THE FIRST PAGE
The first page of our portfolio contains our basic profile. The basic profile has basic information about us and is the very first page of information that birth parents will see. All portfolios have this as the front page, so we had ours printed on green paper.
PAGES 2-4
The next pages of the portfolio contain our birth parent letter. If you would like to read it, click on the following link and select the "Letter From Adoptive Parents" link. The birth parent letter is also printed after the web address. In addition to our profile page and birth parent letter being in our hard copy portfolio, they are also posted on Covenant Care's website (the waiting families list page).
http://www.covenantcareadoptions.com/Pregnant/Adoptive-Family-List/ctl/Detail/mid/1595/xmid/3354/xmfid/10.aspx
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
God at Work - Even in a Portfolio
Throughout this entire adoption journey, from the international adoption to the current one, God has been ever-present (as He always is)! Here are some examples:
IDEAS
God provided portfolio ideas. The way the portfolio came together and turned out is nothing but God - He just used my fingers and my computer to make the finished product.
TIMING
The portfolio was completed in perfect timing.
PRINTING
Michael's closed at 9:00 the night we printed our portfolio. We needed to make it to Michael's to get the scrap book paper covers and the binding ribbon. We were still at Staples waiting on our portfolio copies at 8:45! While waiting for our copies, the Staples manager came over to talk to us. After hearing what we were doing, he told us we could come back later with a picture of our "new" family and have that picture enlarged (16x24) for free! We made it to Michael's with just enough time to run in, buy the materials, and leave before the doors were locked (Eric even had enough time to go in to BestBuy while I made our purchase).
PROVISIONS
Our portfolio could not be shown until $1,300 was submitted to our adoption agency (fee for showing the portfolio). Since last February, a lady at our church has been having Premier Jewelry Fundraisers for us. We have been stashing the money away in an adoption fund. Some of the funds were used for prior adoption fees (such as the home study earlier in the year). With several other parties held, additional money was raised for our adoption expenses. In addition, more of our puzzle pieces were purchased. These two fundraisers, plus another donation, covered the cost of our portfolio fee (received up until the week we had to turn in our money). We were going to turn in our portfolio fee on October 14th when we had our Macon meeting, but our case worker recommended that we mail it in, so we did just that the following week. Pictured is Eric with the check ready to be mailed! Since then, God has continued to provide for other adoption expenses. GOD IS OUR PROVIDER!
IDEAS
God provided portfolio ideas. The way the portfolio came together and turned out is nothing but God - He just used my fingers and my computer to make the finished product.
TIMING
The portfolio was completed in perfect timing.
PRINTING
Michael's closed at 9:00 the night we printed our portfolio. We needed to make it to Michael's to get the scrap book paper covers and the binding ribbon. We were still at Staples waiting on our portfolio copies at 8:45! While waiting for our copies, the Staples manager came over to talk to us. After hearing what we were doing, he told us we could come back later with a picture of our "new" family and have that picture enlarged (16x24) for free! We made it to Michael's with just enough time to run in, buy the materials, and leave before the doors were locked (Eric even had enough time to go in to BestBuy while I made our purchase).
PROVISIONS
Our portfolio could not be shown until $1,300 was submitted to our adoption agency (fee for showing the portfolio). Since last February, a lady at our church has been having Premier Jewelry Fundraisers for us. We have been stashing the money away in an adoption fund. Some of the funds were used for prior adoption fees (such as the home study earlier in the year). With several other parties held, additional money was raised for our adoption expenses. In addition, more of our puzzle pieces were purchased. These two fundraisers, plus another donation, covered the cost of our portfolio fee (received up until the week we had to turn in our money). We were going to turn in our portfolio fee on October 14th when we had our Macon meeting, but our case worker recommended that we mail it in, so we did just that the following week. Pictured is Eric with the check ready to be mailed! Since then, God has continued to provide for other adoption expenses. GOD IS OUR PROVIDER!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Portfolio
What's a portfolio? In the adoption world, a portfolio is like a scrapbook. For our adoption agency, our portfolio included the following: a cover sheet, a letter to the birth parents, and information about us (who we are, our life, our families, where the baby will stay, etc.). The hard part about making our portfolio was that is was only supposed to be around 10 pages total, including the cover page and letter. Ours totaled 11 pages. The portfolios are a requirement because case workers show them to birth parents. Birth parents look at various portfolios in efforts to choose the family desired for their adoption plan.
