All this good news!

My blogfriend Melba mentioned all of the good things going on in the world of adoption blog land, and I have to agree, it's all so inspiring. When I get home from mom's tomorrow, I'm going to do a good cleaning out of the nursery and the office, and get the house back in order.

It's funny how cluttered the rooms get when you're ignoring the fact that you've not really heard much on the adoption front for a month, and you reeeeeealy want to hear someting! I pretend I'm ok, I get careless about where things go and I forget to pray for the people I've committed to pray for. The truth is, I'm bummed, expectant,hopeful and frustrated and the fact that we need to clean these rooms again and establish better habits about getting rid of things we don't need and organizing the things we do need.

My mom and dad got us a baby sign that says "Babies are a work of heart" very cute. It's the first decoration type thing we've recieved and I really like it. I can't wait to find a spot for it!

My best wishes and congratulations to all the new and soon to be mothers!
Kel

Heard

I heard a little cry at the restrant tonight and it was a teeny little boy. So cute! Made me really sad. And my arms itch to hold a baby.

Not that it's never happened before...but...notable tonight.

Have you seen this girl?

AMBER DUBOIS
DOB: Oct 25, 1994

Missing: Feb 13, 2009

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

Eyes: Blue

Race: White
Age Now: 14

Sex: Female

Weight: 140 lbs (64 kg)

Hair: Brown
Missing From: ESCONDIDO, CA United States
Amber was last seen on February 13, 2009. She may still be in the local area.

Amber is the 2nd Cousin of a very dear friend of mine.

If you see Amber, Please, call : National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)

You could save her life.

From the Lips of a Four Year old Friend

Our neighbors across the street have three very wonderful children. The oldest is Riley, he's 13 and a good older brother to his two younger sisters. Anne, is 9 and Mary is 4. They are all very sweet and like to talk with Jer and I when we see them. I like to take them little gifts on random holidays, cookies on Christmas, Sparklers on 4^th of July and sweethearts for Valentine's Day. Anne beat me to it this year and when I got home from work on Valentine's day there was an invitation to her Karate School's Valentine's party. Promised on the invite was a

meeting with Po "The Kung Fu Panda" and learning to break a board. My name was on the invite, and Jer said, "Make sure you ask if I can go too!" as I ran across the street with the sweethearts I'd gotten for them.All of the kids are in Karate, and they were totally excited that we'd be there. In the end we were the only adult friends invited, so we were spared sitting on the floor and learning how to do the whole board breaking thing, Anne was a little disappointed that I didn't go out there to do it, but her mom convinced her that it was ok, because there weren't any other adults doing it. I would have done it if she'd really wanted me to, but I got to help in other ways, I held the punching target and then some boards when they asked some parents to assist.

When we were getting ready to leave, the girls gave us hugs, and Mary, looked like she had something to say, and she looked at me with her pretty hazel eyes and said, "I know you're going to have a baby soon, but I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, cuz it's a doll right now." I thought it was very sweet of her to say that all on her own. And earlier Jer asked her if she could beat him up and she replied, "No, because I'm only 4". But I bet Anne could do him some damage! I really enjoy it when children invite me into their lives. I've been very blessed by my child friends these days.

And we did get to meet Po, who *whispers* must have been one of the instructors, because they smelled the same as "Mr. K." J.

Project: “Comfort” packages for Birth-mothers in the hospital

I was looking around on the Bethany Christian Services site and started digging deeper into the site than I really ever have. I peek at my own profile more than I'd like to admit. I noticed the other day that they'd taken down several of the placed families (probably to make room for the new batch of families in May) and added one. And then I realized that with their newly designed webpage, it was much easier to see that there are a bunch of links to different sections of their website and that the ministry is even bigger than it had seemed before. So, I began clicking, some things I'd seen before like the store, but there was this whole other section, that I had completely missed (perhaps it's because I was looking to see what they could do for me, and not what I could do for them!) and I stumbled across a section on "how you can volunteer" of course now, I can't find it… but they mentioned "Comfort packs for Birthmothers" and I got to thinking, "hmmm, I wonder what those are?" so I emailed my Adoption Specialist and asked her about it, she forwarded my question to the Birthparent/Pregnancy counselor who sent this reply:

Basically they were gift bags filled with various things such as:

Bath oils/salts, Lotions, devotionals, candles, candy/snacks, jewelry,hair accessories, nail polish, relaxing CD

Anything generic; and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. If she wanted to go to a dollar store, pick out 5 or 6 pamper-type-items and put them directly into a gift bag with tissue paper that would be fantastic! (I wouldn't individually wrap each item, because that way I can make sure each item is appropriate for the particular birthmother). Thanks!

