Interview #1 done!

So today was our first interview. It was pretty intense at times. Well, for me anyways, but Sarah the social worker was very nice. It helps using a Christian agency that has the same values that we have. She talked about having an open adoption and how the birthparents feel making an adoption plan and following through with it. She asked lots of questions about adopting about what our dream adoption would be like and what kind of child we are looking for. We, of course, told her that whatever God sends us we will love. Within the next couple weeks she will be coming to our house to finish up our individual interviews and inspect our home. Once that is done we move on to the next phase, which is making our profiles. This part of the adoption will require an additional $3,000 which we don't currently have so please keep us in your prayers as we try to raise the needed funds for this phase.

Home Study

So it's been a while since any updates. Ok, it's been FOREVER!!! But FINALLY, we received word that all of our paperwork is now complete and we are on to the home study. Our first interview is December 29th. This is our "couples" interview, and then we will both have individual ones. Once that is done they will inspect our home. We can't wait!!!! Please keep us in your prayers!

No New News

We don't have any new news really. We have heard from a few people that said they received reference letters to fill out, so I guess that's a good thing. Just wanted to write and let everyone know about our current fundraiser.

We are selling Celebrating Home candles. (It's really Home Interiors and Home & Garden Party all in one!) They are $10.00 a piece. There are several scents available. I tried to attach a copy of the flyer, but it wouldn't work. It was in the wrong format. Anywho, if anyone would like to purchase some, let us know. I can send you the flyer.

Also, if anyone would like to help sell candles, I will be giving all my free merchandise, that I earn from Celebrating Home, to the person who sells the most! Our next goal is $3,000, and one step closer to a baby!!!

Another Application

Just when I thought the paperwork was done, we get more! Not really paperwork, but an online application that basically asked the same thing that most of the paperwork did. We filled that out and sent it in yesterday, so I guess now we just wait. The next step will be our home study, and after that our profile books. (Scrapbooking....YAY!!!! As soon as we found that out at the first meeting I was pumped. And I didn't even have to tell James that that was my favorite part. He guessed it right off! LOL)

Anywho, this last online application had a place for references. So if you get a call, email, or letter from Bethany Christian Services respond promptly! And make us sound good!!! :)


This is totally off the subject, but I would just like to announce that I am now the proud Aunt of #9. Colt Thomas was born on Tuesday. He was 2 months early, but he's doing good. He was 4lbs. 50z. and 17 1/2" long!!! Love you COLT!

It Finally Arrived!

Although I planned on getting the paperwork all done in record time, it didn't happen. Finally, after what seemed to be a decade, or two, or three, my birth certificate arrived on Wednesday!!!! So first thing Thursday morning I mailed off our paperwork. WOO HOO!! Bring on the baby!

Here is a picture James being really corny with the precious package.

Spaghetti dinner

Thanks to everyone who came and supported us on Saturday. The spaghetti dinner/singing went great! Although, I do not want to see spaghetti for a long while. :) We raised $1500 that night, which brings the total raised so far to $1700!!! Thank God for all our friends and family for helping us get a little closer to our goal of $5,000! Next mini goal is a total of $3,000 raised.

As far as everything else, we are still waiting on my birth certificate and we can mail all our stuff in! Hurry!!! We are excited and can't wait to get this ball rolling!

Also, thank you to Donna for letting me go with her to a sale! I got ALOT of stuff that we will be needing.

And most importantly, thank you God for always supplying our needs! <3

Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork

We're finally done! NOT!!!! No seriously, James went to the doctor yesterday for the rest of his physical, and has to go back Monday to have his TB test read. He also had to have a Tetanus shot, of which I was extremely happy since I had to have one.

We also received our drug test results in the mail, and found out we are drug free! DUH! Glad we don't have to worry about passing that anymore! LOL They also emailed this morning and said they received the background check back already which I mailed on Tuesday or Wednesday this week, but still not birth certificate that I mailed off for 3 weeks ago. Snail mail! You never know what's gonna get where when. :)

God's Will

We just found out this morning that the baby due in December will be going to another family. Although we are a little disappointed, we know this is God's will for our lives, and that He has planned out exactly what birthmother will choose us. In the meantime, we will continue wading through the paperwork for Bethany Christian Services.

On a more pleasant note, James has his doctor's appointment this week, and I will be sending off our background check information. We're getting really close to sending in our formal application! Plus!! We already have over $200 in our adoption fund!! Thank God for his blessings!!!!

Pack N Play

Went garage sellin' yesterday and got a Pack N' Play for $30. That's good right? I thought that it would do until we get real furniture. I didn't realize it had so many parts though! It's got a bassinet, music player, mobile, changing table, and organizer!! It all looks brand new too. There was other baby stuff there, and I'm kicking myself for not getting a monitor they had that was only $5! Then we went to a consignment shop and I saw a carseat that looked brand new, but they only wanted $10 less than what it would have cost new. What's up with that? Good thing I didn't get it.

Also got a new book called Successful Adoptions. I've already read the first 61 pages. Hopefully it will make me smarter about all this stuff. I did read one thing I though was great. Not only is God supplying our needs, but He will use our story to help us supply the need of others. That's what we are here for.....doing His work!

Still Waiting

Yep, you read it right......we're still waiting. I know, I know. I make it sound as if it's been an eternity and really it's only been a day. Anywho, we're still waiting. On the other hand, I've been window shopping a lot, and found the cutest stroller/car seat combo today at Target that I can't wait to get. It's very neutral, so either way it will go. Like I said.....just waiting!

