Our First Christmas!

What a wonderful Christmas!!!  We are so blessed to have Cooper & Ella!  They bring us & our family so much joy & happiness!  Here is a picture of them in their Christmas outfits :)

Two great outcomes: God glorified because the child is born.  Peace spreading because this child is received.  Luke 2:14
-John Piper

He Came…You’re Free http://t.co/XXcinw6Q
-Tullian Tchividjian

2 weeks old

I have been meaning to post for a while now but the time just keeps getting away from me.
I did want to post a few pics of the twins at 2 weeks :)  they are just growing and changing so fast!
We are working on getting our schedule down & at that point I am hoping & praying that the sleep deprivation will subside somewhat and I will feel like I have a brain again! Ha ha! 

Here are a few pics of Cooper & Ella at 2 weeks :)

They love sleeping next to each other.  I love walking in & seeing this every morning!

Coop is saying time out mom, please don't take my picture!

Kisses for brother!

I will post their week 3 pics next week! 

Have a great week!

Introducing Cooper & Ella!!!!

We would like to introduce Cooper & Ella!  Born on November 26, 2011!

Cooper was born at 10:26am weighing 6 lbs 14oz., 19"
Ella was born just 2 minutes after Cooper at 10:28am weighing 6 lbs 14oz., 19 1/2"

Ella & Cooper a few hours after being born :) just perfect!

I apologize for just now getting this posted, needless to say it has been a busy, busy week :) 

This will be a quick post but I will post a more detailed post later when I have a little more time!

Just wanted to introduce the new loves of our lives! 

They were a week old this past Saturday!  I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying!  

Look how big they have already gotten :) 

1 week old



We feel so blessed to be their mommy & daddy!  The Lord is so good!!!  We give Him all the glory and are humbled that He chose us to be Cooper & Ella's parents!

More pics & videos to come!

Week 36 Update!

Today we are 36 weeks, 4 days...alllllllllmost to week 37!!! So close to full-term & so thankful!

Since we first found out we would be adopting twins one of our prayers has been that they would make it to full-term, to where they wouldn't have to spend any time in the NICU.  Well this Saturday marks the 37th week which means that the babes have officially made it to full-term!  We have definitely been blessed throughout this entire process!  The Lord is good!!!

Our appointment yesterday went really good.  The babies are doing great and have grown so much!  It has been really incredible getting to watch them grow each appointment!  We are just beside ourselves with excitement and joy to meet them...and to think it could literally be just a few days!!! :)  The birth mother was not feeling well at all yesterday though.  My heart was hurting so badly for her...she is so miserable at this point, she just does not feel good at all and is extremely uncomfortable.  I wish there was something more we could do to give her some relief but all we can do is be there for her and encourage her through these last few days.  Please say prayers for her that she would get to feeling better and that she would be able to get some relief through these last few days/weeks.

The twins are both still in the transverse position so the doctor said the birth mother is definitely going to have to have a c-section.  Unfortunately he cannot schedule a c-section until week 39 due to the hospital's policies he is affiliated with...if she were to go into labor at this point though he would not stop it.  I really think it will be any day now!  Who knows...we may have turkey babies!!! :)

Our next appointment is this coming Tuesday & we will be at 37 weeks, 3 days.  We are going to take ours and the babies bags on this next appointment just in case the doctor goes ahead & sends us on to the hospital for them to be delivered :)  We will make sure to keep you posted!

Thank you for all of your prayers!

The Beauty of the Gospel

Came across this post today on Jennie Allen's blog...so good just had to share!
The video is about 28 mins. long but completely worth it!

http://jennieallen.com/god/11-the-beauty-of-the-gospel

Have a great Friday!

Week 35!!!

We had a great appointment this week!  We have officially made it to 35 weeks!  So thankful that the babes have made it this far and are healthy and doing great!  They are still in the transverse position so as of right now the birth mother is going to have to have a c-section.  The doctor has not set a date yet but we start going to appointments every week now!  Please continue to pray for the birth mother and the babies, that they will continue to be healthy and safe.  Also pray that when the time comes that the delivery will go smoothly and both birth mother and babies are healthy...that the babies are fully developed & healthy and will not have to be in the NICU.

It really could be any day now!  We have our bags packed and the car seats in the car so we are ready to go when we get the call!  Dusty and I are just so excited and cannot wait to become parents to these two precious miracles!

