Roller Coaster of Emotions

We have been working on getting all of our paperwork together (very time consuming) for some grant applications due August 15th.
We have been putting the final touches on our profile book and are about to get those printed.
We are trying to be patient.

And then this happened.

We got an email on Friday regarding a birth couple looking for an adoptive family.  They have been presented with all the profiles that the agency has available and the birth mom "feels that she has not located the family that is meant to be for her baby." Even though we do not have our profile done, the agency feels that we are a really close match to what they are looking for and wanted to know if we were interested.

UMMMM...yes!  One little, minor thing.  The money.  We are $18,156.69 away from what we would need to complete this adoption.  

Here is the other crazy detail....baby boy is due on JULY 8!!!!  Yes...as in just over a month from now! 

It has been a roller coaster of emotions ranging from elation to discouragement.  We have full confidence that we are right where we are supposed to be and after much prayer and tears, we have decided that wisdom has won.  Even if we sold all of our possessions, I still don't think we could reach that dollar amount.  And, then where would we sit...let's be practical.  Jody is already working a second job and it is still a slow road.  We will work hard to apply for every grant we can and do all the fundraisers we can and then see where we stand.  

This experience has really made us excited to meet our baby when he comes along. 

Hey, and just in case you have $18,000 laying around, you can send it to: 

Premier Adoption 
590 West Mesquite Boulevard Suite 202B
Mesquite, Nevada 89027

Wink, wink.

Seriously though, please continue to pray for us as we navigate this journey.  Pray for our child.  Pray for grants to start coming in.  Pray for us to have wisdom in our decisions. 
Please pray for the birth family that I mentioned above.  They are in a desperate situation right now.  They are having to make one of the hardest decisions they will ever make in their lives.  Please pray for them!  Please pray for that little baby boy and that he would be placed with the perfect family.  I am so glad that they are waiting to find the right family for their baby.

We are trying to get those shoulder bars down fast enough and I am trying to stop screaming and open my eyes long enough to try to enjoy the ride. 

I hate roller coasters!

What a Week!!

This has been one of those weeks.

Let's have a quick recap:

•  One of the tires on the van went flat.
•  Our sprinklers in the backyard broke. 
• Our dishwasher broke.
• Our brand new toilet won't stop running.
• We had to pay $1200 toward our home study completion that we did not previously know would be due.
• We have had a few tornado warnings (Scary for me!).
• The kids have been on edge...let's be honest...we've all been a bit on edge. 
•  I have been late a lot. (I hate being late.)

This is a picture of what we had to do to cover up the big holes where the sprinklers were when it started raining...it was a quick solution to a potentially muddy situation!!  These little beauties are all around our lawn (so thankful it is our backyard with the problem!).

Thankfully,  we did have some great things mixed in as well...like Anderson (our oldest son) turned 8. Every year on his birthday, we are reminded of God's faithfulness and promises fulfilled!

Big boy!

Oh and our home study is COMPLETE!!  That's right!  It is done!!  Wahoo!!

Our home study will be sent to our agency in Nevada as they compile our profile and get us ready to start presenting our family to birth moms.  We LOVE, LOVE our agency in Nevada!  Premier Adoption has been the best!  They are so helpful, organized, professional, knowledgeable and patient!

We now move into the next phase of applying for grants and ramping up some fundraising.  We are still about $18,000 away from what we need (sigh).

Please pray for us as we get closer to meeting our baby.  Would you please pray for protection over our family!  Pray for things to stop breaking and that whatever comes our way, we would look to the ONE who is our protector and our provider and our strength.  Pray for us as we apply for a number of grants.  Pray that we are considered to receive some much needed funding!!  Please pray for that birth mom who has some hard and selfless decisions ahead of her.

Thank you so, so much!!  I cannot tell you how much it means to us to have people out there praying for us and lifting us up!

Here's hoping for a much less eventful week ahead...or at least for less breakage!!