Ever think of adopting an older child?

Hey everyone I was contacted this weekend about a little girl

that is in urgent need to find a family to avoid being placed

into foster care.  She is a 7 1/2 year old beautiful little girl

who has had a rough start in life.  It is recommended that she

be the youngest child in the home.  The state is not involved

so it could be a quick adoption with just an adoption attorney

needed. Just message me for more info and pictures at 

 growingwithjoy@yahoo.com

Let's all pray for this sweet little girl to feel God's arms

around her in this time and pray that the family meant for

her comes forward quickly.

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Patience

God is really trying to teach me something

There are so many things up in the air right now, good things,

fun things but they can't seem to happen fast enough.

They are out of my control and there is nothing I can do to

speed up the process.

Anyone who knows me knows I like to do things fast. 

Once I make a decision I work non-stop to complete the task. 

Very soon I will know what God has planned and I am sure it

will be so much more then I could have imagined. 

Continuing to trust in him.  I know his "slow" timing is for a

reason.  I have been growing so much closer to him during

this time of trusting and praying.  Praying for so many friends

waiting for there adoptions to be complete, praying for so

many people suffering right now going through some of the

hardest times in their lives and giving praise for all the

answered prayers I see and hear on a daily basis. 

He never ceases to take my breath away.

Meanwhile I am loving life and who I get to share it with.

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Our Agency

Would you believe that these pictures were taken a few days

ago?

And then I took this picture just a few minutes ago

Where has spring gone?

Are all of you having the same crazy weather?

Many of you have been asking me who my adoption agency

is.  I can't believe I haven't mentioned it before because I love

them and I literally just stumbled into them by accident and

by accident I mean God's perfect plan {grin}

Do you remember when I posted this. 

We were worried that our social worker wouldn't release our

original home study to an out of state agency so I called

around to a few agencies in Illinois to see if we could work

with them.  I briefly talked to Jane at Family Resource Center

about our options.  They were one of many agencies I called

that day.  Little did I know that the home study hiccup was all

in God's plan.  Always remember when you are asking

yourself "why am I going through this?"  That it may be

leading you to something better then you could have ever

imagined.  If I would have never made that 5 minute call I

would have never met my 3 precious treasures. 

Family Resource Center has gone above and beyond what I

would have expected.  They truly care about us almost like

an extended family.  They go out of their way to do what is

best for all family member's involved.  This includes their

birth mom support.  Jane loved my children and fought for

them and worked tirelessly so that they could stay together

and have the love of a family even when there were a couple

families that backed out. 

During the long week that I knew they were mine but I had to

wait on paperwork to get settled so they could move in, she

immediately made us feel like their parents filling me in on

where they were and how they were being cared for.

On a professional level they get all the necessary paperwork

done quickly and efficiently.  I have there personal cell #'s.  I

literally never wait more then a couple hours for an answer

to a question.  If any of you are thinking about adoption I

highly recommend FRC and for any of you that are out of

state or are looking for a fast infant adoption of a biracial or

African American infants I would highly recommend Faithful

Adoption Consultants and heart to heart.   I was working with

them before I connected with FRC.  I was very happy with

their passion for adoptions and their quick match time.  After

they heard about our match with FRC they were so loving

and excited for us.  Courtney with Faithful adoption

Consultants actually called me as soon as she heard just to

encourage and pray for me.  I promise if you work with any

of these companies you will be in very good hands.  Before I

got matched with my kids I asked all kinds of questions to all

kinds of people so if you have any questions don't hesitate to

shoot me an email at growingwithjoy@yahoo.com

Their are so many kids our there waiting for their forever

family.

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Safe in his arms

I love this picture of Zoe and Eli.  There is nothing quite like

being all safe and warm in our father's arms.

Today at 1:15 there is an important meeting going on. 

I would love for you to pray. 

Pray for the meeting and pray for all the paper work being

filed.  Pray it ends up in the right hands and that it's filed

correctly.  There is so much up in the air about benefits the

kids may or may not qualify for. 

