New JOB?? :)

Where do I even start?? LOTS of things have changed around the McCall household that it's kind of hard to comprehend or see how we even got here. I don't really have any adoption updates, but we do have a completed home study which we waited THREE long extra months for waiting on my fingerprints (that I was never supposed to have to get in the first place... long story) but they finally came in at the very end of October, and we were ready to send in our dossier. That is until I went to make a copy of Alex's passport and he informed me that he lost it. So the new passport application has been sent in and we are just waiting on it to come in (hopefully soon b/c we paid for Expediated Shipping) to send in all our paperwork. Right now we are about 6 months behind what we had thought our adoption schedule would look like, and it is kind of frustrating since all of it could have been prevented on our end, but what can we do now? Fingers crossed that when we actually send in our paperwork, they don't return it all and say they need more updated copies. A lot of it we had done in the spring and that is what I'm afraid of. Oh well... it'll all come together. I plan on spending all of December and January applying for adoption grants. I was going to start last month, but with school being CRAZY, I just needed to wait until the semester was over and I could b r e a t h e. Did I mention that the semester is almost over?? At this time on Saturday I will be DONE! Done with my middle school certification to teach language arts and done with my first three hours of graduate school! For those who aren't aware, I'm working on my Master's in Library & Information Science at the University of Kentucky (go CARDS!!!) to become a School Media Specialist. I've really enjoyed this first class, and I can't wait to learn even more. 

Now on to my exciting news. I GOT A NEW JOB!! And I wasn't even looking for one! I'll rewind to November 1. I had just had the BEST day subbing for the sweetest 5th graders in Campbell County, and I guess I just came home in a really good mood and started browsing online (as I usually do in the evenings). There are so many different counties up here in NKY, and my online toolbar is full of links to different job posting sites for the various school districts. I guess I just randomly decided to see if there were any job openings at any of the three county libraries up here, and I came across this Children's Programming position in Kenton County. Many times when I read through job descriptions I can really relate to a handful of the bullets posted with that particular job. With this job,  I read through every single description of the position, and in my head I was screaming to myself, "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO DO!!!"

Late in the summer I had applied to a part-time position at a different library just to pick up some extra hours, but the hours were going to conflict with my field placement for my Methods class so I ended up not taking the job. But because I had applied to that job, I already had a cover letter and resume ready to go! I filled out the online application and just waited. About a week later (on the 8th) I received an email saying that they would like to interview me for the position. I've had about 3 interviews since I've moved up here, and every time I have gotten a call afterwards telling me that I had all the right answers, but they decided to go with another candidate. Heartbreaking experience if you've never gotten that call. So I expected I would be nervous, but I wasn't. I just told myself that I love what I'm doing now (subbing), and I'd be fine with continuing to do it. No pressure, right? So I printed off a few artifacts from my teaching portfolio to present during the interview, and I went and ROCKED IT. At least I think I did... in comparison to the interviews I had had previously with various school districts. It's much less intimidating to interview with two individuals than sit in front of a SBDM Council of 12 teachers. Much less intimidating. Anyways, I received another call back saying they would like to do a 2nd interview. I made a presentation of ideas for programming, presented it and then got the call that pending a drug and alcohol test, I had the job! Fast forward another week, and I'm sitting in my new office and chatting it up with my new coworkers. 

GOD, where did THAT come from?!

This job has been such a blessing to Alex and I already, and I can't wait for this finals week to be over so that I can just enjoy it. It kind of stinks having to come home and write papers when all you want to do is throw yourself into your "work." Can I even call it work? I get to plan literacy events with arts and crafts! More like FUN if you ask me. It is all the fun parts of teaching children that unfortunately get cut out of the school day because the government is shoving STANDARDS, STANDARDS and more STANDARDS down your throat. While I would love to be in a classroom eventually, now isn't the time, and I am okay with that. I was thinking about the Bible verse this morning that talks about how God will give you the desires of your heart. All this time I've been praying for a teaching position, when in reality, what I really wanted was everything that this new job is. I didn't even know the desire of my heart until I was given it and it was a perfect fit. It sounds so corny, but I'm thrilled. They are even going to pay for half of my grad school. What a financial blessing. Which leads me to....

