Big Update!

We have a lot of crazy updates. First, sorry we have been so distant! We have been so busy this year and a lot of crazy things have happened and we have been trying to figure out God’s plan for it all before we moved forward. Long story short, we are no longer adopting from Ethiopia, big shocker I know. But don’t worry, God has some BIG plans for our family and we are still on the path to adopt, the path is just a little different than before. “The change” started in mid-February when, due to financial issues with the family business, I lost my job. We never made a big announcement about it because it was supposed to be temporary and we really didn’t know what God’s plan was. We aren’t going to lie, we were mad. It threw a HUGE wrench in the plans, especially financially. After about a month of being unemployed, I finally acknowledged that God had been asking me to quit my job and become a stay at home mom for a long time, I just refused to listen (yeah I do that a lot). Even though we struggled financially for about two months, we were blessed with Chris getting a raise and more hours. Around this time I started to get the small whisper that maybe we should look into foster care. Whoa! That is the OPPOSITE of what I wanted to do! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the idea of fostering and it has been something that Chris and I have been talking about since before we were dating! But NOT NOW! My view is (was) that fostering is something you do once you feel like your family is complete (enough) and you are ok if you never permanently add another member to your family. Foster-care is unpredictable and you never know when and if you will have to say goodbye. Did I mention that I want a HUGE family?? (yeah yeah I’m crazy; we will get to that later) To me our family is nowhere near “complete” right now. I LOVE Jacob to death and I am not saying that he is not “enough”, but like most moms, my heart desires for more children. Back to the idea of foster-care, while I have been terrified of fostering, my husband has been excited for the day that we get to foster. He loves the idea of adopting internationally, but he is PASSIONATE about foster-care! If you know my husband, you know it takes a lot to get him really worked up about something, good or bad; he is just that easy going. When I usually ask him if he wants to do this or that, he usually says “I’m fine with whatever”. With the idea of fostering, he is completely different! (My poor husband has had to watch all my craziness while he “got it” the whole time, this is why I love him) Ok we will talk more about that later, back to this spring. After we got back to being financially stable, we realized there was no way we could fund the adoption alone. We still had about $8000 to raise just to get on the waiting list! We prayed and prayed that God would provide if it was what He wanted and we continually heard “wait”. So we waited and waited and even had a pretty profitable garage sale. At the end of June I really started to feel a tug about domestic adoption and foster care. I again tried to ignore it, more because I figured it was just my impatience tugging me that direction. We started having major doubts about Ethiopia, not because we thought it was “wrong”, we just didn’t see how we could ever afford it. We knew it would take a miracle for us to ever move forward but we (I) was too stubborn to admit it. We gave it to God and tried to just do what we could to move forward.  The week of July 2^nd changed everything for us. We received an email from a friend at church about an 11yr old boy that needed a temporary place to stay while his mother recovered in the hospital. Instantly I said yes, I mean why not? We had a spare room that is just waiting for a child to fill it. I think I surprised Chris a little because he thought I would be too scared! A crazy and sad set of events happened in that week and on July 6^th we were asked to consider adopting the boy and his 9yr old sister! Uh what?!? That night there was a crazy war going on in our hearts. I’m not going to lie, I fell asleep crying. I’m a dreamer and I dream BIG! I “plan” things to the detail and I fall in love with that plan. When plans change I have to mourn them before I can begin with new plans (this is why this whole journey has kinda taken a toll on me emotionally). I mourned over the idea that there was NO way we could continue with Ethiopia, I mourned the idea that Jacob might be jealous of his new older siblings, I mourned the idea that I wouldn’t have cute cuddly babies/toddlers and I mourned about the fact that these kids might hate me and never see me as “mom”. As I was falling asleep that night I just prayed that God would give me overwhelming peace when I woke up if this is the path He wanted us to choose. The next morning we woke up with amazing peace and a decision made, we said yes. We said “yes” and God said “NO”. What?!? Yean I agree. Without going into a lot of personal details for the kids and their family, God had different plans for both families and used this situation to soften hearts and redirect attentions.  After we mourned yet another change of plans, it became very clear that God wanted us to change our direction and hearts toward domestic adoption and foster care. So I’m sure many of you will ask (as we asked too) “why God would really ask you to take in kids and then say No after you say yes?” The only way that I can explain it is to think of Abraham and Isaac. Ok not quite as dramatic of course, but God didn’t want Abraham to actually burn his child, He wanted his obedience. I think He wanted the same from us.  When I look on the last two and a half years I can see how I have ignored Him numerous times because it didn’t fit in with my plans or how I saw our family life.  I think I can even see where God started leading us in the direction of foster care and I said a stern NO because I was just too scared. I have to laugh too at God using the story of Abraham to get my attention. A man with many sons who thought he could have none. I pray that we can be obedient and that God can use our story to bless others.