This past weekend some of my best friends hosted a baby shower for us, it was incredible!  We are so blessed to have such amazing friends!  The shower was so much fun and we got some great stuff for the twins!  We are so grateful for all of the love & support that we have received and continue to receive throughout our adoption journey! 

Our next appointment is this coming Tuesday...we'll be at 36 weeks and 2 days!  We'll let you know how the appointment goes!

Hope you have a great rest of the week!

Oct. 25 Appointment Update - Week 33!

Wanted to send a quick update on our appointment this week! 

We also scheduled to meet with the social worker at the hospital this week, which ended up being a great meeting.  Now we all know where to go and who to contact once we get to the hospital when the birthmother goes into labor.

We found out that, as the adoptive parents, we will have a room on the labor & delivery floor where we will get to stay with the babies!  We were so thankful to hear this!  We will get to spend the first few nights with them...unbelievably excited to hear that we get a room (some hospitals do not provide the adoptive couples a room).  The birthmother also wants us to be in the delivery room so we will get to see them being born!!!  I know that it will be one of the most amazing moments of our lives! I'm praying that we will be able to make it to the hospital in time to be in the delivery room, but the fact that the she has asked and wants us to be in the delivery room with her means more than she will ever know!

We had a little time between our meeting with the social worker and the doctor's appointment so we got to have some girl time!  We went and got pedicures & manicures done :)  so much fun! 

The doctor's appointment went well too!  The babies are healthy and doing great!  They are in the transverse position right now so it is causing the birthmother to be quite uncomfortable but the doctor said that with this being her 33rd week that they typically run out of room when turned that way and will hopefully flip to be side by side within the next week or so.  We are praying that they do so she will not be so uncomfortable.  It was so good getting to see the little ones and hearing that they are healthy and doing so well!  We go back November 8, which will be week 35...after this appointment we begin going every week!  It is getting SO close!

We are so excited and just cannot wait to meet our loves!  It is crazy how much we already love them, I can't imagine the overwhelming feeling of love that is going to come over us when we finally get to meet them!!!

We ask that you would continue to pray for the birthmother and the babies, that they would continue to be healthy and for their safety as well. 

We'll let you know how the November 8 appointment goes!

What a great shower!!!

I want to send a huge thank you to my good friends Melissa & Ms. Mary Ann! 

They hosted such a fabulous baby (babies) shower for us!  :)  I was blown away by the number of ladies that came (so grateful to you) and how loved you all made us feel!  We got tons of great stuff for the babies and are extremely thankful to have gotten so much for them!  Here are a few pics of all the gifts we got :)

To say the least, I think the babes are set!!!  We got some of the cutest things!

We feel so blessed to have all of our friends and family come along side us and give us so much love & support during this time. 

Thank you again to everyone!   It was such a fun shower!

Oct. 4 Appointment Update & Diaper Shower

Hi!

Just now getting a chance to post an update on how our appointment on October 4 went.  We had a great appointment!  We got to hear both of the babies heartbeats for the first time (usually we just get to see their little hearts beating on the ultrasound) but this time we got to hear them!!! It was such a neat experience!  It was the most wonderful sound I've ever heard!!!  Two little strong heartbeats...music to our ears!  Both birthmother and babies are doing great :)  Still growing at the same rate and the doctor said all looked good.  He also said that he thought that they would go full-term (37 weeks) which puts us at the week of Thanksgiving!  What an incredible thing to be thankful for right?! 

We were thankful to hear that he thought they would go full-term so that they don't have to spend any time in the NICU.  This has been our prayer so that they will be born healthy and ready to come home!  We had a great visit with the birthmom too!  All in all it was a great appointment!  Our next appointment is October 18.  With our visits every other week now the time is flying by...it is kind of crazy!  They will be here before we know it :)  so excited!!!!

We also had our diaper shower tonight that the ladies at my work hosted for us.  We had so much fun!  The decorations, the food, the guests, and oh the diapers!!!  It was perfect!  We are truly blessed and so grateful that they had a shower for us :)  We definitley are stocked up on diapers now!  Here are a few pictures...I only took a few...Sammi took a lot more & much better ones so I will post those once I get them from her :)

Super cute!!!

Wishing Tree!

Beautiful flowers!

Delicious food!

Diapers & Gifts!