How do you know if something is just a coincidence or God's intricate handiwork? I ask this not to question events, but I can't help but pose a possible sequence of causes and events in my mind. Is it a coincidence that the week after I decide to go back to waitressing (setting aside my college-degree pride) that I am blessed with this opportunity? It is a coincidence that I receive this job after mine and Alex's first (and very painful) week of strict budgeting, white envelope style? After we decided, in marital oneness, to not let emotion rule our spending habits, but that we were going to budget till our debit-card ever-reaching hands lost their muscle memory? It's hard to know. While we were always financially responsible, there was a lot of room for improvement (there always is) and we decided to tackle this issue head on, no cheating. Is it a coincidence that after all these things, I am blessed with this amazing job? I'm not sure. Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe it was the timing of it all. Maybe it was God teaching us that when He reigns over all aspects of our life, we are infinitely blessed. Maybe, just maybe. :)

So here are some before and after pictures of my new space. I dragged 4 bags and a mini-Christmas tree to my first official day at work {today}, and it's looking pretty cozy if I do say so myself. I feel like such a grown up. And this Louisville-longing heart is making itself a little more comfortable here in NKY. It's finally nice to have a place to belong and to pour my heart and passion into. Thank you to everyone who prayed for this job opportunity for me even though you didn't know what you were praying for a the time. I look forward to updating about my job, and I might even create a new blog strictly for story time ideas, etc. for other programmers. We will just have to see where this goes... Until next time! x o x o

Before

Before

My new co-workers are so sweet!

Purged my apartment! 

Almost settled in!

Just have to add some ornaments to my Christmas tree. So festive!

My inspiration. Pictures to remind me to seize the day, try new things, face my fears
 and appreciate all I've been blessed with. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish all my blog readers a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope it was a special time to make lots of memories with family. We had a great day, and hope and pray to have our little girl with us next year. Counting our blessings!

First Giveaway!!

In honor of my 24th birthday on Tuesday, I am giving away one free personalized canvas! The contest will begin on Tuesday at midnight, so bookmark this page and come back then to enter! Good luck to all my readers! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway Now I'm going to dream about eating these gorgeous cupcakes... 

Personalized Gift Idea!

Halloween is already over and the holidays are right around the corner. Are you looking for a personalized, handmade gift for a friend or family member? I am making various items that I will have for sale, and the first one available is listed below! It is a hand painted burlap canvas that can be personalized with any state, country or continent. It is outlined in polk-a-dots and the color of the dots can be changed according to preference. The ones below are white and silver. I can also put a pink or red heart around a specific city or area of your choice. Each canvas is $25.00 (shipping included) with discounts when you purchase more than one. As of right now I only ship to the U.S. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery! All proceeds will go towards our Ethiopian adoption. :)

Quantity

One Canvas $25.00 USD Two Canvases $40.00 USD Three Canvases $65.00 USD

Personalization

Remember THIS?

So I just wanted to post a couple pictures of our PUZZLE! No, I haven't forgotten about it. Promise! It is all put together, glued, and I have finally finished writing all the names on the backs of the pieces that were purchased. Thank you so much if you purchased a piece!! The puzzle looks really cool with all the names written on the back, and I can't wait to add more so that it can be finished & framed. There are still plenty more pieces waiting for names, so if you are interested in helping us raise $ to go towards our Ethiopian adoption, click on the PayPal link on the left hand side of the blog. Puzzle pieces are $5 each and all proceeds go towards bringing our baby (or not-so-baby) girl home. Also, feel free to share this blog link on your FB pages/Twitters/etc.! The more shares, the more quickly we will sell the rest of our pieces. :)

Mercy

I was reminded by one of my sister's Instagram photos today that 1 YEAR ago today I ran in my first 5k. Most of my friends run  half-marathon's/marathons so this isn't really a big accomplishment, but it wasn't how far I was running that mattered but what I was running FOR. I ran to support girls in crisis situations that are looking to the Lord for healing and redemption in their lives. I ran to support Mercy Ministries, an organization passionately devoted to helping bring wholeness to young women battling with some of the junk that just comes with life. Here's a brief statement that I took off of their website that goes a little bit more in depth to their mission...

"Mercy Ministries’ free-of-charge, voluntary, faith-based residential program serves young women from all socio-economic backgrounds, ages 13-28, who face a combination of life-controlling issues such as eating disorders, self-harm, drug and alcohol addictions, depression and unplanned pregnancy. Mercy also serves young women who have been physically and sexually abused, including victims of sex trafficking. Using proven methods, a holistic approach and professional counselors in a structured residential environment, Mercy has helped thousands of young women be restored to wholeness. Mercy’s goal is to help these young women find freedom from their issues and empower them to serve in their communities as productive citizens."

