Getting Ready

Hard to believe tomorrow is a new year already. This one flew by. I started the year researching adopting as a single and praying about whether God was saying yes or no or wait. No clear yes or no for most of the year so I waited and kept on praying. In July, I led a team of 24 to Uganda & Ethiopia and on the second half of our journey - we visited an orphanage and my life was changed in a moment. I got my answer. The moment I picked up a sweet little boy and he laid his head on my shoulder, hugged tight and made himself at home in my arms. I chose him but he chose me first it seems. What a little snuggle bug. My heart melted in an instant. I wish I could show you a photo my teammate Ashley took at that precise moment when he snuggled in and I closed my eyes and soaked up the moment. It is my most favorite photo and it's so neat that it was taken that very first moment we met. I will treasure it forever. Someday I'll share it with y'all - once it's ok to post his pictures.
I've spent the entire week off painting. I painted a living room dark brown and I painted my little guys room a blueish color called Misty Surf. I LOVE it. It's so cheery and yet peaceful. I cannot wait until his little feet walk on these floors and his little smile lights up these rooms. I can't wait till I get to wrap him up in his new hooded bath towels that my co-worker and friend Merrill made for him. I can't wait to tuck him into his bed and read him stories in the rocking chair that I will soon have. I can't wait to show him on the globe I got for his room where mommy came all the way across the ocean to find him. I can't wait to be the one who takes care of him and makes sure he's loved and well fed and healthy. I can't wait to be the one who kisses him goodnight and tells him how loved he is. I can't wait for all of it. I can't wait till he's home.
I'm praying that 2012 will be the year that I bring him home. I'm hoping and praying by summer but of course, the timing is not in my control or I'd already have him here. I hope and pray that this Christmas was my last Christmas without him here and I'm so looking forward to next Christmas together as a family.
As I head into 2012, I'm hoping, praying, believing I'll have my son home soon. I just hit $17,000 raised toward this adoption so far - that is just mind blowing. The Lord has been opening doors and putting it on hearts and so many people have given so generously to this adoption. Thank you, thank you! On behalf of me and my little boy - THANK YOU. And may God bless you in 2012 in so many ways!

You can help me get $2000 by voting

This is so awesome. My friend and co-worker Casi submitted me to be in the running for a $2000 adoption grant from the Angel Foundation for Kids and I actually ended up in the top 10. The winner will be chosen based on who has the most votes. It's super simple to vote - you don't have to register or anything. Just visit the website (link below) and choose: Autumn - Ethiopian Adoption and click vote. It only takes a moment. Please vote. I'm currently in 3rd place but WAY behind the top 2. Thanks so much.

http://angelfoundationforkids.wordpress.com/voting-page/

All I Want for Christmas

Best Christmas present ever this year would be getting a call from my adoption agency telling me that they have received my little guys paperwork and have his official referral for me. Once that happens, I could have a court date within a few months. That would be a dream come true. Praying, praying, praying. With God all things are possible. I know it takes years sometimes. I promise I'm not being impatient. I just believe prayer is powerful and our God is bigger than all of this. So that's what I want for Christmas - everyone who can to send up some prayers with me for the referral to come.

In the meantime, I just had a merch table at the Christmas Marketplace at my church this past weekend and it was so fun. But on top of being fun, it was just so sweet how many people asked about my adoption and bought stuff to support it and honestly, a handful of people didn't even buy anything - they just handed me a few dollars here and there as a donation. I was blessed by the support and encouraging words. And of course, even though I can't post pictures online, I am always ready to show off pics of my little man in person so the table was decked out with 3 framed pictures of him and a video that I put together for my concert was playing on my laptop on loop. So this was interesting - a friend from church said the other night she dreamed about me and my adoption and in the dream I was stressed out because they found out my little boy has a sister and I was trying to figure out if I would adopt them both or not. The weird thing about her dream is that it could happen. I've known from day 1 that while they are gathering his info, it could turn out he has siblings. This is why I am approved to adopt up to 2 children. So when she said that she dreamed that, I'm gonna be honest - it kind of freaked me out. Could just turn out to be a dream and only a dream. But wouldn't it be weird if it turned out he does have 1 sibling and it's a girl? Of course, I have no way of knowing at the moment but once I get that referral and all his paperwork is together, I'll know then. So we'll see if that dream turns out to mean anything. Financially speaking, I would have to get even more creative but if he has sibling - I will not separate them. I would adopt them both. Thus the reason I applied for up to 2 children - just in case. Now if he has 2 siblings, not sure I even could adopt 3 even if I wanted to. At the moment, I'm only approved for 2. Anyway, that's just a random thing that came up at the marketplace that has been in my brain swirling around all weekend.

I just cannot wait to get my little man home. I'm painting his room the week of Christmas and I got the paint the other day. And my friends are letting me use a crib that converts into a toddler bed for him - they dropped it off at my house yesterday. I'm almost done with my dossier and praying, praying, praying his paperwork is almost done too.

Would love your prayers!