Reflections

God always works in such crazy ways and sometimes it just takes you to sit down and reflect to make you really realize it.  I've been reflecting on our adoption journey a lot lately.  I've been so crazy busy that I realized I really haven't had much time to really even worry or stress much about the adoption.  With everything else going on in our lives, God somehow decided to plant a seed in my little head to start a photography business on the side and this "business" has been taking up every waking spare moment of my life.  I have met some incredible people this fall and I want to truly thank each and every person who has let me take their fall pictures this year.  It has  been such a time commitment for me that it has replaced the nights that I would be sitting in front of my computer reading successful adoption stories on blogs, tears streaming down my face and wondering why it wasn't us that was picked.  Instead, I am faced with editing pictures every night.  Staring at the faces of these families and children and laughing at some of the hilarious outtakes.  The glimmer in their eyes, dimples in their cheeks, and wind burned faces places comfort in my heart knowing that our family has hope for that completion feeling someday too. 

I went to school to be a teacher but never taught.  God is using my creativity in a way that I never imagined.  Where will this photography side business take me?  Who knows.  But for now, I am loving every second of it and loving the distraction is has provided for me.  And look at how super cute my logo turned out?!  I love it and it is SO me!

Decision

It's with much frusteration, and a few tears that I tell you that we were not choosen today.  Part of me knew it wouldn't be us, but the feeling of rejection and not being "good enough" sting.  Our hearts hurt and our arms remain empty as we long to complete our family.

The family that was chosen is a family who has adopted already, a story we are all too familiar with by now.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers today.  As I've said before, it's just not our time and there is a plan in all of this.

Good night!

Ross & Anne

Profile Showing

I am literally shaking as I right this post but here it goes.

Today, we had a profile showing.  10 families were choosen to be shown and we just received word that we made it in the top 3! We.are.in.shock.!

Our social worker said here are a few things she liked about our profile:
-That Ross & I seem to have a lot of trust in each other
-She liked that we have young children in our neighborhood
-She liked the pictures of our cabin
-And she liked that we loved to travel and loved family traditions :)

She took the top 3 profiles home and our social worker will be following up with her on Thursday.  Baby is due the day before Thanksgiving! (Approximately 4 weeks!)

We ask for your prayers during this time for us, for the birth mom, and for the other two families that she is considering. There is some risk with this birth mom as she is not 100% right now for adoption. She is about 80%.  This makes us a little nervous but we know that God has a plan in all of this! 

I will update with more news as soon as I know!

Fall Update

Unfortunately, it's been a slow start to our fall with the adoption. We have barely heard "boo" from our social worker!  We just received an update for what is coming up and  right now the agency has two inquiries.  Two Birth moms who are very early on in their pregnancies and wanting info on parenting and adoption.  So it will be interesting to see where these two end up leaning towards!

Our family remains very busy and keeping our minds off the whole "waiting."  We had our youngest nephew overnight a week ago and it was fun to see what it's like with 3 kids!  A little crazy, but fun crazy!  Nolan kept asking if we were going to keep him and if he was the baby God is giving to us.  I told him I think his mom would be pretty sad if we kept him and we have to give this baby back!  He still hasn't quite grasped the whole adoption thing yet :)

Other than that, we're just keeping busy and waiting for "the call!"....