It was such a great shower and again we are so grateful and appreciative for everyone's generosity!

I will let you know how our appointment goes on the 18th.  Thank you again for your continued prayers during this journey!  We can definitely tell people are praying for us!

Appointment Update

Hi there!

Sorry I am just now getting to post an update about our appointment this past Tuesday...it has been a busy week to say the least.

The appointment went really well!  Both birthmother and twins are healthy and doing great!  We got to see our little guy sucking his thumb this time :)  The birthmother said that he is super active and kicks and punches her all the time!  Our little girl appears at the time to be more of the quite type...maybe it's because her brother is taking up most of the space so she doesn't have much room to work with :)  All in all the doctor said they were doing great and everything is right on track!  Now we begin going every other week, so our next appointment is October 4! 

I cannot believe that we are in week 29!  The time is going by so quickly and now especially since we have appointments every other week I have a feeling it is going to fly by even faster! 

Dustin and I did a lot this weekend around the house that we have wanted to get done before the little ones arrival so it was a good feeling to get some things checked off of the to do list!  With each week that passes we just grow more and more excited about getting to meet them! 

We do have one prayer request for the week...please say prayers for the birthmother as she was not feeling well this weekend.  Please pray that she will have a quick and speedy recovery & that she will get to feeling better soon.

We also ask that you would continue to pray for the birthmother and babies health & safety.  As we approach the end of the pregnancy that they would make it full-term to where they do not have to stay anytime in the NICU.  That they are both born healthy and ready to come home!  Thank you so much for all of your prayers!

Hope everyone has a great week! 

Appointment Rescheduled

Hi!

We were supposed to have our appointment today but due to the doctor having a family emergency the appointment had to be rescheduled to next Tuesday :(  We were bummed because we were so excited about getting to see the birth mother and how much the little ones had grown and now we have to wait another week to see them.  Well, at least she will be further along next week and hopefully we will get an even better look at how the twins are doing :)

As of this week it is the start of her 3rd trimester!  Praise the Lord!  Now we can breath a little easier: otherwise healthy babies born this week have a 90% chance of survival with no lasting physical or neurological impairment.  We continue to pray that they will make it until week 37, which is when they will be considered full-term and should at that point not have to spend any time in the NICU, Lord willing.

Can't wait to see them next week! 

I will make sure to post how the appointment goes after our appointment next Tuesday :)

This is for me right????

So the other night we heard a rustling in the nursery & realized that the pups had suddenly disappeared?  We walk in the nursery and this is what we walked in to see....lol!!!

Penny looked at us like, "This is for me right?!"  Dusty and I just looked at each other and cracked up laughing!!!  Granted this is from a dog that has not wanted to step foot in the nursery since we have been working on it and now all of a sudden she is sitting in the babies' bouncy seat?!  Too funny!  I think she is definitely warming up to it!
Wrigs, from the get go, has seemed to adjust quite well...he frequents the nursery and sniffs everything out :)  He is the nosey one though! lol! 

Our Sept. 13 apppointment is quickly approaching so I will make sure to post an update on how the appointment goes.  Hopefully we will get better pics of the little ones this time around!

Week 23!

We had our 2nd appointment this Tuesday and all went great!  Both babies weighed in at 1.5 lbs!  The doctor said they are both healthy and doing great and their weight is right on track!  It was so wonderful to see them again, seeing their little heart beats, hands, feet, head, spine, etc...it is just amazing to watch them grow!  Watching new lives develop week by week has been an experience that we will never forget! It's amazing how much our love for them grows with each passing day! 

As we continue to pray and plan for their arrival we ask that you would continue to pray for their health and safety as well as for the birthmother's health and safety.  We did get new pics this time but the little ones didn't feel like getting their picture taken that day...their backs were facing us so the pictures are of the tops of their heads and you can't see much :)

The doctor said next time we should be able to see their little features really well so hopefully they will be turned just right next appointment so we can see them clearly!  Our next appointment is September 13 so we will keep you posted!

The Nursery!

We have been gradually working on the nursery and got a lot done today!  Wanted to post a few pictures of our progress!  We still have a few finishing touches that we have to do like finding curtains, art for the walls, hanging bookshelves, etc. but for the most part we have the main things completed!

