It's about time....

The deal with adoption is that things don't change very frequently.  So I just wanted to say please don't give up on us --- Right now, we are playing the waiting game.  In the meantime, we are working on becoming "paper pregnant."  We are filling out and tracking down lots and lots of paperwork.  We need notarized copies of birth certificates, marriage licences, etc... We have to get bank statements, write a letter to the amazing Mom who will be making one of the hardest decisions she will EVER make, get a physical (yuck), have a our vet swear that our sweet precious babies are safe, narrow the story of our life down to 4 pages and try to create a scrapbook to show who we are as a couple (easy, right? ) etc...  You name it and we need to find it or write it. 

We also have a modern little room for Baby Chalos coming together perfectly.  We had a GREAT weekend painting the room with Chad's parents.  Here are some before pics...

We NOW have a painted room, with the exception of one very special wall that we will be completing with my sister and brother at the end of June. I am holding off on posting after pics until the room is almost done.  I promise I will post them when the last wall is complete. We also have a mattress for our crib now - along with an AWESOME stroller compliments of the elder Chalos'...It is SUPER cute...

Seriously I HAVE to tell you about all the amazing features (skip this part if you are unexcited or uninterested in baby type items) - It can be front or rear facing - converts to a toddler stroller - the top can be taken off - it has an attachment that can fit almost any infant seat - the ride is SUPER smooth - it is easy to take apart - and it weighs NOTHING.  It is a dream stroller. I am just saying.  Also Essex had an AMAZING deal on it. 

Okay while I am rambling about adorable baby stuff, let me just show you a picture of the SUPER cute ottoman that got.  It has all of our accent colors.  WE SUPER LOVE IT.

We are also getting new carpet, new smoke/carbon monoxide alarms and putting in new closet doors in preparation for all that is to come. I want to make sure to say that all adoption funds from fundraising and donations are still in the adoption account.  None of them have been used for any purchases.  We are working really hard to live cheaply so that we can afford to provide monetarily the same life (or better) for our adopted child.  It is a little disheartening...Knowing that if we would have been able to get pregnant without all that we have gone through, I would be able to stay at home with our kids.  We are trying to make the best out of the situation.  My way of hanging onto hope is constantly working on preparing for Baby Chalos...It is like nesting that a birth mother would do - except mine is not limited to nine months. 

 I am trying really hard to stay positive... Honestly, this part is really hard - waiting and watching life "happen" for so many of our friends - knowing how much we have gone through - and not knowing what is going to come or how long it might take - all of those things make this waiting process hard.  We try to focus on what is happening here and now and be thankful for our blessings.  Sometimes that is easy.  Sometimes it is not. 

Tshirts should be here within the next two weeks.  We ordered a total of TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SHIRTS.  That is amazing.  Thank you SO much for your prayers and support.  We are SO blessed by your support!!!  Don't stop praying and I hope you will keep reading our blog. 

We have lots of exciting events coming up. 

July 9 - A very good friend and AMAZINGLY talented photographer, Wendy Hardin, (LOVEANDPICTURES) is offering 30 minute mini sessions.  She is donating proceeds to our adoption fund.  This is actually a GREAT deal if you are in need of some family photos or just photos of your kiddos or you and your main squeeze. :) You can contact her through her loveandpictures facebook page. 

Also on July 9, we are participating in a church wide yard sale.  10% of our proceeds will go to our church youth group and the rest will go in our adoption fund.  It will be held from 9-1 at the Grace Place COG off of Central Pike in Hermitage.

Thank you again.  I wish I could put into words how thankful we are to be walking this journey with you - All we can say is thank you- Thank you for sharing in our journey and we can't wait to share a happy ending with you!!!

Love,

Kristle

P.S. Chad will be posting soon - but we will just say he is on sabbatical while he is finishing this semester of school. :)

Adoption Snags...

So just an update - I talked to our adoption agency yesterday and found out that they pushed our class back to November.  This news was really heartbreaking considering what we have gone through up until this point We know that this is just the beginning of an extensive process in which we will spend a LOT of time waiting.  So now we are asking for your prayers as we consider what the next step might be.  We have a couple of options; to stay with our agency and wait - to explore other agencies - to open the door to international adoption - to post our profile on an online website and pay monthly... We are just trying to make the best choice and hold our head up- which isn't easy. Nothing about this is easy.  But we are working very hard to trust God's ultimate plan.  I read an awesome devotion this morning (courtesy of a forward from my friend Jame and the author Jon Walker)

Here is an excerpt....

"Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest, says, "The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty." He says we can be certain of God, even if we are uncertain of the next step he wants us to take. We can be certain of God's plan for us, even if we are uncertain of the specific details. Even though we're uncertain, we can be confident God will not disappoint us (Romans 5:5). "