By the grace of God, last year we were able to raise over $600 for Mercy which was $100 over our original goal. Thank you to everyone who supported because not only were you supporting Mercy, you were supporting ME. It's so easy for girls that have a similar story as me to feel like an outcast. To feel like nobody is on their side, and last year it meant the world to me to have so much love and support coming from almost everyone I know. My story isn't one I typically talk about because it's just so draining to talk about... physically and emotionally. But what I know is that I've had so many one-on-one conversations with younger girls that hopefully I've been able to help or encourage in some way. Our Louisville pastor also told me last year that he was able to share my story at a CIY conference and had many girls respond and start speaking with youth leaders and counselors about what was happening in their lives. I wish I could have been there to talk to them... to tell them it gets better because it does. Mercy is an awesome ministry and there are always ways to support them prayerfully or financially. I may run another 5k in the future to help raise money, but for now consider giving by clicking on this link. I'm going to repost my support letter from last year below if you haven't heard my story or want to hear about how Mercy has impacted my life and the lives of so many others. Together we can make a difference... one person at a time.  

My biggest supporters... Love you all!

To my friends and family, 

         As I reflect over the first 8 ½ months of 2012, I realize how blessed I am to have experienced so many new and life-changing events. In the spring I completed 15 weeks of student teaching followed by a two week teaching trip to Belize followed by graduating from COLLEGE and vacationing in the beautiful state of Wyoming. Not to forget packing up our beautiful apartment and moving 90 miles north, near the bustling city of Cincinnati. After a “man trip” to Alaska in March, Alex was promoted and given his own Finish Line store to manage, a tribute to the hard work he put in for a year and a half at his store in Indiana.

         When I put it all together, I am just so thankful for everything God has blessed us with and all the memories he has allowed us to create together as a new family. If you had asked me a little over one year ago today, what our life would be like in this moment, I couldn’t have even come close to reality.

         The truth is, one year ago we were kind of in a rough spot. Experiences from my past were interfering with our present and I knew that I needed healing and peace that could only come from the Lord in order to wholly move forward with my life. Only a handful of people even knew about the rape I had experienced as a college freshman, and I was bound to keep it that way. The less people that had to know, the better.

         After trying to deal with it on my own for four years, I knew I needed to rid myself of all distractions and seek the healing that I trusted the Lord to provide. Mercy Ministries was a part of that healing process for me. Mercy is a Christian organization that provides residency, biblical counseling and support for young women choosing to deal with tough issues that they are experiencing in their lives. They have four campuses, which are located in Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana and California. Each girl goes through a voluntary but very lengthy interview process in order to be admitted into one of the Mercy homes. After doing some research, talking to a past resident and going to the Lord in prayer, I knew that Mercy was where I needed to be.

         It took a lot for me to swallow my pride and admit that I couldn’t do it on my own anymore and that I needed help. Even harder was the decision to leave my new husband for six months. What young bride envisions that for her marriage? Thankfully Alex was 100% supportive and promised to be there for me every step of the way. He was my family now and wanted what was best for me, and more importantly, for us.

         After weeks of filling out forms, sending in medical records and completing homework assignments, I finally had my phone interview, the last step before placement into a Mercy home. The interview went great and it was finally time to come clean to my friends and family that I wouldn’t be there for the fall semester; that I wouldn’t be graduating in the spring; that I wouldn’t be there for my 22^nd birthday, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Those conversations were the hardest. Not only were some people hearing my story for the very first time {as some of you are now}, but everything about our friendships was changing. How close of a friendship do you have when you don’t know some of the most important chapters in someone’s life? Those relationships were definitely being re-evaluated.

         Well I got the courage to tell the ladies group from church what was going on, and it was the most nerve-racking yet beautiful moment to have all my guards down and to see them wrap their arms around me in love and support. After that, sharing my story became a little easier each time I shared it with others. I now had accountability and a wonderful church family that was mindful in helping me heal. I quickly realized that with this community surrounding me, a community drive by faithfulness to the Lord, and having mine {and Alex’s} well-being at heart, maybe I didn’t need to leave after all. Maybe I didn’t need a Mercy residence but simply mercy from those closest to me. And that is exactly what I received. My Avenue church family sent checks to pay for biblical counseling even though I could have received free counseling at UofL. They understood the vital need of receiving healing from Jesus rather than from the sources recommended through secular counseling.

         Because of what they did for me, I can joyfully say that the Lord has 100% healed my heart and has begun to restore and redeem those days, months and years that I lost to fear, insecurity, anger and hate. One way that I am choosing to praise Him through all of this is by running in my first ever 5K on October 20^th. The 5K is in Nashville and it is called the Run for Mercy, put on by the Mercy Ministries foundation.

         While I never attended Mercy as a resident, Mercy played a huge part in my overcoming the silence of talking about what happened to me. Because Mercy had doors ready and waiting, I had the courage to apply and raise my voice a little louder. Mercy will always hold a special place in my heart and although I absolutely HATE running, I am willing to run for mercy. I am willing to run for other girls who in the future, or even right now, are feeling completely overwhelmed by the circumstances of their lives or the choices they have made. The girls at Mercy are truly seeking the Lord’s healing and redemptive power in their lives, and I am so grateful that I can be a part of that healing, no matter how big or small.

