Two more days...

...Until the raffle winner is drawn! Don't forget...only $1 gives you and your family a chance to win a photo session and 20 edited photos on a CD!! You can't beat that right before the holidays. Thank so much to those of you that have already bought raffle tickets in order to help us bring baby Gorman home! The raffle was graciously donated by my sister...and you can check out her website to see some of her work (or look around our blog...as she took all of the pictures I have posted of Warren and I on our main page). :)

As promised, here are some more pics of the yard sale...

I love ALL of my beautiful nieces, but especially enjoyed getting some good hugs in from my newest niece :)

The girls wanted to make cookies to sell at the yard sale. I thought it was a precious idea (even though Billie actually made all of the cookies while the girls worked very diligently on their signs)

Our day began to slow down and our piles of "stuff" diminished :)...

 The girls went to check out the newest shopper...you can't see it, but the man in the red shirt had a dog in a re-usable grocery bag. :)

 I love how the girls take care of each other.

I didn't realize how serious some people are about "yard-saleing"...as we were setting up at 6AM (in the DARK, might I add) people started rolling in with their flashlights and head flashlights. I mean, not that I'm complaining...I've just never been one to get out of bed early for anything other than work (and even then I push the snooze button as long as possible) :) It was just a whole new experience! We have about 1/4 of our HUGE pile of donations left over and are planning on having another yard sale in a few months...after we recuperate :)



Blessings...

I feel so full right now...and am about to burst as I share about the things God has been doing this past week and a half. So often, in my limited faith, I doubt God's plan...I think I have things more figured out than He ever could (what pride!!)...but, then I become aware of what He is doing around me. How he is weaving every conversation, every relationship, every event into his perfect plan for our lives. I hate that, so often, I become too caught up in myself and miss out on how He is at work around me. Thankfully, He has given me the grace to see that just over the past week and a half, we have been blessed with...

A joyful heart...
The past two years have been filled with so much sadness off and on...(but mostly on) :)...surrounding our infertility. After talking to a friend on my way home from work last week,  realized that I finally feel JOY! It has been refreshing to feel hopeful again...to not only know but to BELIEVE that God is working out his plan for us! Infertility is such a struggle...and every month that we did not conceive over these past two years was difficult. But, now I see that God had something different planned for us...and I wait excitedly for that plan to come to fruition!

An Anonymous Gift...
This past Tuesday morning, I found an anonymous letter in our mailbox...a financial gift to help us bring baby Gorman home. Tears are filling my eyes now as this gift reminded  me once again (in the midst of my worries surrounding the financial part of our adoption) that God WILL provide...He is faithful and he uses others to be a part of the work He is doing in our lives. It also makes me think...how does he want to use ME to be a part of what he is doing in someone else's life?

An OVERWHELMING amount of donations...
We were BLOWN AWAY by the amount of donations we received for our yard sale. What a blessing it was that friends and friends of friends would be willing to give us their "junk" in order to help us fulfill what God is calling us to! I have been truly humbled these past couple of weeks by the generosity of others (some of whom I really do not even know)! It took a small army to price everything we were given :)....in fact, we worked for at least eight hours Friday pricing (with the help of Bethany, Katie, Shana, and Billie, and my nieces). But, it was all truly a blessing and I am thankful to each person who generously gave so we can be one step closer to bringing baby Gorman home!

Amazing family and friends...
There were times when we first moved to our current location that I questioned why God would bring us here...but these past few weeks have reminded me of the support God has blessed us with! I am so lucky to have my sister and her amazing family live so close!

...and it was such a blessing to have them here this weekend to help us with the yard sale! My nieces bring so much joy to my life! My sister and brother-in-law recently adopted precious Ellagrace into their family...it has been a blessing to see how my brother-in-law, sister, and nieces have accepted Ellagrace as their own...their lives have been a testimony to me and an encouragement as we go through the adoption process.