So, what now? Well we have found a great foster care/adoption agency that a few friends from church are using and we love them already! On August 7^th we went to the orientation and already learned a lot of the foster care system. We have A LOT of training to do before we can be licensed but I am strangely patient right now. We are still unsure what we will “request”, either all cases (emergency, legal risk, etc) or just legal risk. We have no idea the timeline and I’m strangely ok with it all.

I know this can’t come easy to everyone, I understand, it was NOT easy for us! I know there are some people that have financially supported us and you may be mad that basically we have “wasted” money on the parts of the Ethiopian adoption we have paid for. The only thing that I can say is that we have gained more in the last year emotionally and spiritually then money could ever pay for and YOU have helped us grow spiritually. Also I promise you we are “out” more financially then anyone who gave and at the end of the day, money is just money (ouch that still hurts saying that). The experiences we have had in the last year far outweigh any of the money that was spent. And even after I say that and you are still upset, feel free to email me and we can talk about it. (just please don’t start drama in the comments, and PLEASE don’t say “yay, you are finally taking care of “our own”, this will force me to get mad and I don’t feel like getting mad!)

One of the best things that I can take away from our journey to try to adopt from Ethiopia is our love for Africa. I have always felt a tug toward Africa; I just never knew what it meant. I think I had to look at Africa with a momma’s heart before I could truly love it. Though we may not be adopting from Africa right now, God still has big plans for us in Africa. We just have to wait to see them unfold!

Abbey

P.S. One more thing, we want to thank everyone for their support in this journey. We truly could not do this without all the support and prayers. You guys mean more to us then you could ever imagine!

Home Study Approved!!!!

Ou home study is FINALLY approved!!!! Yay, that means that we are SOOO close to being able to submit our dossier!!! I will blog more tomorrow about this! God is moving in this adoption! ~Abbey

I'm a bad blogger!

Hello!

So, sorry I’m lazy and haven’t updated in FOREVER! In the past two months there has been little movement and I’ve felt kinda ashamed to come on here and say “ok another update…we are STILL working on our home study!”. And Im sure right now you are thinking, what the heck, you still aren’t done?!? Well if you aren’t going to admit it I will help you, I feel the same. Ive sat at my desk many days crying, wondering if we will ever get done with this portion. I mean come on, most people race through this phase but we just seem stuck! The crazy thing is that its not like we are having huge problems with our house or family history or anything like that. In fact our social worker didn’t have any issues with us and thinks we are a great family (see at least ONE person thinks it! ;0). I really can’t explain it except to say that it is God…well and a little procrastination by me! I know God doesn’t want us to hurt or stress about all this. I know He doesn’t want to see me get so frustrated that I am about to quit. No, I think God is slowing us down because this is HIS story, not just ours. You see God has this AWESOME plan that he is writing and working out for our family and my impatience is trying to get in the way!

Yesterday we got an email from our social work telling us that she is DONE writing our home study and now she is waiting for it to be approved and finalized! Twenty minutes later I received an email from a lady that wanted to buy one of our shirts! I was amazed by how God was working the little details of our adoption. Later that night we received a check in the mail from one of Chris’ sisters that was a late Christmas present that got lost in the mail from Chris’ grandparents. Again I was thankful for God’s blessings and reminders that He’s got this. Today a friend asked us about our shirts and bought one! I am blown away by God’s faithfulness to His promises! That’s almost $100 toward our adoption in less than 24hrs! That’s $100 closer to reaching our $7700 dossier submission fee! And for those that have given and/or supported us in any way so far, please know that even if we don’t say it enough, we appreciate each and every one of yall more than yall can ever know! You are helping us pay the ransom to free our children and you will forever be in our hearts!

So what now (I have been asked this a lot in the last 24hrs!)…now we wait for our home study to be approved and then we will send it off to the US government for them to approve it and assign us an appointment to get our FBI background checks/fingerprints. While we are waiting for that we are still working on more forms and paperwork (did I mention that I am a procrastinator??). Oh yeah and there is that HUGE dossier fee that we have to raise (look to the right to see how we are doing on that!). We are hoping to have all that finished in the next few months. Hopefully I will be a better blogger and keep yall a little better updated! I sincerely hope that you are having a GREAT week!

~Abbey

 “I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip, He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:1-4 

"Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

A little empty...

