I'm too blessed to be stressed

So we are still in limbo over the home study situation. We have one more chance and that is only if another company will agree to take over our case. I'll call that company tomorrow and hope for the best. However, given this week's craziness, I just do not feel bad about our situation. On Monday, my aunt found out she had a hemmorage in her eye. Tuesday, my mom's friend had to bury her mother. Wednesday, one of mama's 3 yr old patients died and mama's best friend (the one that buried her mother on Tuesday) found out that she had terminal cancer, then one of my very near and dear friend found out some very discouraging things about her teenage son. Thursday, my aunt had to have eye surgery to take care of the hemmorage. Now all this is what I call real problems....not my little adoption set back. All I'm looking at is losing money and a few weeks time. I'm not burying a child, having to deal with a loved one with a terminal illness, having to undergo surgery, I'm not homeless, I'm not lonely. I have a wonderful husband, a super duper family, some pretty amazing friends, a roof over my head, food in fridge, and clothes on my back. I have three jobs in a market where others are losing their jobs daily. All I can say is, I'm on heck of a blessed person. And even if this home study problem does not work out, I still serve an amazing God who has blessed me far beyond anything that I ever deserve. If God called me home tonight, I will go lacking nothing. I am just too blessed to grumble over a set back, when there are so many others out there with "real problems". As the song goes..."this isn't a stumbling block, it's just a stepping stone".

I never have liked rollercoasters

So the rollercoaster has begun. I posted a few hours ago that everything was seemingly resolved. Well, it's not. Our case worker just called and said that this was not as easy of a fix as she had previously thought. For now we have cancelled our meeting tomorrow. Her director is meeting with our agency this afternoon to discuss our case. We just pray that this matter gets resolved once and for all and that we can move forward without having to take 10 steps back. It's in the Lord's hands and he will work it out one way or another.

God is great...but he almost gave me a heart attack

Let me start by saying thank you God! He is always there to pull us through when we need him. Our adoption agency called this morning to tell us that there was nothing that they could do. Our homestudy agency would not be approved so we needed to stop now and find a new home study agency. Luckily Benji was here at the office when we got this call, because I was really beginning to have chest pains. So I had no choice but to call our case worker and tell her that we really appreciated everything but we were forced to go elsewhere. I go outside to call Donna on my cell, as I'm calling her she's calling me at the office. Donna said that they will get this issue resolved. We have a few options here but they said that they would make this happen even if they have to contract it out to an "approved" company. So that's where we stand right now. God is amazing and even though he tests us sometime, if we just trust in him, he will pull us through. Thank you to every one who has lifted us up in prayer. The family and friend's support is what gets us through these little bumps in the road. We love you all very much!

A major frustration/possible set back.

I recieved an email today from our adoption agency. She said she was processing our paperwork today and that our coordinater would be in touch soon. Yay! Exciting! Then she asks about our homestudy and who we were using because they just recieved a list last week of home study agencies that Russia is refusing to work with. Guess who's agency is on that list? Yep...ours! We have already completed all the paperwork and vistits, with the exception of my interview...which is scheduled for Wednesday (2 days away). Needless to say, our home study agency has already been paid...non-refundable (as it shouldn't be, they have already done their job). I realize that this journey is going to have it's ups and downs and I'm okay with that. I'm not happy about loosing a month's worth of work on the homestudy, tons of time time getting paperwork together and interviewing with the social worker, but I can deal with this. What I can't deal with is a total loss of $1300. I'm am beyond frustrated right now. The adoption agency is checking into this now and she is supposed to call us back before lunch tomorrow, but it sounds like there's not much that they can do. I have not for one second ever doubted that God was in this adoption, and I don't now either. We just really need him to show how much that he is in it right now in helping us get through this speed bump (even though it feels like a mountain). God can and will help us through this. This was a leap of faith from the very begining and we will hold to our faith that he will either help us get an exception or provide the funds to be able to start a new homestudy.

Home visit Complete!

Donna came to our house this morning to complete our home visit. I think that it went very well. She didn't point out any problems. She had to check every room to make sure that there were no saftey hazards, she had to make sure that all guns were properly locked away (which even with 2 giant gun safes, was a task in our house) and she had to pet our dogs to make sure that they were not vicious. There was really nothing to it at all. Now we can enjoy our weekend with our super clean house. I need to tell Donna to come by weekly. HA! Benji went ahead and did his individual interview today. So now all that we have left is my individual interview and a couple more papers to turn in and we will be done with our end of the homestudy.

Joint meeting with our case worker

Yesterday we went to Athen to meet with Donna, our home study case worker. We met with her for about two hours, where she asked us tons of question all about us, our families, our jobs, our religion, our church family, how we fight (HA!), how we plan to discipline, etc... Donna is such a nice person. She has a way of making you feel totally comfortable. I think/hope the interview went well. As usual, I talked excessively (mostly from nerves), hope she didn't think I was a nut case. As usual, Benji was more laid back and relaxed. He really does better with these things than I do.

A heart of gold...

God presents himself in many different ways. This past week, God has presented himself in a man willing to shave his head to help us raise extra funds to help bring our child home. Kyle Shell, an man with a heart the size of Texas, volunteered to shave his head once he raised $500 to put towards our adoption. Well he did just that last night. As I sat there and watched him loose his hair bit by bit, I felt so blessed. Anyone that know me knows that I am not one for tears at all, but as I watched Kyle get his new "do" I was fighting tears. I am blown away by this act of genuine kindness. For someone to do this just amazes me. I thank God for people like Kyle who are willing to sacrifice to help someone else out. Kyle, you are a true man of God and you will be in our hearts forever. Thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for following your heart to help us in bringing our child home. You are an amazing person, and we pray that God pours out his many blessing on you. Here are a few pictures of Kyle's sacrifice:

Kyle Before

Getting ready for the new "do"

Halfway throught the haircut.

The Aftermath

Yard Sale # 2

This past weekend, some amazing people did a yardsale for us at Fleming Baptist Church. The amount of stuff donated to this yard sale was mind boggling. I hate calling names because I'm so scared of forgetting someone, however, these people certainly deserve to have the names called out. Heck, they need their names on a plaque. To Erin, Shasha & Jimmy, Denise & Tracy, Staci & Dwayne, Mama & Daddy, Mema & Papa , Don & Ann B., Gena K., Tammy J., and the Fleming youth group: Words just don't seem like enough to tell you how much we appreciate all of your hard work. There is a special place in heaven for people like you. We are so lucky to have all of you as family and friends. So thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, for this yardsale put us so much closer to bringing our child/children home. This yard sale was just another prime example of how God is working in our adoption, and how he is using others to help get us there.

Ashley: Thanks again for your "text-support". Every event that we have had, you have always been there texting me throughout the day with your support. I know that if you weren't a gazillion miles away in the frozen tundra of Illinois, you would've been there!

Here are a few pictures of the day:

The sign in front of the church (thanks Mr. Don and Denise!)

The youth girls.

Dwayne, Benji and Daddy...the money men (of hagglers, which ever you prefer)

Dallas and his lovely pink jump suit...compliments of the yard sale donations.

Erin and Denise at the food counter.

All the stuff!!! (except for the furniture which is behind the camera).

Hard workers!