We are still so excited.
Really excited.
Just in case you were wondering.
We are.
Still.
Excited.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What an amazing time for our family! We just walked in the door after spending the afternoon in San Jose with Briana. Today's meeting was a bit more "formal" because we actually had some "business" to discuss, but it was also really relaxed and enjoyable.
Some of the highlights of our time together:
*We were able to meet Briana's two youngest siblings. So cute. Really friendly and excited to meet us.
*Thea, Briana's mom, was at the meeting again. We enjoy getting to know her better. She is so open and warm with us. Makes everything nicer!
*Talked through birth and hospital plans. Ben and I will most likely not be in the delivery room (just Briana and her mom at this point), but will be welcome at the hospital otherwise. Briana will call us when labor is regular/heading to the hospital so we can drive the 3 hours to San Jose and be there ASAP.
*Briana is going to breastfeed AND continue to pump and ship breastmilk as long as she can!!!!!! This is especially exciting to me (Ashley) as I was scrambling to learn about formula.... AND a really amazing way for Briana to continue to show her love for this child! Since I still have our top of the line breast pump from Ethan's birth (thanks, GJohn and Grammie!), we will be able to let Briana borrow it! Great provisions all around, right?!
*Talked generally about our open adoption plan. This will be interesting since Briana is planning on enlisting in the Navy in March 2011. We are very much on the same page, however...2 visits a year and monthly updates via email including pictures. Obviously, this agreement is not written in stone, but will be something with which we are flexible. The big thing is to keep open communication for the sake of this new child!!
*Had a really nice Italian dinner after the meeting with Briana and her family. Just enjoyed visiting and learning more about each other. A very blessed time enjoying each other's company!
Thank you for your prayers. We feel a very tangible wall of protection and peace around us. We are so very thankful for your encouragement and support....the Lord is faithful in answering our requests! A few specifics to pray for:
*Briana in her last few weeks of pregnancy. REST and good health. Her last Dr's appointment was on Monday...everything was normal and healthy! Praise the Lord!
*Patience as we wait and try to focus on the tasks the Lord has for us NOW.
*Open, honest, and loving communication between us, our families, Briana, and her family. There are a lot people involved/invested in this new little life!!!
*Emotional protection...especially at the hospital.
*Stress levels...*whew* Happy stress is still stress!
Isaiah 30:18
Therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious to you, that He may be exalted, and that He may have mercy upon you; for the Lord is a God of judgment; blessed are they that wait for Him!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wiener Nationals on National Mustard Day
So in case you didn't know it, Sunday was National Mustard Day. And at Briana's church, National Mustard Day is celebrated by racing Dachshunds....Wiener Nationals! We were really excited to drive out and spend the day with her and her dad (rest of the family was out of town). After spending the night at my grandparents house (they live about an hour away from Briana), we drove in and met Briana at her church. What a joy to be able to worship our loving God together!!!! Our visit was delightful and peaceful...just a relaxed time to visit and get to know each other better.
We are so thankful for Briana and the joyful person God has made her. As Ethan said, she is "the protector of the baby." Please continue to pray for her safety and the safety of our unborn child. Please also pray for us as we continue to know Briana better and support her during this difficult time. This is a tricky time of balance...we need a lot of prayer!
We are so thankful for Briana and the joyful person God has made her. As Ethan said, she is "the protector of the baby." Please continue to pray for her safety and the safety of our unborn child. Please also pray for us as we continue to know Briana better and support her during this difficult time. This is a tricky time of balance...we need a lot of prayer!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
WE'VE BEEN SELECTED!!!!
Thank you for all your prayers. The Lord has heard and answered!
On Tuesday, August 3 we received a phone call from our social worker at Bethany (Rhonda) that we were chosen by a birthmother as the adoptive family for her unborn child. There are a lot of really amazing and fun details in the story, but it is late and I am exhausted!! I'll post more of the goodness tomorrow Lord-willing. Here are the basics:
We initially met with this birthmom (Briana) on July 19. She was choosing between us and two other families.
Briana is delightful, Godly, and someone that we would simply want to be friends with even outside the adoption!
Due date is September 9 (my birthday and Ethan's due date!).
Sex is unknown...Briana has chosen not to find out the sex of the baby before birth.
