So long to January

January and February are my least favorite months of the year so I am happy to bid adieu to one of them.  It is so hard to be cooped up in the house in the dreadful cold.  January still had its highlights.  Our month in review.

This first picture is not completely clear do to the volume of birds making everything look black but I was able to capture this awesome scene that greeted me one day at breakfast.  There were Red Winged Black Birds everywhere and it was certainly a sight.

 We did have some very mild days and were able to get out hiking with the kids

The puppy has gotten well behaved enough I was able to start my crocheting again.

I learned a new croqueting pattern ALL OWN MY OWN.  I saw my neighbors beautiful scarf and wanted to make one too.  I found her instructions on pinterest and for the first time started a scarf all on my own.  There were several times in that first row I desperately wanted to walk down to her house and have her help me get started but am very happy I stuck to it and accomplished this on my own.

This month I also allowed Skipper to start sleeping in our bed - I know right!!!! He is so cute and fluffy though it is hard to take him back down to his crate.  He is doing great and sleeps all night and is an excellent follow up to your alarm clock because as soon as the alarm goes off he HAS to come up and lick our faces.

Another warm day brought us out for some boat work and Carrot and I pretended we were soaking up the sun on a nice June day

 Rock climbing for JonJon and Banana on a very boring Saturday afternoon.

 Snow day!!!  Seems like this is going to be a nice post about school closed and me getting to snuggle up with my kids and watch movies and bake.....but no.  Snow days bring me a houseful of daycare kids who should normally be at school.  Trying to make the most of it we made donuts and found crafts on Pinterest.  It took me several attempts at cleaning to get all the sticky off my house that day.

Finished product--yummy

....and finally my boys became friends.  Skipper still gets on Peppers nerves don't get me wrong but they almost kinda like each other now.

Here is to getting through February and onto SPRING.

My February goal is going to be to plant Crocuses.  Every year I say I am going to plant Crocuses and I am determined to do it this year.  I used to love when I was little seeing those first signs of spring pop up in the form of pretty little purple and white crocus flowers.

The things that make my day interesting

These freezing January days are getting very mundane and the littlest thing makes my day interesting.  Two days ago my dryer stopped putting out heat.  With a family of six this could really be a problem so the very first thing I did was call Jeff so he could keep in mind he was going to have to fix it (and soon).  

I had the boys clothes in the dryer so I hung all them on hangers to dry in their bathroom but had towels washing and would have to do something with them.  I tried to hang them outside and of course they froze it was like 17 degrees outside what was I thinking, so I made my own clothes line in the house.  It went from my laundry room to my basement door then in through my family room to the curtain hardware.  I was pretty impressed with my attempt, and it made for a fun distraction for the daycare kids as well.  They tossed a foam ball over the lines for over 25 minutes which for me was like a golden ticket to some free time.   Painting at the table became fun for them again because they said it was like painting in a fort.  

By lunch time it was getting a little annoying all the bobbing and ducking of towels and I was getting nervous they would not dry before I had 10 kids coming off the school bus so thank goodness for my neighbor who saw my face book post and offered to come get my towels and dry them.

These are the things that make my day interesting!  I guess there is something to be said for the simple life.  I may have to blog about my day sometime.  It is marked my time for sure same thing every day.  

Step of Faith: Part II - The Adoption

Our decision to adopt was probably our BIGGEST step of faith so far in our life.  When Jeff finally came on board with the idea we still had the problem of how we could afford this.   Everyone knows that adoption is very costly.  The cost is not a secret anyone can do the research.  For our adoption it will probably end up costing between $30,000-$40,000.

When we made the decision to adopt Jeff said he wanted to have about $5,000 saved before we sent the application.   This was very stressful for me.  I was impatient.  I felt if we just took that step God would help us fund it, I just knew it, but Jeff stuck to his guns and wanted that money saved first which I had to accept and I did understand.

I didn't want to wait.  I wanted to start right then, and I racked my brain day after day trying to find a way to come up with the money.  Inside I knew IN GOD'S TIME NOT MY OWN, but it is so hard to wait to start when you know you have years to wait even after starting.  I looked at ways to do fund raising, I checked into loans and Jeff was ok with that (as a back up) but wanted to have a plan for the majority of the money.  I thought about getting a part time job but that would involve me leaving my kids at night.  There was no out.   I just had to wait.

