1 Year of Official Waiting...

Today is a monumental day. We have offically been a waiting family for one full year. Last year at this very time we were celebrating finalizing our Dossier and sumbitting it to our agency. We met my parents for lunch and celebrated...and then we waited...and waited...and waited...and yes, we are still waiting. While we haven't had the privilege of celebrating getting a referral yet, we felt like we deserved to celebrate making it through an offical year of waiting without emotionally falling too much apart (you all that are in the adoption process know exactly what we mean!).

Nate decided we should go skiing (we have a season night pass) and then out to dinner, and then he even talked me into Starbucks (which isn't very hard). When we got to the ski slopes, we took a few runs, and then decided to venture over to one of the black trails. Two years ago, Nate had fallen on that trail and slid rather fast on his butt, with his skis in the air. I was just about to yell to him, "Remember that time you slid halfway down the mountain?" No sooner had those words crossed my mind, there he went! It was like a replay from two years ago, only this time, he literrally slid off the snow into some brush and mud. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. I chose the laughter. We made it down the mountain and he insisted we do it again, because he can't end on that one that way. So we went down again and made it in one piece. About an hour later, I got hit with a ski lift as I stood waiting for Nate! They stopped the lift and I am pretty sure the guys working wanted to bust out laughing. What a way to celebrate!

We went to one of our favorite places for dinner, Dolce, and had a chance to just recap our year. While our process has not been easy, nor has it been fast, when we sit down and think about our life, we feel incredibly blessed. We believe whole heartedly, that God doesn't waste waiting. In fact, he uses it to grow us, show himself to us, bless us, and strengthen us. Here are some of the amazing things that he has allowed this past year:

1. Two Trips to Honduras: I have had the opporunity to go to Honduras twice in the past year and I truly believe God enlarges my heart while I am there. I have gotten to meet people who have changed my life in signficant ways, and I have been challenged to really think about what it is to surrender. Those trips have shaped my heart in a way I can't explain.

2. Trip to North Carolina: Nate and I took a vacation to Cape Hatteras this summer, and just spent time being together. It's a rare occasion that we aren't around people, and Hatteras does not have a lot of people! We slept in, surfed most of the day, sat on the pier watching the fisherman, and were just reminded of how blessed we are to be married to our best friend.

3. Sharing our Story: It still blows us away how many opportunities we have had to share our story. I just said to Nate tonight, I can't believe how many different people we have met just by being honest about where we are at. We had the opportunity to speak at a large church who gave us an amazing love offering toward our adoption, we got to speak at the Orphan Friday Event in Maryland, we've connected with people through Facebook and our blog, and all along the way, God keeps bringing people into our path that we get to remind them of his hope. That is humbling.

4. Fundraisers: The reality is, this process costs a lot...like 40-50,000 a lot! Over this past year we have made cupcakes, sold t-shirts, sold cake pops and bracelets, had a Tea, and even had one of the most amazing Ethiopian Dinners we could have possibly had. People have supported us in unbelievable ways and God continues to provide. Next week we will have another Cupcake Fundraiser and I am sure will be blown away once again by support.

5. Hugs from God: I am not sure what else to call this, but along the way, God keeps sending hugs in different ways just when we need it. Sometimes it is through our nieces and nephews (see earlier blogs), sometimes it is from an unexpected donation, sometimes it has been from our sisters who have gone out of their way to remind us they are on this journey with us, sometimes it has been letters of encouragement from my Dad, or my Mom pouring her heart into fundraising for us and giving us our amazing "Waiting Box". Other times friends have sent scripture or a prayer or a song. EVERY TIME our hearts are full.

6. Our Waiting Box: For the past 12 months, we have been reading notes from a project that my mom started last December for us. They are letters from women who have had a special impact on my life. Each month I read words of encouragement that continue to blow me away. All I can say is "WOW."

7. Coaching Volleyball: Nate and I were blessed to work with the Boonsboro Volleyball team again this past Fall. It's hard to explain, but those girls were such a bright spot in our life. On some of the toughest waiting days, coaching was just the thing to take our minds off of it, and at the same time, we were totally uplifted by a group of girls who truly cared for us.

8. Our Youth Minsitry: When you pour your life into ministry, it can be pretty draining at times. There have been several of our teens in our ministry, that have poured back into our life during some of the hardest points in this process. I am not even sure they know how much of a difference they have made, but I do know, I am forever grateful.

9. Time With Our Family: We have had several opportunities in the past months to spend time with our family. We had about 2 weeks together this summer, Nate's family came for Thanksgiving, and of course we were with my family at Christmas. Being around our families, and in particular, our nieces and nephews, brings an inexplainable joy. Again, those times have been times that we treasure more than we can explain. We just feel really blessed by the support system we have.

10. Late Night Waffle House Runs and the Like: My blog post wouldn't be complete if I didn't include the waffle house runs as a highlight! Seriously, not having kids does give you freedom to go and do whatever you want when you want to. We have skiied when we have wanted, went to Waffle House at 12am, driven to my parents house on the spur of the moment, taken overnight trips, stayed up watching our favorite shows together, played Monopoly Deal a gazillion times, and pretty much just taken advantage of the time we get together as much as possible (for all of those of you who are thinking...that will change...thanks, we have been told that multiple times!)

We really have been able to do a lot of amazing things. But, I think the thing that amazes us the most is how our hearts have changed in this past year. We have been challenged to give more of ourself, surrender all, and trust in unbelievable ways. We have been reminded over and over that God's plan prevails, even when we think we have everything mapped out. And we have grown to love our children with this unbelievable love and we haven't even been matched yet! Those things make the wait worth it.

I said to someone the other day, ,"When we get that call with our referral, it's going to be like finding out we are pregnant! Do you know how long we have been waiting? I don't even know what we will do when they call!!!" This morning I was reading Isaiah, which I have been reading for the past month or so, and here was how the chapter started,

"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child;
Burst into song, shout for joy, you who are never in labor;
Because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband, says the Lord.
Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back;
Lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes, for you will spread out to the right and to the left (Isaiah 54:1-3)

Who knows what is in store in the months to come, but as we celebrate tonight, a year of waiting, we are confident that God will grow our family in ways we could have never imagined. So tonight, as we lay our heads down on our pillows, we can't help but be full of thanks for this year and anticipate that the coming year will be filled with even greater things...hopefully the news that two little ones in Ethiopia have finally found a home.