Leap of Faith

Why is adoption so darn expensive??
Adoption is expensive, but not much (if any) more expensive than a new car or the difference between staying where we are and upgrading to a nicer house.

China Fee Sheet for Lifeline
Some people mistakenly assume adoptive parents “buy” their children. In reality the fees adoptive parents pay help prevent child trafficking. 

So where does all the money go?

• Reviewing application to adopt 
• Locating children available for adoption 
• Professional counseling, education, and training for adoptive families 
• Pre- and post-placement visits to the adoptive home by an adoption social worker 
• Paperwork processing

Numerous government entities are involved in the adoptions process. Ultimately, this is in an effort to protect the children. In the international adoption process the following entities may be involved in our adoption: a home study representing state requirements, a local court, Secretary of State, Federal agency (USCIS), U.S. State Department, Foreign Adoption Ministry, Foreign Ministries, and Domestic and Foreign Courts and Embassies. Each of these may require fees or other processes that require investment.
UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T FLY FREE TO CHINA!!!!
With all this, God calls on us to do things and it makes absolutely no difference what the cost is. I believe that God funds what he favors!

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Matthew 6:19

Who poured the crazy juice in my glass?

We have now had this virus in our house for one week.  And all I can say is I am exhausted!  A week of tending to two sick little ones, not being able to sleep through the night, and being sick myself is enough to make any mom crazy.  So this make me wonder "Did I drink some crazy juice?"  Am I really wanting to have another child.  My head spins when I think of what it would be like to have both boys home sick this week plus one more.  But the answer is YES!  I want another one.  I am so excited for how hectic and insane my life will be by adding another to our family.

So this week in the midst of the sickness Brandon and I started getting stuff ready for the BAMOM( Birmingham Area Mom's of Multiples) consignment sale.  We are planning on using all the proceeds we make from the sale to go straight to our adoption fees.  It has been a little sad going through all the boys baby stuff.  You are probably thinking, "Why would they sell the baby stuff, they want another one?'  By the time we get our referral we expect that our baby girl will be at the youngest nine months old.  So goodbye baby junk!  It really started to hit me that we are actually doing this.  I was finding myself no longer attached to stuff and more than willing to sell things.  If it means I am one more dollar closer to bringing my daughter home, SELL IT!

 Lots and lots of Pajamas were worn this week!

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

So we have been struck down by the fever virus that is going around in the boys classrooms.  I was hoping that I wouldn't get it but it hit me too last night.  I hate it when the boys are sick.  Not only are they the most pitiful whinny things but we can't go anywhere.  My selfish side is sad because I had to cancel my free massage at our gym and a lunch date with one my favorite friends this week.

 I was scheduled to work this weekend but the census at work is 49 babies.  This might sound like a lot but are norm is 75ish and we have room for 125 babies.  The highest census I have seen in the five years I have worked there is 112.  So I think they said they were calling off 19 nurses last night.  Guess who would be the last one to get to work. MEEE! So needless to say I am not driving over to Georgia this weekend.  So it is good and bad.  I am able to stay home and get these boys better. Good.  Not making any money.  Really Bad!  In case you didn't know adoption is really expensive.  So every penny counts.  Our estimated cost to adopt our baby girl from China is $29,905.50.  I love how they put on the fifty cents.  Because if it was fifty cents more we just couldn't possibly consider it.

We are meeting with the adoption agency this Wednesday to talk more about the China program.  In the mean time I am still working on filling out our application.  The application is pretty hard but I know it is only the beginning of lots and lots of paperwork. Lifeline is a Christian adoption agency.  Along with the application you have to answer some questions.  Some are "who is Jesus? How do you become a Christian? Who is the Holy Spirit?"  These sound like simple straightforward questions but I am having trouble bring the right words out onto paper.  So I think I should get special consideration for attempting to fill it out while having 2 kids home sick asking for something every minute.  Brandon was home last night and was trying to help me fill out the financial part.  Lets just say that wasn't fun conversation and of course the boys were running around us doing circles.

