They weren't kidding when the said FAST!!!

It's only been a few short weeks since my last update; however, there is sooooo much information to share. Where to begin??? Let's start with the day before Thanksgiving.

Our profile is just waiting on a few pictures that we will take during the Thanksgiving holiday. The writing part is finished. So it's a surprise when we receive our first birth mother intake the day before Thanksgiving since we haven't even submitted our profile. We read over our first intake and automatically respond with interest. Our profile was completed on Saturday evening and submitted. We were going to be shown on Tuesday. We never heard anything back. I wasn't sure how the time line worked. The following Thursday we receive intake number 2. Again, we're interested! We would be shown to her on Monday. That Monday (12/6) we get a call from Dana (the lovely lady from Sacred Selections) that the birth mother is asking questions about us. We took that as a good sign. So I wait to hear back. Nothing. Tuesday morning I get sent intake number three. I can't wait to get home and read it, so I ignore everyone at lunch to read this 26 page document. I have questions, so I text Dana and ask if I can call her after work. I call her and ask my questions. She is wondering if this is the first or second intake she sent me that day. I respond that I only received one for a baby due in June. She said she had another one she meant to send me for a baby due in January. I get that later that evening. Again, we respond with interest. We would be shown to both mothers on Thursday.

I'm sitting with Mr. B that night after reading the intake saying, "I feel this is our baby. I don't know why, but this is the one who will choose us." He asks why I think that. I explain simply because it's very soon and we aren't expecting something so soon. That, and I noticed the birth parents and I have similar interests. So we wait. I knew that I'd be glued to my phone on Thursday waiting to hear something. So imagine my surprise when I get a call Wednesday afternoon as I come in from lunch. Dana's name comes up on my phone. It can only be good news at this point! I immediately take the call outside since there's zero reception in my school! She answers with a "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" and let's us know that we've been chosen. That intake from Tuesday night, the one I had a feeling about, chose us! I could hardly believe it!!! Not only did they choose us, but they were excited about us. That made my heart so happy. Someone was excited about us and chose us to raise their child! What an honor!!!

Things just took off from there! I get in touch with the agency and find out our next steps. I receive an email with more paperwork.  We set up a call for Thursday evening to talk with the birth mother. I'm waiting on Thursday for the call and it never comes. A mild panic may have set in. Then I get a call from Dana informing me of why the call didn't take place. Easing my sneaking paranoia. The call is scheduled again for Friday evening. Again I wait for a call that never comes. This time the birth mom was working late. So we reschedule for Saturday afternoon. Again, nothing. I get a text later that evening explaining the another emergency came up. She assures me everything is fine. She said we would try again tomorrow (which is today, Sunday). I still haven't heard anything at the time of writing this; however, I'm not concerned. I get concerned when I have a definite time and date that I'm expecting something and it doesn't happen. If it's more open-ended, I'm fine. I'm thankful this is happening so soon. I don't know how I would've done if I had 3 or 4 months to wait. I can only imagine.

So now we are in full on prep mode. My friend Kelli instantly started talking about shower plans. We are also thinking of ideas to help raise money for some of the adoption costs. I'm sure when the word gets out on my social media page, friends and family will want to support us in our journey. We have our accommodations planned out, our flights taken care of, and a plan for a shower. Kelli and I are going out after church next Sunday to register for my shower. I can't believe I'm about to register for a baby! I never thought I'd get to do this. I'm ready to dive into all things baby! That nursery will get done!!!

I've got plans for a tribal theme with feathers and bows and arrows! Oh and all the woodland creatures! We've been thinking up names for a sweet little guy, too. The time will fly, especially since I'm about to be off for 2 weeks for the holiday break. Once I come back to work, I'll be waiting on that call to jump on a plane and head to Arizona to meet our little man!

Here's the poem I wrote to announce to people at church about our good news. We had this stuck in our gift for the gift exchange at our annual holiday party. The person that chose this gift had to read out news to everyone. It was so fun. So much fun that I'm having my principal read it aloud this Thursday at our faculty meeting. It'll be more fun since not too many people at work know the news. 

Here are the flowers Mr. B and his parents brought me Wednesday afternoon. They were so excited about the news that they couldn't even wait until I got home from work to share the joy. They drove the 20 miles to my school to surprise me!

