Adoption: What we know for now

We are in it!  Emotions and all.  I went to a Trans-racial Workshop put on by another adoption agency, Deaconess, this weekend.  It was a really great and informative meeting with a panel of people who were incredibly insightful on what our lives could (or could not) look like in the future.  I was blessed to have my mom with me (Jeff was out of town). I think mostly for me it was a comfort and a blessing to have her there and hear with me the different stories of the lives of these people who were gracious enough to share them with us: the good, the bad, the ugly.  I walked away feeling confident in our decisions, as well as, supported with friends (new and old), family (thanks Mom), and a community of people who have been there, are already doing this life, and people who are waiting to do it, like us.

That same day I finally heard back from CPO with them announcing our application acceptance! I was so excited!  We have things set in place to go to some meetings this month and next and then in Novemeber there is a workshop we will attend!  I am just anxious (in a good way) to hear and learn and grow!

Labor Day we had our homestudy completed by a sweet lady named Melissa.  She is precious.  They have adopted 2 kids from CPO and our now (surprised) pregnant with their 3rd!  The homestudy went without a bump it felt like...at least from our end.  My house was INCREDIBLY cleaned too, but it seemed she was more interested in US and our family...which was good. 

All of the paperwork is completed, for now, on our end.  And I finished our Life Book (the book the birthmothers will review to choose the family that they feel they'd like to raise their baby).  It is on it's way.  If you'd like to see it, it is online at http://www.bergcourtney.shutterfly.com/  (password: jeffandcourtney) under the Photo Book section.  I can't wait to see it in person and then get it to CPO because Cheryl said they'd begin immediately showing it to birthmothers! YIPPEEE....

Jeff and I are on mission to get a journal for our new little one.  We have one for each of our kids and with Jackson and Creighton we began writing in them long before they were in our arms. Jeff is so much better at it than I am, but that is precisely why I blog :)  But we always like to pick out the perfect book for them.  It will be filled with letters from us (and other family as well) and given to them when they are 18. (we think...we haven't nailed down the exact time yet).  Either way, we cherish these books, and hope each of our children will as well. 

Thankfully our sweet friends the Deckers have let us borrow all of their baby things for when baby arrives....and so, that is where I leave this today...we are waiting.  Waiting for our baby.  Waiting to build a relationship with the brave woman who chooses life! God is good.  So good.

Sweet cherished baby,
You are so loved, so prayed for, so desired.  We cannot wait to hold you in our arms.  Your sister and brother cannot wait to know you, hold you, touch you, kiss you...just like us!  We have a huge support group within our community who is also excited to welcome you home.  I know this: The Lord is forming you, as I type, in your mother's womb.  He is holding you, as a Rock, steady.  He will care for you, and He will bring you home.  We want you to know how precious you and your life are to us, your birthmother, and to your Creator.  You are loved precious child, so loved. 
Love,
Your Mommy

Tied the Knot!

My little brother, Clay, got married this weekend.  It's so crazy to me that he is even old enough to do so, because, to me, he'll always be like 10 or something.  But, even so, when you are actually 25 and in love with 'the one', then I guess Labor Day weekend was a good choice :)  We love you Lacy! Welcome to the family.  Clay, everything went amazing.  Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!  Can't wait to see all the pics and hear about Belize!

This is my brother watching as Lacy came down the aisle!  (and the rest of the wedding party too).

I don't have any more pics of the actual wedding because I didn't have the camera, but our whole side of the family was in need of kleenex during a majority of the ceremony!  It was touching

My mom is a hostess/servant by nature and doesn't know how not to be, even when she should just enjoy and relax!  I think this was the only time she sat the entire weekend, thus the only picture I have of her.  But she was beautiful both at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself.  Great job mom with all the work you put into the weekend! I know they loved it.

I love these pics of my sweet little (daredevil) angel smelling the flowers.  She didn't make it down the aisle (only half way) but she sure made a beautiful flower girl, nonetheless! :)  Too bad she wasn't quite as brave on the aisle as she was on the 20 foot wall she felt the need to climb!

my favorite is this one...