Dusty hard at work putting the first crib together...one more to go!! :)

 

It was a great day and we had so much fun!  It is wonderful to see the nursery coming together!
We have our next appointment this coming Monday and we'll get to see how much the little ones have grown!  Please pray that the appointment goes well and they are healthy and still growing at the same rate.  Please also continue to pray for the birthmother, that she will be as comfortable as possible as the babies continue to grow and that she will remain healthy and feeling well.  I will post an update on how the appointment goes.  Hopefully we will have new pictures of the twins to post!!!



Motherhood As A Mission Field

I read this article the other day on desiringgod.org and thought it was really good so I wanted to share it.
As I approach motherhood this is the mindset I want to enter into it with...that my family, my children are my mission field.  Making much of Christ and little of me...that in doing this our children will grow in the admonition of the Lord and one day become husbands/fathers & wives/mothers that do the same for their families.  Passing the love of Christ down from generation to generation. 

MOTHERHOOD AS A MISSION FIELD
by: Rachel Jankovic

As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.

If you are a Christian woman who loves the Lord, the gospel is important to you. It is easy to become discouraged, thinking that the work you are doing does not matter much. If you were really doing something for Christ you would be out there, somewhere else, doing it. Even if you have a great perspective on your role in the kingdom, it is easy to lose sight of it in the mismatched socks, in the morning sickness, in the dirty dishes. It is easy to confuse intrigue with value, and begin viewing yourself as the least valuable part of the Church.

There are a number of ways in which mothers need to study their own roles, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions.

At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.

If you are like me, then you may be thinking “What did I ever give up for them? A desk job? Time at the gym? Extra spending money? My twenty- year- old figure? Some sleep?” Doesn’t seem like much when you put it next to the work of some of the great missionaries, people who gave their lives for the gospel.

Think about the feeding of the five thousand when the disciples went out and rounded up the food that was available. It wasn’t much. Some loaves. Some fish. Think of some woman pulling her fish out and handing it to one of the disciples. That had to have felt like a small offering. But the important thing about those loaves and those fishes was not how big they were when they were given, it was about whose hands they were given into. In the hands of the Lord, that offering was sufficient. It was more than sufficient. There were leftovers. Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great.

Look at your children in faith, and see how many people will be ministered to by your ministering to them. How many people will your children know in their lives? How many grandchildren are represented in the faces around your table now?

So, if mothers are strategically situated to impact missions so greatly, why do we see so little coming from it? I think the answer to this is quite simple: sin. Discontent, pettiness, selfishness, resentment. Christians often feel like the right thing to do is to be ashamed about what we have. We hear that quote of Jim Elliot’s and think that we ought to sell our homes and move to some place where they need the gospel.

But I’d like to challenge you to look at it differently. Giving up what you cannot keep does not mean giving up your home, or your job so you can go serve somewhere else. It is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.

It is easy to think you have a heart for orphans on the other side of the world, but if you spend your time at home resenting the imposition your children are on you, you do not. You cannot have a heart for the gospel and a fussiness about your life at the same time. You will never make any difference there if you cannot be at peace here. You cannot have a heart for missions, but not for the people around you. A true love of the gospel overflows and overpowers. It will be in everything you do, however drab, however simple, however repetitive.

God loves the little offerings. Given in faith, that plate of PB&J’s will feed thousands. Given in faith, those presents on Christmas morning will bring delight to more children than you can count. Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers.

This came from desiringgod.org

The Perfect Gift!

Our first meeting with the birth mother we found out that she loved to draw and possibly wants to pursue an art degree so when we went to our first ultrasound appointment with her we took her a sketch book & art kit.

The other day we received the below gift from her...it was the PERFECT gift!  She made us a picture and wrote us a letter.  The most beautiful letter I have ever received!!! 


We got a double-sided frame and framed both the picture and the letter and put it in the nursery.  It is something that we will forever cherish!

We continue to be blown away by God's guidance & provision through this journey.  He continues to carve out the path for us, always providing a way when the way sometimes seems impossible.  So thankful for being on such an amazing journey!
 

It's a Girl! It's a Boy!

This past Wednesday we went to our first appointment with the birth mother and got to see the twins for the very first time!  It was such an amazing experience!!!  The most amazing thing is that during the ultrasound we found out that they are healthy and growing at the same rate (very important for twins), such a huge relief and such a great feeling to know that they are healthy!  We also found out during that same ultrasound that we are having a GIRL and  BOY!!! 

