and wouldn't break the bank!

     God gave man a position over woman, but that position was not for man's benefit. It was for woman's! The command was not that the husband rule over the wife to enslave her and use her, but to cherish her and protect her. Just like we guard our country's most prized relics, man is supposed to guard his precious gift in life, the companion for which he has waited, the flesh that embodies the rib taken by God to create a helper, the "crown" (Proverbs 12) who is "far more precious than jewels (Proverbs 31)...he guards her in glory to his King, honoring the plans for his life, allowing God to determine the importance of possessions and make the decisions.

     Now, trust me, my husband does not always live up to this standard, nor am I always the "excellent wife" that Proverbs 12 says is the "crown" of her husband. But in this decision, for this moment, he got it right. He was selfless enough to put aside a societal standard of a man. He sold his truck and has been busy looking for a minivan or an SUV. Neither will allow him access to the deer woods or get him closer to that mud puddle he calls a fishing hole, but it keeps his family safe, allows them to travel, and has room for all of them (plus one more! LOL)

Praise be to our Father from whom all good things come!

Happy Anniversary, Brian! 

I love you second only to our Maker, whom you have taught me to love deeper. Life has never turned out the way we thought it would or planned it...it has been better because it has been blessed by the Father who orchestrated it! I love you!

Tomorrow

In just 15 hours, Brian and I will find out if we are going to become parents 5 times over. Most people will never experience the emotions that simply cannot be expressed with words. Tomorrow at 11:30 am, we will be in a court room fighting for the children that we already feel are ours. These children aren't just names to us, but living, breathing children with personalities that are infectious and resilience that rivals the moon in size! They are brave and strong, but they are tired and weary. They are in need of a home that will love and protect them while they heal and learn about family and God!
We are so excited about the possibilities that lay ahead. We are learning and growing daily from the path that has led us thus far, and cannot imagine what God has for our future. We are praying for the grace to handle the days ahead and the gumption to remember that no matter what is in store...

Because He lives

I can face tomorrow

Because He lives

All fear is gone

Because I know 

He holds the future

and life is worth the living

Just because He lives

Thank you for your prayer and support! Stay tuned....We will be sharing our new as soon as we can!