10 Things You'll Find In Iowa

1. Mike Huckabee taking the state by storm!

2. Postcard arrives 39 years later

3. Thieves targeting Christmas trees

4. Oprah

5. Acts of courage

6. Mourning

7. Bad burgers

8. Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins

9. Freezing fog

10. Our Angel

Allie, Princess, Charlie, Me and Edward...with our tall, skinny, very naked Christmas tree. It actually looks better in person. We have a tradition in our family that every year for Princess's birthday (coming up soon!) we get her a tree ornament. Hubby has been doing this since she was 4 years old so she has a pretty cool collection. Usually it's an ornament that has to do with what she's into or what sport she's in or what she likes. And then when we were married almost 5 years ago we started the tradition for ourselves too, that we get an ornament every year.

No news is just no news, right? We haven't heard a word from our social worker. Hubby won't let me call. Yes, she did say she'd call as soon as she made contact with the foster family but arrgghh! I was so hoping to hear more today. And then my crazy brain starts going wacko. If you're wondering what I'm talking about read here.

I've spent alot of today reading the promises of the Psalms. Here's one of my favorites:

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? Ho long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I will trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13

It's A Girl!

Ok folks, hope you're sitting down!

We are soon to become the parents of a baby girl. She's 5 weeks old and we'll call her Angel. We are so excited, yet still a little in shock and still a little cautious since it's not final yet.

Things that need to happen before baby Angel comes home:

1. Finalize our home study. Our social worker is finishing it up this weekend so that's no problem.

2. Background check and fingerprints. This is also part of the home study, but it's the part that takes the longest. Ok, so you remember how we were thinking it took 4-8 weeks. Well either we were wrong or God worked an amazing miracle. Me and Hubby's already came back after only 2 weeks. So we're just waiting on Princess's.

3. Adoption Fee. Huge praise here! We originally thought our fee was $11800 and then were told we didn't make it in time before their fees increased so the fees were actually $14800. But now today we were told that they are in fact $11800! YAHOO! We're still keeping our goal at $14000 because we owe $1000 more for the home study and we have yet to buy anything for the nursery plus a $500 post placement fee.

So what does that mean? We have $3-4000 that has been raised or donated. So that leaves us with $10-11000 yet to raise. And we have, we're guessing 2-4 weeks. I'm so excited because we serve an AMAZING God.

SO AMAZING that we have within the last 10 minutes since I've typed the last paragraph we have gotten 2 phone calls from family members that want to give us approximately $8000. I can hardly talk, I'm so overwhelmed by God's blessing. All we can do is sit here and weep.

We love you Jesus. Thank you for this blessing and this new adventure you've called us to. Thank you for our family and friends that are so encouraging and supportive. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

It's a Souper Duper Friday!

BooMama is hosting a Soup-Tacular today! Ya, I love recipes! I was hoping to share one of Hubby's amazing recipes but he thinks he's so special he doesn't use recipes. What's up with that anyway? So you get to enjoy my broccoli cheese soup. It's amazing too!

Check out more recipes on BooMama's blog.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 stick butter
3 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups water
3 cups medium egg noodles
1/2 head broccoli, chopped
3 cups milk
1 small box Velveeta cheese

Saute onion and butter. Add chicken bouillon cubes and water. Stir until cubes dissolve. Add noodles and broccoli. Cook until broccoli is tender. Add milk and Velveeta. Stir until cheese is melted. Do not boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ok, it's your lucky day! I'm going to share another amazing recipe for mini bread bowls. They are so easy to make and so fun for whatever soup you have!

Mini Bread Bowls
1 package refrigerated jumbo biscuits
1 package tin foil

Separate biscuits. Roll out on cutting board until discuit is 6-8 inches in diameter. (I just use my hands to roll out) Take handful of tin foil and scrunch into a ball. Make foil balls that are approximately softball size. Lay rolled out biscuits on top of tin foil ball and place on baking sheet (so "bowls" are upside down). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let cool. Remove from tin foil. Flip over and fill with your favorite soup!

Not like we're keeping track or anything

So our home study is real close to being done and now we just wait, as opposed to waiting and filling out all the paperwork and meetings and such.

You may have noticed a new little icon on the right side of our blog. Well, it's not little I guess. Yesterday it said we need to raise $11000 to bring baby home and we are up to $6000. Well today we found out we actually need $14000. Our agency recently raised their fees but we were hoping to get in under their last fee schedule. Doesn't look like that's going to happen.