         The Run for Mercy is on October 20^th in Nashville, and I am looking for others who might want to join my team. The cost is $30.00 to register to run/walk on my team {McCall’s for Mercy}. If you are unable to participate in Nashville, there are also races in other US cities that you can check out at MercyMinistries.org or you could help Alex and I meet our fundraising goal of $500.00 by making a monetary donation of any amount. Any gift would be greatly appreciated and would directly help support the ministry and the girls receiving services and care by the Mercy staff.

         If you are unable to make a donation, I ask for your prayers: for me, my family, Mercy Ministries and the girls that live (or will live) in one of the Mercy homes. Our God is great, and never forget that his mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:23). Thank you for joining me on my run for mercy.

                                                      Sincerely,

                                                         Briana McCall 

                                                   { McCall’s for Mercy }

Natalie Grant - In The End (Official Video)

Natalie Grant sang this song at church today, and it was just an encouragement to me. Thought I would share it with everyone else who might need a little encouragement and hope! 

Re-Creation

When moving up to northern Kentucky, one of the decisions that I anticipated would be the most difficult, finding a new church home, actually was not difficult at all! Sometimes Alex has to work on Sundays, so we wanted to find a church that had a service early enough for him to be able to go to and then head straight to work. There were only two churches that had early services (8:30... yawn) and I was praying that one of them would be the perfect fit. There was a church only 1.5 miles from our apartment so we decided to check out that one first. It was The Bridge Community Church in Wilder, and honestly, we meant to look at other churches but we just never got around to it! The Bridge has been such a blessing in the past 1+ years we have been here, and we are blessed to call this place our church home.

When you've grown up in the church and attended private, Christian schools your entire life, it's easy to let yourself get into the mindset that you've heard it all. One thing that surprised me the most was that every time I heard our new pastor, Bo, speak, it was the gospel in a way I had never heard it before. It was such a fresh and unique perspective and that was new to me! I grew up at the same church my whole life and was involved in a church plant with people from my home church, so everything was so familiar and consistent... not a lot of change. After a few weeks at the Bridge, I really started to take notice of this pattern. Bo didn't just preach one amazing sermon and then the rest were "been there, heard that..." He consistently presented the gospel in a new light that challenged, convicted and guided me in my Christian walk.

Yesterday during church, we were learning about the purpose of the church... why it was created, and for some reason, everything I see and hear I somehow connect to adoption and this crazy process that Alex and I are going through. It's weird. It's different. To others it is not "normal." But our pastor made three points that just stuck with me.

Something even better than creation is re-creation. 

God created this beautiful world with these beautiful people. It's amazing and I notice this every time I see a beautiful sunset, take a nature walk or feel the seasons changing. The beauty of this world is beyond mere words. But when I look at what God has done in my life... how he has taken someone broken, hurting and in pieces that seemed impossible to put back together, and yet restored and redeemed me by only His power... now that is re-creation. That is what our God is best at. 

I think of that TV show, Bad Ink. People come in with these horrible tattoos. These things are permanent... never going away. Ever. Yet these tattoo artists are able to take something so hideous and horrible to look at and turn them into something crazy beautiful. What was there before never goes away, but it is used to create something that resembles nothing of it's former "glory." The old is restored and the new seems to have come out of nowhere. That is what God does in our lives, and that is what he can do through adoption. He can take something so broken and restore it. And he uses those in the church to do that. To go out to the least of these and embrace them in all of their mess and restore them to the people that He designed them to be... His sons and daughters. 

As impressive as creation is, what is more impressive is what He can do with something that is broken.

&

God created the church to be the agent of change to which the gospel is spread throughout the Earth.

The Church is who God called to "go to the orphans and widows in their distress." It's not a choice, it's a command. When we obey this command He has given his Church, WE are the agents in which the gospel is spread. It is a visible act. It is an intentional act. It is an obedient act. And I truly believe that one visible, intentional and obedient act sparks the desire for someone else to act in obedience as well. It's a chain reaction, and together, as a Church, we can be this agent of change. 