(Ellagrace in a traditional Ethiopian dress)

I am also blessed to have such a supportive husband. God has grown us closer to Him and to each other these past couple of years. He is a wonderful friend, great listener, and challenges me to be a better person!

We are thankful to have parents that are supportive of us as we pursue the journey of adoption. We have also been blessed to form some incredible friendships where we live! I am so grateful that Bethany and Katie took time out of their busy lives and spent time away from their family to help us price items Friday and set up every thing very early Saturday morning! I am so thankful for the text messages, Facebook responses, and emails I received from so many others that were thinking and praying for us! I'm so thankful for the support of my Tuesday morning Bible study ladies...who have been such a joy to learn from and grow with over the past few months. God has given us such amazing supports here....and for that I am truly grateful!

Answered prayers above and beyond...
Our two family adoption yard sale was this past Saturday. Two precious friends, Mandy and Cathy Lynn Lanier introduced me to a wonderful woman of God, Lyndsie and her husband Daniel who are also in the process of adopting. Lyndsie and I decided to team up for an adoption yard sale fundraiser. I have been very thankful to have someone close by who is on the same journey!

Warren and I (along with so many others) were praying we would raise $1,000 in the yard sale to put towards our adoption....

Well...God, once again, did more than we could ever imagine! We raised $1293.75 in the yard sale and $359 in the raffle/personal donations!! I am blown away! I will post more pictures from the yard sale later this week! We are exhausted but so thankful for all of God's blessings....


"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20, 21



First...

^4-9 God is higher than anything and anyone,
      outshining everything you can see in the skies.
   Who can compare with God, our God,
      so majestically enthroned,
   Surveying his magnificent
      heavens and earth?
   He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,
      rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash,
   Seats them among the honored guests,
      a place of honor among the brightest and best.
   He gives childless couples a family,
      gives them joy as the parents of children.
   Hallelujah!

Psalm 113:5-9

Tomorrow is of our FIRST adoption interview with our caseworker at Bethany...Maybe I should be more prepared...because honestly I do not know what to expect! Regardless, we are so excited...so thankful that we are progressing...and so ready to meet the child God will bless us with raising!


Last weekend was our FIRST visit to Athens, GA for the UT/UGA game...

I'm still not really sure what the deal is with the arch...but we took our picture under it anyway :)

Tailgating with Shaun and Bethany...our sweet friends/trip-roomies

Finally, today was my FIRST time to watch a show about teenage mother...if you know me, you know I'm a reality TV junkie. However, I have never allowed my self to watch shows regarding babies (16 and pregnant, Teen Mom, etc.) because in the past it has just been too hard as I've struggled with anger and disappointment over our infertility. However, as I was flipping channels last night, I saw that there was an episode partly focusing on the first visit between two birth parents and the adoptive parents/child...so I quickly pressed record!... Lately, I have been thinking alot about what kind of relationship we will have with our birth mother. And, quite honestly, I never thought this show would conjure up so many deep thoughts and emotions, :) but as tears were streaming down my face God continued to clarify several things for me...

1. I desire (if possible) us to have a healthy relationship with our birth parents. The more Warren and I talk about adoption, and the more couples we speak with who have adopted domestically, the more we see the benefit of having an open (or semi-open) adoption. Granted, our birth mother may not want anything to do with us or the child after delivery...and we will respect that. However, with healthy boundaries in place, I would love nothing more than for baby Gorman to know their birth parents...to know he/she is loved by so many people...loved so much that someone sacrificed for them...which leads me to...

2.  Adoption is one of the most selfless things a mother can do! I know I will never understand the extent of this act...but I hope to never grow insensitive to the amount of pressure and emotional strain placed on birth parents. What a huge sacrifice they are making..to place the well-being of the child before their own wants and desires. I am praying now for our birth parents...that God will grant them needed wisdom and strength.

Ultimately, my hope is in this...

 He gives childless couples a family,
      gives them joy as the parents of children.
   Hallelujah!

Approved...

