Howdy Y'all!
Last week I had another DepotLupron shot. WOOHOO..the crazy side effects! The hot flashes are nuts. Yesterday I am sitting on the desk teaching away and all of a sudden an oven hits, I stand up and the back of my legs were so sweaty that it is through the back of my dress pants. NASTY! Good thing my kids are going through puberty and their bodies are so awkward they wouldn't know the difference. My other deal is the chubby legs I am getting..ahhh! Yesterday I ran a solid 5 miles straight, and I thought my thighs rubbing were going to start a fire at around mile number 2! If my only issues are heat, a few pounds and a few pimples I have nothing to complain about. Hopefully my endometriosis will be all cleared up..aka no pain, and better chance for a little baby Johnson #2!
Tyler and I are knee deep in paperwork and have already arranged our next meeting just a day or 2 after Ty is home. He is beyond anxious to dive in deeper and wants to get his hands dirty with our angelic case manager Lisa! We start our online parenting classes for Ethiopia today and hope to learn a bit about international adjustment for us and our little goose!(or geese....twins?)
Love y'all!
Background
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
September 16th,2009
Howdy!
I apologize! We promised to be better about posting on our blog, and look at us now.
Sunday was this major event in our lives where we felt like God had been trying to pull us along, and finally we jumped on His treadmill and have been running with him ever since. We must give you a run down of how awesome Sunday was:
1. The kids ran the service, and the youth praise band wanted to teach us a new song called Jesus Save our Souls. Guess what our program in Africa is called...Save our Souls!
2. The youth pastor gave a passionate sermon of the difference we can make on a small and large scale. If American simply put the money they spent on Ice cream alone toward charity, then 134 kids in Africa could be fed for a year.
3. She spoke of boldness and being radical for God, not complacent. She asked a rhetorical question of "How many people can say they are living our of their comfort zone doing something radical God led them to?" For one of only a few times in my life, my heart and mind were shouting "WE ARE!"
4. The youth in church were given individual challenges to take on earlier in the year, ranging from memorizing an entire book in the bible, to serving a homeless shelter once a month. The youth wrote challenges for us. I took one and it read "Run a 5K raising money for World Vision Africa". How amazing for us! Two avid runners with a heart obviously for Africa!
5. After service a cute girl introduces herself and asks if we have children. I explain we are adopting and she says her friend adopted...from where? ETHIOPIA!
We are thrilled for what Gos is doing in our lives. We have always had a goal since we were dating, to uphold God's laws and will for our life, and now more than ever we feel we are in Him!
WHOOP!!!!
I apologize! We promised to be better about posting on our blog, and look at us now.
Sunday was this major event in our lives where we felt like God had been trying to pull us along, and finally we jumped on His treadmill and have been running with him ever since. We must give you a run down of how awesome Sunday was:
1. The kids ran the service, and the youth praise band wanted to teach us a new song called Jesus Save our Souls. Guess what our program in Africa is called...Save our Souls!
2. The youth pastor gave a passionate sermon of the difference we can make on a small and large scale. If American simply put the money they spent on Ice cream alone toward charity, then 134 kids in Africa could be fed for a year.
3. She spoke of boldness and being radical for God, not complacent. She asked a rhetorical question of "How many people can say they are living our of their comfort zone doing something radical God led them to?" For one of only a few times in my life, my heart and mind were shouting "WE ARE!"
4. The youth in church were given individual challenges to take on earlier in the year, ranging from memorizing an entire book in the bible, to serving a homeless shelter once a month. The youth wrote challenges for us. I took one and it read "Run a 5K raising money for World Vision Africa". How amazing for us! Two avid runners with a heart obviously for Africa!
5. After service a cute girl introduces herself and asks if we have children. I explain we are adopting and she says her friend adopted...from where? ETHIOPIA!
We are thrilled for what Gos is doing in our lives. We have always had a goal since we were dating, to uphold God's laws and will for our life, and now more than ever we feel we are in Him!
WHOOP!!!!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
September 12th,2009
Howdy!