I really feel that someone reading this blog is considering adoption. It's probably a crazy idea floating in your head, but it's there for a reason. God is calling His church to unite and to ACT. One of the reasons Alex and I are adopting first instead of trying to get pregnant is because I know myself. I know that after having 2-3 kids, life gets CRAZY. I don't need to experience it myself to know that that is what will happen. Life will get crazy and things will get in the way. At that point, adoption will seem like a long lost dream. I don't want that. A year ago we decided that we didn't want to put adoption on the back burner only to look back at our life and see that we never followed through. Adoption isn't Plan B. It wasn't Plan B for God. It was His Plan A. See for yourself...

in love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:5-6

Adoption was His plan all along, and our plans should be His plans. Adopt. Foster. Counsel women considering abortion. Help a family that is fostering/adopting. Make His plans your plans too. It is the most visible, intentional and obedient thing you can do. I'm so thankful God adopted me, and I can't wait to welcome one of his sweet daughters into my family. It's been a whole year since we made this decision, and we are getting there slowly but surely. It's emotional. It's costly. It's time-consuming. But I know she is worth it. It is all worth it to advance the Kingdom and display His glorious works for all the world to see. 

If you would like to support Alex and I prayerfully or financially, we welcome that support with open arms! You can leave a prayer in the comment section or donate via our GoFundMe page. Click on the Fundraising tab at the top of our blog for the direct link. 

Are you willing to act? I encourage you to lay your fears aside and jump in. Let Him take control. His will is the most wonderful place to be. 

10,000

I just had to post really quickly and tell everyone that this blog has reached 10,000 views!! Holy cow, that's a lot! 10,000 seems like a recurring number here... hopefully within the next 10,000 views we will have raised $10,000. Maybe? :)

Kickoff!

To Kickoff this long journey of trying to raise $10,000 to help bring our daughter home from Ethiopia, we are going to give away handmade bracelets to the first 14 people who donate on our GoFundMe page. I started making bracelets last fall because I just wanted to do SOMETHING once we decided we wanted to adopt. We hadn't even heard back from our agency, but I knew we would need money and I thought a bracelet fundraiser would be perfect. To be honest, I forgot all about them once we started the Puzzle fundraiser, but they're here and will be mailed to the first 14 individuals to donate towards our adoption! To make a donation, click {here} and then send me a message with the address you would like the bracelet mailed to. They are all able to be cut to fit your wrist appropriately so expect it to be big when it arrives. All you have to do is tie the knot and then cut the ends off! Alex wore one for months until it naturally fell off, so I'm going to have to make him another one. They are such good conversation starters! I'm curious to see how much the first 14 donors will help us raise. Any amount between $1 to $10,000 will help us towards reaching our goal, so whatever you can give, we thank you. It really means a lot... more than you will ever know. If you are unable to give at this time, you can help us by sharing the link to this blog! We also have a Facebook page where people can follow our adoption journey. Social media is the BEST for things like this and the more we can get our story out there, the better. You never know who is out there looking to help other people. Thanks so much!!

Think Pink!

Yesterday I volunteered with many of my sorority sisters at the Bengals/Patriots game to help PINK it out for Breast Cancer Education & Awareness Month! It was a lot of fun, and we passed out 40,000 pink ribbons to fans before the game. I love October and seeing everyone in pink, and I just want to remind any of my female readers to schedule a mammogram appointment with your doctor TODAY if you haven't already had one this year. Staying on top of your health is crucial, and it can never hurt to go to the doctor and make sure everything is okay. If you have any questions about breast health, you can click {here} for some extra info. Also, be sure to save your Yoplait Lids (they must be pink!) because every one you save is money that goes towards finding a cure for breast cancer. Did you know that you no longer have to mail your lids in order to help raise money for this cause? All you have to do is redeem the code on each pink lid {here}... it's that easy! Remember... Zeta Tau Alpha & the NFL want you to remember to Think Pink ALL year long!

Why I Left Facebook

**If you're just now reading this... it's been a little over a month... you probably see that I've reactivated my FB page. I plan on writing about it, I just have been so busy with school. I have a feeling this whole FB thing will be an ongoing dialogue with my fellow bloggers! Stay tuned.**

I didn't really want to write this post because 1. I don't want people to feel like I am criticizing those who have Facebook accounts and 2. I feel like a hypocrite because Facebook and I have been in a relationship for six years. SIX years! Facebook and I have been together longer than my husband and I, and I anticipate that this is going to be a tough tie to break, WHICH is why I decided to write this blog post. I want to be able to look back and clearly see why I left... what were my reasons? Because Facebook and I have broken up before. It just doesn't help that it's so easy and so tempting to get back together. So without further delay, Why I left Facebook. {In no particular order}

1. It takes up so much of my time.

More than I'm willing to admit. Let's just say that I spend an hour a day on Facebook, and that's being generous. After 1 year, that means I spent 15 whole days of my life on Facebook. 15 DAYS! Since I've had a Facebook account for 6 years, I have spent (at least) 90 days of my life on Facebook. At least. That really bothers me for reason's I'll explain shortly. There is so much that can be done in 90 days. Even if it was 90 extra days of sleep... rest is good for the soul!