Next step is to begin cultivating a relationship with Briana, iron out details about the hospital stay and delivery, and discuss the particulars of our open adoption agreement.
As you can imagine, we are bouncing off the walls and praising the Lord. It is very exciting to potentially be so close to meeting our new child.
Please join us in praying for Briana during the last few weeks of her pregnancy. Pray for peace, comfort, and safety. Pray for us as we spend time with Briana and get to know her as a sister in Christ and the woman carrying the child God may have chosen for us. Pray that God will continue to glorify Himself through this process.
Disclaimer: I feel like I should make something clear. At this point in the adoption process, this child is still Briana's. We have no claim on him/her. Briana has the right at any time to change her mind and parent this child herself. While we would be devastated, we would also be excited for her! Legally, a mother cannot relinquish her rights until after she is discharged from the hospital. Please be sensitive and join us in prayer!!
We continue to have peace and joy! Our adoption journey has been one based on love so far and we are endeavoring to not live in fear or make decisions based on fear. We serve a mighty God who "hems us in before and behind!" (Psalm 139)
On Tuesday, August 3 we received a phone call from our social worker at Bethany (Rhonda) that we were chosen by a birthmother as the adoptive family for her unborn child. There are a lot of really amazing and fun details in the story, but it is late and I am exhausted!! I'll post more of the goodness tomorrow Lord-willing. Here are the basics:
We initially met with this birthmom (Briana) on July 19. She was choosing between us and two other families.
Briana is delightful, Godly, and someone that we would simply want to be friends with even outside the adoption!
Due date is September 9 (my birthday and Ethan's due date!).
Sex is unknown...Briana has chosen not to find out the sex of the baby before birth.
Next step is to begin cultivating a relationship with Briana, iron out details about the hospital stay and delivery, and discuss the particulars of our open adoption agreement.
As you can imagine, we are bouncing off the walls and praising the Lord. It is very exciting to potentially be so close to meeting our new child.
Please join us in praying for Briana during the last few weeks of her pregnancy. Pray for peace, comfort, and safety. Pray for us as we spend time with Briana and get to know her as a sister in Christ and the woman carrying the child God may have chosen for us. Pray that God will continue to glorify Himself through this process.
Disclaimer: I feel like I should make something clear. At this point in the adoption process, this child is still Briana's. We have no claim on him/her. Briana has the right at any time to change her mind and parent this child herself. While we would be devastated, we would also be excited for her! Legally, a mother cannot relinquish her rights until after she is discharged from the hospital. Please be sensitive and join us in prayer!!
We continue to have peace and joy! Our adoption journey has been one based on love so far and we are endeavoring to not live in fear or make decisions based on fear. We serve a mighty God who "hems us in before and behind!" (Psalm 139)
 |
| Hiking at Eagle Falls in South Lake Tahoe |
Saturday, June 19, 2010
LifeLines
Waiting...waiting...waiting.
We have only had our adoptive family profile active for about one month and it already seems like forever...
But we are striving to daily renew our trust in God's perfect timing! There is such peace to know that we have been faithful to do our best in what we could, and now our adoption is out of our hands. Loss of control can be frightening and comforting at the same time!
We checked in with our social worker, Rhonda, on Wednesday...just keeping in touch and hearing the ways God is using Bethany to accomplish His good and perfect work! Since we will be out of town for almost the whole month of July, we made sure she knew to contact us via cell phone if something comes up. We've tried to make plans, but hold onto them loosely!
Just received Bethany's quarterly publication, LifeLines, in the mail this week. It is really encouraging to see how blessed this organization has been...how the Lord's love is being shown to the orphan! One of the things we love about Bethany is its priorities: "As we work to improve the lives of children, our first response is to ensure that each child is safe. Second, we strive to keep families together, which often involves working with extended families; and third, we offer foster care and adoption services, both in the US and abroad." We truly feel that this reflects God's own heart for children and their care...even though it means that we, as adoptive parents deeply desiring more children, are at the "bottom of the list!"
We thought you might be interested to know as well that in 2009, the US offices of Bethany helped facilitate 755 domestic infants, 541 older children, and 420 international children find their forever families through adoption. Praise the Lord!
