We've been BUSY!

As we have been told and are learning firsthand, adoption is a long and tedious process!  We have been very busy over the past few months.  It's been hard to keep such a big secret, especially when there's so much stuff to do throughout the process.

This is the first of the paperwork we had to complete for our home study.  Each paper you see has about a million stapled behind it.  Well, maybe I'm pastorally exaggerating :) Those pastors like to do that HA!

Here's my man getting fingerprinted by the Lee County Sheriff.  He was so gracious to us!  He gave us a warm welcome at the front door, and walked us back to fingerprint us himself.  Everyone told us that was really rare.  No, we're not super special, he's a member of our church :)  He is such an encourager to Chad, and that makes me smile!

 My turn...all clear, whew ;)

And the blood work begins.  If you know Chad, you know that he is a BIG OLE BABY when it comes to needles.  Yes, this is the man who will not go to the doctor because he is afraid that he will have to get a shot.  And if it does get so bad that he needs a shot, he declines it and takes a two week prescription med instead.  I love him!

And here is my crazy husband's best passing out pose!  The nurse was cracking up at us.  I'm sure she thinks we are nuts, but we have to document every step and throw a bit of humor in there!

We traveled to Austin, TX, for the Together for Adoption conference.  We were able to learn tons about starting an orphan ministry in the church, and met lots of new friends!  The speakers were amazing as was the worship.  I love Christian conferences!  What a refreshment to my soul this weekend was.

 Excited to be learning so much!

Love the girls from 147 Million Orphans, Gwen and Suzanne.  They sell the most awesome shirts and beautiful handmade beads created by Ugandan women.  The proceeds help feed the orphans. 

 This slide speaks for itself!

 Writing the first of many checks...this REALLY makes it seem real!

My precious Annlee painting our announcement poster that we used to put on our blog and to show the church for our announcement.  She has been such a trooper keeping the secret for so many months.  We had lunch one Sunday with a sweet family in our church who adopted from China years ago.  I had told the mother about our plans to adopt.  As we were eating lunch we started to talk about it, and Annlee gasps at me with really big scary eyes and runs over to say, "Mommy, you let out our secret!"  It was priceless.  She was taking this secret seriously!  She watches Beth Moore with me on Life Today sometimes.  After Beth speaks, they highlight orphans and children who have been sold into slavery for you to support.  I think watching this and sponsoring Sandra from Uganda through World Vision have really put a love in her heart for orphans.  She has ended every prayer for months with the same line, "God please let us adoct (her version of adopt) a baby!"  I love her sweet little heart. 

We are so excited to be on this journey and cannot wait to see how much more real our God will become to us through every step we take.  The journey will be long and hard at times, but we are trusting in a mighty Lord.  We covet your prayers daily! 

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-3 (New King James Version)