While we are waiting...

I thought it might be fun to document what we are doing while we are waiting patiently on the Lord for Baby #2. Ayla has taken it upon herself to pray for Baby Radford at EVERY opportunity! It is wonderful to hear her faithful pray for her little brother/sister.

First things first...The Basement! It is shockingly cluttered and in desperate need of a face lift before I move my "studio" down there!! Ok, so here it is...

Ok...don't judge! You all have spots like this...I'm sure, right?! And I am working on it! This is the pile of clutter that needs to be consolidated and given a "home"! Here is the picture of the wall where my sewing/creative table will go...

The good news...there is space under the stairs for a small storage closet! YIPPEEE!! Bad news, I really can't stud out a doorway by myself. I must wait for the ever busy professor/ pastor/PhD student! Lord, grant me patience! Here is the closet now!

So, to the left is from the outside looking in and to the right is at the doorway looking under the steps! I can't wait to see this space filled up with stuff!

So, here you have it! I've put it out there for the whole world to see...I can't wait to post some updated pictures as we make our progress. I will also post pictures of the loft when we get closer to moving the stuff out and getting the basement studio set up!

And now we wait...

We got the news on Friday that our home study is approved and we are in the book...ready to wait! We are so thankful to be at this step, but we also know what this wait is like. There were many days with our first adoption that seemed neverending as we waited. Then you get a call...you meet a birthmother and you wait again! Just a whole lot of waiting, but we are excited to learn what God has for us as we wait this time. Isaiah says "They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength...". Psalm 37 says "Trust in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 38 "But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer."
God continues to provide the funds for our adoption and we are learning to wait on Him in that area as well.
Please continue to pray for us as we wait. Pray that God will teach us more about Himself at this time and please pray for our child and the birthmother! We covet your prayers as we move the waiting phase!

For His Glory

Well, we are progressing! We have one meeting left with the adoption agency and they can update our home study. It is exciting and overwhelming, as always. I'm working continuously on our profile...pictures, pictures and more pictures. Praying over each page helps me feel more sure about what I put in.
We have had the opportunity to watch God provide in amazing ways. One instance was right after we had the benefit. We took a stack of checks to the bank...as the teller was processing them all she was asking what this was for, etc. We had the opportunity to share our story with her. She processed and we talked and by the time we both finished she was almost in tears. She told us she wanted to help, too. She pulled out her wallet and handed us a fifty! We were blown away. She was just so excited for us. We later took her a copy of the DVD from the benefit and we continue to keep her updated on our progress. What an awesome opportunity for her to watch God working in our lives! How cool is that?
Yesterday Pete came home with a look of amazement on his face and an incredible story. One of Pete's colleagues has been having Pete cut his hair this summer to help out toward the adoption, but yesterday he really felt led to go back to his "old" barber. He has a great relationship with this guy and over the years has had the opportunity to minister to him in different ways and he really felt like he should go back to him this month. Well, he also really wanted to support us...he was quite torn about what to do...so he prayed about it and headed out to the barber shop. As his barber cut his hair they began to talk about the summer and our friend began to share with him OUR story explaining his reason for not coming to have his hair cut all summer. The barber listened and when he was done cutting his hair he pulled out his checkbook and wrote us a check. Pete's colleague told me he was amazed to watch as God led him to minister to someone else, but still took care of us at the same time!
I'm so thankful that God is not bound by our finite minds and plans! His ways are much higher than our. We are praising the Lord as we watch Him provide!

What a week!

