Thursday, March 25, 2010

Woohooo!

Well here's the news on our adoption.  We have for sure (unless we decide differently later) chosen our adoption agency,  Covenant Care in Georgia.  We are super excited!  I talked with them this morning and they are AWESOME people!  They seem super sweet and seem to have great hearts for adoption and for God.  So within the next couple of months (hopefully by June) we will be getting our homestudy and sending it and our application in to them.  Then once it is approved we will be put on the waiting list!  Then we will be waiting for our childs birthmother to pick us to be the family to raise her child.

 I pray that God protects our birthmother thru the process and helps her along her journey, and with the hardest decision she will ever make.  I want to thank her in advance for having soooooo much love for her child that she is so selfless and is choosing the best option for her child.  And to our birthmother:  I want you to know that we will be forever grateful to you and we will always keep you in our prayers. 

Please continue to pray for us on our journey and please please please share our story!  Spread the word about our adoption fundraising and tshirts!  Thanks so much!  God Bless!

Much Love,
Kristin

Check out these adorable dresses!!! (and enter to win!)

A fellow blogger who has adopted two PRECIOUS little girls from China is giving away one of the coolest creations ever!  A 'Poppy Dip'.  What is a Poppy Dip you say...well you should just hop on over to http://www.itspoppydip.blogspot.com/ to see AND order them and then hop on over to http://www.throwingourarmsopenwide.blogspot.com/ to enter the drawing for a new Poppy Dip!  I've put my entries in for Kylie!  I am also going to be ordering one of these SOON!

Much Love!
Kristin

Monday, March 22, 2010

Under attack...already!

Okay...so I know there are going to be people who disagree with us adopting out of our race...but today I had to hear it from one lady.  Here's how it went down...

I was telling this older lady how we are adopting domestically now.  She asked what race...so I told her, african-american.  Well apparently she had been holding back her feelings about us adopting until today.  She told me that I shouldn't be adopting anyways because we can physically still have children.  She said that there is no reason to adopt when you can have your own kids.  Then she proceeded to tell me that if we were going to adopt then we shouldn't adopt outside of our own race.  She said that it is ridiculous and it is harmful to the child.  So I proceeded with why we are adopting and why we are choosing african american.  I thought...when this lady hears the statistics there is no way she can argue...boy was I wrong!  When I told her about there being approximately 147 million orphans in this world her reply was..."well you can't change the world!"  I said what do you mean I can't change the world...I can change the world for one!  She asked what that was supposed to mean...but didn't let me explain.  She then went on to tell me that only God can change the world.  So I asked her...how do you think he does that...He sends His people to do that!  One small thing at a time!  I said, how do you think anything in this world gets done, it's not everyone doing something at one time...someone has to be the first...someone has to have a dream to change the world!  She just wasn't having it...she told me that only God could change the world...I said, I agree, and he does so thru us!  So then she went on to say some other really mean things about what people will "think" about me if we adopt african american.  Well I got news for you lady...I ain't out to please anyone but my heavenly Father, and I sure don't care what they think!  I was very bitter most of the rest of the day...but then I realized...that I shouldn't be bitter, I just needed to pray for her and ask God to help me be strong in these situations, and not to get upset.


So the moral of the story...there are always going to be people who don't agree with what we are doing...I just gotta remember...I am not doing this for them, I am doing it for HIM!

I am sure this was the first of many encounters I have like this...I just wasn't expecting it yet...or from her.  But I thank God I didn't lose my cool.  Now, maybe I should prepare a little more for such a beating!  Thanks for yall's support!

Much Love!
Kristin

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Luke 6:27-28

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Wow...it's been forever

Hello folks!  I know it's been FOREVER since my last actual post, sorry!  So quite a bit has been going on in the Thomas household.  Here's a bit to catch you up:

1.  We have been remodeling...we had a roof leak, which led us to find a hot water leak, which led us to black mold, which led us to yet another water leak...needless to say, we have had a very busy past few weeks!  So far we have gotten the roof fixed and redone, torn out flooring in three rooms, layed new plywood/underlayment/and flooring down in three rooms, put in a new water heater, new toilet, fixed some pipes in the laundry room, and put down baseboard.  Man its been fun, NOT!  We had to spend a week at Cory's mom and dad's while we were removing all the black mold.  We are at home now but still have a few things left to do. 

2.  As far as social life, well there really hasn't been any!  We have been out to eat with his parents once and mine once, that's it.  Which honestly...we don't need to be spending money right now with everything going on. 

3.  My crazy brain has come up with an idea to get rid of my student loan debt...so what did I do to journal this...I started another blog!  You can check it out here:  http://www.skybluecrayon.blogspot.com/ 

4.  And with the adoption process...some BIG decisions have been made!  We heard a crazy statistic and it has been weighing on our hearts since.  We heard that in the US there are 7,000 families waiting for every caucasian baby that is born, and for african american...get ready for the number...there are ZERO on the waiting list!  Can you believe that?  We were heartbroken by this and just can't understand.  So with that being said, we have decided that maybe our next baby is right here in the US.  Now, I'm not saying that we aren't going to be going to Korea for a child...just putting that on hold right now.  There is an urgent need for families willing to adopt african american or biracial children in the US.  So we are talking with an agency in Georgia right now about our options.  The fees with this agency are considerably less than any other agency we have researched, domestic or international.  Instead of having to raise $30,000 we are only going to have to come up with less than $8,000!!   We are sooooooo excited!  Our next step is our home study.  So we have to raise about $1,000 more for our home study and we will be sending it and our application in!  I have seen where some families have their baby within just a few months of sending in their application!  So I guess I am saying that right now the only thing that seperates us from our son is less than $8,000! 

So, after all that I hope you are still with me.  I am glad to be back and hopefully won't have anymore breaks this long!  I want to ask you all to pray for us and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE spread the word about us, about our shirts, and about our adoption!  I would LOVE to have our son home for Christmas!  Thanks!

Much Love,
Kristin

Friday, March 5, 2010

New Post coming soon....I hope!

Sorry I've been kinda non-existent, we are remodeling!  We have been staying at my in-laws house for a week now.  I am soooooooo ready to be home!  We are getting there.  Hopefully by Sunday we will be back in our own beds.  Pray for us!  So maybe soon I'll have a post worth something. 

Much Love,
Kristin