I (Erin) worked on the portfolio for a while. It started with an outline of what we wanted the birth parents to know about us. I tried several times to start the formation of the portfolio but it just wasn't coming together. Finally, the Wednesday before our October 14th meeting when the portfolio needed to be submitted, the ideas finally started to come together. Earlier that week I came up with what background I wanted to use. I then started looking through pictures. I put all the pictures I thought relevant into PowerPoint slides based on categories (marriage, family, kid involvement, hobbies, etc.). In addition to working on the portfolio, that was a crazy busy week for Cross Country. I had a Cross Country meet that Monday and that Wednesday. Every night that week was a late night, especially the night I worked on the birth parent letter. That Wednesday's Cross Country meet was in Macon (2 hours away), which made for an extra long day. I took my lap top and narrowed down pictures on the way there and on the way back. That night was an all-nighter. The portfolio was finished around 7:00 that next morning. I then emailed it to our case worker for approval so that it could be printed that night after work.
The portfolio is all God - from start to finish - from white paper to green paper - from outline to binding ribbon. The earlier days of that particular week were extremely exhausting. I just couldn't stay up later than around 1:00. However, Wednesday was different. God just gave me the ideas and energy needed to complete the portfolio. I wasn't even tired. I sat on the floor of the baby room and worked and worked. Now, just so it's clear, Eric did help with the portfolio in other ways. I am the writer and creative project person in the family, so I volunteered to take on the writing and creative aspects of the task. In addition to having energy to stay up all night and actually think, God gave me the strength for work that Thursday.
After work that day, Eric and I went to Staples to have our portfolio printed (pictured to the left). 8 copies were made because there are 7 birth mom case workers and we also wanted a copy. We then went and picked out ribbon and scrapbook pages (the portfolios are bound in clear paper sleeves because many of the case workers put all the portfolios in a huge binder). We then went home to assemble the portfolios. Seeing the finished product was a relief and a blessing. We also couldn't believe that the time to turn in portfolios had finally arrived! We had been told for so long . . . wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . Turning in portfolios (pictured to the right) meant that birth parents would FINALLY get to know about us!
The following posts will feature the various parts of the portfolio so you can see what birth parents will see. As you see each page, pray for the birth parents who are seeking families for their adoption plans. Pray that God will give them wisdom. Pray that God will unite us with our future child in His perfect timing and that we will patiently pray in the meantime.
I (Erin) worked on the portfolio for a while. It started with an outline of what we wanted the birth parents to know about us. I tried several times to start the formation of the portfolio but it just wasn't coming together. Finally, the Wednesday before our October 14th meeting when the portfolio needed to be submitted, the ideas finally started to come together. Earlier that week I came up with what background I wanted to use. I then started looking through pictures. I put all the pictures I thought relevant into PowerPoint slides based on categories (marriage, family, kid involvement, hobbies, etc.). In addition to working on the portfolio, that was a crazy busy week for Cross Country. I had a Cross Country meet that Monday and that Wednesday. Every night that week was a late night, especially the night I worked on the birth parent letter. That Wednesday's Cross Country meet was in Macon (2 hours away), which made for an extra long day. I took my lap top and narrowed down pictures on the way there and on the way back. That night was an all-nighter. The portfolio was finished around 7:00 that next morning. I then emailed it to our case worker for approval so that it could be printed that night after work.
The portfolio is all God - from start to finish - from white paper to green paper - from outline to binding ribbon. The earlier days of that particular week were extremely exhausting. I just couldn't stay up later than around 1:00. However, Wednesday was different. God just gave me the ideas and energy needed to complete the portfolio. I wasn't even tired. I sat on the floor of the baby room and worked and worked. Now, just so it's clear, Eric did help with the portfolio in other ways. I am the writer and creative project person in the family, so I volunteered to take on the writing and creative aspects of the task. In addition to having energy to stay up all night and actually think, God gave me the strength for work that Thursday.
After work that day, Eric and I went to Staples to have our portfolio printed (pictured to the left). 8 copies were made because there are 7 birth mom case workers and we also wanted a copy. We then went and picked out ribbon and scrapbook pages (the portfolios are bound in clear paper sleeves because many of the case workers put all the portfolios in a huge binder). We then went home to assemble the portfolios. Seeing the finished product was a relief and a blessing. We also couldn't believe that the time to turn in portfolios had finally arrived! We had been told for so long . . . wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . Turning in portfolios (pictured to the right) meant that birth parents would FINALLY get to know about us!
The following posts will feature the various parts of the portfolio so you can see what birth parents will see. As you see each page, pray for the birth parents who are seeking families for their adoption plans. Pray that God will give them wisdom. Pray that God will unite us with our future child in His perfect timing and that we will patiently pray in the meantime.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Count Down
We are counting down the days until this Friday, October 14th! This Friday is the day we turn in our portfolio so that it can be shown to birth moms! Please be praying for us as we finish our portfolio. Pray that God will give us the words, ideas, pictures, and creativity to make the portfolio He desires for us to make. Pray that our portfolio will be an encouragement to all those who read it. Pray that the case workers will know which birth moms to share our portfolio with. Pray for discernment for the birth moms as they make their adoption plans. Pray that God will also open up the time for the portfolio to be completed. We have a packed week ahead, so we definitely need God's help!