What a week it has been. Last week at this time I was fresh off of the adoption benefit and facing major surgery to have a mass removed from my abdomen. This time last week I was prepping for a colonoscopy...yuck! That's all I'll say on that. I was on a liquid diet Sunday and Monday and Tuesday took me in for surgery. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. and sat in pre-op until about 1 p.m. It didn't seem real until they wheeled me into the OR and I could see those massive lights above me, but at that point I had already been given some pretty sweet drugs and I didn't much care. The next thing I remember was severe pain...I woke up in recovery and was instantly begging for meds. The nurses were great! Truly...someone was specifically praying for my nurses because they were all so helpful and kind. They hooked me up to a "magic button" that when pushed made the whole world right again and knocked me out completely. I don't remember the trip from recovery to my room, but I do remember Pete being there and feeling so much better that he was around. Apparently our pastor came for a visit that night, too...I don't have any recollection of him being there, but according to my husband I began to talk to him and promptly fell asleep halfway through a sentence. I'm sure it will take a lifetime to live that one down. I do remember (remarkably) that they brought a therapy dog around and he was super soft and very docile, but after that it is a blurr...everything wore me out so fast.
Wednesday morning was still a slight blurr, but my friends, Alex and Bethany, came to see me and I just couldn't think of anything to say to make them comfortable. The haze persisted even after they unplugged me and made me get up and start moving. I was just so worn out the whole time! I had a couple more visitors as the day progressed and balloons...gorgeous balloons...I felt so loved...truly! As evening approached I had a few more visitors and appreciated them a little more...the heavy cloud had lifted and I could interact better with those around me, but I was still way more worn out than I thought possible. I slept all night Wednesday and the nurses let me!
Thursday morning they let me take a shower and get ready to head home...I was so excited. The car ride was excruciating and Pete was driving so carefully. I got home and went straight to bed...and slept and slept. The next few days were much the same...come down and see Ayla, talk and be sociable, sleep...sleep...sleep!
So, now it is Sunday and I'm all alone...my family is all at church...and I'm wishing I could be. I KNOW I belong here this morning. I would be mauled if I entered the church doors and that would be a major set back!
I am by no means pain-free, but I am so thankful that God has given the strength I've needed for each day and so thankful for the meals and help we have received! I've seen this week what the "family of God" really looks like...I'm so glad I'm a part of it.

One BIG Event

I had no idea what last night would take out of me. Exhausted is a good way to put it, but WOW, I'm so tired today. The whole evening was amazing. We prepared and decorated all morning with lots of help from some of the best people on God's green earth. Bethany Tandon handled all the food prep and organized all the donated desserts. Karen Barbrow came Friday morning and watched all the kiddos so that the rest of us could work like slaves. Esther Brunk and Candace Jones were my main decorators...all the greenery and lights were all them! They were amazing. Then last night...Bethany and Alex, Karen and Jeremy showed up early and got everything going while Pete and I practiced with the VERY talented Barbara (our pianist). Josh Jones MC'd the evening is a wonderful "announcer" voice. Frank Taylor and Jon Hagey were manning the video feed and sound! Seriously, my families heros! They were so thankful for the ability to watch us from Maine, NH, SC, Nova Scotia and even some friends in Chile! I really can't say enough about all the help we got last night. I'm so humbled and overwhelmed by the love that surrounds us. I'll be updating the donations calculator as soon as we get a firm number.

Praise the Lord for a wonderful night of love and music and so much fun!

Tonight!

Tonight is the night! The adoption benefit dessert and musicale is happening tonight! I'm trying not to be nervous, but it is hard. I'm so excited for all of it to actually happen and be able to stop
"planning" for it! If any of you are interested in tuning in for it we will be broadcasting it live on ustream at 7 p.m. tonight, Friday, the 30th! Here is the link:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/adoption-benefit
In other news, I'm scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, August 3rd, to have a tumor removed from my abdomen. It is major surgery and I'm looking at a hefty recovery time. I'm still trying to get my mind around it and rest patiently in our Great God!
Tonight first...then I'll think about surgery!

SALE!!

The new link to the right of the screen is a pictoral list of items for sale to benefit our adoption process. There are many Boyds Bears (both plush and resin) for sale and two purses. The Dooney and Bourke is authentic and the Coach, I'm fairly certain, is an impressive knock off. Please follow the link and check it out...the prices are listed and I will gladly ship the items. The amount listed does not include shipping! Please contact me if you are interested so that I can take the picture offline.
We are in full swing preparations for next weeks' MidSummer Night's Dessert and Musicale Benefit Concert. Our voices are being challenged and decorations are EVERYWHERE!! It is a wonderful feeling to moving forward. The RSVP response has also been impressive! We are so excited to share our story with so many of our friends.
Good news on our FBI clearances...Pete called the other day and sure enough they were back and just sitting on this ladies' desk...Pete kindly asked that she go ahead and put them in the mail to us! All our paperwork is finally here! Yahoo!