The birth mother is also doing great!  She has been so wonderful and such a joy to get to know!  We have definitely been blessed in getting matched with her!

We are still blown away by the news!!!  Dusty and I are just so overjoyed!  Ultimately we didn't care what the gender of the twins were (girl/girl, boy/boy, girl/boy) just as long as they are healthy that is all that matters to us, but it was so exciting to find out that we are having a girl & boy!  So much fun!!!  Tutu's and Bowties!!!

It was definitely love at first sight!!!  We are just so in-love!  I get so excited thinking about the plans God has in store for each of them! 

The birth mother has an appointment every month that she has so graciously invited us to go to, so we will have the joy of getting to watch them grow over the next few months until they make their grand entrance!  It really is amazing to be able to watch them grow & develop, what an awesome part of the journey!  Such a blessing!

I was doing some research tonight on caring for twins and informed Dusty that in the first 60 days it is estimated that we will change 960 to 1,440 diapers...he seemed very excited in hearing that news!  lol!  He said he would become one heck of a butt wiper if that's the case!  He is so excited about being a dad!

We ask that you would continue to keep the birth mother and the babies in your thoughts and prayers, for their health and protection and that all will continue to go well with the pregnancy.

Our next appointment is August 15!  They are going to measure the twins at this appointment so we will know how big they are :)  So excited!!!  We will keep you posted on how the appointment goes.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!  You are appreciated more than you know!

We've Been Matched!!!

What a week!!!!
 
We've been matched with a birth mother!!! 

And guess what....she is having TWINS!!!!  What a blessing!!!

The birth mother called our Go phone this past Saturday and let us know that she had chosen us!!!  Woo hoo!!!!!!   Words cannot describe the feelings that came over me when she told me!  We were just completely overwhelmed with gratitude, joy, excitement...we pretty much felt every emotion in a matter of minutes!

We went to meet her on Tuesday and everything went SO good!  The time we got to spend talking with her & getting to know her went really great and made us feel wonderful about the match!  Although she called on Saturday the match was not official until we met with her in person, so for the meeting to go so well was such a blessing!  We have just been trying to let it all sink in this week...it truly feels like a dream!
Dusty and I explained to the birth mother that she had made our lives and that we are so grateful to her for choosing us!  Before we went to meet her we got a gift & card for her, here's a picture of the necklace.

I got the same necklace and let her know that it represented the twins, her love for them and our love for them...that the unconditional love she has for them in placing them with a couple that so desperately wants a family and is not able to have one on their own is the same unconditional love we have for them as adoptive parents.  We also let her know that we would be praying for her and the twins every single day. 

She is due December 10, but with twins they could come a month early and be completely healthy!  So they could be born anytime between the beginning of November through the beginning of December.  

She has an ultrasound scheduled each month that she has invited us to go to!   We are so excited about being able to watch them grow each month! :)  We go this coming Wednesday to our first ultrasound and if the twins are turned right we will find out the sexes!!!  Oh how we look forward to seeing those precious little ones and be able to hear their heartbeats!!!  It is just going to be music to our ears!  We will keep you posted on if we are able to find out the sexes :) 

We know that the Lord has been guiding us through this journey and know that he will continue to be there with us the rest of the way.  We do ask for your prayers, that the Lord will watch over the birth mother and the twins and keep them safe and healthy.  Also that all will continue to go smoothly as we wait for the birth of these precious babies!

Hello Dannon!

Wanted to give a quick update on what's been going on lately in the Mayhall household.

As of right now, nothing new on the adoption front...still waiting and praying. But we have had some exciting news recently though! Dusty accepted a new job with Dannon and is going to be an analyst on their supply chain team! We are extremely excited and so, so blessed! Not only is it a new job but it is a new job with normal hours!!! Since our junior year of college Dusty has had to wake up around 2 a.m. every morning for work & would have to go to bed around 8-8:30 every night. Not to mention he was also working on and completed his Masters with these work hours...words cannot express how proud I am of him and all that he has accomplished! His first day with Dannon is April 11th!

We are so excited about having the same hours together! I am so looking forward to getting to wake up & go to bed together everyday! It's the little things in life :)

The Lord has blessed us so much and it is incredible to see His hand working in & through our lives. We have been praying for normal hours for a while now, especially since we are in the adoption process and will have a little one soon (Lord willing), and to be blessed with a new job right now is so wonderful!

