What to Do With All of Those Adoption Tees!

I have a growing, not-so-mild obsession: Adoption Tees.

Because I want to help bring peanuts home. Because I love talking about adoption. Because why wear any ole shirt when you can purchase one that will change the World. Because I want to be a walking billboard.

I think many of you are with me on that. :) Sooo, what to do with your treasure adoption tees as they wear out...or as you just need a reason to need more?!? Because you know you could never send those priceless pieces of cotton to the rag bag.

My friend Rachel makes lovely quilts out of tee shirts. It works like this....you send her your old tees...and in a few weeks, you receive a beautiful, one of a kind, comfy, cozy, keep as a family heirloom, tell all your grandkids about those adoption shirts.....Tee Shirt Quilt.

How neat would it be to have a quilt made out of all the adoption tee shirt fundraisers you bought to help bring home children from your child's orphanage. Your peanut could sleep under these reminders of her little friends....who are now also at home with their forever family. Have shirts left over from your fundraiser??? Kids outgrown their shirts??? I love this idea!

Head on over and check out Rachel's talent HERE at "Little Spinney". Then go grab up your adoption tees......and place a few orders for new ones! :)

Cornrows...Kindof

I have been eager to try my hand at some "hair care", and Evangeline has been begging to wear beads like her ballet friends...so last night we decided to try out some cornrows. We realized a few facts:

* Corn Rows take a substantial amount of time
*Corn Rows take a lot of patience
* I have no idea what I am doing
* Evangeline's hair was not designed for this :)

She...was THRILLED with the results. I think we have a new evening routine. That is just fine with me :)

An Opportunity to Love

I met a young lady today.

I have seen this girl before, she works as a cashier at WalMart. Bitterness, frustration and anger paint her face. She hastily does her job....seemingly eager for the moment when she can clock out. No kind word, no small talk..she mutters only a trained, "Have a nice day", as you leave. To be honest, I have avoided her lane on more than one occasion. Today, as I neared the checked out, the Lord gently tugged at my heart, "Go to her. Love her." Quite hesitantly, the kids and I rolled up to her register. I said, "Hello!" and began to try some small talk. She did not reciprocate.

And then I noticed something...... this young girl was pregnant.

My heart stung, my criticism melted.

This could be my child....this could be our birthmother.

For a few minutes, the Lord gave me the opportunity to love that young momma; to speak kindly and with respect, to appreciate the work she was doing, to silently pray for her. I have no idea what the future holds for this young lady and her child..... but I cannot remove her face from my mind. What pain is she feeling? What paints the anger on her face?

Adoption is about loss. In a domestic adoption....that loss looks quite different than an international adoption. Almost never has the child lost his parents...rarely is the birthmother dying from AIDS. The country is not starving, public schools are on every corner and WIC programs in every town. The loss of our adoption will be the deliberate choice of a birtmother...to make a plan of adoption for her child, out of total love and self sacrifice for that child. To feel the loss of a baby because she desires that child to be raised in a two parent home, stable and full of love and protection. I am humbled by this love and courage.

The Lord has begun a deep work in my heart for birthmothers. I cannot even articulate what is going on, but I feel the effects of His chiseling away at the rough edges of my heart, pouring His love in. Oh, for more of that love!

For a few moments, I had the opportunity to show a bit of His love to that young girl....and I want to do that again. I am eager to go back to her lane, to not avoid her but to search her out. Not because I want to encourage adoption on her....not because I want her child....but because I love Jesus. Here stands a young lady, angry and frustrated, and here stand I. I do not know a day when I was not loved and cared for. I do not remember a day when I did not know the Lord....that is an indescribable privilege....one which I am responsible for.

Each day we move closer to being homestudy approved, closer to being profile ready, closer to being "paper pregnant". For us, that does not mean receiving a number or the beginning a countdown. It means there will be birthmother, sitting across from a caseworker, making the most difficult decision of her life. She will look though profiles, pictures and letters from prospective families for her child....and one day, ours will be placed in her hands. May we not approach that day without praying for each lady who will see our faces, who will read our letter. May in some small way may we "love on" each birthmother through that profile. I know, when the birthmother comes along that He has chosen for us, the child that He knows will be ours....that will be a day of great celebration....yet for one braveheart, a day of loss. May the Lord fill us with His love and compassion for this young lady!

