Adoption: Our story from the Beginning

So, we haven't told everyone yet, but we are expecting! We are more than thrilled. The neatest thing ever is that this time our whole family is 'pregnant' in our hearts, instead of just in my tummy. We are adopting!! We get to feel all the emotions together. We are in the hardest part right now--the waiting. As I am typing, we have not been chosen by a birth mother. So this could be a really short or a really long pregnancy...so different than anything I've ever experienced.

Our journey actually began a little while back, so let me start from the very beginning :)

When I was younger (middle/high school) I always said I wanted to adopt because there were so many kids that were already here that didn't have a family and a home. Well, that was quite my passion for awhile, but, once I was married, my heart changed and I really wanted to go through that process and journey with Jeff and our family. We've been there done that, twice! It was everything it was cracked up to be and more...especially on this side of having delivered :)

A few months ago, Jeff approached me and said that he was being led to pray about adoption. I was completely against even the thought of additional family members for us, as I was a little overwhelmed with two toddlers! But over the course of those months my heartstrings were slowly and tenderly being tugged by the Lord Almighty. He did it in so many ways. Through friends, through the blogging world I am so acquainted with, through His Word. It really came to a peak on a particular day, Monday, June 22nd. Here is what I wrote the next day after God came through in SUCH an unexpected and awesome way:

"The God that we serve is IMMEASURABLY Amazing and has provided in ways that could ONLY be his hand. I am in love with my Savior. He is so good to me. It's just awesome to see HIS timing, HIS provision and HIM. when we come to a place where we stop waiting/wanting for it to happen, and just be at peace with exactly where we are, He shows up huge and blesses us immensely. To Him be the glory...and may we be good stewards of our blessings and open doors.
June 24 at 1:17am"

It was in disguise at the time that God had definitely confirmed in my heart that He was in control, in control of absolutely all of it. I am so grateful for Jeff and that he was at a place to hear and obey the word of the Lord to his heart. What an amazing daddy, husband, friend, leader of our family! (in reverse order of importance)

Anyway, so since June we have been weighing out options. We have been praying, talking, discussing, talking, researching, talking, praying, and more praying. It's just been neat. After all of that, we were led in the direction of partnering with Crisis Pregnancy Outreach in Jenks, OK. I highly recommend anyone to look into this agency if you are even somewhat considering adoption and/or if you just want to help out the agency in any way! It is a solely volunteer agency and so there are many awesome people there that are just amazing giving of their time and their resources to help birth mothers, children, adopters, adoptions, and much more!

We've told some of our close family and friends and were met with mostly positive reactions. We did have several bridges to cross. I must say that although they were very difficult at times, our family, both immediate and other, are better off for them. I know that through those conversations, although heartbreaking and emotional at times, the Lord's hand was in them in so many ways. Our families are with us and going to support us in this journey ahead of us.

So, like I said before, we are in the waiting process and learning process now. We have much to do in the time of waiting though...so hopefully it'll keep us occupied enough as we wait to meet our new little one.

And yes, as much as they can comprehend, Jackson and Creighton are both ecstatic about this!

Not that we owe it to anyone, but one of the main reasons we feel the call to adopt, outside of the obvious theme throughout the Bible of pro-adoption (you are adopted, if you are a believer, just like Jesus Christ, himself, was/is), is the fact that we are Pro-Life. In being pro-life, we cannot be anything other than Pro-adoption, or we are not pro-life. It would be lie, for us, to say otherwise. So, that is where we are. We have love, we have a family, we want to give a child a home that needs one, and in the process make sure that his/her birth mother is cared for and ministered to. What a choice of love she is giving to her birth child!

Please join us in prayer for the rest of our journey and beyond.

Naples, Florida Vacation

Because I my husband SO much, and because you only turn 30 once, I decided to plan a big vacation, and better yet, it was a complete SURPRISE. :)

He didn't know where we were going until we got there. "there" was Naples, Florida...and let me tell you, Naples, Florida is where it's at! I had SO much fun...it was by and large my most favorite vacation (in the states).

We had so much fun just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful creation where land meets water...very unlike our landlocked state of Oklahoma.

This is Parker being silly. He was so sweet to allow us to stay at his home that he grew up in, and he also spent one of the days Lobstering. He caught 15 big horned lobsters...and we ate them (no, not all of them) that night! We also had some steak kabobs and mashed potatoes...a true Surf 'n' Turf that didn't cost much :)

My husband gets burned easily. To say he was in pain was a true understatement and at one point I thought I was going to have to take him to the ER for sun poisoning or something. So that kinda hindered our plans the next day, but it's okay. We had a very very lazy Sunday mostly inside. :)

We swam with (or nearby) dolphins, spotted eagle rays, and tons of other sea life almost EVERY day we were there. It was just absolutely beautiful!

Jeff's big catch. He actually caught a lot of fish but they kept breaking the line or the hooks...which means, yes, they were HUGE fish! He also caught some other fish and had it up but Parker let it slip out of hands and into the water before I got a picture...

I never caught a big one, but I wasn't concerned too much with that. Once I caught these three bait fish I was quite happy and decided sunbathing was more my thing. We were so far out on the water that I couldn't see land in any direction for MILES. It was awesome.

This is Parker and Jeff fishing from shore...

I mean really...I miss this.

Oh yes, this is me trying really hard to cast a net that was way too big and way to heavy for me, especially since I have no experience in net casting. I wasn't at all successful my first or second time, and only partially on my third. I didn't catch any fish. Jeff and Parker caught some each time they threw it. But oh well.

That is what it's suppose to look like apparently.

I pretty much LOVE foot prints in the sand...it's my favorite.

next to writing in the sand and picking up shells. I wrote all kinds of things in the sand. And I found all kinds of beautiful shells. We also found millions of live sand dollars and starfish and we played with them and held them for hours one day. It was crazy. They were absolutely everywhere.

This was like less than a quarter-mile from Parker's house (actually his parents). Isn't it beautiful. We were so blessed to be there and so refreshed. It was so good to be on vacation! I loved every minute of it.

Back.

Oh man! Hi!

I feel as if I have been gone for a long long time...and I have, with purpose though. I had an addiction...a very unhealthy one. So, I sought the Lord and after much wrestling with them, I decided it was time. I had to give up my computer for awhile and my games and my blog. I have realized so much while I was gone...that I have been missing out on so much.

My purpose for this blog was to keep a daily (?) journal for my kids and also our family since I am not AT ALL the scrap booking type. And I lost sense of that. Completely.

But I am back for now, but with renewed vision, goals and mindset. I am excited though because I do have some wonderful posts and pictures. I have no pressure or time frame in which I am 'trying' to get them up though...and that is so freeing! :)

That's all for now...we are spending time as a family together today.

Branson and Back

we are back and had a blast! more pics to come next week. computer is going in for repair and so I will be off line again for a week...