This week has been an overwhelming week of frustration and getting stuck in a time warp. We have been working through the paperwork, writing the essays, etc. like wild men and women. After like my 15th hours of working on just one immigration and Ethiopian packet this week my frustration had peaked and my eyes filled with tears. Tyler is usually the partner to do all the paperwork, and left alone with a stack and pen is not my strength I must admit. After I realized that the paperwork, applications and ordering of documents basically increased by 10 fold when we decided to adopt from Africa rather than U.S., for a second I debated if we should switch back to domestic. I took a diet coke break and checked the mailed. I must admit this was a God moment, because ti was too perfectly coordinated. I was about to burst screaming in frustration when I opened the mailbox to find Kelly and Chris Brown(Chris worked with me at Ruckel, and Kelly has been like a mentor through the adoption process after her own adoption) had mailed us a book on Christian Adoption. How Amazing are they and God! I still can't get over how God works int he greatest ways!
I spent a solid hour at OfficeMax making copies of everything "just in case". We have our first solid "packet" to send to Lisa at BAF, and the first stage was so thick I had to take a photo. I am hoping to have another stack about that thick to mail by the end of the week, if we keep the good pace we are working at. I then had 3 sets of fingerprints taken at a gun shop. I am sure you can only imagine how well I fit into that scene..yikes! We might be nuts, I must admit, but we bought a little board short bathing suit today for our son. We decided if we pick up little motivators like that along the way the paperwork push will be a breeze. Who can get frustrated filling our forms, when you look over at the worlds smallest board short suit, knowing our Little angel will be wearing that sooner than we imagine. Now maybe I can talk Ty into that dream jogging stroller to get through the next phase? Just teasing!
We love you all, and are more than thankful for your support and encouragement!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
September 8th, 2009
Howdy!
Today we could not smiling, like our faces were plastered in a big bozo smile. My kids even thought it was fishy, and asked why I was so happy. I told them I was excited about life and all the changes each of us have in store. One kid raised his hand and asked if I was pregnant, another asked if I was adopting a baby. Now seriously how and why would middle school kids ask that? How do they know? Are we that transparent? Of course I didn't spill the beans but felt like it. We are on fast forward and I already arranged fingerprints, CPS clearance and physical appointments for next week. Helps when you know the clinic supervisor, and a sheriff I guess???? Ty and I are both spending time normal people sleep documenting finances, education and writing autobiographies. Where our our priorities?...obviously with our Baby Johnson! Today we realized that given our time line there is most likely a woman in Africa pregnant with our son at this very moment. Praying for her and our son last night caused me to break down in tears of joy. This is becoming so real and so joyful so quickly.
Today we could not smiling, like our faces were plastered in a big bozo smile. My kids even thought it was fishy, and asked why I was so happy. I told them I was excited about life and all the changes each of us have in store. One kid raised his hand and asked if I was pregnant, another asked if I was adopting a baby. Now seriously how and why would middle school kids ask that? How do they know? Are we that transparent? Of course I didn't spill the beans but felt like it. We are on fast forward and I already arranged fingerprints, CPS clearance and physical appointments for next week. Helps when you know the clinic supervisor, and a sheriff I guess???? Ty and I are both spending time normal people sleep documenting finances, education and writing autobiographies. Where our our priorities?...obviously with our Baby Johnson! Today we realized that given our time line there is most likely a woman in Africa pregnant with our son at this very moment. Praying for her and our son last night caused me to break down in tears of joy. This is becoming so real and so joyful so quickly.
Monday, September 7, 2009
September 7th, 2009
Howdy!
Wow....huff...........I am emotionally exhausted. We were all exited for the first part of our home study, and you better believe the house was sparkling...I even woke up at dawn to weed. The house passed with flying colors. They check every room and closet, and were impressed we had a complete nursery ready. Then we sat down for an overview with questions and paperwork. I had never seen so many pages. They pulled a little carrier to hold all the pages. I didn't realize the difference in domestic and international adoption basically meant 2,000 more pages to fill out. For example, in the next 2 weeks we need to:
Get CPS clearance, fingerprinted, send away for finger print cards, fill our application, get money orders, 5 letters of reference, financial statements, birth certificates, marriage license, all of which from the state, no copies, credit reports, 14 paragraph autobiographies, physicals, tax returns and codes and agreements.