2. I feel like I'm overlooking those right in front of me.

Most of the times I use Facebook are when I'm bored... or waiting for something. Waiting at the doctor's office, waiting in line someplace, somewhere. I'm afraid that because of Facebook I've missed the opportunities to interact with the people that God has placed in my path for a reason. My excuse could be that I'm an introvert and I hate small talk and random conversations with strangers, but I'm not going to allow myself to make that excuse {any longer}. Not all human interactions are meant to develop into lifelong friendships. Sometimes God places the exact people in your path that need to hear what you have to say or vice versa. I've also toyed with the thought that maybe one of my Facebook friends needs to hear what I've got to say, but I'm willing to trust that God can reach anyone, anywhere in any way.

3. I'm jealous of those not on Facebook.

Okay, at first I'm mildly annoyed that I don't know what they're doing in life or what's going on, but then I realize that those thoughts are all about me and not about them at all. I'm just curious and nosy. Jealous of their privacy. It's one thing to be jealous of something someone has or something they get to do (though covetousness is still a sin), but to be jealous over something that you can easily attain with the click of a button and some self-control? What nonsense! There is a reason celebrities crave privacy. We all want it, and arguably need it to some extent.

4. I'm not in the physical shape I want to be in.

I'm not implying that being off of Facebook will automatically give me the body I want, but replacing my Facebook time with anything that doesn't involve sitting and staring at a computer, phone, or tablet screen is more healthy in general. And I've been that girl on my Facebook while running on the treadmill or elliptical at the gym. It doesn't work. Period.

5. I'm not as spiritually healthy as I want to be.

Remember the 1 hour a day time period spent on Facebook? I can't honestly say that I've spent an hour a day reading my Bible, praying or serving in such a way that models my Facebook use. Yet I feel so filled and ministered to during those moments I intentionally spend with my Savior. Those are the moments my soul longs for.

6. Face to face time is less meaningful.

I'm not saying it happens less often, I'm just saying that I've found it to be less meaningful. There are so many times where I've tried to share something about my day to someone and their first response is, "I know. I saw it on Facebook." The conversation stops there and then there is silence and a pause waiting for the next topic of interest. When those times happen it makes me regret my post because there's something about sharing a funny story or something that happened in your life to someone standing right in front of you.

7. November

Or should I say October? I don't know of anyone who likes to log onto Facebook during election season. It's hateful, friendships are damaged (or lost) and it's just a mess. If you're new to Facebook, just wait.

8. I've shared news on Facebook that I should have shared in person (or over the phone).

I'm part of the Internet generation, and technology is our way of life. It's a whole new world, and a new part of life that we are trying to learn how to manage. Regrettably, I've shared important news, like that we were adopting, over Facebook/my blog, that we should have waited to share until I had contacted all of our family. Maybe I was scared of what their reaction would be; maybe I just didn't want to spend all that time making phone calls. Whatever my reasons were at the time, I regret how some people found out, and I'm sorry. I'm sure I upset a lot of people and I want to do things differently in the future because I hope to have many years of exciting news to share. My generation... we're learning. Please be patient with us.

9. I don't want my kid(s) on Facebook.

No, I'm not saying I don't want them to have Facebook accounts when they turn 13. I mean that I don't want to post about them when I'm a mom. My parents didn't have Facebook when I was growing up, and I'm glad. I'm glad my childhood wasn't broadcast to hundreds of "friends" that probably wouldn't have cared about me anyways. Children don't have a say in what gets said about them, and once you put it on the Internet, it's there to stay whether you delete it or not. I'm not paranoid about online predators (they are out there) or people tracking online photos to your house (they can), but my childrens' stories will be theres to tell, not mine. I'm sorry if this is disappointing to those of you who have supported our adoption, but we will post as many or as few pictures as we decide, as parents, is acceptable. More importantly, we will be very cautious as to whom we share information with. If you supported us or are going to support us, you are showing that you trust our abilities as parents in providing a safe and loving home for our daughter. Thank you for that trust and support.

I'm going to pause and insert a word of advice to all of you reading. Please do not post any pictures of anybody else's children on the Internet without that parent's permission. I know I have done it in the past but over the past year I have tried to be extremely conscious of not doing that unless their parent tells me it is okay. I just know I would not feel comfortable if a friend, baby-sitter, anyone had pictures of my child floating around on their profiles. Print the picture out and give it to them the next time you see them. Those are more thoughtful and valuable than any online copy anyways. Back to my original reason for writing... :)

10. I get to develop real friendships.

I have a good idea of who my true friends are. They're the ones I see and hang out with outside the Facebook world. Those are the friendships I want to continue to invest in. Those are the people I want to surround myself with. As human beings, we aren't meant to keep in touch with everyone we've ever met. People are in our lives for seasons. They're not meant to be there forever. Part of life is letting go and moving on. Sometimes we don't want to because of a happy memory or experience. Sometimes we want to run away, but we can't because of how interconnected social media is. I'm choosing to let relationships go. Some I don't want to, but I need to. I can't maintain them all, and I don't want to. Here's to letting go and no more awkward moments of seeing a Facebook friend out in public and going out of my way to avoid them because it's a super awkward situation.