No News

Could today go any slower? God grant me patience! It feels like a century since I sent the email last night, and I'm sick of waiting already. How am I gonna make it? I'm not getting my hopes up but I would just like to know if we're the ones or not. Are there other families in line for this? Or we the only ones? All I've heard is a call from them wanting my email address. What does that mean? Does that me they are considering us? Or do we still have stuff to do before they can decide. I know this will all work on in God's time, but I need something! Don't they realize we have no idea how all this works?

God grant me PATIENCE!!! :)

Exciting Turn of Events

Well, God maybe working and we didnt' even know it! Just out of the blue, just like He likes it to be, I got an email about a girl in the area that is looking for a Christian family to adopt her baby girl that is due in December of this year!! What an answer to prayers this would be! Please keep praying for us. We sent an email back stating our interest in the matter and are anxiously awaiting a response!

A special thanks to my cuz Melanee, who thought of us and forwarded the much needed, potentially life changing information! Love you guys!!!!

We'll keep you posted!!!

Doctor Visit and More Fundraising

So, I just got back from the doctors. Everything went quickly. Got all the paperwork done pretty much. Had my TB test, and worst part was that my shot records were not up-to-date so I had to have a tetanus shot. PUKE!! Now my arm is gonna hurt. Gotta go back on Thursday to have my TB test checked and to give blood for the STD test. Hopefully James will be able to go then too and get his done.

I also went to Brenda's today and put out our jar to collect change. And we're praying it fills up fast! :) We also set a date for our Singing/Spaghetti dinner......October 17th 5PM at the church. Gonna send out flyers to everyone I can think of and hope to put some up around places as well. If anyone needs directions or more information call me!!!

What's left you ask? Well, still a few papers to finish up.....financial statements mainly, but also have to send off for our background checks, and child abuse registry checks. After that, we will be ready to send it all in as soon as the money comes!

Please be praying for us!

Till next time!

Fundraisers and the Baby's Room

Ok, so let me start off by saying that raising money for my own cause is a little weird, and makes me feel selfish, so instead Mom's in charge of it. Our current goal is $5000. That will get the ball rolling! We made cute little jars to put around places to collect change. They are so pretty! There's one at the church and we're putting one at Brenda's Kitchen. We also made some little ones to give to anyone who would like to collect at their house. We are also thinking about a Singing/Spaghetti dinner as well, and maybe a Celebrating Home fundraiser. Anybody got any other ideas? I was thinking maybe a raffle, but then we run into the problem of getting stuff donated. Anywho! Lots to think about!

In the meantime, I've been thinking about getting the baby's room ready. I love painting and decorating, so I can't wait to get started. Just trying to find something that's neutral since we don't know what we are gonna get. :) I found the cutest bedding set that has deer all over it. Perfect for a Grimes' baby I think. It's light green and chocolate, so I'm thinking chocolate halfway up the wall, and then green around the top. I also saw a cute tree painted on a wall, so I may try that on one wall as well!

Once that's all done, I will work on picking the furniture. Think I've already picked it all out between my trips to Target, Babies R Us, and The Baby's Room, but it may change several times before then!!

Well, that's the scoop for now.....going to the doctor Monday for my evaluation, and will hopefully get James in next week as well! One step closer once that's done!!!

OH, and if anyone hears of someone giving up their baby (sounds weird but since we've started this I've actually heard of several) let them know we are adopting and give them our information!! And PRAY people! Thanks!

From the start till now....

Wow! I'm so excited!!! I can't wait to get started with all of this. I've been to the Baby's Room twice now trying to decide on neutral colors for the nursery, and what furniture I wanted to get. I was pumped to hear that they had layaway. I also have bought a baby name book so that we can start to decide what the perfect names will be.

Anywho, here's the timeline from the start of all this:

9-1-09 This was the day it all started.....someone had been talking to me about adoption and I thought about it afterwards, and mentioned something to James about it. He said that it was willing to talk about it, so we invited Dayna and Randy over that night to discuss it since they had been through all of this before with Jonathan. After that we decided to find out more about Domestic Infant adoption.

9-2-09 I did research the next day to find out what was out there. Someone told me to contact Loving Choices to get more information. I did and they gave me several options. One of them being Bethany Christian Services. I emailed Bethany and received a preliminary application back. That night we set down and filled out the preliminary application, and decided what kind of child we were looking for.

9-3-09 I put the preliminary application in the mail and we waited.

9-8-09 After what seemed an eternity the finally called us today to set up an appointment for tomorrow at 10:30!!!!

9-9-09 This was our first visit to Bethany Christian Services to find out what adoption was all about. The meeting was very informative. I was pretty much swimming by the time we were done. I was especially pumped about the part where we will have to make scrapbooks. Afterwards, we went to lunch to talk things over. We both agreed that God was calling us to do this. I immediately texted everyone and told them. They were all excited. We told all our family and then told everyone at church that night. James told Brad he need to make an announcement after church and everyone thought we were leaving the church.

9-10-09 The next day I emailed and asked for the formal application hoping that I could break the record and get it all done one day.

9-14-09 After what seemed as another eternity we finally got the formal application today and all I can say is WHOA!! There will be no record breaking with this! We sat down and filled out as much as we can but there is so much more to do. It will be a while.

9-24-09 So we are still working on the paperwork. Probably half way done. Don't know where my birth certificate went, so we will have to send off for another one. Made an appointment for next week for my doctor visit, and plan on making one for James next week as well.

That's if for now! Stay tuned for more exciting news from our journey!