Our First In-Home Visit

We have completed another step toward bringing our children home. 

We had our first in-home visit with L this week.

Andrew gave her the grand tour of our house which he loves doing.

We sat and visited for awhile and went over another folder of paperwork.

It was a breeze.

You have to have at least 50 square feet per child.  L stopped counting when she got to 11 kids.  We definitely have plenty of room to raise some kiddos.  It's one of the many reasons we love our house.

Our next step is the training classes which will take place over two weekends in January.  Once that is complete the company who will do our final home study has 45 business days to complete that.

Then we should be an open home!

I really thought I would have more to say after our first home visit.  I wanted to share with you all the details and let you know what to expect if you are going through this process.  But there really wasn't much too it.  It was like visiting with an old friend.

She saw the home, made some notes, and went over the paper work with us.

Simple and easy.

It feels good to have yet another step done, to be one step closer to building our family and bringing our children home.

A Date Night in Boots

Last Friday evening Andrew and I got all dressed up in our boots. 

Because that's what you do when you are going to see Garth Brooks.  

It was such a fun date night.

Garth puts on a great show!

There were 17,000 people in attendance singing along with EVERY SINGLE SONG!

After the concert we spent the night with Andrew's mom and dad.  

Thanks again for having us, Big Man and Momma.  

We planned to go straight home and do some work around the house, but ended up spending all day in Little Rock shopping.  It was well worth it when at the end of the day we had finished our Christmas shopping.

Overnight dates are the best.

I was soaking up the moments with my husband and trying not to take them for granted.  I love that we have dates from time to time.  Dating each other keeps some fun in our marriage.  I hope that we will still make time for dates when we have a house full of kiddos.  I think it so important.

Painting for Zero

Project Zero is an organization that has become very close to my heart over the past several weeks.  Their motto is 1 + 1 = 0.  1 Family + 1 Child = 0 Waiting Children.

Their goal is to raise awareness about adoption in the state of Arkansas and connect families with waiting children.  

Last Wednesday night a local paint studio held a fundraiser for Project Zero.  

I have always wanted to go to a painting class and thought this was the perfect time.  I felt like it was something fun I could do that would benefit my children.

I didn't want to go by myself so I asked Andrew's mom and sisters if they wanted to join me.  It ended up being just my mother-in-law and me.  It was the most special time together.

We began the night with a blank canvas and a plate of paint.

We had an instructor who led us through the painting step by step.  She made it very simple, though there were times we questioned that our painting would turn into a tree.

But by the end of the night we did in fact have two Christmas trees to take home with us.

My tree isn't quite finished.  I started drawing the circles but instantly hated them.  I painted over them and was happy with my plain tree until I saw the above picture.  Everyone's looks so cute.

I'm going to add buttons I think or maybe just paint solid circles.  I'm not sure yet.

I was able to meet the lady behind Project Zero.  I enjoyed getting to visit with her and discuss a certain sibling group that Andrew and I have fallen in love with.

Painting was fun.  I definitely want to do it again sometime.


But more than anything I loved the time I was able to spend with my mother-in-law.  Special memories that I will cherish always.  Lots of laughter.   I am thankful God has given me such a beautiful family through marriage.

Our Weekend

I've always wanted to go see Trans Siberian Orchestra.  I've heard it was amazing and the band geek in me just knew I was missing out on something.  I was more than a little excited when Andrew told me he bought us tickets several months ago.  I have been looking forward to it for months.

The day finally came yesterday.  We went to the afternoon show and just made a day out of it.  We had the best day talking about our adoption and dreaming about how many kids God has waiting for us.

Andrew and I have been to a lot of concerts and yesterday was the first time we've ever seen such technical difficulties.  After the first little intro they stopped the show and left us sitting in the dark for a few minutes while they worked on their screens.  They were sending the wrong picture to the wrong screen.  It was pretty comical.

There were more problems toward the end of the show when a light caught on fire and a fire extinguisher had to brought out.

TSO has some very talented musicians but Andrew and I are not going to be those people who go see them every year.

Let's just say it didn't make our TOP TEN list of concerts.

After the show we headed to the mall for a little shopping.  

How festive is this red jacket?

Today we started getting our Christmas decorations out.  I had planned to decorate last week but I spent four days sick so it didn't happen.