My grandma and lots of others drove up from Houston to be here. I wish we got to see them more often!  My kids love "Granmal Max" :)

My POOR sister has got the award for coming to a wedding within 12 hours of a major surgery.  On her way from Houston to Shawnee she was in the middle of having major pain  (appendicitis).  Lord only knows how He got her all the way there in one piece.  But she pretty much drove straight in to the hospital/ER only to be admitted and told she wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.  She had surgery a few hours later.  She was bound and determined to get to the wedding the next day and in true Christy-style, that is exactly what she did!  She even went to the reception...but man she definitely over did it and paid for it last night and today.  My dad drove her and her 3 kids home today and hopefully she'll be able to rest. I think the trip was a hard one on her newly opened body!  She's awesome.  So glad she was able to come...just wish it wouldn't have been with 3 extra holes in her body. 

The kids had a blast at the reception...tearing it up on the dance floor! :)  So precious.

Just the three of us! :)

It was so fun to see so many different people, both family and friends, that we don't see often or enough!  I loved it. 

Hooked on Books

A worthy cause to get Oklahoma kids hooked on books….

Take one second at the site below to vote for your favorite childhood book, then check off Oklahoma as the state you want to win.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN FIRST PLACE to win 50,000 books for OK kids!!! You don’t have to vote on a book, but at least vote for Oklahoma !

THANK YOU!

http://booksforkids.firstbook.org/whatbook/index.php

Pass this on to all your Oklahoma friends & family!!!  And if you are from another state then, go vote for your state...it's good stuff.  Just don't vote for Kentucky :)

Life Updated...:)

Our adoption process is rolling.  We did our fingerprints, we have a social worker, and we have a scheduled home study.  The home study is coming up on Monday.  I am more excited than nervous...which I am sure will rapidly reverse as Monday morning rolls in, but for now, I am just glad. I am grateful for open doors and for God's grace and provision through this time.  It does help that I really really LOVE paperwork and organizing and having tasks to do.  You think I am kidding, but I am not. I am a certified dork, and I am okay with that. :)  So, what might seem like a ton of overwhelming work to most, is actually a ton of fun for me. I love it.

Jackson: he is just amazing! I am so in love with this little boy.  Age four has been A-mazing for us.  He did a 180.  Yes, he is still active (quite active actually) but he is very much still my lover, my cuddler, my Mr. Charming.  He loves to watch himself in the mirror, he is a deep and quite thinker when he wants to think.  He has begun to enjoy his alone time (in small increments).  He is the best sleeper in the world--which seriously, wow!? I never thought I'd be able to say that about him.  He is a very good big brother to Creighton too.  I see him giving into her desires a lot of the time now, which is so awesome to see.  He adores his Daddy and me too! He tells me he loves me all the time and gives lots of cuddles, hugs and kisses!  I just love those big blue eyes and that blonde hair and that INCREDIBLY big heart.  He is learning so much in his preschool class and is doing very very well there this  year.  I love his teacher, too!  She has really connected with him to bring out the very best behavior and learning from him!  It's awesome.  Such a change just from this summer...I love you sweet boy!  Some of the things you really enjoy right now: drawing/writing in your 'bible study' (a batman notebook), sticks/rocks and climbing trees, absolutely LOVE swinging (and you do it for a long time almost everyday...you've mastered the pumping all by yourself now too!), books...specifically search and find ones (you are very detail oriented like your momma!), organizing (like me), dancing, movies (Ben-10 & Transformers are your two favs I think because you know I don't approve), and the color blue!

Creighton:  She is hilarious.  This kid has more facial expressions than ANY one/thing I know of.  Literally in one day we will see at minimum 40-60 different ones.  She is sassy and confident and such a leader!  Her teacher continually tells me each day how advanced she is.  I don't doubt that for a second. Her motor skills are out of this world...and you would think she has a motor in her with how much this child sings and talks...constantly.  I don't know how she keeps up with herself, because I have to try really hard every day.  She is still taking a nap about 90% of the time.  She is sleeping decently well at night now too which is nice. She just is a social butterfly and doesn't like being alone.  So, she doesn't particularly like it when she finds herself alone...so off to find mom or dad or 'bubba' when the eyes open.  Thankfully she still likes to fall back asleep with us in the early mornings.  She adores Jackson and does or tries to do EVERYTHING he does.  She'll have a hard time when he goes to big school I am sure.  She thinks she is about 8 I think...and acts like she's 13.  I can't imagine when she is actually that old...but one day at a time is doing us pretty well for now.  You are growing so much everyday and you are precious!  You love love love being a girl.  You flip your hair, you use your hips, you carry a little pink fluffy purse every day, you love dresses, you hate your hair being fixed though--and man is it WILD when it is not up, you love pink, you love babies and you are SO excited about being a big sister you can barely contain yourself.  You want everything Jackson wants...no matter what it is.  Its precious! I love you little silly mongoose! (even though you don't like it when I call you that!)

