Saturday, October 23, 2010

Begin Here

  I must admit, I don't really know what I'm doing on here. I guess there is 'so much to say' lately that I've decided to start a blog so others can follow along a bit. We have some big news to report and it's a long story... So bear with me here...
  As some of you know, both of our children were born with very serious health issues. Our son, Drew (now 3 and 1/2) was born not breathing and lifeless. When they resuscitated him, they discovered he had ingested meconium. Drew spent 5 days in the NICU but was a little trooper. He has had some developmental delays that we have worked diligently with him to over-come to the best of his ability. Our little Carissa who is about to turn 1 year old in just 9 days seemed to be fine -- until the doctors discovered, just 5 minutes before we were about to take her home, a rare but very serious aortic coarctation. She was helicoptered over to Children's Hospital for heart surgery on day 4 of her life. Thankfully, she was here to stay and we brought our little girl home just a few weeks later.
  Well, recently, I started doing something I swore a year ago I would NEVER do. I started developing baby fever. Jaden and I talked about having another one a few times recently and, although I'd love to have another one, the fear in both of us from the previous two has really prevented us from feeling ready.
  Early October, Jaden was gone for a week in Atlanta at a work conference. During this week, I was really thinking hard and praying about what God's plan was for us as far as another child. Should we try now, knowing it may take a while? Should we even be considering another one? I kept thinking about it lots while he was gone. The day after he returned, I went to a near by used clothing store for kids. While standing in line, they had the Coulee Parenting Magazine and I saw a story on adoption in it. Being adopted myself, these things catch my eye pretty quickly. I grabbed the magazine and, as I was walking out the door, I noticed a flyer about a local family having a benefit to fundraise for a baby adoption. I thought it was pretty neat and said a little prayer for them when I got in my car.
  That evening, I was sitting down reading the adoption article and Jaden suggested we go for a walk. As we were walking he told me he got very little done on his work 'to-do' list that day. I asked him what the heck he did all day (being the supportive and passive wife that I am) and he said he did not want to tell me. Hmmm... Finally, he busted out with it... At the conference he was at - one of the topics addressed was adoption. Jaden was feeling this same pull toward adoption that I was. It was crazy!!! But, like all things God smacks me in the face with, I had to take time to digest it and be sure God was smacking me (ouch, yep, that was Him)!
  That next day, I just felt a real excitement and confidence. I started looking up adoption programs and feeling like God was really leading us out-of-country for this. Ethiopia kept coming up as a true option and so my heart was set. We are adopting a little child from Ethiopia!!!
  Yesterday, we had a meeting with Lutheran Social Services to discuss the process. I can't explain how exciting that meeting was. Overwhelming, but exciting! As many of you are probably guessing, an adoption from Ethiopia is NOT cheap. You are correct -- somewhere to the tune of $27,000 not cheap! We have NO CLUE how we are going to gather the money necessary to adopt a child of our own, but we do know that we've seen God do some pretty awesome and powerful things recently. It's funny, I texted a friend of mine that cost the other day and said, "Do you know anyone who has $27,000?" She texted back just what I was thinking, "God does." She is very right. He does and I know that where there is His will, there is a way. So, we'll do what we can and wait. Though I'm sure we will need much prayer and encouragement along the way!

3 comments:

Jaden Thomas said...

Nice darlin...a blog. I'm so proud of you!

Dawn Rogers said...

That is amazing!!! I am so excited for your family. Let me know if you need any fundraiser ideas, I will also be praying on what Isaiah's Hope. We will be praying for you guys and your friend was right...God does have it!! and he will provide it.

Dawn Rogers said...

That is amazing!!! I am so excited for your family. Let me know if you need any fundraiser ideas, I will also be praying on what Isaiah's Hope. We will be praying for you guys and your friend was right...God does have it!! and he will provide it.