A little more...

Here are a few more pics of our outdoor decor process with the Christmas decorations. I promise that I will do a little collage with a little bit of everything later from outside to inside. It was absolutely freezing here today. We still have a few more trees to wrap in lights. However, one of the large trees beside our home still has tons of leaves on it and we are kind of waiting for them to fall! Its kind of weird because the other trees are bare.
Other than that, we have 3 trees within our landscape bed to wrap between Monday and Tuesday. First, we will need to cut them back for the winter and then wrap them.
Here is a a couple of pictures of our front yard packages, tree, and wreath. There will be more to come.

quick update

On the adoption front, our SW contacted us last week apologizing on behalf of her supervisor advising us that he had been out of the office for most of the month of November and had not read her completed home study turned in and advised her to inform us that we could contact him directly if we needed to. I truly understand illnesses, mandatory workshops and furlough days.

They met this past week and he is aiming to complete everything and she will make any changes necessary that he finds. I told her that we understood and that it was not necessary for us to speak with him. He clearly knows who we are and knows that we are serious. However, we do understand that things happen. I am at peace with things because we are finished and now just waiting to be "uploaded" into their system and matched or have a child placed with us. She advised me that one of the home studies that was approved shortly before submitting ours was placed and another one is waiting. It all depends upon the preferences of the parents.

It is a little different dealing with the state because they are truly over worked with their case loads. Adding on adoption to the fostering program is a lot to manage for a state agency. We are not too concerned because everything has been completed and it is a matter of the supervisor checking over the information and finalizing it before it is uploaded into their system. We have been through a private home study before, so I guess this is nothing to new to us. I told our SW that we are fine as long as everything is taken care of this month and we are on the list. We know that she will be helping the department that considers placements with our case.

I am glad that we have a wonderful 'old school" type SW that contacts us on a regular basis and has our best interest at heart. Remaining in contact with families going through a process is an important role that the SW plays in representing the agency, whether it is a private agency or the state.

Overall, thus far, I can say that I am pleased with our process with them. I can also say that the faces of adoption, meaning the type of families who are utilizing the state system is changing. Our class was a prime example of the change. You are seeing more and more families giving the state an opportunity now through fostering and adoption. Which is a great thing, even though it requires a little more patience when dealing with them versus a private agency. I guess there are advantages and disadvantages on both sides, however, the end result is what counts.
So, hopefully, I will have some news regarding getting on the list very soon. Once we are placed on this list with our preferences (age, race and other pertinent information) it can happen very quickly or it may take a short while to wait. It all depends upon the cases coming through.
I will keep the blog updated as I receive updates.

Happy December...

I can hardly believe that we are almost in a new year. I wanted to start this month off on a better foot by at least posting something. The holidays are approaching and it seems like everyone is busy preparing. I can say that the last two months have been a bit overwhelming for us with caring for a sick dog, finishing up a process with a new agency, and much more!
Still, all in all, we are truly blessed and even when I try to think about complaining, I have to check myself quickly. I have so much to be thankful for as I look back over this past year. Not in any particular order, however, I just enjoy making sure that I am thankful for what I have been blessed with because it is super easy to get caught up in what we do not have.

I am thankful for......

-the birth of Jesus Christ and salvation for us
-my growing relationship with Christ
-a wonderful, supportive and patient husband, who is also God fearing
-my parents who are prayer warriors and are always there and speaking positive things into our lives
-family that loves me just as much as I love them and who are always checking on me/us
-family and close friends who are always praying for us
-my career, my husband's career and my business because there are so many people who lost their means of providing for their families this past year
-education and the continuing education opportunities that we all have here to expand our gifts and talents through furthering our education
-gifts and talents that we possess and are utilizing to the best of our ability in different areas
-home ownership (so many people lost their homes this past year and the year before due to the economic condition) It is easy to complain about what you have until you don't have it. I am thankful for my home and being a homeowner because many can not afford a home or even an apartment.
-good health
- being able to give my time, money and resources whenever I am able to
-learning to be more patient and lean not to my own understanding, but trust that everything is alright because God is in control
-truly being able to understand and learn how to walk by faith and not by sight with all aspects of my life, even when it seems like you are alone or it is just not happening fast enough!
-close friends who are life time friends that give unconditional love and support as well with all aspects of our life
-being able to still have a cheerful heart as a giver
-having choices and having wants and needs met

I am truly thankful for going through a process in which things do not happen in my time as I would want them to because I would not be able to trust God's timing if things happened when I wanted them to. His timing is the best timing and it allows me to be able to empathize with others as well when you have gone through something in which you have to wait.

Again, I have to remind myself when I am quick to complain or question God's timing with my own situations, no matter how big or small. It is so easy to look at what you do not have, or want, instead of focusing on what you are already blessed with. This is just my way of checking myself and being thankful today. I have always known that God has a plan for my life and I have grown to become patient so reap the "sweet" benefits of remaining obedient as I have done in other aspects of my life and the rewards were overflowing.

Everyone who knows me personally knows that I believe that there are truly seasons for everything. I am thankful for the seasons that we have experienced, are experiencing and the ones that are to come. I am constantly told and reminded that there is "no testimony without a test" and that is the truth. I am thankful for all of my tests in my life because they have shaped me into the person that I am and only making me stronger.