Our prayer now is for the birth parents to stay strong and remain firm in their decision. We pray for a safe and healthy delivery for mom and baby. We pray the process continues to go smoothly and all things work out. We can't wait to be home and raise our blessing.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us..."  Ephesians 3:20

So Many Things Change in a Year....Including the Heart

Has it really been a year since I last sat down to reflect on this journey? So much has happened this last year. I've since moved on from our second pregnancy lost. I've even rejoiced with a dear friend over the birth of her own rainbow baby in September. Sure, we've tried to conceive again since my last post. However, nothing has come of it. Only this time, I wasn't met with frustration and anger over the lack of outcome. Mr. B and I went on another fabulous vacation-2 actually. We continued our summer travel adventures. That was the plan. Travel every summer until we had children. We would find contentment in our lives with or without children. If we weren't meant to be parents, then we would enjoy one another to our fullest! Something changed this summer in our hearts.....

Sometime in July, a friend and former co-worker from my previous school contacted me about one of my former students who was brought into the foster care system the year they were in my class. That child is now 11 and still in the foster care system looking to be adopted. We always had the possibility of adoption in our minds. We just knew that if and when we made that decision it would be when we were 100% ready to become parents. This is different than conceiving and having 9 months to process everything. Adoption is an investment in time and money with a very uncertain outcome. However, when I saw this child, I knew right then and there that I was ready. After a talk with Mr. B, he assured me he was ready and that we needed to do this. It was time to pursue this. So, we contacted a friend from church who had gone through this process a few years ago and got all her advice and suggestions. She put us in contact with a social worker and someone who could possibly help us fund the majority of the adoption process. In late August, our journey began.

The first step was to complete the home study process. We had to fund that ourselves. Luckily, the bank of Mom and Dad was able to float us a loan to cover the expenses for the home study that we could pay back when we were able. Blessings continued to flow when Mr. B came into some extra money from work that allowed us to pay for our state and FBI background checks.  We gathered all the paper work and had our site visit. Things went smoothly. Well, unless you count those pesky encrypted FBI background check reports. Thankfully, a very smart "techy" man at church was able to un-encrypt those bad boys in under 5 minutes. Throughout this process we were also completing the paperwork for the grant that we'd be applying for to help fund the adoption costs.

Fast forward to November 11th: we attend our first Sacred Selections fundraiser. This organization helps Christian families fund the "big" costs of the adoption process. We wanted to get involved immediately and meet other families who were, or have gone, through this experience we were embarking on. We were able to meet the founders of the organization. They attended worship services with us the following day then had lunch with them after services. I was able to attend an informal adoption workshop later that afternoon with them and other adoption hopefuls. It was an eye-opening experience. A good one.

I have to speak to the out pour of love, devotion, and support we've gotten from friends, family, and even strangers throughout all this. To start, all the wonderful letters of recommendation we received from friends and family were beyond amazing and brought us to tears. We really are blessed with amazing people in our lives. Next, I have to speak to the generosity of everyone in our lives. My parents who fronted the money for our home study and giving us baby furniture. I can't speak enough to how much it means to have our parents' support in all this. Mr. B's parents for doing little odds and ends things for us to make our home beautiful. They're willing to paint a nursery and fix up old furniture. Anything we need, our parents are quick to give in whatever ways they can. Then there's the kind family at church who donated the money we needed to complete our adoption profile. They knew it was the last step in this process and that we just didn't have the means to get it done right away. They want this for us so much that they without hesitation gave us the money to get it done. Needless to say, my husband and I were speechless and in tears. Then there's the couple I met at the adoption workshop who just handed me some money as I was leaving that afternoon. No questions asked. They simply stated they were blessed and wanted to bless others. Again, cue the water works. Then there's a young co-worker of Mr. B's who handed him an envelope with money in it one day at work. There's been many times when a dear friend has said to me, "Don't worry about the money. It will come when it needs to. People are there for you and want to help you!" God has truly blessed us in this journey so far.

So what's our status? The paper work is done and almost ready to be sent in as of this moment. Our profile should be completed within the next week. After that, we wait to be matched. From everything I've heard, this process goes very quickly because they are in need of families. We're hopeful for a baby by spring! We're getting a head start on that nursery. We want to be ready for our new little bundle when he or she arrives. The Browning's have an abundance of love to give, and we're just waiting on the right child to make their way into our home and hearts!

Our yearly tradition of picking out a new ornament for our main tree: something that signifies an even in our life that year. "Hope gives us wings to fly." This ornament if for the hope and faith we have going forward in our journey to become parents. 2018 is going to be our year!!!

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:6 ESV