Our hearts ache to hold our baby, but we praise our gracious God for keeping us busy while we "actively wait." Thank you for your prayers for us, the birthmother carrying our child, and for our unborn child!
We have only had our adoptive family profile active for about one month and it already seems like forever...
But we are striving to daily renew our trust in God's perfect timing! There is such peace to know that we have been faithful to do our best in what we could, and now our adoption is out of our hands. Loss of control can be frightening and comforting at the same time!
We checked in with our social worker, Rhonda, on Wednesday...just keeping in touch and hearing the ways God is using Bethany to accomplish His good and perfect work! Since we will be out of town for almost the whole month of July, we made sure she knew to contact us via cell phone if something comes up. We've tried to make plans, but hold onto them loosely!
Just received Bethany's quarterly publication, LifeLines, in the mail this week. It is really encouraging to see how blessed this organization has been...how the Lord's love is being shown to the orphan! One of the things we love about Bethany is its priorities: "As we work to improve the lives of children, our first response is to ensure that each child is safe. Second, we strive to keep families together, which often involves working with extended families; and third, we offer foster care and adoption services, both in the US and abroad." We truly feel that this reflects God's own heart for children and their care...even though it means that we, as adoptive parents deeply desiring more children, are at the "bottom of the list!"
We thought you might be interested to know as well that in 2009, the US offices of Bethany helped facilitate 755 domestic infants, 541 older children, and 420 international children find their forever families through adoption. Praise the Lord!
Our hearts ache to hold our baby, but we praise our gracious God for keeping us busy while we "actively wait." Thank you for your prayers for us, the birthmother carrying our child, and for our unborn child!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Waiting Family
"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
He rises to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for Him!"
-Isaiah 30:18
This Bible verse was in our latest newsletter from Bethany Christian Services and was a great reminder of God's goodness! He has blessed us already as we worked through our checklists and jumped through hoops, and He will continue to bless us as we wait for Him and His PERFECT timing for our family.
Many people have asked us where we "fit" in the grand scheme of our adoption agency. We have some current numbers about our Modesto agency that we thought might be helpful...since January 2010:
15 placements (domestic and inter-country)
30 "waiting families" (THIS IS US!)
5 birthmothers at Bethany's House
13 potential birth mothers in counseling
2 families "matched" with potential birth moms
Every month we receive a newsletter with these updated numbers along with the first names of all the waiting families. This has been a great reminder for us to pray for others in our same place....sometimes its difficult to not feel like its a competition! Praying for each other and for Bethany Christian Services' worldwide ministries has been a great source of comfort and conviction. Please join us!
"All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful."
-Psalm 25:10
He rises to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for Him!"
-Isaiah 30:18
This Bible verse was in our latest newsletter from Bethany Christian Services and was a great reminder of God's goodness! He has blessed us already as we worked through our checklists and jumped through hoops, and He will continue to bless us as we wait for Him and His PERFECT timing for our family.
Many people have asked us where we "fit" in the grand scheme of our adoption agency. We have some current numbers about our Modesto agency that we thought might be helpful...since January 2010:
15 placements (domestic and inter-country)
30 "waiting families" (THIS IS US!)
5 birthmothers at Bethany's House
13 potential birth mothers in counseling
2 families "matched" with potential birth moms
Every month we receive a newsletter with these updated numbers along with the first names of all the waiting families. This has been a great reminder for us to pray for others in our same place....sometimes its difficult to not feel like its a competition! Praying for each other and for Bethany Christian Services' worldwide ministries has been a great source of comfort and conviction. Please join us!
"All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful."
-Psalm 25:10
Sunday, May 9, 2010
HURRY UP....and w-a-i-t.
We are "in the book!!!"
Such an exciting time....hard to believe that we have really checked all our lists and jumped through all the hoops. We've done the best we possibly could with all the things we could have "control" over and now we've handed it over. *WOW* We really covet your prayers for our social worker, Rhonda, now! She is the one who will be showing our profile to potential birthmothers. Pray that the Lord will give her insight and clarity!!!! Please also continue to pray for our future birthmother....we know that God has a beautiful plan for her life and are eager to welcome her into our family. Pray also for our unborn child!!!! Our hearts ache to meet this precious person that the Lord is bringing to our family in such a special way....pray especially for safety for him/her.