So, after work, I went to Ross, and found a bunch of things, along with some things I already had, and put them in bags, I now have six little gift bags all lined up, since Bethany is moving it's Seattle office to a different location in the next week, they'll be hanging out in my living room for a while, but…eventually they will get there!

I decided to put in: Headband, lip gloss, nail polish, a tea light candle, Skittles, chocolate, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, Kleenex, little body washes and lotion sets, two blank cards and a pen. I also included a note that says "We're praying for you! Best Wishes, A Bethany Family."

The thing is, I am now addicted to the idea and I want to make more!

Friends and Strangers and their goodnews!

I am happy to report that people I know and people I don't know, have been chosen by birthmoms this month. I am so very happy for them!

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for the answered prayer of friends and strangers. It is awesome to see your work done in their lives. I look forward to the completion of their placements and pray that their ways will be smooth.
Thank you for reminding me of the peace you give, and that you are in control.
By your grace,
Amen

State of the Mom, 2009

It's been awhile since I wrote a "How I am" post. So here it goes:

Jer and I were pretty disappointed by our let down last month. It still seems like it was last week that we were so upset. I think it's bruised us a little. We've both been avoiding the topic of adoption, which is a little difficult since we had to go get printed, and go to the agency to get some things notarized for the "Annual paper renewal" required by the State of Washington.

When we took the paperwork down to Bethany, I noticed a "For Rent" sign on the building, which confused me, they were still there but I asked them what the sign was about and they then told us they were moving the office to Lake City(same distance from our house, just a different direction). Which is fine, but for some reason it really shook me up. I suppose all of my images of meeting with a birthmom were in a little room that I'd been in before. In truth it really doesn't matter "Where" the office is, but I was comfortable with the "idea" of the Shoreline location. I liked that it was on the way to softball, I'd look for the sign when we drove to the games in the summer. It wasn't on our usual route, but it was somewhere I'd been before. Lake City isn't that far from my house, and more than likely it is a better location for visibility in general, but I almost never go to Seattle and I don't usually go that way. In all likely hood we never would have really used that room, but in my mind it was a familiar place.

In other news, I've been taking a college level Bible class about the Parables of Christ. I've taken a lot of pleasure in learning again. It's a nice change from the daily work, workout, go home schedule of the week. We got our taxes done and don't owe the government, and I thank them for their interest free savings account plan J. The guy who does our taxes really wants us to get a baby soon, he bookmarked our profile at Bethany and promised to pray for us.

An unmarried friend of mine from Middle School told me she's pregnant and due in September, she wanted to tell me before people started commenting on her facebook. I thought that was really sweet of her to warn me. She was on the boarder-line of apologizing to me for getting pregnant when I stopped her and told her how much I love babies and pregnant ladies. To me they symbolize hope and life. It's things like the Louisiana woman who tossed her newborn into a lake that worried me; and the baby hoarder from California and the media's willingness to pay her for her story. And the "Pregnant man" being the "pregnant man again", and my friend Andrea telling me she's giving up on trying to get pregnant in two months. These things make me sad, not my friend having a baby! Jealous of her yes, but in a good way if there is a good way to be jealous!

All in all I'm fine, I'm waiting, I'm a little heart sick, I have a cold, and I'm tired. I want to be a mom more than ever, and I'm really excited to see what is next…I'm just a little scared that there won't be anything next. And that is the state of this mom in waiting for now.

Dear Lord,

Please help me to be encouraged and not discouraged, to be expectant and not pessimistic. And encourage my sweet husband.

Thank you for your sovereignty and for your plan.

Sears

I was at Sears with my parents looking for a pair of coveralls to complete my "Kaylee Frye" costume. I did end up finding a dark green one, that will look really cute, a little baggier, but I'm not a costumer, I take what "Craftsman" gives me!

ANYWAY...I was looking through the work clothes and a little girl in a stroller looked at me and said "MAMA?" seriously. I nearly lost it, and I think my mom did too. It was a reall "Gut Check" moment. I WANT that, and I want it bad.

My Heartbreak is Acute

Louisiana Mother Dumps Newborn Baby in Lake Pontchartrain
The body of a newborn baby, with its umbilical cord still attached, was found floating in Lake Pontchartrain on Tuesday. An hour later, a 20-year-old woman from Metaire, Louisiana confessed to the killing.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1467957/louisiana_mother_dumps_newborn_baby.html

WHY DID SHE DO THAT? ANGER Lots of Anger toward someone who would literally throw a life away.