Please say prayers that the transition from UPS to Dannon will go smoothly for Dusty...something tells me he won't have too much of a hard time getting use to his new hours though!

We'll keep you posted on how everything is going with the new job!

Beth Moore is coming to town!!!

Did you know there is going to be a Beth Moore Living Proof Live Conference in Little Rock April 15-16?! 

My mom & I just ordered our tickets tonight and are so excited about getting to go hear her speak again!  We had the privilege of going to see Beth Moore speak last year in St. Louis and had such a great time.  Beth is an amazing speaker! She loves the Lord and has such a passion for teaching His word!  If you've never been to one of her events I strongly urge you to sign up and go...it will be one of the best weekends of your life!  If you decide to go let me know so we can meet up with you at the event!

Click HERE for details about the event.

Travis Cottrell is the worship leader for the event.  I can tell you this, with Travis Cottrell as the worship leader there will for sure be an incredible time of praise & worship!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJKxdNbMTi0&feature=related

Parenting Books

Dusty and I were out doing some shopping this past weekend and stumbled upon a going out of business sale at Borders!  In looking around we found some great deals on parenting books!

Since this will be our first there is still alot that we want to learn so we bought a few!  We're excited to start reading them!








Hope everyone is having a great week!

We're Approved!

We're approved!  Our home study is complete and our website/profile is now posted!

We are working with the Eugene T. Kelley Law Firm.  Dusty and I are truly blessed to be able to work with Gene!  Everyone is so wonderful at the firm and we immediately loved their passion for the adoption process.  When we first met with Gene he made us feel so comfortable and he was so knowledgeable on the process that we knew we were making the right choice in choosing adoption.

We want to thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and prayers!  Please continue to pray that Dusty and I will have patience during the waiting process.  That we will rest in God's providence and know that He has the perfect plan for our lives. 

As we continue in the waiting process I have found & will continue to find comfort in the below verses:

Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the LORD: be strong, and let your heart take courage;
   wait for the LORD!"

Psalm 62: 1-2 "For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken."

Isaiah 40:31 "But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;

   they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;
   they shall walk and not faint."

All of these verses have one common word...."Wait"

definition of the word "Wait":
-to stay in place in expectation of

-to remain stationary in readiness or expectation

-to look forward expectantly

-to be ready and available

We we will continue to wait patiently on the Lord and for the baby He has for us!

Please visit our adoption website/profile:
http://arkansasadoptionservices.com/adopting-couples.html

We will keep you posted with any news that may come along.

Have a great week!

Let the journey begin...

Hello friends & family!

Dusty & I wanted a way to share updates, prayer requests, stories, etc. about our adoption journey and thought starting a blog would be the best way to keep everyone posted on what's going on! :)

I am going to do my best to update the blog with any and all updates...so with that said...let the journey begin! 

Our Story…

When I was 19 years old I was told by the doctors I suffered from premature ovarian failure and therefore would never be able to conceive children biologically.  My heart was broken…I had always dreamed of having a family of my own and now I was being told that my dream would not be able to become a reality…to hear this at such a young age was very difficult for me.  I struggled and wrestled with the Lord as to why or how this was happening.  No one in my family had ever struggled with infertility and now that it was happening to me I was asking, “Why Lord?”  Although I struggled with this path of infertility the Lord had planned for me I trusted in His faithfulness and rested in His sovereignty.  I was heartbroken but not without hope.  I knew that God had a plan in it all and that if I would trust Him I would be able to look back and see His providence in & through it all.

With the Lord the worst of times are experienced for a reason and are not wasted. They are not wasted globally, historically, or personally.  God is definitely at work in the worst of times. He is at work doing a thousand things no one can see but him. When you think he is farthest from you, or has even turned against you, the truth is that as you cling to him, he is laying foundation stones of greater happiness in your life. 

Is God’s bitter providence the last word? Are bitter ingredients (like vanilla extract) put in the mixer to make the cake taste bad? Of course not!  I like to look at the trials of this life as being the vanilla extract, at first glance you would think the bitter ingredient would make the cake taste awful…but once all of the ingredients are mixed together you have a delicious and beautiful cake!  Life is the same way…we experience many different things during our lifetime…He uses the worst of times and the best of times in order to create a beautiful masterpiece that can only come from His hand.  We are in no way promised good times, only that if we are His children He is using the good and the bad to make us more like His Son.  So there is comfort in all the worst of times.  Knowing that He is ultimately making me more like His Son, the trials of this life grow strangely dim and fall into perspective and can be endured with great hope. 