UPDATE....Now $15 Dress Sale!!!!

Time for a little sale! These dresses are all in Easter prints...perfect for upcoming egg hunts and spring picnics. Turtlenecks fit well under these dresses if the weather is chilly. The dresses are NOW DOWN TO $15 EACH! (plus shipping). They are made and ready to ship.... first come first serve. Email me (jubug231 @ aol .com) if you would like to purchase one!

From Left to Right....(in the above picture!)

Size 1- Pastel Seersucker Ruffle Sundress-Sold!

Size 2- Flower Baskets Blue Ruffle Sundress-Sold!

Size 2- Easter Bunnies Flitterbug Dress-SOLD!

Size 2-3- Easter Chicks Ruffle Sundress-SOLD!

Size 3- Easter Eggs Mulit Flitterbug Dress-SOLD!

Size 3- Bunny Stripes Flitterbug Dress-SOLD!

Size 4- Easter Bunnies Flitterbug Dress

Size 5- Flower Baskets Pink -SOLD!

Domestic Agencies Who Need Families For AA Babies!!

Since learning about the great need for families for African American children within the States...I have been doing a lot of research on domestic agencies. Basically...all domestic agencies have a need for families for AA children. (I won't get on my soap box about that...at least not now!) Most agencies have fund a large portion of AA adoptions, therefore making your total cost lower. I dream of the day when ALL children are highly sought, making all domestic adoptions the same price, not having to "lure" families by lower fees!Here are a few of my "favorite" domestic agencies:

Covenant Care: this is the agency we are working with, and my family has a long, close relationship with this ministry, so I'm kind of partial. (And on a selfish side... don't everyone sign up and lengthen our weight time. :) Just kidding. I know God will bring us the birthmother He has planned, the baby He has knit together at the perfect time He sees fit (even if all you adoption lovin' families are on the list!) ....man it want it to be now! :)It's about families for children, not just children for families! I love Covenant Care and the respect and love they have for birthmothers. Most CC adoptions are semi-open. *** You may want to note that AA birthmothers prefer to choose AA families...and families that live within the state of Georgia****

Christian Adoption Services: This agency does both domestic and international adoption. Again...many AA children need homes! CAS deeply cares for the well being of birthmothers. Very impressed with them.

Nightlight Christian Adoptions: I am very impressed with this agency..and how neat is this?!? They do embryo adoptions. If you have every wanted to save a "snowflake" baby from termination.... here is a great agency for you! Hum....embryo adoption....might need to start talking to hubby about that one :)

Open Door Adoptions: They have an URGENT need for families to adopt AA babies and there is currently a very short wait time on having a baby placed in your home.

Bethany: if we choose to put our profile in the hands of more than one agency.... this is another agency we will contact! Again, they have a great need for families for AA babies. One of the most reputable domestic/international agencies around!

Colorado Christian Services: based in CO, put places babies in all 50 states. A great agency..with a need for AA placements. This agency obviously cares deeply for birthmothers.

Georgia Agape: In GA, but places in all states. They believe "every child deserves a family"...love that!

Christian Family Services: based in FL...but places all over the nation. A reputable agency.

Adoption Associates: they have a great, immediate need families. Babies are soon to be born, and
need a family! If you are homestudy ready...please consider contacting them. I cannot imagine what a birthmother must feel when she has so very few profiles to choose from!


Kenny and I have been blown away by the response we have received on our domestic adoption. I have been flooded with emails of people wanting to know more... and am praising the Lord for it. I never imagined that He may use us in some teeny tiny was to advocate for African American children and to advocate for the rights and love of birthmothers...but daily He is making that possible. I find myself lifting my hands in praise to Him! I love talking adoption, mommying and family. I pray some of you may search these links, find an agency that stirs your heart..and begin the process of bringing your child home!

If you are in the domestic process...be sure to go here and leave your link so that we can all connect!

Leave Your Blogging Link!

