Kristyn's Graduation_May 10, 2012

During our time of adoption waiting, we were blessed with the opportunity of spending time celebrating my beautiful sister's graduation!!!!! We are SO proud of her!!!!!

Outlet

We may not know when an adoption opportunity to be a mom and will come around, but we do know when an opportunity to play the roll of mom and dad will come around. We received word last week that next school year we will host a Chinese high school exchange student in our home! We are SO excited about this amazing opportunity that God has blessed us with. We did discuss this opportunity with our case worker, and she encouraged us to do and said it would be good for us (whatever that means . . . hopefully not that it will be a long time before a placement happens). Hosting our princesses for two Christmas seasons was a great door to love on them for a short time. Now we have the opportunity in front of us to love on another child for a long time! So far this has helped me tremendously . . . probably too much! I'm a very ambitious person, so I've already ordered her bedding, drawn out some room floor plans, thought of ideas for paint colors, looked at decorations, and decided on the furniture we will borrow from family. Our exchange student will not come stay with us until August, but I've enjoyed already thinking of the decoration possibilities, influential opportunities, and life alterations. Please be praying for our exchange student: schooling, transition, salvation. We have so much love stored up to give, so we are excited to have an outlet to let it overflow!

Bountiful Baby Blessings

So much has happened in our lives over the last month! Here are a few of the highlights:

- Eric went to Haiti on a vision trip for our summer college mission trip.
- I ended another quarter of school (fun with grading, planning, etc.).
- We celebrated my niece's 4th birthday and my dad's 60th birthday.
- I almost completely lost my voice, but it came back to me a week later.
- I attended a women's conference with church friends.
- We helped out with some church activities such as The Wild Game Dinner.
- We had a surprise visit from my parents!
- Had time to spend with friends!

I'm looking forward to what lies ahead!

A large part of the last month has been family. In particular, the first Saturday in March was full of family time! I loved it! I'm a family girl . . . always have been . . . so time with family means so much to me! A couple of Saturdays ago, Eric and I had the privilege of meeting Eric's mom for breakfast and then having family birthday day with my dad's side of the family. To our surprise, there were two special adoption blessings throughout the day!!!

Adoption Blessing #1: Baby goodies from Eric's Mom!
Eric's mom gave us a photo album, Baby's 1st Christmas stockings (one blue and one pink since the gender is unknown), and some baby toys! The toys were so much fun to play with . . . I mean look at. :) Yes, I played with them at a restaurant table! I admit it! That really gave me the extra excitement I needed during this waiting time!

Adoption Blessing #2: Baby blanket from Grandma!

Our niece testing out our new baby blanket!

My Grandma asked me a while back for our baby room colors. I showed her the bedding and that was the end of it. I knew she wanted to make a blanket for our baby-to-be, but I had no idea I would have the honor of having the blanket so soon! In the midst of celebrating family birthdays, I was given a gift bag to open! Inside was a soft, beautiful, made-with-lots-of-love baby blanket - handmade by Grandma herself! The blanket was even made in a shape that corresponds with the octagons in the baby room bedding! My niece Abigail tested out the blanket and approved 100%! This blanket was yet another volt in my excitement charger.

Thank you, Grandma and Momma Miller, for the very special blanket and baby goodies! Eric and I can't wait to have a baby to use them!

Blessed to Bless

When we hosted the Princesses in our home, numerous people rallied around us to provide just what those children needed.

Here are some of the blessings we received for the girls:
- books
- piano books
- clothes
- hair accessories
- dental items
- excursions/outings
- gift cards
- toys
- room decor
- furniture
- car seat for the youngest girl
- Christmas gifts
- Bibles in their language

What happened with all these blessings once the adoption ended?
- books (still have)
- piano books (still have)
- clothes (given to a family at the school I teach at)
- hair accessories (most of them sent back with the girls, some given to a family at the school I teach at and to a local children's home)
- dental items (most of them sent back with the girls, some still under the bathroom sink)
- excursions/outings (used for the girls when they were here)
- gift cards (used for the girls when they were here)
- toys (given to a local children's home)
- room decor (given to another family that could use it)
- furniture (put back in family storage where it came from)
- car seat for the youngest girl (given to a church member who nannies and needed it for her car)
- Christmas gifts (given to the girls when they were here - some taken back with them but rest given to a local children's home)
- Bibles in their language (still have them, but they will probably end up at New Horizons for Children for other kids to use)

It's obvious that we were blessed by so many generous gifts! Those blessings were used as new blessings last week. After cleaning out the baby closet last Wednesday, the toys were boxed up and placed in my car. On Thursday, the toys were taken to a local children's home that I learned about through people at the school where I teach . . .