So please please please please pray that the funds would be raised. We are scrimping pennys and filling out grant applications. However, we can't send the applications in until the home study is final final. Many of them only give grants quarterly and it's possible we could get a referral sooner than that. Most of them also say they give grants for "extreme financial hardship". Well, I wouldn't exactly say we are in extreme financial hardship but we certainly don't have $10K laying around.

I know, STOP WORRYING! We are trusting that it will all come together as God's timing is perfect. Thanks for praying with us.

God Knows

Earlier this week I talked to our doctor's nurse about the tests results from last week. She said there was nothing to be concerned about and I should come back in 6 months. Uh, WHAT!! So if everything looks fine, why am I having all this pain? And why am I waiting 6 months to come back? We talked to another nurse we've been working with and she said that was ridiculous, that we should reschedule to go back in 2 months. It still bothers me that if there's nothing of concern why am I having the pain but we meet with her again on Tuesday so we'll ask some more questions.

We were able to get Princess fingerprinted last night. And praise the Lord we got in the mail the letter from our insurance we've been waiting for. Our social worker told us today she is finishing up the last of our home study so now we just have to wait for the background check and fingerprint check to come back. Pray with us that they will come back quickly!

I received this note from one of our Pastors today:

I am praying for you. One thing that is always a blessing for me to remember is this, my Godly heart's desires are always on God's mind, therefore I don't need my mind to always be pre-occupied by them. When they come to my mind I say to myself, "God knows!"

Wow, God's timing is amazing. That was just what I needed to hear. Going back to the doctor has brought up all sort of questions (should we be going to the doctor, how far do we go, do I have surgery if that's what they suggest, etc, etc). I've been worried about the finances for the adoption too. I so long to stay home, at least part time when the baby comes and if we have to take out a loan to cover the rest of the adoption fee I'll have to go back to work outside the home. It was so good to be reminded that God knows my hearts' desire. He knows.

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22

Happy Birthday Jim!

Today is my brother Jim's birthday. He's 29 years young! Here are some things about Jim that make him the coolest little brother in the world...

His nickname was "boo boo" when he was little
He has an amazing girlfriend and she's from South Africa (see picture above)
He has an adventurous spirit!
We've bungie jumped together. Not together together - he went first, then me!
He's a gifted bar and restaurant manager
He can do amazing wake boarding tricks
He's been a dedicated Chicago Bears fan since he was little (not sure how cool that is)

Happy birthday Jim! We love you!

No Fingerprints for Princess!

Hubby and I have already been fingerprinted for our adoption but we still needed to get Princess done. We found out that even though our state doesn't require minors in the home to get fingerprinted at this time, the law could change before we get our baby so our social worker thought it was important.

So we have her fingerprint form, $12.50 in EXACT change (Why? That's all I'd like to know) and get there just before they close. We sign in, get our special pass and head upstairs to the Sheriff's office.

And then I remembered. Uh, Princess, do you have your id? Nope!

Since they have the craziest hours we didn't have time to go home to get her id and make it back in time. So tomorrow we'll try again.

The night wasn't all bad though. It was family night and we pigged out at an all you can eat pizza place. Nothing like a pizza induced coma to make you forget all your adoption frustrations!

First Snow Day!

We were blessed to get our first snow fall on Saturday! Hubby and Princess love the snow, snow ball fights, white washing, etc. I have a horrible snow phobia (maybe someday I'll share why) so I was in charge of picture taking. Although at one point Princess was hiding behind me and knocked me in the snow. It was horrible and I barely survived!

Enjoy our pictures as we enjoy the snow and frigid temps!

A good day to cuddle up with a blanket and nap.... or shop!

Today we got our first snow of the season and it was a doozy. We got between 6-10" of snow plus sleet and ice. My sister came to town early Friday to have surgery to remove an abscessed tooth (fun!). She felt good enough today to want to go shopping which is so cool because it's been over a year since we've been able to spend a whole day together!

So Hubby warms up the good 'ol Jeep and we plow our way through town to the mall. Me, Hubby, Princess and Sister found some great deals (Anyone feel guilty for shopping this close to Christmas? I didn't think so!) and a few Christmas gifts.

Emily if you read my blog you will be happy to know I've FINALLY gotten your fleece blanket done. Sister helped me pick out the pattern today and we finished it tonight. Thanks for being so patient, I hope you enjoy it - it'll be in the mail on Monday!

Then we cuddled up in our own fleece blankets and watched a few great movies (Amazing Grace and National Treasure). A good, busy, cold, warm, productive, fun, cozy day!