In preparation for our meeting Friday, we have continued the decoration of our baby room! Eric's mom spent this past weekend with us. She took us baby shopping, which included helping us pick out a crib mattress and gender-neutral crib bedding! We are so excited about the progression of the room because it allows us to include the baby's room in our portfolio! It is definitely a change for us to see a made-up baby bed! We are looking forward to seeing who God has picked out for us to parent! I enjoy going in the baby's room to pray over the bed, the room, and the child that will occupy them. We've waited so long, so we are ready for Friday to come!
Thank you, again, for your support and prayers!!! Subscribe to our blog via email! Type your email address in the blank to the left, and you will receive emails notifying you of new blog posts.
In preparation for our meeting Friday, we have continued the decoration of our baby room! Eric's mom spent this past weekend with us. She took us baby shopping, which included helping us pick out a crib mattress and gender-neutral crib bedding! We are so excited about the progression of the room because it allows us to include the baby's room in our portfolio! It is definitely a change for us to see a made-up baby bed! We are looking forward to seeing who God has picked out for us to parent! I enjoy going in the baby's room to pray over the bed, the room, and the child that will occupy them. We've waited so long, so we are ready for Friday to come!
Thank you, again, for your support and prayers!!! Subscribe to our blog via email! Type your email address in the blank to the left, and you will receive emails notifying you of new blog posts.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Progress!
Our 2nd mandatory meeting is next Friday, October 14th. That is the day we will turn in our portfolio and $1,300 for our portfolio to be shown to birth moms.
We are having a Premier Designs jewelry catalog show fundraiser this week to help bring in the remaining balance for our portfolio showing fee.
We have been very busy getting our support letters together. They were mailed out yesterday and today! Please be praying for God's financial provisions. There's no telling what the time line will be once our portfolio begins to be shown, so we are trying to raise our adoption fee of $13,000 by November 5th.
Please keep up the prayers. We desire for God to receive all the honor and glory through this process! Pray for our letters as they are received, for the birth moms, for our case worker, and for our future child.
We are having a Premier Designs jewelry catalog show fundraiser this week to help bring in the remaining balance for our portfolio showing fee.
We have been very busy getting our support letters together. They were mailed out yesterday and today! Please be praying for God's financial provisions. There's no telling what the time line will be once our portfolio begins to be shown, so we are trying to raise our adoption fee of $13,000 by November 5th.
Please keep up the prayers. We desire for God to receive all the honor and glory through this process! Pray for our letters as they are received, for the birth moms, for our case worker, and for our future child.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
More Baby Steps
August 26th marked another important date in our adoption journey. That special Friday was the day our new caseworker came to our home for a visit. Since Covenant Care is using our home study, this was a get-to-know-you visit. It was honestly like having a friend come over for some time to chat and catch up.
After hearing about one of the wonderful Covenant Care case workers, it was such a temptation to call the agency and request to have that individual assigned to our adoption. However, it was worth the wait to see who God assigned to us. Our case worker is from the same area in NC that we lived in for 6 1/2 years. She moved here 1 1/2 years ago, and we moved here 2 1/2 years ago. She attended a NC church that we know people from. She loves Jesus. She sees her birthmom caseworker job as a ministry. She has heard of our former NC pastor's wife. She formally worked at the NC adoption agency we were going to use if we had stayed in NC. She was at several NC adoption dinner banquets that we attended, but we never met there. Those kind of situations don't just happen. Those are circumstances that God orchestrates!
The visit with this new caseworker confirmed to us once again that pursuing this infant adoption is the direction God is leading us to go. She took time to explain the process to us again and answered our questions. We found out that we will rarely know about our portfolio being shown to birthmoms. In fact, we may not even know about it until we receive a phone call telling us to be at Covenant Care in two days for placement! We also learned that once our portfolio is shown the process could take as little as Christmas time or as long as next Christmas time.
As we have seen in our almost 9 years of marriage, God has perfect timing for everything. In His perfect timing we will be united with God's child for us!
So what's next? You guessed it . . . waiting and waiting and waiting . . . and fundraising and fundraising and fundraising. Our support letters will finally go out soon. We have another jewelry party fundraiser on Oct. 7th. Our portfolio needs to be made. Our portfolio will be turned in on October 14th (the day of our 2nd mandatory agency meeting). Once our portfolio is received with our $1,300.00 showing fee, birthmoms will be able to view our portfolio! Who knows what then!
In the meantime we have gained two important child items . . . a family vehicle and a baby bed! Eric was in a car accident several weeks ago which totaled his just paid off car! Since we had no choice but to purchase another vehicle, we decided on an SUV that has plenty of child space (the first time we weren't getting a vehicle just for us!). Eric's parents also came up last Sunday to celebrate Eric's birthday. They brought a baby crib with them! It was such a blessing to see Eric and his dad put the crib together.