All of this has to be squared away before we can finalize. 

I get chills just thinking about finalization day.  I can't wait!

These benefits would make a huge difference in how we

could provide for the kids.  

So we are  trusting and praying.  

Since we committed to the kids

God has provided for us in more ways then we could have

imagined so we know either way God will take care of all of

our needs.  God knows what he is doing we are just like Zoe

being held in his arms.

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Skipping my Shower

Just put these two down for a nap and the other 3 are at

school.  This is usually my time to take a shower but today I

just couldn't get something out of my mind. 

It is something I have been wanting to post for awhile but I

always seem to be so busy or to tired at the end of the day to

write.  I have so many people say to me:

"You went from two potty

trained kids to 5 over night, you are crazy!" 

or

"you must really love kids" 

This is usually

not meant as an insult but just more amazement that

someone is crazy enough to commit to something like this.  I

really do think most people in our lives don't get it and really

think we are crazy.  I know where they are coming from.  A

couple years ago before Eli and I made the commitment to

adopt I would have never in my wildest dreams thought that

we would adopt three kids at once.

I even had some Christian's who are very close to me

say right before the kids moved in

"so your really going through with this"?  "I

am worried about you and how it will change your life if

you commit to this."

"Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean you have to

adopt."  "Why didn't Jesus adopt?"

I could go on and on with quotes. 

Everyone worrying for me, but no one worrying for the three

children that had no where to go. 

How does that make sense.  Praise the Lord that we said yes

because our lives are so full and so blessed because of these

three.  Ayla would have never met her best friend if we

had said no.  We have never been happier as a family.

Why do we want to live our normal life and be left alone. 

That is not what God calls us to do.  We should be reaching

out to the world and showing God's love. 

Most of us Christians (including me) Just want to live a life

like the rest of the world and then go to church on Sunday.  I

am not trying to sound judgy I promise.  I am so, so, so guilty

of this. Eli and I didn't have some extra patience, super

power or a huge savings to be able to take on this job.  We are

just normal people that said yes to what God called us to do. 

I know God is calling me to do more though. 

He is calling all of us to do more. 

I have felt so guilty this week as I

planned a vacation for my family and have a pantry stocked

with food. Why has God blessed my family so much when

their are so many other families suffering in Japan and all

over the world?  There is so much more that I can do.

Praying that God shows me.

 I am not saying go out and adopt three kids. 

But what can you do? 

I promise when we say yes to God's calling for us he will

provide and give you the strength you need to fulfill that

calling.

We are so blessed

Just think if we all did something a little "crazy" for Jesus. 

Remember we are the only ones here to show God's love and

there are so many people out there that need it.

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Macaroni

This little giggle box

{If you could hear the giggle that comes with this smile you would melt}

She is such a picky eater

I mean the worst I have ever seen

She wants and craves junk

Before she came to our house she was used to soda and fast

food at just 6 months old so she hasn't been to happy with the

healthier options I have been offereing her. 

This face below cracks me up because it is the same look she

gives me when I try to shove some veggies in her mouth.  She

will close her mouth as tight as she can and give me that look

"yeah right I am not going to put that in my mouth"

Let me tell you Zoe has more personality then most adults I

know.  Oh I love her!

So last night I made an exception  we had macaroni and

cheese with our dinner.  Zoe wasn't even trying any of the

food I had for her and she was screaming at all of us to

share.   So I decided why not I would make an exception and

scooped some Macoroni on her plate.  She ate and she ate

like I haven't feed her anything for the last 4 months. 

 Can you tell she loves macaroni?

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And the Winner is........

Yay Joy!  

I think it is kind of appropriate that you won {grin}. 

Just let me know what you would like and your

address and I will get it out to you. Message me at

growingwithjoy@yahoo.com

Excuse Jackson's grouchy expression he was really excited

because he thought I was bringing him a bowl of popcorn and

disappointed and confused as to why I wanted him to grab a

piece of paper out of it.

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