God had a plan though.  A plan we never would have expected.  One afternoon Jeff called and said he was out for a business call to one of his customers (which was a local christian school) and the business manager ask him if he or anyone from our church might be interested in hosting two international students from Korea.  He wanted to know my thoughts on hosting.   We were in between deciding if we wanted to adopt from Korea or China so he thought it might be a great way to get to know the culture.  I ask the age of the boys and he said he knew nothing but gave me the number to the contact at the school.   Within about 2 1/2 weeks we had two teenage boys at our house.

The first clue that this was all in God's plan was that to become a host family you need get fingerprint and background clearances.  The boys were hoping to come in two weeks so the coordinator mentioned they may have to come late to school while we waited to get this done.  I told her we already had copies of our fingerprints and clearances for my daycare.   She was able to just make copies of those for her file.  The boys could come as planned and not have to start school late.  Then the coordinator surprised us with the best news, we would get $600 per boy as a stipend to help cover their living expenses   Seriously!   Let me tell you feeding two teenage boys is no joke, but we have done our best to absorb the additional cost into our budget and have been able to save almost everything we receive from the school.

We realized that this would provide about a third of what we needed for the adoption so we took that leap and sent the application.  The first years cost of getting the adoption started was about $8,000-$9,000 and with the money coming in from the boys we have been able to pay everything upfront.

The best part is these boys became part of our family.   Last year they hinted around about coming back and we told them they were welcome as long as they wanted.  So we welcomed them both back this school year and we will even have JonJon next year as he has one more year before graduation. This will provide more than half the cost of the adoption.  The boys are like part of our family, and the work I do for them is just like part of caring for my family but if you think about it,  God provided the best part-time job for me.  I do their wash, clean their bathroom and feed them, all from my home without having to leave my kids (well we do run them around a lot LOL).

God decided to bless us even further.   He decided to provide for the whole amount we would need. The thought of taking in a new kid to the daycare to help with the cost had crossed my mind, but last year I had some challenging situations so that thought was near impossible.  Then about half way through the school year one of the kindergarten teachers at my kids school stopped me in the hall and ask if I would have a space for her baby when he was born.  At first I was thinking there is no way I can add a baby into this situation with trips to preschool 3 times a week etc.  She said she was planning to take a full 3 months off so the baby would be here for less than a month of the school year until summer break.  She would not need care in the summer and then when he came back in the fall some of my daycare kids were off to kindergarten.  It would just be the baby and one other.   It was a perfect situation.  The baby is not here in the summers or schools days off when I have a full house of daycare kids.  God sent me the perfect situation that worked for me.

 By the time we get our referral probably the end of 2013 or early 2014 we will have been able to save all the money to completely fund this adoption.  We do work for this money but only through God was it provided.    God has even allowed us to potentially have enough to bring our children to Korea when we go to get our baby.   This is such a blessing for me as it removes almost all of my anxiety in traveling.

IN GOD'S TIME NOT MY OWN!  I named this blog as a reminder because at the time I named it I struggled to practice that every day.   I feel like I have learned a lot, and in Gods time is the best time.  My special little guys will come in to my life at the right time - the best time that only God knows right now.  I feel so guilty that at times I was so impatient and constantly trying to come up with a solution on my own to speed up the process.  I am glad God is patient with me.

God has blessed us beyond words.  I wanted to document this for our blog for so many reasons:

 ~I want us always to remember in detail exactly how when we followed God's plan even when we have know idea how it will work out He provides.

~To follow Psalm 78:4 and to keep a careful record of God's blessing and to then recount them to the generations to follow - our kids need to grow up seeing and knowing what God has done for our family.

~To bless the reader who is maybe a little hesitant to begin that process of stepping out in faith.

Steps of faith - Part I: to keep or quit the job

You know that first time you feel God is leading you to do something but you have never blindly stepped out in faith before?  That is the hardest!  Then God shows you if you trust him He has it all worked out to the day and penny, and that is an amazing thing.  It is still hard to take additional steps of faith but after seeing God provide for us once has made it much easier to do it again.