If you want to have a really good idea of what "phase" we're in now, think about going to the airport. You plan your trip ahead of time, prepare as much as you possibly can for a smooth and problem-free trip. You arrive early to the airport and prepare for the security checks, etc. Hurry hurry hurry...then wait wait wait. No matter how many times you check the departure screen or ask the airline personnel, things only move so quickly. You just don't have control over when that plane arrives! Sometimes the plane is delayed or cancelled and the only thing you can control is how to respond to those situations. THIS IS ADOPTION!!! Its a wonderful and beautiful thing that is 100% worthwhile...but there are also a lot of things that seem like you should be able to control, and you just can't!
Thankfully, we have A LOT of GOD-GIVEN peace about this waiting/lack of control....but we urge you to pray for us as we wait. Yes, we will be "checking the departure screens" regularly (our social worker has encouraged us to call her once a month to check in and see if anyone has shown interest in our profile, etc.) and yes, we will probably get antsy and anxious at times. But we are truly confident that God has gone before us and already determined who our birthmother and child are! As Ethan reminds us, "God is never surprised."
Our prayer during this waiting time is to focus on the work the Lord has set before us right now.....we are still involved in ministries at our local church and involved in our community activities. Ashley will not be going back to teach Spanish this fall, but is hoping to pump up her photography business to keep her busy (www.cainphotography.blogspot.com). Summer should be an exciting time with several family vacations planned too! We are trusting in the promise of Proverbs 4:25-26:
"Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established."
Such an exciting time....hard to believe that we have really checked all our lists and jumped through all the hoops. We've done the best we possibly could with all the things we could have "control" over and now we've handed it over. *WOW* We really covet your prayers for our social worker, Rhonda, now! She is the one who will be showing our profile to potential birthmothers. Pray that the Lord will give her insight and clarity!!!! Please also continue to pray for our future birthmother....we know that God has a beautiful plan for her life and are eager to welcome her into our family. Pray also for our unborn child!!!! Our hearts ache to meet this precious person that the Lord is bringing to our family in such a special way....pray especially for safety for him/her.
If you want to have a really good idea of what "phase" we're in now, think about going to the airport. You plan your trip ahead of time, prepare as much as you possibly can for a smooth and problem-free trip. You arrive early to the airport and prepare for the security checks, etc. Hurry hurry hurry...then wait wait wait. No matter how many times you check the departure screen or ask the airline personnel, things only move so quickly. You just don't have control over when that plane arrives! Sometimes the plane is delayed or cancelled and the only thing you can control is how to respond to those situations. THIS IS ADOPTION!!! Its a wonderful and beautiful thing that is 100% worthwhile...but there are also a lot of things that seem like you should be able to control, and you just can't!
Thankfully, we have A LOT of GOD-GIVEN peace about this waiting/lack of control....but we urge you to pray for us as we wait. Yes, we will be "checking the departure screens" regularly (our social worker has encouraged us to call her once a month to check in and see if anyone has shown interest in our profile, etc.) and yes, we will probably get antsy and anxious at times. But we are truly confident that God has gone before us and already determined who our birthmother and child are! As Ethan reminds us, "God is never surprised."
Our prayer during this waiting time is to focus on the work the Lord has set before us right now.....we are still involved in ministries at our local church and involved in our community activities. Ashley will not be going back to teach Spanish this fall, but is hoping to pump up her photography business to keep her busy (www.cainphotography.blogspot.com). Summer should be an exciting time with several family vacations planned too! We are trusting in the promise of Proverbs 4:25-26:
"Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established."
Choosing joy today!!!!!!!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Profile Complete!
PRAISE THE LORD!
Our profile is done done done! So exciting I can't even put it into words. And yet, I'm feeling really nervous too....this makes it more real. Just trying to lather our family, new baby, and future birthmother in prayer!
Here are some pages from the profile. A lot of you have asked to see the final "product"...enjoy!
Thank you for your prayers and loads of encouragement. We really feel the "hurry up and wait" right now, but are trusting in God's perfect timing for our family.
Our profile is done done done! So exciting I can't even put it into words. And yet, I'm feeling really nervous too....this makes it more real. Just trying to lather our family, new baby, and future birthmother in prayer!
Here are some pages from the profile. A lot of you have asked to see the final "product"...enjoy!
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