The Beginning

Our adoption story began like so many other families.  We wanted to expand our family and we felt God telling us we were going to expand through adoption.  When we first started the adoption process we picked a country and then an agency.  After that we did what most people will do and looked at the price tag.  The very big price tag (it was hard to see much but the price at this point).  This occurred for us at the end of 2007.  We set down for a budget meeting as we do every year to plan for the year to come.  I wasn't aware until after we looked at the numbers just how much of an underdog we were in this race.  We were a single income family of three living in the midsouth.  After the budget meeting I remember looking at Chad and saying, "so if we continue to live the way we live on the income we have, it will take 10 years to be able to afford this adoption."  This was a hard pill to swallow.  I was certain that God was calling our family to adoption and new we must do anything to do it.  At this point so many questions and concerns began to enter my thoughts.  I am sure that many of you who have had some experience in the adoption process have felt this heavy burden.  Why would God call us to do something that seemed so out of reach?

Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race that marked out for us"

My daily prayer became for God to show us the way.  I wanted it to be clear that this was the past for us and that God was going to show us how to stay on this path.  I did not think I was going to have a "burning bush" moment or that miraculously a large some of money was going to appear in our bank account during the night.  I do believe God still performs these  so called "burning bush" moments but then what would I learn.  Chad and I often have to learn things the hard way (I guess Nolen's apple didn't fall too far from the tree).  I began to learn how to cut things from our budget that I could control.  Such as groceries, household products, and cable television.  Instead of instant money God used this opportunity to teach me about stewardship.  He began to show me ways to stretch that dollar.  

My first way that I stretch our dollar will be coming on Wednesday.  Yes, I make my own Laundry Detergent.

A picture of our family at this time in our life.

Why Now???

Why now have I decided to share this part of the experience with others?  For so long I felt that how Chad and I were able to afford adoption was only our business.  Nobody had ever asked me how much it cost to give birth to Sadie, or if our insurance covered the birth,  so why do people care how much it cost to bring our Nolen home.  Over that past six months I have learned of so many people who are interested in adoption but just can't move past the sticker shock.  Unless you are one of those celebrities who are making international adoption the thing to do adoption is a large financial hurdle.  I hope many of you find this encouraging and proof that you can afford an adoption.  The only thing it takes is faith in our God.  Along this journey I will share with you many of the verses that guided through the process.  The first is Phillipians 4:19

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  

Through out the process God taught our family numerous things.  I would recommend to those of you who are entering or who are in the process of adoption to journal what you have learned and how God has provided for you.  These post will be revisions of my personal notes to myself during this journey.  Reviewing my notes from our journey to bring Nolen home is an important process for my family right now.  Once again we are feeling God is calling us to expand our family.  To our friends and family, no this is not an official announcement, we are in the beginning prayer stages.  However, remembering how the Lord took care of us on our first adoption will be encouraging for our future expansion.  

New Direction for the New Year

First I want to say thank you for all of my followers. In the past this blog has been a way for you to follow the step by step process of our adoption and the crazy life that followed. Over the past few months I have had many families tell me they would love to adopt but just don't think they can afford it. This year I want to turn this blog into a how we did it guide to other families interested in adoption. Yes I am one of those crazy coupon ladies at the grocery store with her binder and hundreds of coupons but there is much more needed than a .50 coupon in order save for an adoption. I hope you will follow this interesting and entertaining journey with us. God has taught me much the last few years and I look forward to the opportunity of sharing it with you.

Life is Busy with a 2 and 3 year old

Hey everyone,

I know it has been a while since I have posted. Things are going great in Thompsons Station. Our little Nolen has started potty training. No one is as happy as momma. I can't wait to kiss diapers goodbye. He has been very easy to potty train compared to Sadie. I think I was due an easy one. It took Sadie between 6 and 9 months to potty train. It has taken Nolen a week to get as far as it took her 6 months to get. I know this is not the recommended time of the year to do this but since we have had 6 snow days already we have been staying home a lot. We are getting tired of snow around here. Today we had our 3rd big snow of the year. The kids aren't even asking to go play in the snow, I think they are over it. Sadie is enrolled in preschool 2 days a week and loves it. Snow days around here are not as appreciated as they will be when the kiddos are older. I hope school is in on Thursday.