This week we have a lot to celebrate, we are almost done with the home study, we have a new fundraiser going on and Jacob is finally eating again after that nasty 5 day tummy sickness! But for some reason today I am a little...empty. We have been going non-stop for the last few weeks and it’s been awesome helping me keep my mind occupied. The house is cleaner, the remodels are done, the home study paperwork is done and the dossier paperwork is slowly getting done. But for some reason today I can't stop thinking about my babies I can't hold yet.
About a month ago we cleaned out the 3rd bedroom and now at that’s left in there is a desk that will be moved this weekend. I’m going to tell you a little secret, not even Chris knows, some nights I go in the room and just stand there and look at the empty room. I have visions of a little girl’s room with purples and grays or an older little boy’s room with toys all over the floor. I think about all the memories waiting to happen in that room. We are happy and blessed and we love our son so much, but I can’t help having that feeling like we are missing a few family members.
Monday I got an email from a family member that kind of hurt. In reply to us emailing her about our decision to adopt from Ethiopia, she stated that “If it is God’s will that you adopt, I will pray that He changes your heart to adopt in the USA and NOT a foreign country. We have a lot of babies here that need a loving home.” Ouch. I will state first that I agree with her last sentence, there are a lot of babies in the US that need homes…and there are MILLIONS of babies around the world that need loving homes, I don’t chose who I help by where they live but instead where I feel GOD leads me too. But besides all that, he statement hurt because to me we are expecting from Ethiopia (heck we will call it pregnant if you will) and if our “hearts change” it will be HEART BREAK! My babies are in Ethiopia, my children who I pray for and already love are in ETHIOPIA. Asking me to change where I am adopting from is like asking me to give up my kids! Still don’t get it? Praying for me to change the location we adopt from is like telling me that you are going to pray for a pregnant me to not be pregnant anymore. Overdramatic? Maybe, but this is how I feel.
Can I ask you to do me a favor? Can you pray for our brown-eyed babies? Can you pray with me that they are being loved on and cared for since we can’t yet? I know right now they are going through the worst pain they are ever going to face and I wish I could be there to dry their tears and hug them like only a mommy can.

~Abbey

Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."

Home Study scheduled and another fundraiser!!

Our home study meetings are scheduled!! We are meeting with our social worker THIS WEEK!! AHHHHH!! How amazing is that?!? We are meeting with her on Friday and Sunday!! Wow when God says move He means MOVE!! Everyday we are getting closer to holding our new child(ren)!

Also, here is another fundraiser we are doing!! My sister, Hannah, who is a Thirty-One consultant, has offered to do a fundraiser for us!! 100% of her commission will go toward our adoption fund when purchased under this party! Please note this party ends NOON, Dec. 12 which is both the cut off day for Christmas delivery guarantee and the end of the current special.

Thirty-One is a fun & unique line ...of products. Browse through the catalog to find everything from signature purses and totes to storage solutions that help organize your life. There's a little something for everyone. There's a fun special going on right now!! For every $31 you spend, get one All-In-One Organizer, Soft Wallet, Cinch Sac, Zip-Up Pencil Pouch or Flat Iron Case for ONLY $5! These items are originally valued from $10-$22! Buy gifts for others and keep these for yourself! Shop at http://www.mythirtyone.com/hannahcole/ and make sure to shop from "Abbey's Adoption Fundraiser"!

~Abbey

We are moving forward again!!

Hello!! First I wanted to say sorry to anyone who actually reads our blog! Things have been kind of busy and crazy and I felt the need to step away from the blog for a little while. But, I’m back! Today we FINALLY mailed off our huge home study packet!!!! YAY!!! Ok so maybe we took a little longer than expected (um by a few MONTHS) but I feel like God was slowing us down for a reason. When I took a step back I started listening to what God had planned for this adoption. I’m not going to lie; I didn’t do this on purpose. I got really negative and sad and even refused to pray because at one point I wasn’t sure what to pray about anymore. I even went as far as researching other options because it just seemed like we weren’t moving forward at all. Between repairs at home, financial issues and our schedule, I just felt like we were never going to be “home study ready”. Looking back, I know the slowdown was important. Slowing down forced us to look at our own motivations for this adoption and listen to God’s plan for this adoption. Since starting the adoption process, so many of our desires have changed and our hearts are slowly beginning to want what God wants. I will blog more about this later!

About three and a half weeks ago our home study social worker emailed us about a home study seminar that will count as one of our four required meetings…awesome right?? I thought about it and then forgot about it because I was certain that we had to have our packet in by then and I was certain that we would NOT have it ready yet. Thankfully an awesome adoptive mom Beth (check her out at give1save1.com) messaged me, encouraging me to go to the seminar and informed me that we could go BEFORE we turned in our paperwork! The funny thing is that for the last two years, I have consistently felt God telling me to wait, even when I felt God pushing us to start the adoption, He still reminded me to wait. When Beth encouraged us to attend the seminar I suddenly stopped hearing the “wait” and instead heard the “hurry!”! Friday we went to the seminar and TODAY we sent in our home study PAPERWORK!!! Thank you Beth for letting God use you to encourage us! I’m so excited (and nervous) to begin the home study meetings!!

~Abbey


Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."