"Are They Identical?"

Having a hand full of kiddos, including the twinnies, is teaching me a lot.

One such lesson is this; Don't ever plan on blogging.....or doing anything for that matter....on a certain day or time:) I really had planned on coming back and answering my last post, but before I knew it 10 days had passed and I had not so much a peeked at my blog. Life has been wonderful, full this past week...and time if flying by! (The fullness of life has also included van troubles, a dead washing machine, immunizations for the peanuts which involved 2 days of fever and crying, and a sweet 6 year old who vacuumed the house with a black crayon stuck to the bottom of the vacuum. You don't even want to know what that will do to beige carpet!:)

So, what is the question we get ALL the time, EVERYWHERE we go?
"Are they identical?"

The first time someone asked me this, I thought they were kidding. We soon realized...nope....they were serious! Just in case you are wondering...it is IMPOSSIBLE for boy/girl twins to be identical. I'm told by boy/girl twins that Jordan and Eliana will be asked this their entire lives. The responses people come up with are great:) Oftentimes, "Are they identical?" is followed up with, "So are they brother and sister?" or "Do they have the same birthmother?"

Really?!?

Almost without exception, we have been met with love and excitement each time we venture out. We do get the typical, "Are they yours/Are you a daycare" responses. We also regularly have women burst into tears when they see the babies and want to just look at them and rub their little heads. I haven't quite figured what triggers that response, but it happened 4 times in Kroger alone last week!

My favorite question thus far: "So, what color is your boyfriend?"

My response: "I don't have a boyfriend." ....and I just leave it at that.(We know that there will times throughout the peanuts' lives that they will feel different or uncomfortable with the questions that total strangers ask, and to the best of our ability, we are trying to take the focus off of them and rather make ourselves the "different" or "uncomfortable" ones....if that makes sense!)
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On to some Flitterbugs sewing!

I am going to start sewing again in the next couple of weeks.....with a few changes:

*I will only be taking Flitterbugs orders in the spring and summer months. (End of March through September). I just can't do a good job of homeschooling and sewing.....so I need to cut back on the sewing.

*In the past, though I have not advertised it, I have taken in quite a bit of sewing crib bedding/boys outfits/random stuff. From now on, I need to stick to sewing only patterns and styles I have listed on my home page.

*In order to get your order to you as quickly as possible, and to keep things running smoothly at home, I will be taking in 10 orders at a time. Once I finish up those 10 orders, I'll take in 10 more. I know this is not the savvy way to run business, and I realize I will loose customers this way.........but I need to work the sewing around my hubby and kids, rather than the hubby and kids take a back seat to the sewing! If you are wondering....all profits will go to our adoption finalization costs...and then in a saving account for a future adoption. (No, nothing in the works.....it will take a few years of sewing to be ready, so might as well start saving!:)

Hopefully, that all makes sense and I do look forward to sewing again!
If you do need a winter dress or don't like the way I am working things.....than hop on over to my friends Sallee's site and order a Poppy Dip! She does beautiful work, and from what I hear she is FAST! (Hum....maybe my little Flitterbugs will wear a Poppy Dip for Christmas this year:)

Since I will be sewing during the summer months, and since we have this precious baby model.....I thought it would be fun to add a few summer baby patterns to the mix!

Here is a sneak peak at the Ruffled Sunsuit:

Can there be too many ruffles on a baby's bum.......I think not:)
This fun little sunsuit will run from size 3 month to size 4, and can be used as a bathing suit. So cute!

I have one more pattern......cute for your baby girl/toddler in the summer.....I just need to get it made up and take pictures. (And this time I will not promise as to when that will be:)
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The peanuts are done with me blogging.....better run.
Happy Friday to you all!

Can You Guess?

What is the one question we are asked over, and over and over about the twins?
At church , the grocery store......everywhere we go, people want to know.......
Can you guess??
Come back tomorrow to find out....and to see:
The NEW Flitterbug Design for the summer!
(Yes....I'll be back to sewing......time to work on our adoption finaliazation costs. There will be a few changes to better fit homeschooling and life with 5 littles. Come back tomorrow for more!)

Is There Really A Need?

In the past 2 months since our children have come home, one question we have received repeatedly is...

"Is there really a need to adopt domestically? Aren't children dying in Africa? Why wait on a list domestically when there are thousands of infertile couples in America wanting to adopt? Aren't you taking "someone else's" baby? Shouldn't couples with kids not "take" newborns that so many other people want? Children are dying in Africa....at least kids in America can go in the foster care system and not starve....." While I am by no means an expert on the subject, I can say: Yes, there is a need for families in America. There is a need for families everywhere.

An adoption agency can in fuller detail describe why that need exists and the specifics of exactly how that need looks. My suppositions as to why there is a need were not exactly correct as we better understood the real need that exists.