As I was driving home the other day I found myself wondering if we have it all backwards…we so often ask the Lord for blessings in our lives that will only bring positive outcomes…when we get the bad we wonder why the Lord didn’t bless us?!  What if the trials that we endure are the blessings that we so fervently ask for?  If all we receive is good then how will we ever learn to cling onto Christ and loosen our grip on this world?  When the worst of times come is when we quickly realize our desperate need for Him.  What if the trials in this life are His mercies in disguise? 

I believe that the trials we go through are definitely blessings in disguise; now when we are in or just coming out of the trial are we jumping for joy…not necessarily because it does hurt and does often bring sadness, but we know that ultimately it allows us to know that He is near and reminds us that this world is not our home. 

Dusty and I met at the U of A in 2002 and were married May 03, 2008! I married the love of my life and my best friend! I couldn't have asked the Lord for a better man to call my husband!  In telling Dusty about my issues with infertility he was, is, and continues to be so loving and supportive through it all.  Knowing that we definitely wanted a family of our own we began praying about it.  After many prayers & discussions we felt the Lord was leading us to grow our family through adoption.

Dusty and I are so excited to begin the adoption process!  We are currently in the process of completing our home study...we have everything done but the background check, which we should have completed within the next week or so.  Once we receive clearance on our background check we will officially be on the waiting list!  Yea!  Dusty and I are so blessed & honored to be on this journey and look forward to growing our family through adoption! 
Throughout the time we have been completing our home study I have been reading Adopted For Life by Russel D. Moore...it has been so good and has really given me a whole new perspective and appreciation for adoption.

About Adopted for Life

A stirring call to Christian families and churches to be a people who care for orphans, not just in word, but in deed.

 The gospel of Jesus Christ-the good news that through Jesus we have been adopted as sons and daughters into God's family-means that Christians ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans in North America and around the world.

Russell D. Moore does not shy away from this call in Adopted for Life, a popular-level, practical manifesto for Christians to adopt children and to help equip other Christian families to do the same. He shows that adoption is not just about couples who want children-or who want more children. It is about an entire culture within evangelicalism, a culture that sees adoption as part of the Great Commission mandate and as a sign of the gospel itself.

Moore, who adopted two boys from Russia and has spoken widely on the subject, writes for couples considering adoption, families who have adopted children, and pastors who wish to encourage adoption.

Endorsements

"We often forget that the Christian walk is not merely about getting us into heaven, but it is also about getting heaven into us. This is why our Lord gave us the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and the parable of the Good Samaritan. Thus, it is no surprise that the apostle James offers this injunction to the Early Church: 'Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world' (James 1:27, kjv). In this wonderful monograph, Adopted for Life, Russell Moore offers to the Christian world a compelling account of these and other lessons of Scripture so that our communities of faith may put them into practice and become more like that 'shining city on a hill' of which our Lord spoke."
-Francis J. Beckwith, Professor of Philosophy and Church-State Studies, Baylor University; author of Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice

"Russell Moore reminds us in his powerful book Adopted for Life that the true Christian family reaches far beyond the biological. The poignant tale of the adoption of two Russian orphans by him and his wife Maria grows into a metaphor of Christian salvation. This book offers both practical advice and courage to every couple considering adoption. For all readers, it shows how the act of adoption actually reveals core truths about the gospel of Christ."
-Allan C. Carlson, President, the Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society

Once we have the background check completed and we are officially on the list I will send out an update letting everyone know!  We have also been working on our information for the adoption website and actually just finished it today so it should be up & running soon!  I will let you know as soon as it is done! 

We ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we begin this journey...prayers for patience and wisdom please.  We want to thank you for all of your love and support!

In looking at our issues with infertility I now see it as the vanilla extract…a bitter ingredient that is going to ultimately bring about something far greater than we could have ever imagined…a forever family! 

When I contemplate what lies ahead for our family, I realize that this is not something we can do by ourselves. It is truly impossible to do alone, but it totally is something we can do with the Father by our sides. What a burden lifted to know that we do not walk alone!

Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, extend to the skies, and Your faithfulness to the clouds. Psalm 36:5