...

So I probably have a lot more reasons why I left but this has been a really long blog post, and I'm tired of writing. Facebook world, I'll miss you for a little bit, but I have a feeling I won't really in the long run. Yes, I will still have this blog. I hope you come back and check up on how things are going with the adoption. If you ever need to get into contact with me, just leave a comment, send me an email or give me a call. I'd love to hear from you. Again, thanks for reading, bookmark this page and come back soon.

Summer is Almost Gone!

Hello September! Summer is almost gone, and I just wanted to share one of my favorite memories from this past summer. Alex and I went to Panama City Beach in July, and one of the big things that we did was that we went swimming with dolphins! We actually did this twice... with dolphins who were rescued and living at a marine park and then with dolphins in the wild. We didn't really get any good pictures of the dolphins in the wild, but the best ones we have are on Instagram. The lovely staff at Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach had a photographer to capture the moments we spent with our dolphin, Maya. Even though it was pouring rain and on the verge of a thunderstorm, Alex and I really enjoyed the time we spent in the pool with Maya, swimming with her and letting her show off all her cool tricks. Here are some photos that the photographer was able to snap, rain and all. {black & white effects were my doing}

A Small Look at Some Adoption Stats

I found this graphic very interesting and thought I would pass it along! At our yard sale, almost every single person that I talked to had a connection to adoption in some way. I heard so many stories of families adopting, friends adopting, both domestically and internationally. It blesses my heart that so many people see adoption as a positive choice to make families. :)

Progress

While we are waiting on my fingerprint results to come back for our completed home study, I have made progress with the puzzle! I just got the new one in the mail TODAY and couldn't wait to start working on it. This one is so much easier. THANK YOU ALL. :)

The border is now complete, and I started writing names on the back of the pieces. I couldn't get a picture of the names without messing it up so I'll have to do that when Alex is here with me to make sure it doesn't fall apart.

I was debating on getting two 500 piece puzzles because we have just hit 500 puzzle pieces sold, and I thought 1,000 was too big of a number, but then I remembered my God is a big God and with His help we can sell 1,000 pieces! So far we have sold exactly 505 puzzle pieces and that is over half our goal! Thank you to those of you who purchased pieces. Hopefully we will sell the remaining 495, and even though that feels like such a big number, I know that it is possible. So if you're interested in purchasing a puzzle piece, click on the PayPal button on the left side of the blog! Check back for more updates... I update our Adoption Timeline section more frequently than I write longer posts.

Also, please pray for our future daughter! Pray for her health and safety. I can't wait until we have a face and name that we can specifically pray for, but until then, I'll keep dreaming. :)

Elephants it is!

You all have spoken, and elephants it is! I just placed the order, and the new puzzle should arrive within the week. I can't wait to start this one! I promise I won't give upon this one. No excuses! :)

New Puzzle!

Remember the puzzle from this post? Well... I think we were a little over our heads! Every piece is BROWN! And I love brown! It's a neutral... earthy... matches everything. Which makes an all brown puzzle really really hard to put together! So I am giving my blog followers the chance to vote on a new puzzle that I will buy at the end of the week. These are the three different options! Leave a comment below indicating which puzzle you like and that will count as 1 vote. Buy a puzzle piece and leave a comment in the "add message" section and that will count as 5 votes. (Hey... we're still trying to sell pieces!) :)

Option #1:
"Waiting for the Bus" by Julia Cairns

Option #2:
"Elephant Family" by Tinga Tinga

Option #3:

"Tree of Life" 

As you can see, these puzzles have a lot more design and color that will help assembly be a little bit easier. Please vote below or purchase a puzzle piece (or pieces) using the PayPal button on the left side of our homepage! Thank you in advance for being a part of our journey! 

Yard Sale Weekend Update!!