Since starting the domestic adoption process, I have noticed that the support system with the blogging world for domestic adoptions is not the same as the international process. Sooo, I am trying to find a way to change that! There are many emotional ups and downs, unknowns, lack of a timeline and other variables that come with a domestic placement. I hope this site can serve as not only a place for domestic families to meet and encourage one another, but also a site where we can help to find not just children for families, but a family for every child!

Check out "Families for Domestic Adoption" here and leave the link to your blog so we can get a support system going!!!

2 Years Ago Today....

Two years ago today, the Lord blessed our family with Samuel Elias. The day of his birth was very different than when Evangeline and Landis were born. It took a lot of heartache, pain, waiting, doctor's visits, ER visits, tears, phenegran, zophran, sonograms, castor oil (ha-ha, it did not work!) fainting and hemorrhaging to get him here....and it was worth every minute! Samuel shocked us at weighing 8lbs, 11 oz. Our sweet little lard bucket!(Ugh...I'm looking rough. Think I was questioning the sanity of another natural labor at this point :)

Samuel has been a joy, delight and challenge from the start! He is our wild child. He manage to loose, break or eat everything he can get his hands on. A little firecracker, Samuel is my "heart attack a day" baby. He bumps, bruises, cracks, falls and crashes constantly! I have enjoyed every minute of Samuel first two years. He has reminded me daily how precious life is, and how great the responsibility and privilege of parenting is. I am guilty of cuddling and spoiling sweet Samuel to the point of pathetic.... and am not apologizing for it! :) Time passes too quickly....I do not want to miss a single smile, hug or slobbery kiss!

Happy Birthday to our little butterball. We love you! We celebrate you today....and look forward to you becoming a big brother very soon!

Our First Homestudy!

It has been almost 8 years since we decided to adopt, 2 years since we were old enough to adopt, six months since Samuel was old enough for us to adopt, 6 months since we sent in our application to adopt from Ethiopia with AGCI, 5 weeks since the Lord closed the doors for us to adopt from ET, 4 weeks since He opened wide the doors for us to adopt domestically, 2 weeks since we officially started the domestic process...... and last week...

We had our first homestudy interview!

I was nervous, excited, anxious, excited, eager to start, excited..... so ready to complete this process! The interview was great. We basically just sat in Connie's office and chatted for about 2 hours. I think it was especially good for Kenny to get to ask questions and be a part of everything, since typically I do a lot of the reading, research, etc and "report" back to him. Each time we meet with Covenant Care, I am blown away by not only their love and care for birthmothers, but also the sacrificial love that birthmothers have for their child. After meeting with Connie, I am also no longer too concerned about the home visit....actually, I can't wait for her to come out and see our home! I now realize that a home that is small and not fancy will not keep one from becoming homestudy approved. Yes, the house must be a safe environment, but our marriage and family structure is what's most important. The only bum thing about our first homestudy, is that the soonest date Kenny and Connie could work out for the second interview is not until March 19th....almost a month away. Torture! Once that interview is complete, Connie will come to the house and meet the kids, (heaven help us as to what they may do or say while she is here!) we will give her our birthmother letter and family profile....and then.....the wait begins. It is soo difficult to guess at a time frame for a domestic adoption, it has been, is and will be a learning time for me in trusting the Lord and in patience. When the wait is over, no matter how long or short that wait proves to be, the Lord will place in our family a little one He has know since the foundations of the World, a little one He knit together and choose to place in our family. Oh, my heart hurts to see who this little child will be!!

Me and our caseworker, Connie, whom we love!

Saving Money.....For a Purpose

I have always loved the idea of frugality. Who doesn't like a deal?!? For the most part, I have aways tried to manage a "frugal household". I grind wheat to make our bread, cut the kids hair, grow a lot of our produce and we now have chickens! (For eggs, we're not frying our pets :) We have also pretty much always done without a cell phone plan, tv bill, car payment (partly due to generous "hand-me-down" cars from relatives) and other "extras". About a year ago, we searched for more ways to cut back. With Kenny in seminary, plus gas, insurance and utility bills rising (while income stayed the same!), we needed to find a way to keep our living within our means. After pouring over the numbers, the only thing we could find with wiggle room, was the grocery budget. I had used coupons in the past, but not on a regular basis. So, I read up on the subject, searched blogs, and started clipping. OH.MY. I had no idea how dramatically I could reduce our grocery budget by simply learning a few "tricks". Within a few months time, we had gone from spending about $120 a week on groceries (diapers, meds, cleaning supplies, etc included) down to $75 a week! We are now down to about $60 a week, and have a maybe unrealistic goal of spending only $45 a week this summer once our garden is in full bloom. We will have to see how that goes.....because I hope to have 2 in diapers by then! (Or maybe one in diapers and one potty trained!)

