Catching Up

This past weekend, I finally feel like I'm getting it together. Our house doesn't reflect this, what with the Kleenexes everywhere, tumbleweeds of dog fur, and sink full of dirty dishes, but if anything being sick kept me parked on a couch or in bed with nothing to do but research, Pinterest, and plan.

Many of you have wondered and asked exactly what we need help with or what you can do to help us. Well, thanks to the plethora of time I've had this weekend I was able to make a list.

Ready, and GO!

1) Pray. Pray that we are wise with our resources and finances and spending choices. Pray that we will be organized in time for our garage sale. Pray for donations for our garage sale. Pray that our washing machine and dryer will last a little bit longer and that our check engine light won't cost $7000 to fix. Pray for the start of our home study in June. Pray that God will put the right people in our lives to support and encourage us. Pray that we don't limit God. Pray for wisdom and guidance and patience and patience. And patience.

I could go on with that, but I'd say that would summarize the right now.

2) Garage sale! Everyone's favorite thing to do, I know. I've read mixed reviews on these "garage sales for adoptions" but it seems like if you put the work into it, and a lot of work into it, then they are mostly successful. We'll be having one whenever our neighborhood has one (which I need to double check the date but I believe it is either first or second weekend in May). If you have things you'd like to donate, feel free to drop them off or we can pick up. If you're bored that weekend and want to stop by or want to help price or make cookies or knit scarves or whatever, you do that too! (If you live up near our parents, you can bring the stuff to their houses and we can get it from there. I should probably warn them that I said that, so parents--consider yourselves warned. Derek also says we need tables (or plywood and sawhorses, or doors and sawhorses). That's a minor detail I didn't think of until now. Thanks Derek!

3) Probably the most fun one on the list--puzzles! We need help assembling four puzzles. It's a long story, but essentially we need to assemble the puzzles, number the pieces, and stamp half of them. Just trust me. I promise, I'm not crazy.

I'm thinking a Friday night puzzle night? We'll provide the pizza!

I can no longer think of puzzles without singing this.

4) Crafting! At some point after these puzzles are assembled, labeled, and disassembled, we need to have do a few more things to the pieces. Honestly, I would try to explain, but it would be easier to show and tell and the puzzles are still en route from who knows where. Just remember, #pieceofthefamily! And...it's not a hard craft--not even cut and glue. Just glue. In case you were worried.

5) Keep August 15 clear if you can. I really don't know too much about this other than the date, but we have multiple friends who have approached us that want to do some sort of benefit event. Which is CRAZY. We'll go with it though, and see what God has in store. One friend has graciously blocked off the space at her shop to hold this event, which is amazing, but honestly I don't know much more than that. There's only two days in a weekend and I didn't do that much planning. You can add praying for that date and for God to move people to get involve to item #1.

I don't know if it's because it's March 1st or what, but I'm finally feeling like things are starting to get moving and organized. This should probably be first instead of last, but we'll call it saving the best for last. We are SO thankful for the amount of people who have asked us what they can do, or connected us with people who have been through the process or are going through the process, or just offered the right words at the right time. Yes, we realize we are still so much at the beginning of this and hesitated to share so early, but we wanted to involve our family and friends in what we feel God is calling us to do.

I'll try to publish a few more posts that have been sitting in the drafts for the past few months, but no promises.

-Later!

Merry January 24

Thanks everyone for the messages, texts, emails, posts, calls, and any other form of communication that I'm missing that you've given us in regards to what we're now calling our "adoption press release." It's been a few weeks, and I thought I'd give a heads up on what's been happening in our lives since then.

For starters, I took this picture just now.

#notapriority

That would be our tree, which is still up. Hopefully, it will come down tonight. We've had a few other priorities/goings on, and suddenly about ten days ago we realized the tree was still up...and then promptly forgot about it again.

I think pictures work better with minimal words, so without further ado...

D's favorite gift

My favorite gift

It's tradtion!



Derek's done! What will he do with all this spare time?!

Cleaning out TV room for guest room

New TV/Family room...Before

And after! We did not get a snow day.

And of course, dogmosis.

I know a lot of you have asked a lot of questions about our adoption, and at some point in the near future we'll do a Q&A just for you! In the meantime, just keep checking back here where I will attempt to update wherever we may be in the process.

New Years and Red Threads

Happy New Year from the Tanii! 

Above, you will see the Chinese symbol for family. I love the simplicity of it! This is how we chose to tell our families this past Christmas that Lord willing, we have decided to adopt our firstborn child from China. 

Adoption has always, always been important to us. There are many reasons, but most importantly we are adopting because we want to. We want to show a child that he or she is loved and wanted. We want to give a child opportunities that he or she may not (and probably wouldn't) have; things we take for granted, like an education or good health or a safe environment. Ultimately, we want to pass on God's love and mercy to another as He has done for us.

Our family is growing. It may not be the traditional way, and although we've barely made a dent in the process we can already say it is also not the easy way, but we're excited to see what this year and the next will bring us. We welcome your questions and covet your prayers as we begin this journey, and hope that you share our excitement as we move forward!

As always, stay tuned.

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch of tangle, but will never break. --Chinese proverb