Saturday, November 30, 2013

National Adoption Awareness Month


Did any of you know that November is National Adoption Awareness month? Well it is! There's a month for EVERY cause out there, right? But because this is one cause that is very special to me, I want to share with you a little bit about a website that I was recently re-introduced to: The Adoption Journey. I actually stumbled across this website back when we were going through the adoption process the very first time to adopt Kate. Now, while working through our second adoption, I came across this site again and actually created a profile for Kevin and myself. Not long ago, I was actually asked to join their blogger panel. Of course I was up for it!

The Adoption Journey is a site that provides TONS of information on adoption, no matter where you are in the process. Whether you are just starting your journey, or you're knee-deep in paperwork, or you're just trying to find out some information, it's got it all. They've got information on domestic adoptions vs. international adoptions. Information on finances. Information on where to start. But the biggest draw for me, is that this is a Christian-based site. They have a whole section on what the Bible says about adoption. And they have a section that is specific to churches and ministry leaders, with information that can be used to share with your church. If you're looking for more information on adoption, I encourage you to check them out.


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Monday, November 25, 2013

DIY Advent Calendar


So- I posted this picture to Instagram last night, and almost immediately a couple of my friends asked me about my Advent Calendar.  

I really wanted to start a new tradition with Kate this year (in addition to our Christmas books) and had been looking online at Advent Calendars the past few months. I never really found what I wanted, so I decided to try to make one myself.  In the true spirit of how I do craft projects, I took a lot of cute ideas from Pinterest, put them all together, and came up with these.  I really like how they turned out... and I also really like that it only cost me $14.   



If you want to make your own, here's what you'll need...

$0.00 - 24 Circle Tags (Click on picture to enlarge and print)
$6.00 - Mini-size bags from Hobby Lobby ($1.99 each)
$6.00 - 3 sets of 10 mini clothes pins (purchased from Ebay)
$2.00 - 6 yards Red/White Bakers twine (purchased from Ebay)
$14.00 Total Cost


Once you have everything printed and cut out, just string them up where ever you like!  I also chose to put scripture and a small treat in each bag, just for fun.  Below is the reading plan we'll be following.  Feel free to copy/paste this into Word and format it to your liking.  I used a 2-column format to be more paper-conscious and then was able to cut them down to size.

December 1st
John 1: 1-5
1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,*
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.*

December 2nd
Isaiah 9:2-7
2 *The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,*
a light will shine.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest
and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor's rod,
just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior
and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
They will be fuel for the fire.

6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,* Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies
will make this happen!

December 3rd
Isaiah 11:1-10
1 Out of the stump of David's family* will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 He will delight in obeying the LORD.
He will not judge by appearance
nor make a decision based on hearsay.
4 He will give justice to the poor
and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
5 He will wear righteousness like a belt
and truth like an undergarment.

6 In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
and a little child will lead them all.
7 The cow will graze near the bear.
The cub and the calf will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
8 The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
for as the waters fill the sea,
so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD.

10 In that day the heir to David's throne*
will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.*

December 4th
Jeremiah 33:14-16
14 "The day will come, says the LORD, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.

15 "In those days and at that time
I will raise up a righteous descendant* from King David's line.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
16 In that day Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this will be its name:
'The LORD Is Our Righteousness.'*

December 5th
Luke 1:5-10
When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord's commandments and regulations.7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.

December 6th
Luke 1:11-17
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.13 But the angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.*16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,* and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly."

December 7th
Luke 1:18-25
18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years."
19 Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!20 But now, since you didn't believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time."
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long.22 When he finally did come out, he couldn't speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.
23 When Zechariah's week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.25 "How kind the Lord is!" she exclaimed. "He has taken away my disgrace of having no children."

December 8th
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!*"
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.30 "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God!31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.33 And he will reign over Israel* forever; his Kingdom will never end!"
34 Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin."
35 The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.36 What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.37 For nothing is impossible with God.*"
38 Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.

December 9th
Matthew 1:18-21
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement* quietly.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,* for he will save his people from their sins."

December 10th
Matthew 1:22-25
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet:

23 "Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,*
which means 'God is with us.'"

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

December 11th
Luke 1:39-45
39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.41 At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said."

December 12th
Luke 1:46-56
46 Mary responded,

"Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever."

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

December 13th
Luke 2:1-5
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

December 14th
Luke 2:6-7
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. 

December 15th
Luke 2:8-12
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified,10 but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."

December 16th
Luke 2:13-14
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

December 17th
Luke 2:15-18
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.18 All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished,

December 18th
Luke 2:19-20
19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

 December 19th
Micah 5:2-5
2 *But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,
one whose origins are from the distant past.
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD's strength,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.
5 And he will be the source of peace.

When the Assyrians invade our land
and break through our defenses,
we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us,
eight princes to lead us.

December 20th
Matthew 2:1-2
1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men* from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,2 "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,* and we have come to worship him."

December 21st
Matthew 2:3-6
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?"
5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they said, "for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 'And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities* of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.'*"

December 22nd
Matthew 2:7-8
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.8 Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!"

December 23rd
Matthew 2:9-12
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

December 24th
John 1:14

14 So the Word became human* and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.* And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.