Jeff: Nikao is very busy right now and Jeff has been working a ton of hours and working really hard to get this ministry season rolling smoothly.  WOrking out kinks daily!  It's exhausting, but thankfully he's really good at it!  August was a crazy month with everything from vacation, birthday, anniversary, new ministry season and starting the adoption process.  It's been a true whirlwind...

Me: long before I knew we'd be going through the adoption process I decided not to lead a small group this year.  It's been a long time coming for me to have a season off and I am enjoying getting to not be in the big mix right now. It gives me more time to focus on the the two kids at home and the one on the way :)  I am really enjoying life right now and am loving where my kids are at.  I think it's been really fun to see how fast they grow up before your eyes.  I am at a good place. 

The other day we were swinging outside and Jackson asked where Charleigh and Jayson were.  I was trying to figure out how to age-appropriately answer that question when Creighton chimed in: with Jesus.  It was so simple.  So True.  So exactly what my heart needed to hear, and apparently hit the spot for Jackson's question too! I love it.

Another funny thing from Creighton: today, again while swinging, she said "Mommy I don't love you a little."  I thought maybe she was trying to be a little mean when she finished her sentence, "I love you berry much"  Melt my heart sweet girl. I love you berry much too!

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...

Vacation Notice

Whew. I think I might actually have finished packing for our trip! Woo hoo. The kids and I will be joining my mom, dad, sister, brother, almost sister-in-law, and my sister's 3 kids in Branson. It's gonna be a wild, fun, adventure...and I am pretty excited! :)

So I will be on a vacay from the blog world for quite some time. I think it'll be good for me, and so hard at the same time.

Goodbye for now! ;)

Pray for my sweet hubby who has to stay behind for work and painting the house (and several other honey-dos)

Time Warp

I am thanking my lucky stars

that she is sticking to the story
that one day she will marry

her brother

Because

these pictures scare me...to death

I know it won't be long...and that it won't be her brother

Do you like your eggs salty?

Every night for over a year I sang to Jackson each night. He ALWAYS wanted 'Jesus Loves Me' until here recently. Now he wants a NEW song each night (sometimes more than one new song). This is exciting and I love that he wants to learn/hear new songs, but my brain is cutting out on me by that hour of the day and I have a hard time remembering songs on the spot (and their words for that matter).

Well tonight was no different. I tried several songs...ALL of which apparently he has heard. So I dug deep deep into my Southern Baptist background and came up with 'I Exalt Thee'...of which I only sang: I exalllllllt thee, I exallllllllt thee, I exxxxaaaaallllllllllult thee O Lord.

As I am singing he tries to sing with me. He tells me he wants me to sing it again, and then again. I tell him it's easy to remember the words, because it's only: I exalt thee

Then he tells me that is the funniest song he has ever heard. I am not following here at all at first. Then he says: Mom I don't like my eggs salty.

I just about died as I tried SOOOO hard not to laugh at him. It was so darn cute. So innocent. So awesome.

Then he said he didn't like them 'wiff shuger eeder'

How precious is that....?

I egg salty!.... Oh Lord :)

Pictures from July

July has been an absolutely INSANE month for our family. So the quick picture version is all I have to offer today.

So this is what your child's face might look like after you make them a Rainbow Smoothie (aka Princess Smoothie and Batman Smoothie) *recipe to come soon

My little diva at the Zoo.

He was being a statue :)

Just loved this face! Oh the faces she makes :)

Fun Family Foto

Daddy and Jackson---where oh where do they get their facial expressions....I think that is his version of 'party on dude'

We took 11 pictures of this pose trying to get her to smile. I am smiling in all of them with my eyes open...except this one...which be the ONLY one she is looking at the camera and not frowning...so there ya go.

Fireworks at the Eastland Mall...they loved them. ALthough this is way past their bedtime and she was a little grumpy

Jackson went go-carting with his grammy and pop this weekend.

Yes, my daughter is in her skivves in public...as in the RiverWalk in Jenks public. But whatever. I've momentarily stopped fighting battles with her. Will resume when I have energy

4 of the cousins at the Riverwalk--they are all meant for the stage.