WOW!!! The said the average fist step takes 30 hours to finish. Well here goes hour one....
We are thrilled and more excited than we could ever be. We remember the excitement of engagement, marriage, IVF...and for some crazy reason none of that compares to God rescuing a baby from Africa and blessing multiple lives at once! After we started the process I am realizing all we could have missed if we had our own children biologically. Life is so great, Our God is so Holy! We will keep you updated! Love yall!
Wow....huff...........I am emotionally exhausted. We were all exited for the first part of our home study, and you better believe the house was sparkling...I even woke up at dawn to weed. The house passed with flying colors. They check every room and closet, and were impressed we had a complete nursery ready. Then we sat down for an overview with questions and paperwork. I had never seen so many pages. They pulled a little carrier to hold all the pages. I didn't realize the difference in domestic and international adoption basically meant 2,000 more pages to fill out. For example, in the next 2 weeks we need to:
Get CPS clearance, fingerprinted, send away for finger print cards, fill our application, get money orders, 5 letters of reference, financial statements, birth certificates, marriage license, all of which from the state, no copies, credit reports, 14 paragraph autobiographies, physicals, tax returns and codes and agreements.
WOW!!! The said the average fist step takes 30 hours to finish. Well here goes hour one....
We are thrilled and more excited than we could ever be. We remember the excitement of engagement, marriage, IVF...and for some crazy reason none of that compares to God rescuing a baby from Africa and blessing multiple lives at once! After we started the process I am realizing all we could have missed if we had our own children biologically. Life is so great, Our God is so Holy! We will keep you updated! Love yall!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
September 3rd, 2009
Howdy!!!
On the medical front....I am doing just great, side effects are more and more mild, other than weight gain and pimples. Seriously I eat NOTHING, work out with a trainer and put on weight. Then I have gotten pimples from the hormones where people just plain do not get pimples! Like bizarre puberty or something. I wonder if that really happens with natural menopause?
On the adoption front....We sent in or preliminary paperwork and applications and had phone conferences with 2 agencies. CSS I think will not work for us, because they have basically said we need to stay in AZ for the next few years to have placement and then the post adoption counseling and check-ups. BAF has blown us out of the water. They are fabulous!!! Every negative answer we have gotten elsewhere they have answered positively glowing. Such as they can pretty much guarantee either a domestic or Ethiopian infant adoption within 9 months, home study next month, and then we can do out follow-ups through an affiliate if we move immediately afterward. Then recently we were referred to CWA and filled out the initial application and all with them, missed several calls(hard because they are East Coast) and plan for a webinar in 2 days. Then the big decisions..........
Tyler and I are giddy excited now, and sweet Ty says he can't stop smiling and dreaming about it. Thrilling the ways God has revealed himself!!!!
On the medical front....I am doing just great, side effects are more and more mild, other than weight gain and pimples. Seriously I eat NOTHING, work out with a trainer and put on weight. Then I have gotten pimples from the hormones where people just plain do not get pimples! Like bizarre puberty or something. I wonder if that really happens with natural menopause?
On the adoption front....We sent in or preliminary paperwork and applications and had phone conferences with 2 agencies. CSS I think will not work for us, because they have basically said we need to stay in AZ for the next few years to have placement and then the post adoption counseling and check-ups. BAF has blown us out of the water. They are fabulous!!! Every negative answer we have gotten elsewhere they have answered positively glowing. Such as they can pretty much guarantee either a domestic or Ethiopian infant adoption within 9 months, home study next month, and then we can do out follow-ups through an affiliate if we move immediately afterward. Then recently we were referred to CWA and filled out the initial application and all with them, missed several calls(hard because they are East Coast) and plan for a webinar in 2 days. Then the big decisions..........
Tyler and I are giddy excited now, and sweet Ty says he can't stop smiling and dreaming about it. Thrilling the ways God has revealed himself!!!!
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