Have you ever done something that wasn't easy and was easy all at the same time? That's how dropping off the toys at Calvary Children's Home was. It was not easy because that was mainly the last of the girls' belongings in our home. Dropping off toys was cutting more strings (even though I still have pictures and memories). On the other hand, dropping off the toys was easy because I knew that there were many children who would benefit from having those toys. The children's home operates on a donation basis, so receiving so many toys was a blessing for the home. Just imagine the little girls playing with the toy stroller and doll accessories. Picture the happy faces made with the squeeze of a new stuffed animal. What about the creative outlet for those who use the craft supplies? Can you hear the laughter the games will invoke? Think of all the conversations that will occur when the girls play with their barbie dolls.

When dropping off the boxes of toys, I had the privilege of meeting the wife of the children's home founder. She was so sweet and took time to share with me about the history of the children's home. Until a parent from my school told me about this children's home, I had no idea it existed. It's only about 20 minutes from where we live! This home has such a special ministry to the children that come through there. In fact, the founder's wife told me that some past children practically grew up there, graduated, got married, and brought their kids back there to visit. Check out the home's website to learn more.

So many people blessed us through donations, so it was an honor to take those same gifts and allow them to bless others.

Eric's Sermon . . . and an Unexpected Blessing

Eric's Sermon
Yesterday Eric had the privilege of bringing God's Word to our church congregation. What an exciting way to begin the new year! Our pastor asked Eric to preach for him, so Eric greatly welcomed that opportunity! You'll never guess what God laid upon his heart to preach about . . . ADOPTION! Our pastor just concluded a series on the cross and the cradle, highlighting important parts of Jesus' time from birth to the cross. Jesus was so much more than a baby or a man or a good teacher . . . He was and is and is to come - the forever King of Kings! What better way to follow up that series than to speak about what God says about our adoption as His sons and daughters! God adopted us, and for that I am eternally grateful!

LISTEN TO ERIC'S SERMON BY CLICKING HERE.
Sermon title: A New Way of Thinking

An Unexpected Blessing
At the end of the service, Eric and I were blessed with an unexpected prayer time. Pastor Perry came to the front of the sanctuary for his closing service remarks. Yesterday his remarks were different than we are used to. This time he mentioned to the congregation that Eric and I are adopting, and he invited our church family to join him in praying for our adoption - the illustration of what God did for us. He didn't stop there. Pastor Perry called us up front and had the church family come to the front and pray over us in regards to our adoption journey. This was really special. Eric did not preach about adoption to bring awareness to our adoption; he was genuinely preaching about our spiritual adoption - the topic and Scripture passage God impressed upon his heart.

This prayer time was so powerful. Having our church family support us in prayer means so much! We know God has big plans for our adoption journey, but with a prayer time like yesterday's, we can't expect anything less than God to have big plans for our adoption journey! Adoptive parents are not the only one's on an adoption journey. The birth parents, the birth parents' families, the case workers, the adoption agency, our families, us, our support system, you, and our church family. During the prayer, Pastor Perry prayed for our birth mom. That part of the prayer meant so much. Many people forget about the birth mom in situations like this, but she is such a special person! God has plans for her life, too! God loves her, too! I was telling Eric that I felt SO close and connected to our birth mom during that prayer yesterday. I have no idea who she is, but I love her and care for her so much! I feel like I already know her. That's what prayer can do. Prayer connects people in ways that nothing else can! Prayer is powerful! I can't wait to see how God answers the prayers of His people!