Our biggest obstacle to overcome with adoption is going to be Brandon's job.  We have been waiting and waiting and waiting to hear if we are going to be transferred.  Why does that matter?  Well we don't want to start the process of our home study.  If we do and get moved to another state we would have to pay for another home study.  So I am trying to be patient and wait to find out about if he is getting a promotion/transfer or if we will be in Birmingham longer.  I love Birmingham and all my friends we have made here.  Our church is great and the boys love their preschool.  To get a promotion here would be a big blessing in my mind.  But if it is Gods plan for us to move for his advancement then that is what we will do.  Who knows I might love the next city even more?

Galatians 6:9

Let us not be weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

This is how I feel about waiting on the transfer phone call.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

• INGREDIENTS
• 2qt water
• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breats about 2-3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 medium sweet onion finely diced almost minced
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 chicken bullion cubes ground up into powder
• 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced diagonally
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 cups thick homestyle egg noodles
• . . CREAM SAUCE RECIPE .
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• INSTRUCTIONS
• 1.      Fill a large stalk pot with 2 quarts of water. Place raw chicken breasts in water. Add finely chopped onion. Add salt, celery salt, onion powder, powdered chicken bullion cubes, sliced carrots, celery and bay leaf. Stir a little bit just to combine flavors evenly. Cover with lid.
• 2.      Cook over medium-high (closer to high) heat and let boil for about an hour.
• 3.      Uncover. Remove bay leaf and discard. Remove Chicken breasts and chop into small bite size chunks, about 1 inch big and set aside.
• 4.      Add noodles (My hubby likes a lot of noodles so I probably added 3 cups of noodles and about 1 more additional cup of water to the stock pot) and bring back to a boil for 20 minutes. If your water is low, like mine tends to get, you can add more water if needed.
• 5.      While noodles are boiling in base, make cream recipe.
• 6.      If using half cream and milk portions, then follow this step. If just using milk, ignore this step. In a medium bowl, combine milk and cream and stir to combine the two. I find this helps the thickening process go faster. Cream thickens white sauces a lot faster than milk does so having an even distribution of it will help speed up the white sauce process. Set bowl aside.
• 7.      In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup butter completely. Once butter is melted add flour and stir constantly to form roux. Cook roux for about 1-2 minutes. 
• 8.      Slowly, about 1/2-1 cup at a time, add milk to roux stirring constantly and not adding anymore until each milk addition is thoroughly mixed in.
• 9.      Once desired thickness has been reached, stir in garlic salt and salt to the white sauce.
• 10.  Once noodles have boiled for about 20 minutes or until done, add chicken back into the base. 
• 11.  Next pour and stir in white sauce to evenly combine. If mixture is too thin for your liking, stir over medium heat until it reaches desired consistency.

I made this for a sweet friend who just had a baby.  It was really good and warmed the soul.

Opening the door to China

Revelation 3:8 Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut.

 Brandon and I have decided to put in our application for Lifeline Adoption.
http://lifelinechild.org/
 We are applying for the Special Needs China program. We are putting our trust in God that he will help guide us through this process. We looked long and hard at all the adoption options both domestic and international.

“Why international adoption?”
And again, that is what God has placed on our hearts. We can’t explain it. To me an orphan, whether in the US or in a foreign county, needs a home. God created the whole world, not just the United States of America. The same way that you just knew that your spouse was “The One,” we know that our child is in China. Isaiah 55:8-9: “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” We are ridiculously excited to get the process started. I am already amazed at how God is changing my heart. We feel so blessed to have been called to such an amazing path. We want to be open and inviting to anyone who has questions. We are learning the answers to many of the questions ourselves, but we are happy to share our journey with you. I know that God’s path for us will be even better than we can imagine. We are coming for you beautiful girl!
Now back to the paperwork!

Orphan No More

The main purpose of this blog will be to document our journey to adopting.

  Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their trouble, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. ~James 1:27

Our Story

Boy meets Girl in Australia. Boy and Girl marry. Boy and Girl try to start a family. Boy and Girl keep trying for a family. Boy and Girl do IVF. Girl is pregnant. Twin boys are born. Boy and Girl try IVF again. Girl is pregnant. Girl is not pregnant. Boy and Girl decide to start adoption process.