I made some Christmas cookies I found on Pinterest.  They were a complete fail.  My pans are old and have seen much better days so I'm going to blame it on that.  The cookies weren't stuck when I first pulled them out of the oven, but by the time I added the kiss to the top they had all cemented themselves to the cookie sheet.   

So I did the only reasonable thing.  I threw away two cookie sheets with cookies still attached, snapped a picture of the five cookies that were made on a different cookie sheet, and posted said picture to social media making me look like a holiday Martha Stewart.

Only two more weeks until Christmas break.

This teacher is ready.

Our Timeline

Several people have asked about our timeline for adoption.  How soon will we have kids in our home?  When will they officially be Weavers?

Though I know they are inquiring about the process of adoption and not necessarily our plan I can't help but want to answer with an explanation that it is not our timeline.

Our timeline was to have a baby in our home already.  Maybe two.  A baby that was the perfect combination of Andrew and me.  A baby that didn't have to wait to officially be a Weaver.

Growing our family isn't being done on our timeline.  Our family is growing on God's timeline and in His way.  

If I have learned anything over the past few years it is the truth of Proverbs 16:9

I am a planner.  There are few things that make me happier than a cute new planner to start the year off right.  Organization makes me giddy.  Having a plan gives me a sense of security.

Andrew and I planned our first child.  It was perfect.

Or so we thought.

To be honest it still seems like our plan was a pretty good one.  But I can't see the bigger picture.

Adoption may seem like our Plan B, but it has been God's Plan A all along.  This journey is what he  had waiting for us all along.  Its what he has been preparing us for.  It's not the next best thing.  It is the best thing.

Sometimes it feels like we have jumped into this journey without much thought or planning because the decision was made so quickly and that can be uncomfortable.  But I have seen God in every step of this journey.  I have felt Him whisper to me that this is how he planned to grow our family all along.

And that brings me more happiness than any plan Andrew and I have ever had.  

There is joy in obedience.

And I believe that saying yes to this journey is just that.  Obedience.  I know we are doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing.

So when you ask about our timeline or if we are really willing to take a teenager, when you ask if we are sure we want to adopt multiple children all at once, you may be thinking we are a little crazy.

It's okay.  We've thought that too.  But at the end of the day, we know we are on God's timeline.  We have story after story of "crazy" obedience in the Bible that lets us know obedience always works out for the best - for the glory of God.  Just look at Noah - building an ark for a flood when he had never seen rain.  Or how about Abraham setting out not knowing where he was going, waiting on a promised son throughout his old age?  I'm sure they looked crazy to those around them.

So when will we have kids in our home?  Andrew and I have our plan, but we know in the end we will have kids in our home in God's perfect timing.

For now we wait expectantly.

Thanksgiving 2014

Wednesday night we celebrated Thanksgiving with Andrew's family.  We were blessed to get host again this year.  We LOVE hosting.  It is so much fun to fill our house with family.  

It's always loud and busy and a bit crazy. 

This is the only picture I took all night.  Andrew's brother Cary, our nephew Tyler, and me.  Love these guys!

And then the minute they all leave it is quiet and sad.  It always makes me a little weepy.

We love having everyone here.  The adults visiting downstairs while the kids run around playing upstairs.

Everyone spent the night Wednesday night.  After breakfast Thursday morning we all went our separate ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with more family.

Andrew and I spent the day with my family at my Mommom's house.

No one was stepping up to carve the turkey so I did it this year.  First time for everything.

My favorite part of Thanksgiving this year was that the secret was finally out.

I'm going to be an aunt again!!

I could not be more excited.

My brother and his wife are expecting their first baby in June.  

I began crafting as soon as I found out.

I cannot wait to love on and spoil him or her rotten.  June can't get here fast enough.

Cheering in the Rain

It's good to be a Razorback fan!!

Yesterday Andrew and I along with my parents headed to Fayetteville to watch the Hogs take on #8 Ole Miss.

It rained on us pretty much the entire time.  I've never been so thankful for hideous rain suits.  We stayed nice and dry under those rain suits.

It was such a fun and exciting game!

Chick-Fil-A at Half Time

It was a Razorback Victory.

30-0

We had a such a fun time.  I can't tell you how happy it made me that this guy wanted to take my parents to a game.  He knew how much my daddy would love it.