A few years ago we felt we needed to make a change.  We didn't have daycare in out school district we were comfortable with but we could not afford for me not to work.  My job was really great and I had been with the company since I was 19.  I had always wished I could stay home with the kids,  so we talked about the idea of me getting licensed to run and in-home daycare but didn't know how it would all work out.  We prayed about it and I began the steps to become liscended.  I figured it couldn't hurt to just to take these steps and if it didn't seem right I would not have to quit in the end.

I finished the process and we had been praying, but we didn't know how it it would all fall into place.   To give up my well paying job we looked at the budget and set a figure we knew we needed me to make to get by.  How was I going to get enough kids lined up to be able to quit my job and start the daycare on a set day without a financial gap.  The only interest I had was for one full time baby.

We were sitting in church on Sunday morning and like often happens the pastor seemed to speak directly to us.  So directly to us he said, "maybe you are thinking about quitting your job to start a new business" - what was that!  Did he really just say that!  Jeff and I both just looked at each other  and really couldn't believe it.  On the drive home Jeff said to me.  Call the woman who is interested and if she is willing to commit we are going to trust this is Gods plan and he will provide the rest.

So with one deposit for a space in the daycare I set the start date for my daycare for the day this mom had to return to work from her maternity leave.  I too my two weeks  vacation we had planned and I was going to give my two weeks notice the day I returned.

 What happened after that was only because of God.   Little by little over that 2 weeks after I gave my notice I filled two more full time spots and then enough part time spots  so that when school started just 3 weeks after the start date of the daycare I would be making the exact amount Jeff had said we needed for me to quit.  Seriously the exact amount.  Pretty amazing but it gets even more amazing.  We were still a bit short that 3 weeks between that first day and the beginning of school when the before/after school kids would start but God had that all planned.  The mother who was leaving her baby ask if her 4 year old son could come during that 3 weeks before the start of his fall preschool.  So from day one we were making enough to make it work.

God certainly showed us that if we trusted him He would provide.  Now we look back to 3 years ago and we feel God was already preparing for us to adopt.    We saw Him provide once which help to take the huge step of adoption and it allowed me to be home.  We feel so blessed that with all the challenges with attachment I will be able to be home with the baby and he will not need to be in a daycare during the day and away from one of us.

Wonderful News!

I had a different post planned for today a continuation from yesterday, but this is such great news that I will hold off that post until tomorrow.  

I just saw the MPAK update (Read the MPAK update here) and it is wonderful news.  There is plan to introduce a revision to the law as early as February   

It is a short article so please just click above to read it but to summarize.  The revision is going to make exceptions to allow birth mothers who do not want to register their babys not forced to do so.  Records will be kept by the agency and not made available until mutually agreed upon.

A quote from the article "There is definitely a problem when a law that was supposed to protect children would bring them harm".  How wonderful is this country!  They saw this law was not working as planned and is willing to admit that and looking into revising it so soon.

Rep Kim Myung Yun said, "The current law is so far removed from the reality that we need to examine and revise the law accordingly."

I will tell you I have been have been feeling really sad since the last MPAK article came out thinking about all the babies that were being left without a future and knew there was nothing I could do but pray.....but God is always in control.

It is never a coincidence with God

Last night Jeff and I attended a Waiting Parents Meeting at our adoption agency.  It was a bit of a waste of time but with an hour and 45 minute drive one way we did have a lot of talking time.  One of the things we were discussing was how God has just blessed our family over and over again and how we need to take the time to thank God often for how He has blessed us.  

One thing we mentioned last night in quick discussion was how important it is the children know the things God has done in our lives.   It isn't coincidence that when I opened my devotional app today this is what I read.

Showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done...that they might set their hope in God.

Psalm 78:4,7

 The commentary that followed the verse read: 

The psalmist is here making a public covenant to keep a careful record of God's blessing and to then recount them to the generations to follow

We have taken sever steps of faith over the past few years and God has provided every time.

God has provided financially for this adoption which feel kind of private to share but it should not be.  God had everything lined up in detail for this adoption, and to not share that is to not share God's goodness.  

Today I am short for time and it would make for one incredibly long post.  But to come a post on FAITH

Half Year Mark

We have officially hit the half year mark as of yesterday!  6 Months since HSTK!

