We Weren't Expecting THIS!

Here has been the timeline of the last 2 1/2 weeks.

September 5 - We get word from our social worker that our home study is complete.

Sept 14 - I hear from a friend at church about a set of twins being born in November and the organization she is working with is looking for a family.  We decide to think about it.

Sept 20 - We decide we can't be shown for the twins, too much to take on right now.

Sept 22 - I call the organization's director to tell her we are a no go on the twins.  She asks if we are still interested in a single baby to which I say yes.  She lets me know of a baby being born in February and asks if we want shown because the family she was going to show just backed out that morning.  After talking to Scott about the details, we say yes.

Sept 24 - The expectant mom looks at our profile and PICKS US!!!!  I get to talk to her on the phone, confirm that it's a great match, and we start planning a time to meet.

We are in a whirlwind!  Totally blown away.  Can hardly believe this is happening so fast.

As long as she maintains her current adoption plan, we will be welcoming a baby boy into our family mid-February!

We're Ready!

It's official!  As of about 2 weeks ago, we officially licensed to adopt again.

And just like that we started being presented with questions of whether or not we wanted our profile presented to expectant moms who are looking for a family for their babies.  We've already had to make hard choices, cry over situations, debate what is the right thing to do, work through not being on the same page, having to say no, getting to say yes, and attempting to be patient while we wait for news.  All in a couple weeks.

The reality of adoption is that there is joy and blessing in it beyond what we ever imagined when we started walking this route to building our family.  But that is borne out of immense loss, grief, and hard places.  And you get to walk both when you chose adoption.  You get to live in the constant limbo of joy and loss, grief and blessing.

Thank you for walking with us through this.

Cousin Love

Abraham and Ellie have become the best of buddies lately.  Their antics had us all laughing this weekend as they spent nearly every waking moment together.

He calls her Eh-yee and she calls him May-a-ham.

Abe got everyone out of bed bright and early.

Sharing some toast and jelly.

They realized the window was open and had to investigate.

Then they found Abe's pick and it was time for new hairdos.

Grandma has fun iPad games.

Break for lunch!

Bubbles grandma, bubbles!

Still Making Progress

See that over there in the sidebar?  I finally updated it!  I'm down 1,797 items out of my house so far this year.  That leaves only 217 things left to get rid of in the next 4 months.  I'm down to the bare bones on a lot of things, but still have a few areas I want to purge that will hopefully get me to that mark.

Areas left to go:

~ finish up basement purging, I swear, clutter is having babies in my basement

~ kid clothes - they keep growing, I keep getting rid of the stuff they outgrow

~ Christmas decorations - I can't wait to get these out this year and clear out the stuff I really don't need.  I love a big decorated tree, but I think some of the other stuff is going to go.  I want less stuff sitting around on surfaces this year.

~ my closet - I did a purge earlier this year and got rid of over 20 items, but I think it needs pared down a little more.  At the end of the summer I need to pitch any of my summer clothes I didn't wear this year, or at least that's my goal.

~ toys - I want to do a post-birthday, pre-Christmas purge to get rid of the old things they don't play with anymore now that they have new things and make room for the inevitable flood of stuff that is Christmas.