***Warning***
My brain is a little foggy...work has been a little overwhelming lately and I did not get much sleep last night. Though it is only 9:30PM...my body feels as if it is 2AM. Therefore, I apologize if this post seems jumbled, too short, or if I am leaving any important details out! :)

This past Tuesday we received a wonderful email from Bethany Christian Services telling us we have been APPROVED into the Domestic Infant Adoption Program! Next week we should hear more information regarding the online adoption training classes and our home study paperwork. My heart is so full! Every day I feel more and more blessed that we are able to go through this process of adoption. God has adopted us as children...and Warren and I get the opportunity to adopt one of God's children...to hopefully be a picture of His grace...with the aim of glorifying Him. I feel like I could say so much more (and actually have typed and deleted a couple of paragraphs), but my foggy brain is not allowing me to clearly express the joy that is in my heart!

At the beginning of this process, I was a little frustrated at how much it cost to adopt a child. Though it is much less expensive if the adoption is private (meaning you connect with your own birth mother), an agency adoption is costly for several reasons...they provide counseling (pre and post placement) to the birth mother, have their own legal and accreditation fees, most have several personnel to support, etc.

To offset some of these costs, we are having an adoption fundraiser yard sale October 23rd. My sister, who is a photographer, has graciously agreed to "raffle off" a mini-session that will include a 20 minute photo shoot and a cd of 15-20 high resolution edited photos. The raffle will begin on October 23rd and will end October 30th where the winner's name will be drawn.

God has called us to this...and, therefore, we trust completely that he will provide the funds we need! We look forward to seeing what He is going to do...and we can't wait to bring baby Gorman home!

Hope...

"guide me in your truth and teach me,
       for you are God my Savior,
       and my hope is in you all day long. " Psalm 24:5

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

... hope and faith must be our foundation...Though this week was full of ups and downs, we trust God will provide us the child He has for our family in His perfect timing!

The week began with a call from the social worker at Bethany, letting us know that they would allow us to take the adoption training classes online. Bethany was the agency we initially felt led to use. However, a huge barrier with us and Bethany was the inability to really begin the process until there was another couple that could attend the adoption training classes with us. The obstacle was removed...right as we were approved with another wonderful, but slightly more expensive, agency. After some discussion and prayer, Warren and I decided to submit our complete application to Bethany and begin the online classes. Financially, this seems to be the more realistic option for us...we are so thankful to see the ways God is providing!!

With the good news of the barrier being removed, there came some heartache on Wednesday. I haven't told too  many people, but in the past month, there have been three "situations" with birth mothers that have presented themselves...two were brought to me by my  new, sweet, friend who is also in the process of adoption with her husband...and another was brought to us by a friend locally. I have tried to not get "emotionally" involved in these prospects--but it is so hard to guard your heart...especially as a woman...it kind of took me back to the time before Warren proposed--in my mind I frequently planned out our wedding and would visualize our life together...often having to snap myself back into the reality that I had yet to see a ring on my finger! :) That is kind of how it has been with these situations. The first and the last options I feel I did pretty good with, but I was extremely tearful Wednesday when I found out the second birth mother we had connected with crossed us off her list after finding out I was planning on working two or three days a week after we have a child. I was crushed...and immediately went into defense mode---planning out a way to email her my exact schedule, how I plan on having a nanny stay at our house with our child, and the benefits of my working two days a week. But, then I took a breath, and remembered...God is in control...I don't have to explain or defend my case to anyone...and if these were the babies (she is pregnant with twins) God had for us, it would not have bothered her that, as of now, I plan on working a couple days a week. So, I emailed her some things I was praying for her and encouraged her as she, in my opinion, is engaging in one of the most selfless acts...

...Our hope is in God...not in us being the "perfect" couple so a mother will choose us...My hope is in the one who already knows the child we will love...who already sees that we will not be perfect parents...but, who knows we will strive to make Him the center of our family. We don't see what the future holds...We have no way of seeing what child we will hold...but, we are trusting in the One who does!