Sunday, November 17, 2013

C-L-E-M-S-O-N!

Kevin has done a pretty good job of converting Kate to a Georgia Dawgs fan, despite my best efforts for her to be a Clemson fan.  Not long ago, she and I were driving back from dinner with a friend, and Kate requested me to sing "the Tiger song", so of course I hummed Tiger Rag for her.  When I got to the end of the song, I went through the Cadence count (you know, the C-L-E-M-S-O-N... T-I-G-E-R-S! Fight Tigers! Fight Tigers! Fight! Fight! Fight!).  Well the second that I finished going through all of that, Kate yells out "Go Dawgs!! Woof, woof, woof, woof!!"

At this point, the score is:
Daddy- 1 (or more)
Mommy- 0

This past Thursday, we had tickets to the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech game.  It was a night game in Clemson, so originally we were not going to bring Kate with us.  But we haven't brought her with us to a college football game this year, and thought she would enjoy it so we brought her along.  (And on the plus side, I was hoping this will get her a little more excited for orange, white and purple.)  



It was cold, but we were bundled up and surprisingly, stayed pretty warm.  We only stayed until halftime, and filled Kate's sippy cup up with hot chocolate, which made her pretty happy.



She loved it!  She loved seeing the Tigers run down the hill, seeing the balloons released, and hearing the bands.  We sat near the west endzone and every time that Clemson would score, fireworks went off right beside where we were sitting.  


Kate sat in her Daddy's lap for about 90% of the time, and I was a bit jealous since he had his own personal heater.  Kate is most definitely a Daddy's girl. 


I am happy to say, that by the end of the night, Kate was sounding like a little Tiger fan!  She would even pump her arm in the air, and yell out "wooo!".   Progress.  Maybe Kevin and I are even now.... or at least a little closer. 


We tried to get a picture of the two of us before we left, but this is about the best you can do with a 2 year old.  Especially a 2 year old that is awake 2.5 hours past her bedtime. :)



Friday, November 8, 2013

Halloween Was a Week Ago

I do realize that Halloween was over a week ago.  I'm sure you're way past seeing pictures of little kids (or big kids) dressed up in their Halloween attire, but since I'm just now uploading and editing my pictures, forgive me for being a little late. And forgive the quality of these pictures.  I have all but given up getting good pictures of a 2 year old!

Halloween was on a Thursday, which is dance day in our household.  Kate still had class, and they were invited to wear their costumes to dance.  Only about 5 of the little girls showed up, and it was definitely a class of little princesses... and one zebra. There were a couple of Cinderellas, at least one Snow White, one "general" princess, and then my little zebra.  Pretty fitting for how Kate acts in dance class.  She is definitely the wild child in a class of dainty little ballerinas.


After dance, we headed back home to meet up with some family and friends to take our kids trick or treating.  We ate a quick pizza and then went to a nearby neighborhood to trick or treat, since we don't actually live in a neighborhood. 


I think we had as much fun trick-or-treating as the kids did.  We had 6 adults for 3 kids. :) 


Oh and let me also say, Kate is TERRIBLE at trick-or-treating.  She totally did not get it.  She didn't want to hold her bag AT ALL because she wanted to eat each piece of candy as she got it.  She probably ate 20 pieces of candy as we went around. 


When we got home, the boys got a treat themselves, since it was Halloween and all.


And that's the end of my late-Halloween festivities. Now on to the next holiday. :) 


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

When The Going Gets Slow- Adoption #2

So I've mentioned that this second adoption is SO much different than our first adoption.  Last time, we just felt so rushed to get everything done.  We weren't rushed by our agency, by any means, but we somehow had put this pressure on ourselves to hurry, hurry, hurry. 

Hurry up and get our initial paperwork turned in. 

Hurry up and go to an information meeting.

Hurry up and complete the second round of paperwork.

Hurry up and get our physicals done. 

Hurry up and get fingerprinted for background checks.

Hurry up and go to our training. 

Hurry up and get our homestudy completed. 

Hurry up and finish our Dear Birthmother letter.

Hurry up and complete our adoption profile books.

Hurry, hurry, hurry. 

And then... wait.

I guess we tried to rush through all of the steps last time, because it was the only part of the adoption process that we had any amount of control over.  After all of that "hurrying", all you're left with is the waiting.  You have no idea how long (or short) your wait will be, and you can't do anything to speed up the process.

For some reason we didn't put all that pressure on ourselves this time, and we haven't hurried through any of the stages.  Probably our more laid-back approach is because we already have a kid that keeps us busier than we could have imagined.  Regardless, we haven't felt quite so rushed.  And it turns out, that's a really good thing.  Because this time everything is moving SO SLOWLY!

We found out last week that the slow-pace isn't entirely our fault.  Apparently our adoption worker has decided to stay at home with her kids (completely understandable) and they are in a transition stage at our agency.  Our original adoption worker has been working on a part-time basis for a little while, and her replacement does not start until the middle of November.  Once the new adoption worker starts, there are 2 families in front of us to start on their homestudy.  Then it is our turn.

But for now, we wait.  And we're mostly okay with that, because we know that the waiting is worth it.  We've even got proof.




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