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I am so happy being married and living with my best friend. We adopted our first child, Ari, in 2011 through a domestic adoption and our second, Jude, in 2014.

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Saturday, July 30, 2011

Puzzle Update - Week 15

In Week 15 we sold 93 puzzle pieces! Holy cow!! That definitely set a new record. 71 of those pieces came from our puzzle party with some wonderful people in Bartlesville. Then, outside of that, we sold an additional 22 pieces throughout the week.

We had a special request from someone to be a part of the rock puzzle pieces, so we went ahead and completed that section. Then we went back to the bottom of the puzzle to work on the pillow heart section again.

So we have now put together a total of 350 pieces. Only 657 left to go!




As always, thank you to everyone so much for contributing to this. We really appreciate it and can't wait to spend time going over all the names with our child.

Again, please keep sharing this with everyone you know. We have been matched with a baby due August 7th and the fees are needing to be paid quickly. We are trying to finish the puzzle by the end of August, so spread the word! Thank you!!

Monday, July 25, 2011

We've Been Matched!!

A lot of people may know this news already since my Facebook has been exploding with it, but... We have officially been matched with a baby! We are sooo excited!!

We were at the dog park last Wednesday night (the 20th) with our good friend Amelia and her son Ryland. I heard my phone start ringing and went to look for it, but realized that the hubs had it in his pocket. As he handed it to me his eyes were very wide and excited. As I answered the phone I heard him say to Amelia, "It's the adoption agency!!"

So I answered the phone and one of the agency workers very calmly tells me the best news of my life. "Vanessa, I'm just calling to tell you that you all have been matched. I just left a birthmother's house and she chose you guys. She's due August 7th and we don't know the race or the gender."

Lots of more information and details followed. We then shared the news with our close friends and family. It was such an exciting night! The next morning I received an invoice from the adoption agency for our next payment cycle, so I guess this is pretty official!!

She had a doctor's appointment on Thursday (the 21st) and we did find out that the baby is a boy! They also measured him at 8lbs already! So considering that info, and the fact that this is her fourth pregnancy, her doctor said that he won't let her go much longer. I'm guessing when she goes in to be checked this week, he won't let her go home. But we'll see! We could be parents to a baby boy any day now!

This is such an exciting, wonderful, scary, and overwhelming time. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We still don't have all of the funds together that are required, so please tell everyone you know about our puzzle fundraiser! We have a goal of finishing that by the end of August.

Please also be praying for the birthmother and the baby.

We are spending our evenings frantically getting a nursery and house ready for a baby boy as we wait for the "She's in labor!" phone call. I'll let you know when we know! :)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Puzzle Update - Week 11, 12, 13, & 14!

Okay, seriously?? Am I really a month behind on updating this? I'm really sorry! Our summer has been so busy, which has actually been really nice. It keeps my mind off of all of this "sitting and waiting" stuff. But I promise to do better! I've definitely missed blogging. So here we go with the puzzle updates...

In Week 11 we sold 19 puzzle pieces. What a great number for one week! One neat thing about this week, we had a family buy five puzzle pieces and wanted us to put their last name on just one piece and use the other four pieces to write Bible verses that we would like to instill in our children. I thought that was such a great idea! We actually bent the rules a little bit and did some scriptures that have been comforting to us during this time, but I'm sure they won't mind that. ;)

In Week 12 we sold 5 puzzle pieces.

In Week 13 we sold 2 puzzle pieces. Those two belong to our future child's Nana and Papa (my parents). They plan on buying two pieces every month until the puzzle is complete. :)

In Week 14 (this week) we didn't sell any puzzle pieces. But we are doing something very cool with our puzzle tomorrow. Someone from the church the hubs grew up at asked him if we would like to come hang out with their small group sometime, play games, and talk about our adoption. She also wants us to bring our puzzle with us and sell some pieces. I thought it was such a fun and neat idea! I'm really looking forward to it.

These numbers put us at a total of 257 puzzle pieces sold. Only 750 left to go!


Sunday, July 17, 2011

Sunday Song

So I guess I lied to you a little last week about when I would be updating my blog. I really thought I'd get to it that week, but our summer has just been so busy. I will try my hardest to update everything this week. Don't lose hope on me and this poor neglected blog!

"Indescribable" Chris Tomlin

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You place the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Sunday Song

Side Note: I know I'm way behind on updating this blog. Especially behind on updating our puzzle progress. Life has just been crazy busy. But I promise I will get to it this week! Don't lose hope on me and please keep coming back. Now onto the song...

"Follow You" Leeland (featuring Brandon Heath)

You lived among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.

All my needs you have supplied.
When I was dead you gave me life.
How could I not give it away so freely?

And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken.
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the world.

Use my hands, use my feet
To make your kingdom come
Through the corners of the earth
Until your work is done
'Cause faith without works is dead
And on the cross your blood was shed
So how could I not give it away so freely?

And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken.
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the world.
(x2)

I give all myself.
I give all myself
I give all myself...to you.

And I give all myself
Yes, I give all myself
And I give all myself...to you.

And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the world.
(x2)

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Sunday Song

I think I've posted the video for this song on here before, but I just couldn't help using it for my Sunday Song. It's a song about adoption and I just love it!

"When Love Takes You In" Steven Curtis Chapman

I know you've heard the stories
But they all sound too good to be true
You've heard about a place called home
But there doesn't seem to be one for you
So one more night you cry yourself to sleep
And drift off to a distant dream

Where love takes you in and everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in

And somewhere while you're sleeping
Someone else is dreaming too
Counting down the days until
They hold you close and say I love you
And like the rain that falls into the sea
In a moment what has been is lost in what will be

When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart

And this love will never let you go
There is nothing that could ever
Cause this love to lose its hold

When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in, it takes you in for good
When love takes you in