This is my advice to those who are seeking where to adopt from:

Go where the Lord leads you.

Yes, there are millions of orphans worldwide.

Yes, children are being aborted here in America at horrifying rates.

Yes, the need looks different in different countries....but one constant remains:

Every child needs a family. Go where the Lord leads you.

I know I have at times in my own heart had a "hierarchy" of adoption. I have many times categorized that to adopt a healthy, Caucasian newborn was at the low level of the pyramid, while those who adopt a teenage, special needs, HIV+ child from Africa carry a special holiness.

Yes, it takes a certain calling to adopt children with more complicated histories, and the desire to do so must not be minimized, yet one constant remains.

A person is a person. Every life has value. Every child needs a family. Go where the Lord leads you.

Has everyone been called to adopt?

By no means.

Would it be in the best interest of a child for a couple who has no desire or calling to adopt to do so out of guilt or a sense of obligation?

Certainly not!

When we first began our adoption journey, it was to adopt a toddler from Ethiopia. We pre-applied with an agency, were pre-approved, sent in our formal application and were formally approved and then began the long haul of paperwork and fundraising. However, early on in the process, the Lord made it clear that our child was not in Ethiopia, but here in Georgia.

We never anticipated that.

In the months that followed, and up until the day we got the call and heard our children's story, my heart was still in Africa. Listening to that call, I knew, it is the Lord who sets the lonely in families, and he has clearly set Jordan and Eliana in our family.

Chances are the Lord has not called you to adopt all 163 million orphans in the world, plus the 1 million plus babies aborted in America each year. Perhaps He has called you to adopt 1, 2 or several of His precious children.

Should you take into consideration the need, requirements, logistics and details of a country or program before starting the adoption process? By all means! But in the end,

GO WHERE THE LORD LEADS YOU!

He will give the strength, finances, ability and joy for the journey. He will equipt you for the path He has called you on. Every child needs a family, and He will lead to the child He has known since the foundation of the Word would be placed in your arms. He sets the lonely in families, and He will guide you to your childen.

And then you will be able to look back over your journey and your child's story, and know that only He alone could knit together the details of your lives in the way He has.

Then you will raise your arms in praise and thanks that you have gone where He has led you!

"God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in vain, He is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain."

GO WHERE THE LORD LEADS YOU!

Sweet Sisters

Little best friends in the making

Our Gottcha Day Video

We pray this short video will help to encourage, educate and advocate for both adoption and birthmothers. Feel free to share it with anyone you think may be interested!

My Favorite Way To Get Books For FREE!!!

If you were to come to our home...you may notice something.

There are books everywhere.

We love to read.

Recently, I have discovered a fabulous way to get great books for free.

Children's books, adoption books, homeschooling curriculum, gardening, sewing......everything!

Paperback Book Swap.

How it Works:

Pop on over HERE (or click on the image above) and sign up. It takes about 3 seconds...all you do is type in your name and email address. And no, they will not send you spam or unwanted mail.

Go grab 10 books you no longer need. They can even be books from a kids meal......just so long as they are in good condition. Novels, books from high school, the "how to teach a baby to sleep through the night" books that did not work. Anything!

You will simple type these 10 books in....and.....you now have 2 credits!

Browse the books, choose 2 you want, click on "order" and in a few days, your books will arrive to your door. Just. like. that. Super easy. (Slightly additive, I might add:)

I am hoping to order hundreds of dollars worth of read-alouds for next year's homeschooling curriculum via Paperback Book Swap. (And yes, the above link is my referral link....so if you sign up through it, I'll get referral credit. Then invite your friends to join and do the same!)

Hop on over and join!

Growing Peanuts

Seven weeks ago....it was just a normal Monday.

A phone call changed that.
Two precious lives, fearfully and wonderfully made.....were entrusted to us.
We are humbled.

The past 7 weeks have flown by......beautiful weeks full of laughter and love.

...every minute a gift, every day treasured....

We have been told time and time again that adoption is not a fairy tale.

However, that is exactly what these past 7 weeks have felt like.

Our little peanuts are growing and changing right before our very eyes!

We stand blessed.

We stand amazed.

We stand in love!

99 Balloons

This short video is one of the most beautiful pictures of the sacredness of life, the love of parents and the glory of God revealed that I have ever seen. Watch and be blessed!

99 Balloons from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

Because of Adoption....

Because of adoption.......these precious children will grow up in the arms of a family.
Because of adoption......5 children will view the World by the content of their character...not the color of their skin.
Because of adoption, we have the opportunity to nurture, train and disciple 2 more little lives in the truths of the Scriptures.

Because of adoption, this precious baby girl will grow up with the strong protection of a Father's love.....

....and this sweet baby boy with be guided by his wise hands.
Because of adoption,

because of the loving choice of a birthmother,

because of the gift of life.

I love adoption!