Introducing. . . .

 Little Brother Foster

We received our call over a week ago and this little one still has no name. Maybe I should open it up for suggestions. We are struggling with this one.

He's such a cutie and we pray he fits right in. We are excited for him to join our family.

Likely these are current 6 month pictures.

Doesn't he look smashing in his pink sweather and purple bumbo?

Call me asap!!!

This was the message I received on Thursday morning while I was at Renew for Moms, my mommy group. I was getting ready to pick up Grayson, but decided to check my phone for any messages. And, I had one!!! This one!! Now, what in the world does that mean? I did as it said and called. Adam answered, which really surprised me. His news??

We've been matched!!!

I said, "what?" He repeated the news. I think I just stood there in complete shock. We were not expecting this phone call until January at the very earliest, so it caught me completely off guard when he said we had just gotten our referral call.

Isaiah 55:8 says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

When we started this adoption process, we were told it would take 18-24 months. I was just fine with that. Adding another child into the family when Gray is 2.5-3 sounded good to me. I thought I might be ready then. We also said we would take a child with special needs. With the backgrounds that we both have, this seemed like what we needed to do, or at least were experienced to do. And we preferred a little girl.

But just as this verse states, God's plans are often different than our plans. Fortunately, they are always for the better.

We have been matched with a healthy little boy!!! And are hoping to travel within 4-6 months. That means before Grayson is 2, or right around there, and that this entire process will likely be less than 1 year! This little one is 6 months old today. So, that means, I will have a 1 and a 2 year old running around!!! I should start claiming and clinging to Phillipians 4:13 now.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength

He's really cute, is in good health, and is being really well taken care of by his foster family. Once we get permission, we will post some pictures.

Ready for Christmas?

I know I'm not ready yet. And if you are in the panic "16 Days Left" mode, I have some great gift ideas for you.

When we began this journey, I thought it would be great if we could do a fundraiser every month. Little did I know how much work, time, and effort they were. But, we survived the October and November fundraiser and now I have so many ideas for December. The following items will be for sale for quite a while, but I wanted to get them up and advertised in time for Christmas, because they are so cute. 

Photo Necklace

 

Think about all the girls in your life that would be thrilled to receive one of these this Christmas. The pictures are so cute under the 1 inch glass tiles and can be placed on a number of chains. These are also very cute with pretty paper behind or a monogram. The possibilities are numerous.

All you have to do is send me a picture and I will do the rest.

A completed necklace is $20. A completed tile (if you have a necklace you choose to use) is $10

Decorative Name Boards

These were such a big hit during the November giveaways, I am going to start making them (with Carla's permission) in case you really wanted one and didn't win. The one above is one that I did for a baby shower gift a few weeks ago. These can be done in various sizes. The one above is 18x18". This size will be $40. So, think about all that baby showers you are attending or about the little ones in your life whose nursery needs a cute name board.

Personalized Letters

I made these letters for Grayson's nursery to match his crib bedding. They are such a cute addition to any nursery. I am also going to start custom painting these. The size and detail will determine the cost of this item.

If you are interested in any of these items, please contact me. I would also appreciate you passing on these great items to friends, family, and coworkers. Thank you all for your continued support.

Follower update

I know some of you have had trouble becoming a "follower" to this blog, especially if you have a yahoo account. I did some searching and never really found an answer as to why that is not working. But did find that it's easy to create a google account. You can do this with the email address and password you already have, so it doesn't create a new email address or anything for you. So, to become a follower (meaning you will get email updates when we update the blog):

1. click Follow on the right sidebar above the pictures of followers
2. click on Google
3. set up a google account if you don't already have one
4. choose if you want to follow publicly or privately. If you follow publicly, your name and/or picture will be on one of the little squares. If you choose to follow privately, your picture and name will not be displayed, but you will still get the email update when we update the blog. I just won't have any idea you are following along.

Hope this helps. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions. If I don't know the answer, I'll google it!!

Drumroll Please!!!

It's finally time to announce the winners of the Countdown to Christmas Giveaways! We had a very busy weekend, so I apologize for being 2 days behind schedule. I know you have been sitting on the edge of your seat just wondering what great thing you might have won. Thanks to all that participated and a BIG thanks to those of you that donated prizes and funds. We really appreciate your help in this adventure to bring our next little one home.

So, without further ado. . .
The girly, girly, tutu-- Annie

Supercute nameboard-- Melissa

Alphabet photography-- Kim

Hooded towel--Carry

Candle--Judith

Creative Memories album-- Gayle

Pampered Chef salt and pepper grinder set-- Alicia

Cornhole boards-- David P.

Ethiopian coffee and silver necklace-- Amelia

T-shirt dress-- Leah

Christmas book collection-- Rachel R.

Scarf-- Kathy

Mary Kay winter lip set-- Cherry

Premier jewelry necklace-- Leah

Pampered Chef bowl and claws-- Amelia

Cupcakes-- Carla

Southern Living Cookbook-- Nicole

Crayon roll-up holder-- Kristi

And in case you are wondering how the winners were chosen-- I used http://www.random.org/ to make it as fair as possible.

Have a great week. I'll be contacting the winners to get more info on how to deliver your prizes.

Just Kidding!!

Just when you thought it was over and there were no more giveaways. . . There's one more. . . and it's a great one!!

This crayon roll-up holder has been made and donated by our friend, Kate. She has a bunch of really fun items that you can check out at http://www.katewdesigns.etsy.com/