I'm not sure why but it feels good to pass this mark.  Almost like I can take of my "newbie" hat and put on the "I've been here for a while" hat.

Passing the 6 month mark does move us closer but with a timeline that has no defined end you never know who much closer.  Just last month I was feeling excited that we may be getting our referral in 2013 sometime.  Our agency should have 20 something Emigration Permits (EPs) available to them and  it seems there are only about 15ish families waiting.  It seems reasonable to assume that everyone waiting right now will get a referral this upcoming year.

Then the MPAK article came out and it really leaves me guessing.

To summarize the article the new law that was passed in August is causing a mess.  What was intended for good is almost bringing adoptions to a stand still.  From August to December alone (since the new law) there have been more babies abandoned than in all of 2011.  

The new law which requires the birth mothers to register their babies under into their family name when being placed for adoption (which in a culture that does not accept unwed pregnancy) is forcing these girls to abandoned their babies instead of being able to choose to put them up for adoption.   This is a culture where having this information on your record could ruin the chances at jobs, marriage, etc.

Here is a quote from a letter a birth mother wrote that is in the above article.

“I am sorry to do this upon my baby who hasn’t even seen the light of the world…Because I can’t raise this child nor have the ability, the adoption is a better alternative.  However, I have already looked into adoption, but due to the changes in the law I am required to register the baby, and I cannot get a hold of my boyfriend as I needed some documents…I have no one to discuss this with, so I searched for the Baby Box, and I know I will be punished for this by God, and I am so sorry to do this for my baby, but I had to give up the baby this way…Please raise my baby well as her only fault was to meet a wrong mother like me…I have no other places to go or hope..Please help. Please.”

It is my understanding that the babies who are abandoned are not able to be adopted unless the parents sign over their parental rights to release them for adoption, and they are not able to do this now without registering the baby on their record.  So that leaves a whole lot of little babies left in limbo.  Growing up in the system and not ever being able to be places.

If you have the time please read the article above it really sheds a lot of light on what is going on right now.

Many in Korean are protesting this new law as it also no longer allows them to adopt in secret which is customary.  I am praying that someone will be able to intervene and things will get better and not worse.

Enjoying a nice day

Who can stay inside on an almost 60 degree day in January

She really did bring her kitty purse on our hike.  More interesting was the content :  1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich, lotion, and tissues.

She waited until we reached our destinations to eat that sandwich

Even Ooney tagged along for this outing

An overthrow of the football lead to JonJon having to scale the steep hill to retrieve it.

All worn out after his long hike

Set sail to get our sails

We had to send the sails of the boat away to get washed and patched up over the winter and they were ready for pick up so we took a trip over Christmas break to get them.  It was  a fun little drive and we got to see some sights and have a nice lunch before we headed home.

Many of the boats were decorated for Christmas

Carrot and I overdid it on the teethy smile but it is a memory just the same. 

Found a fun little spot for lunch very yummy.

Skipper was all worn out for the trip home.

First snow of the season

Last weekend we had our first snow of the season.  It wasn't much but the kids had fun.

  Carrot and I were getting ready to go to the grocery store just as the snow started and the snowflakes coming down the first minute or two were amazing.    One landed on her hood and I took a quick shot before it melted.  Perfect shape

 Our little Skipper rang the jingle bell last weekend to go outside.  I am starting to think this was a coincidence as he has not done it since.

You get to see a lot of the outside when you have a new puppy

I love this.  I guess she was ready to come inside.

This time last year

This time last year we took a leap of faith and begin our adoption.  Our journey began when we filled out our application on New Years Day 2012.

My prayer for 2013 is that I might get to see the face of my baby.   This may not come until 2014 but I can still hope.

2012 was filled with paperwork, homestudy visits, background checks, fun vacations, new additions and much more.  It was a good year and we have been very blessed.

We began our process in faith not quite sure how we would fund the entire amount and it has been AWESOME to look back and see how God has and is providing the funds.

Looking forward to 2013!

 2012 Highlights

Sunrise on New Years Day 

First glimpse at Main Street USA

Completion of adoption paperwork

Camping and finding out our homestudy went to Korea

Our adventure to get our sailboat

Skipper joins our family