Today, we found some sweet deals at Kroger: All of these items, before coupons and catalina deals would have been just over $112 plus tax. We paid just under $46 !

(It does not look like much in the picture, but trust me, it is a LOT of food!)
Then, we headed over to CVS, and got the following items for a grand total of $3.10

I am not sure who would pay $28 for these 4 items, but that is what the total would have been without coupons and sales.

Sometimes, I get caught up in the "fun" of the coupon game, and love to get a deal just for the sake of a deal. Crystal over at Money Saving Mom has been my inspiration in the coupon hunt. She talks about "saving more so that you can give more". With our adoption, I am more motivated than ever to spend less. Bringing our peanut home depends on it! But without a "goal" to why we are making hard or simply inconvenient choices (like not fixing the broken AC last summer), it is easy slack off and start spending or just swiping the card. Seeing our means as a way to bless others and further His kingdom is our ultimate "financial goal"!

Some weeks, in the grand hope of saving 20K for an adoption, I also like to set "little" goals. Recently, Andrea has shared a bit about Wiphan ministries in Zambia. I love this ministry and what they are about! So, a "little' goal I have set for the next couple of weeks in my grocery shopping is to shave an extra $30 off of my spending and buy one these awesome Wiphan shirts:

click on the image to buy a shirt!

The profit from the shirt feeds and educates an orphan for a month! It is also a great way to "advertise" for Wiphan, and hopefully lead others to their site and the work that they do. I was looking over my Kroger receipt a bit ago, and noticed how easy it was to save crazy amounts of money, all by printing out and cutting out a few coupons. And to think those tiny steps to saving will actually impact a precious child in Africa!

OK, so I get weekly requests of "how do you get groceries that cheap?" I am getting set up to teach a little couponing class, and I have some idea of also teaching a class this summer on nutrition/whole grains/canning/ preserving/ and stocking up. Still thinking on how to narrow that one down! If any of you local ladies would ever like to go with me to the grocery store and see "how to do it", just email me. (And yes, I also go grocery shopping with the 3 kiddos..... it is exhausting!) There are hundreds of great couponing/frugal sites and blogs out there, and honestly, I spend very little time looking at any of them. (When I am on the computer, I'm looking at all of your adoption blogs!!!!) Here a few of my favorites:

* Money Saving Mom: Crystal's love for the Lord and her family is so evident in each of her posts. How awesome is this.... Crystal and her husband just saved 100% down to buy their first home?!? She is also a homeschooling momma, and has great tips, recipes and recommends on her site.

*Southern Savers: If you like to ease of weekly matchups from each particular store here in the South... you will love this site!

*Freebies 4 Mom: I don't spend too much time signing up for freebies, but my favorite thing about them are the great high dollar coupons that typically accompany any free item. If you love geeting free goods in the mail, this is the site for you!

* Shortcuts: download coupons to your shopping card....plus you can stack these e-coupons with paper coupons for great deals!

*My Blessed Life: I love Myra's site.....her love for her hubby and little boy are so evident! Myra has some amazing decorating on a budget tips!

*Keeper of the Home: This is not a couponing site, but if you are interested in whole grains, soaking, fermenting foods, whole foods or anything along the "Nourishing Traditions" lines, THIS is the site for you! I recently found it, and love everything I am learning. My "have to have" book list is getting dangerously long as well....humm, maybe I should go clip some more coupons. :)

Do you have a favorite "frugal site" or are you selling something (like an adoption tee or anything to support an orphan/widow ministry). Leave a comment with your favorite site or fundraising link so I can check it out. I would love to add your fundraiser to my "little goals" list of what I am saving for!