Stay tuned for more updates. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. It is a blessing to know that so many people are rallied behind us on this adoption endeavor!
After hearing about one of the wonderful Covenant Care case workers, it was such a temptation to call the agency and request to have that individual assigned to our adoption. However, it was worth the wait to see who God assigned to us. Our case worker is from the same area in NC that we lived in for 6 1/2 years. She moved here 1 1/2 years ago, and we moved here 2 1/2 years ago. She attended a NC church that we know people from. She loves Jesus. She sees her birthmom caseworker job as a ministry. She has heard of our former NC pastor's wife. She formally worked at the NC adoption agency we were going to use if we had stayed in NC. She was at several NC adoption dinner banquets that we attended, but we never met there. Those kind of situations don't just happen. Those are circumstances that God orchestrates!
The visit with this new caseworker confirmed to us once again that pursuing this infant adoption is the direction God is leading us to go. She took time to explain the process to us again and answered our questions. We found out that we will rarely know about our portfolio being shown to birthmoms. In fact, we may not even know about it until we receive a phone call telling us to be at Covenant Care in two days for placement! We also learned that once our portfolio is shown the process could take as little as Christmas time or as long as next Christmas time.
As we have seen in our almost 9 years of marriage, God has perfect timing for everything. In His perfect timing we will be united with God's child for us!
So what's next? You guessed it . . . waiting and waiting and waiting . . . and fundraising and fundraising and fundraising. Our support letters will finally go out soon. We have another jewelry party fundraiser on Oct. 7th. Our portfolio needs to be made. Our portfolio will be turned in on October 14th (the day of our 2nd mandatory agency meeting). Once our portfolio is received with our $1,300.00 showing fee, birthmoms will be able to view our portfolio! Who knows what then!
In the meantime we have gained two important child items . . . a family vehicle and a baby bed! Eric was in a car accident several weeks ago which totaled his just paid off car! Since we had no choice but to purchase another vehicle, we decided on an SUV that has plenty of child space (the first time we weren't getting a vehicle just for us!). Eric's parents also came up last Sunday to celebrate Eric's birthday. They brought a baby crib with them! It was such a blessing to see Eric and his dad put the crib together.
Stay tuned for more updates. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. It is a blessing to know that so many people are rallied behind us on this adoption endeavor!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
1st Covenant Care Meeting
Our first Covenant Care meeting took place on August 19th. Several months ago August 19th seemed like it would never come! On the morning of the awaited August 19th, excitement brewed within us as we prepared to travel to Macon for this mandatory meeting.
Even prior to the meeting God was at work preparing the way. Eric was terribly sick last week which landed him in the ER on Thursday. Thankfully Eric's symptoms turned out to be severe dehydration resulting from a virus. Although very uncomfortable from hospital procedures, Eric was able to make it to the meeting. This meeting is only offered twice a year, so it was a big deal for us both to attend! That's a God event for sure!
The meeting was very informative. The 25-30 couples in attendance learned about Covenant Care's history, philosophy, ministry, goals, expectations, and process. Concluding the meeting was our case worker assignments - the moment we have been waiting for for months!!! We have been praying that God would place us with the case worker He wanted us to have, so it was a blessing to finally meet her. Our caseworker already seems to be a perfect fit for us - of course she is since God put us together! We told her about our completed and approved home study because we are ready to move forward to the next step in the process. She said she would contact us soon . . . soon it was!
We received an email last night from our caseworker! We will meet with her this Friday! Please be praying for our meeting. Pray that God will guide our conversation, that He will give our caseworker wisdom to know how to direct us, and that God will give us patience and guidance. Also be in prayer for the baby and birthmom that God is preparing us to meet.
Even prior to the meeting God was at work preparing the way. Eric was terribly sick last week which landed him in the ER on Thursday. Thankfully Eric's symptoms turned out to be severe dehydration resulting from a virus. Although very uncomfortable from hospital procedures, Eric was able to make it to the meeting. This meeting is only offered twice a year, so it was a big deal for us both to attend! That's a God event for sure!
The meeting was very informative. The 25-30 couples in attendance learned about Covenant Care's history, philosophy, ministry, goals, expectations, and process. Concluding the meeting was our case worker assignments - the moment we have been waiting for for months!!! We have been praying that God would place us with the case worker He wanted us to have, so it was a blessing to finally meet her. Our caseworker already seems to be a perfect fit for us - of course she is since God put us together! We told her about our completed and approved home study because we are ready to move forward to the next step in the process. She said she would contact us soon . . . soon it was!
We received an email last night from our caseworker! We will meet with her this Friday! Please be praying for our meeting. Pray that God will guide our conversation, that He will give our caseworker wisdom to know how to direct us, and that God will give us patience and guidance. Also be in prayer for the baby and birthmom that God is preparing us to meet.
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