so what's next?

I talked to Judy from Gladney yesterday. She recieved our application and was calling to set up a phone interview. That's scheduled for next week. She said the phone interview will take an hour or so and it's just to go over paperwork for how to complete our 1-600A. Good thing we're going to talk to her about this because I don't even know what a I600A is! :)

I'm not sure where we go from here but i'm getting excited because it's REALLY happening!

Getting to know you

I got this off one of my friends, Amy Jo's blog.


Copy and paste it for yourself!



1. How many blogs are listed under your favorites list that you check EVERY day? 25 or so


2. How many times a day do you "go to the bathroom" and end up checking blogs? alot :)


3. Do your kids recognize the other kids from the blogs that follow?? Yes, my daughter thinks it's so cute that the Bottomly's have a baby named Silas and we have a nephew named Silas.


4. Do you keep track of how often people update their blogs and get upset when they don't keep to the schedule?? Yes, I love to track their progress


5. Favorite time of day to check blogs? at night

6. Who's blog is your favorite? probably Tara & Eric & the Bottomlys

7. How many of the blogs that you follow are people that you have never met in person? 10 or 15

8. How long have you been married? 10 years

9. Fav. food? southern food. :) Fried chicken, fried okra, fried green tomatoes...hmmm, notice a pattern here?!

10. Fav. TV show? Top Chef, anything on HGTV

11. Anything that you forbid your kids to watch on TV? yeah, lots! I'm a litle overprotective when it comes to the TV. I'd rather not deal with any fear issues from things they may see on TV. No That's So Raven, No dragontails, No Kimpossible, No Scooby Doo...I'm sure there are lots more.

12. How long was your adoption journey from beginning to end? I'm BRAND new to this. We've been praying about it for a while but just submitted our application last week.

13. How did you decide on the country you adopted from? I've had a "heart connection" with Africa since I was young. I've always been interested in the people and the culture.

14. What did you imagine your family to be like as a little girl? Just like it is. :)

15. Favorite Momma down time activity? get online or shop. :)

16. Do you have more online friends than "in person" friends? I have alot of both

17. Tell us the cartoon character that you are most like: well, if they made a plus sized Barbie I'd go with that. HA! :) I love hair and makeup and clothes. I'm a bit of a diva. ;)

18. What toothpaste do you use? Arm & Hammer

19. Stupiest adoption comment/question that you've recieved? : I've heard a few VERY RUDE comments about Ethiopians having swollen bellys and being fast runners. I don't think people understand how offensive that is.

20. Fav. non-adoption website? myspace

It's official

We have decided to adopt a baby from Ethiopia. We've been praying about it and talking about it forever. We decided a few weeks ago to go ahead and get started. We're so excited. This has been my hearts desire since I was a little kid. I've always known I wanted to adopt. I have also always had this amazing heart connection to Africa. When we started getting serious about adoption I KNEW that I wanted a baby from Africa.

Adoption is something I've been talking about with DH for about 5 years. He was never very interested. I remember a conversation we had a pizza hut one day about 5 years ago where I told him that adoption was something I wanted to do so badly. He just didn't get it. We were NOT on the same page. I remember leaving there crying and not understanding why God would give me such a passion for adoption and not do the same thing in DH. For the past 5 years I've prayed that if this was something that God truly wanted for our family then he would have to do a heart change in DH. I would mention it every once in a while but didn't want to push it. The last thing I want is for him to take on something so huge and it not be what he really wanted or felt was best for our family. All that would do is cause him to end up resenting me and the baby for that. I knew if this was God then He would work in DH. After 5 years of praying He has!! God is faithful. Over the past few months Sean and been asking more and more questions and really opening his heart to adoption. God has begin to birth the true understanding of the spirit of adoption in DH. I can't explain what this does in my spirit. I never doubted God's ability to change DH's heart but I did doubt whether I had really heard from God. What if it was ME that wasn't hearing God?! I know now that this was His plans for us all along. The timing just wasn't right until now. Before we even got pregnant with CT I wanted to adopt. After my 1st birth experience with "A" I wasn't sure I had the strength physically and emotionally to go through that again. I talked to DH about it then and he wasn't "there" yet. Part of me knew then that the timing wasn't right to adopt. Now I can't imagine my life without CT. He is such an amazing piece of our family puzzle. The final piece is this baby in Ethiopia. This will make us complete. It's amazing how much love you can have for a child that probably doesn't even exist yet. I can only compare it to the love you have with the baby that you carry it in your womb. When you first find out you're pregnant you are in love. In love with this little life that is no bigger than a pea. It's an intense love. That is the love I feel for this baby that will someday be a part of our family.

We've talked to the kids about it. CT is to young to understand but "A" is over the moon excited. She wants to go with us to Africa to get the baby. I don't think we're going to take the kids. One reason is cost, it would cost us an extra 6K (at least) to take the kids and another reason is bonding. I think it's going to be very important that we have some time alone with the baby to bond with him/her. A's ready for us to go NOW to get the baby. Try explaining the waiting process of adoption to a 7 year old. :) This will be good for teaching her patience. It will be good for teaching ME patience as well. We think it will be at least a year before we get him/her. We've just filled out of 1st round of paperwork. There's plenty more where that came from. I've met some really sweet ladies on here that have either just walked through this process or are walking through it now. They have been very helpful in preparing me for how this works and what to be prepared for. So many things have just fallen into place that there is no denying that God is leading this adventure...we're just along for the ride. :)

Please keep us in your prayers as we begin this journey. Specifically pray that God would work the financial stuff out. I'm trying not to focus on that and just trust God that He birthed this desire in our hearts and He will align everything else.

CT's first day back

Today was CT's first day back to daycare after being out for the summer. I didn't go with DH to drop him off because I knew it was going to be bad...and it was. I HATE this! When we drop him off and he doesn't cry and scream for me I can handle it but days like today I just want to go scoop him up and take him home. DH said he screamed and clawed the teacher to get to him. DH said he waited around the corner and he screamed for at least 10 minutes. He ended up leaving and he was still screaming. Gosh, I HATE that! I knew it was going to be bad because yesterday when I dropped him off for the church nursery he threw himself on the floor and wailed. He banged him head on the floor over and over again until he had bruises and carpet burn on his forehead.

This is so hard! Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

CT's a big boy now

I'm sad. My baby isn't a baby anymore. CT is going to be 2 in a couple of weeks & starting this week he started sleeping in a big boy bed. Today DH and I are taking down his crib and redecorating his room. I went to lowes this morning and picked out paint to match his big boy bedding. It's going to look so cute. I'll post pics when we're done.

The Elephant in the Living Room

This is to good not to pass on. Karen said this so much better than I could have.


http://thesinglestep.blogspot.com/2007/05/hiv-status-and-other-things.html

where did summer go?

Well, summer's over. "A" starts back to school tomorrow. She's not exactly thrilled because she had such a great summer and she's not ready for it to end. She spent the summer in the summer program at the church for staff kids and they've had a blast. They take trips to somewhere different everyday. Like the pool, the movies, bowling, skating. We've also taken a trip to the beach. both kids had a great time and really enjoyed the sun & sand. They never wanted to leave. We've also spent alot of time at my sisters house hanging out at the pool & spending time with my neices and nephew. It's been a great summer but it's over and time to start back to school. Time to start going to bed at 8pm again & having to get up even earlier than usual to get to school. She's less than thrilled. CT has another few days before he starts back but his time is coming soon.

Here's a few pics from our fun fun summer.