I found out today I have a double heart shape in my fingerprint on my left middle finger, so I guess I should not proceed with my plans to rob any banks :-) The last item on our list for the requirements for adoption paperwork was the fingerprinting and so, during Brad's lunch hour today, we completed this last step and turned in this final item on our long list of things to do. I breathed a little sigh of relief that we have finally completed the list....I'm sure that is humorous to God who knows that was just a "drop in the bucket" compared to what may be to come, but at any rate, I feel a sense of satisfaction right now and I intend to bask in it.
I think I told you we have an accepted offer on our home...so the appraisal was completed and we are just waiting for the results to know if the sale will proceed as planned....and (lots of ands right now in our life) we have also put an offer on a home and should find out soon if our offer was acceptable to the owners of that home. Lots of ands....unknowns....and praises! God has really been blessing us and working out so many details. All the while, He has been letting us know He is right here with us.
The house we made an offer on is not my dream house (yet), but it has a lot of space with a full unfinished walkout basement, and a huge bonus room over a three car garage and I might actually have some land for a garden....plus, if our offer is accepted as it is right now...it would enable Brad and I some extra cash to start making some fun changes to it (to Brad's chagrin)....I know I watch too many home improvement shows, but I am super excited about this possibility. Don't ask Brad how many pictures of kitchens I have made him look at over the last three days...it is embarrassing how obsessive I can be in my pursuit of perfection. At any rate, I think Dave Ramsey would be proud of us for "not biting off more than we can chew" financially. After taking Financial Peace University, I am plagued...err, I mean, blessed with his voice in my head every time I get ready to make a financial decision.
So, no big news yet, but God is working behind the scenes...I know it because His fingerprints are becoming so identifiable...I wonder how many hearts can fit on his pinky finger?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
What a GINORMOUS week!
Yes...ginormous is a real word...I checked and it was added to the dictionary in 2007 :-) I am thinking pretty soon my (dot, dot, dot) ... should also be added...I use it so much I am thinking Merriam-Webster should just call it a word, or is it...?
I am so exhausted...I hope I can finish this upda.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...haha! OK, if you didn't laugh, you feel my pain....this is Brad's joke every night of my life! If you laughed....so did I, the first 14 days we were married and then, not so much! BUT, this was a crazy, busy week and I am very tired. I will just touch on some highlights. Brad and I enjoyed our 10th Anniversary this week. We had lunch together that day and joked that we will need to start looking for a conversion van if our family is going to grow too much more...never thought I would have that discussion :-)
When Brad and I were starting to talk about adopting we were really hoping to sell our current home and purchase a larger home with a little more of a yard and a nice basement. When we weren't having success selling it, I was frustrated and talked (well, whined) to my pastor about it one Sunday. He asked me if I had considered just taking a step of faith to adopt with the house I have right now...even though I am dreaming and planning for something else....my perfect plan, right? I am mocking myself right now. Have you ever heard the story of the person clinging to their sack lunch when God is offering them a feast?
So, if you have read the other blogs, you know we are proceeding with the adoption in faith....well, we didn't take the "for sale" sign out the the yard yet and last Sunday we had a gentleman come to look at our house. He loved it and through a series of conversations this week, we ended up meeting with him on Friday at his bank and he made an offer for our house at our asking price...WOW! During the meeting, he says to Brad, "I know your family will be growing...would you need a conversion van?" He has one that he is selling and wonders if we want to work it into the downpayment somehow...haha...I elbowed Brad so hard...this is one reason I have never tried to play poker...I wear all my emotions on my sleeve and Brad has the bruises to prove it.
Along with this news, we met with our adoption worker on Wednesday...we thought just to turn in some of our paperwork, but when we started talking with her about ourselves and our hopes for adopting a sibling group, she got really excited and told us about two sisters she thinks would be a great addition to our family. She said to take some time to think about it...so, we talked, prayed and shared this opportunity with our daughters. We have decided to proceed with the intent to adopt the two sisters. I wish I could tell you all about them right now, but I probably cannot share their names or any information at this point. Anyway, we have been scrambling to get everything together that the agency will need for our file and home study.
Throughout this whole process, I keep asking God, "are we on the right track...are we going too fast...are we making the right decisions?" I love to decorate and redecorate...poor Brad :-P So, I have been having fun getting ideas for another girlie bedroom....I was looking at a website that I like to visit for ideas and this particular store names their lines of bedding/decor children's names...I clicked on a room that I thought looked great and the name of it was one of the sister's names....I was shocked at that "coincidence", so I scrolled through that line of product....the last two items on that page began a new line of bedding and...guess what....it was the name of the other sister. Coincidence? God makes life so interesting!
So, we might be having the home study for the adoption and the home appraisal for the sale this next week. We also have to start looking for a home. Should the sale of ours go through...we would only have 30 days to move out. Usually, this time of year, I am frazzled just trying to get our taxes done...haha! So much for just "touching on the highlights"...there are too many, what can I say!