Whew! I haven't worked as hard as I did this weekend during our yard sale ALL SUMMER! I ended up getting to Louisville a little later than I had hoped, but it was for a good reason. I had thought that my fingerprint background check from last year would be recent enough for our home study, but our agency wanted me to redo my fingerprints, and an appointment opened up early Thursday morning! So I went to that and then packed up my car and headed to Louisville. I had a big to do list for Thursday night since I hadn't been in town to price everything although I had spent the week before Florida trying to organize all of our items, and boy were there a lot. My mom kept telling me that I needed to find some card tables to use because of all of the donations we had, and I didn't understand what she meant until I arrived home and saw all of the stuff piling up my parent's living room, dining room, back bedroom, basement and garage. The house was literally overflowing.. in a good way! My sister did a great job gathering donations and card tables, and I couldn't have done any of this without her. We started pricing clothing items and after a few hundred pieces, called it a night and vowed to wake up super early to finish. The yard sale was scheduled to begin at 8am so I woke up at 4:30 to start setting up. Yes, I typed that correctly! 4:30am came very quickly! I can honestly say that for 3 hours we were just bringing items outside and never stopped... not even once! Early birds were wanting to shop early, but we had to have them wait because all my help was about to leave at about 8:30, and I couldn't do it alone! Here are some pictures from our yard sale on Friday.

Because it was a weekday, my mom, dad, and sister were working, but my brother was able to help out all day, and my mom arrived around 10am (she works night shift). Once my mom got there, we started bringing more items out to sell. We kind of got into a routine. One person would watch the money box and help customers, one person would bring stuff outside to sell and the last person would price the items and organize them on the tables. We literally did not stop bringing stuff outside until 6pm. And when we closed up shop at 7pm that night we still had rooms of donations still inside. I really want to say thank you to everyone who donated items because without you, this whole sale would not have been possible. Want to know how much we made on Friday? Drum roll..... $560.20! In one day! I was amazed and thankful and so ready to get some rest and get ready for Saturday... the biggest yard sale day of them all! 

5am came super early on Saturday, and just like the morning before, we started setting up. The easier part about setting up on Saturday was that the day before my mom had cleaned out the garage (long overdue) and we were able to keep some of the tables set up with the items on them to make the set up process easier. We still had a lot of items inside, and we kept bringing those out over the course of the day! So many people that stopped by Friday stopped by again on Saturday and were confused. One lady even asked, "Are these all new items?!" We laughed and said, "yes," because we weren't even able to get everything outside on Friday. I didn't take any pictures on Saturday because we were so busy, but we DOUBLED the money that we made on Friday! We made over $1100 dollars on Saturday for a grand total around $1650! The funny thing was that we really weren't selling a lot of furniture which goes for higher dollar amounts at yard sale. We had a couple pieces but not a lot! We did have a few ladies that stocked up on clothes and spent over $100 on clothing items priced anywhere from 25 cents to $5.00. We were very thankful for their business! 

I acually do have ONE picture from Saturday. It started to rain a little bit, so we put up a tarp to cover all of the items. We got a laugh at watching people try to shop in the rain. Hey... those yard salers are committed! 

So on Saturday people kept asking us if that was our last day, and I kept thinking about it and thought of all the stuff we still had to sell and how not having the sale on Sunday would be a waste of an opportunity. I mean, the two days we had already done turned out fabulous, so why shouldn't we have the sale on Sunday as well? So we loaded up everything into the garage, I treated my family to dinner as a thank you for all their help, watched a movie as a family and headed to bed to rest up for Sunday. 

After Saturday, we had finally been able to get everything out of the house and available for purchase. Here are some pictures of our sale from Sunday! 

Alex was able to come down on Saturday evening, and he did a great job organizing all of the tables. All of us were burnt out on making the tables look nice, so he took over that job for us! Sunday was very, very slow, and I didn't think it would be very busy, but I thought we would have more people than we did. We made around $150-$175 which was still worth it, and we started packing everything up at 4pm. The biggest part of Sunday was trying to figure out what to do with everything that didn't sell! We ended up taking all of the books to Half-Price and we made $30 there. We took a big box of clothes to Plato's Closet and made $50 there as well! We donated NINETEEN bags of clothes and household items to LifeBridge Warehouse at Southeast which was a blessing because we were able to give back at the end. People were giving to help us and we were able to help pass along that blessing to others! I also took a box of children't clothes to a children's consignment shop and a few tubs of nicer clothing to a consignment shop down the street from me. All of the money that we make there will go towards our adoption as well! 

So in total, we made about $2,000! It was such a great weekend, and I'm so thankful for everyone who donated items, tables, or participated in any way. We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you to my family who spent an entire weekend helping Alex and I. It was so much work, and we are so thankful for all of your help. And thank you to those who stopped by and purchased items! I hope you are enjoying your spoils as much as I am enjoying mine! Yes... of course I went shopping at my own yard sale. I love a good deal! Here are some of my spoils. 

Lastly, but most importantly, thank you to God for showing up. Thank you for your church coming together to help orphans and those called to give them families. Thank you for your provision, your perfect timing and your love and grace over our lives each day.