Thanks for your prayers...I think they are working! This is when I need you to pray that I don't start clinging too tightly to what "I think" God is doing (my sack lunch)...but, just allow Him to do it His way (and enjoy the feast). Blessings!
I am so exhausted...I hope I can finish this upda.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...haha! OK, if you didn't laugh, you feel my pain....this is Brad's joke every night of my life! If you laughed....so did I, the first 14 days we were married and then, not so much! BUT, this was a crazy, busy week and I am very tired. I will just touch on some highlights. Brad and I enjoyed our 10th Anniversary this week. We had lunch together that day and joked that we will need to start looking for a conversion van if our family is going to grow too much more...never thought I would have that discussion :-)
When Brad and I were starting to talk about adopting we were really hoping to sell our current home and purchase a larger home with a little more of a yard and a nice basement. When we weren't having success selling it, I was frustrated and talked (well, whined) to my pastor about it one Sunday. He asked me if I had considered just taking a step of faith to adopt with the house I have right now...even though I am dreaming and planning for something else....my perfect plan, right? I am mocking myself right now. Have you ever heard the story of the person clinging to their sack lunch when God is offering them a feast?
So, if you have read the other blogs, you know we are proceeding with the adoption in faith....well, we didn't take the "for sale" sign out the the yard yet and last Sunday we had a gentleman come to look at our house. He loved it and through a series of conversations this week, we ended up meeting with him on Friday at his bank and he made an offer for our house at our asking price...WOW! During the meeting, he says to Brad, "I know your family will be growing...would you need a conversion van?" He has one that he is selling and wonders if we want to work it into the downpayment somehow...haha...I elbowed Brad so hard...this is one reason I have never tried to play poker...I wear all my emotions on my sleeve and Brad has the bruises to prove it.
Along with this news, we met with our adoption worker on Wednesday...we thought just to turn in some of our paperwork, but when we started talking with her about ourselves and our hopes for adopting a sibling group, she got really excited and told us about two sisters she thinks would be a great addition to our family. She said to take some time to think about it...so, we talked, prayed and shared this opportunity with our daughters. We have decided to proceed with the intent to adopt the two sisters. I wish I could tell you all about them right now, but I probably cannot share their names or any information at this point. Anyway, we have been scrambling to get everything together that the agency will need for our file and home study.
Throughout this whole process, I keep asking God, "are we on the right track...are we going too fast...are we making the right decisions?" I love to decorate and redecorate...poor Brad :-P So, I have been having fun getting ideas for another girlie bedroom....I was looking at a website that I like to visit for ideas and this particular store names their lines of bedding/decor children's names...I clicked on a room that I thought looked great and the name of it was one of the sister's names....I was shocked at that "coincidence", so I scrolled through that line of product....the last two items on that page began a new line of bedding and...guess what....it was the name of the other sister. Coincidence? God makes life so interesting!
So, we might be having the home study for the adoption and the home appraisal for the sale this next week. We also have to start looking for a home. Should the sale of ours go through...we would only have 30 days to move out. Usually, this time of year, I am frazzled just trying to get our taxes done...haha! So much for just "touching on the highlights"...there are too many, what can I say!
Thanks for your prayers...I think they are working! This is when I need you to pray that I don't start clinging too tightly to what "I think" God is doing (my sack lunch)...but, just allow Him to do it His way (and enjoy the feast). Blessings!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
A Tribute to My Prince...Happily Ever After 10 Years
This is going to be a little sappy...just a warning! I wanted to post the vows I wrote for Brad for our wedding day and had to go through a little trouble to get them....apparently my poetry from before we were married is not listed on Poetry.com any longer...at least not without me having a Facebook account :-) So, I had to dig out our wedding VHS tape :-) and play, pause, rewind...play, pause, rewind...a few times to get all the words to the vows I wrote and said to him. It was amusing to watch my romantic, 26 year old, self pledging my love and faithfulness to him. Kenna watched it with me and said, "Mom, you were really sweet!" I hope the emphasis was not on WERE. There is so much that is unknown on a wedding day....I praise God I chose wisely and Brad has been, I think, the perfect match for me, a constant friend, strong spiritual leader, and a better dad to our daughters than I would have ever dreamed!
My Sweet Prince
A penny to a well I did not toss, nor have I wished upon a star that crossed my darkened sky...
But I found from God in the simplest kiss...a friend for life, my Sweet Prince
It may not be a Fairy Tale, but we will find joy amidst some peril. Life is silly and it will hand us straw for gold. But I refuse to see straw as such when my heart has learned love's "Midas Touch". Each time as us a jagged rock is thrown, let's remember, with gentle hands it becomes a precious stone.
Together, let us save these gems. For we may not know the where's and when's...only how and with whom to handle them. Surely they will make our home a castle full of light...steadfast, strong and fastened tight from attacks that will try the weakest points in the dark of night.
So, My Prince, let's laugh out loud! We have a secret plan for when evil comes 'round. Love will give us the strength to laugh and God will let this laughter abound.
HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY, BRAD! LUB, ME
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