Landyn Found Mommy a flower

Another Story!

I have another story for you! Now, I am not sharing this story to get any attention for my actions or to in any way validate my self esteem. Trust me I was very humbled by the end of it. I am simply telling this to you because I think it is a good example that we should be ready to help others at anytime, and it was really just kind of neat.

 To start my story, I was on my way to pick up Landyn from my sisters' house after work. Now I should to tell you, I love being done with work. I am usually not paying any attention to anyone or anything else when I am on my way home. I mean, you know that feeling you get when you are so close to being  home, witch means putting down your child for a nap and BOOM! you have an hour to yourself? Yeah, that's my thought process when I am done working. Well, this particular afternoon my process was beautifully interrupted, and I am so thankful that it was.  

 I was driving past a driveway that was occupied by a cute little elderly woman leaning on her cain just waving away. So, here I am just thinking awe, she must be in a really good mood to be waving at all the cars...considering she lives in the middle of nowhere, and there was only one car on that road, and that was me.  

So, I started waving back at her as I passed, just a friendly "hey hows it going? I'm on my home," kind of wave. 

  I just so happened to have my window down while waving and I hear her yelling "Stop! Please!" 

And believe it our not, I didn't stop right away!!

 I had to slow down and think to myself
 "Okay, I know you want to go home right now, but what if she really does need help?" then  that wonderful phrase came to mind that never gets old: "Listyn, what would Jesus do?" 

Well, that just did it. So in the span of about 30 seconds I talked myself into turning the car around and driving back toward that sweet woman.

When I pulled into the driveway I noticed that there was another car, and it looked like this woman's husband was sitting in the front seat. So, I asked if she needed help and she replied frantically: 

"We locked ourselves out of the house, and my purse is in there."  

She then continued to say they also had a doctors appointment that she was bringing her husband to.

I got out right away, while thanking God in my head that he kicked me out of my own selfish thinking long enough to realize that these people actually needed som help. 

I quickly asked if they had an open window, you know something I could crawl through, that would be pretty easy. No, no window, instead of a window she points me to these utterly creepy looking cellar doors and says " you have to go through there, into the basement and find the stairs that will lead you up to a door at the top you will have to push trough to get to the bathroom upstairs..."

Side note: I love mystery stories, I know mystery stories,I have seen and or read lots of intense mysteries growing up. They may have been a little scary but it was fiction, so you moved on and got over it right?...No! This situation looked like the first bad scene of the movie you never wanted to be in.We all know it never ended well for the chick that went through that creepy door...I was now volunteering to be that chick... 

So, I very cautiously opened the cellar doors, to where I was met deep cement stairs leasing down to a second door, also equally as creepy as the first. It was sealed shut with some foam. She told me to push through it...so I did. At this point I am calmly Praying in my heart "Lord, I love you, please give me wisdom in this very unusual circumstance."

I pushed through the door and I entered into the very heart of a steven kings basement: Cob webs the size of my body, no lights, there was what looked like an old stable, that had housed some sort of live being at one point in time, and at the very far end of this Michigan basement were the stairs I was to travel up...iphone time! So, just incase anyone was thinking about trying to close me in this donjon without me knowing, I found large foundation bricks and propped open the doors, then pulled out the flashlight on my iphone. I looked around very cautiously with my light and I made my way quickly to the stairs, that just so happen to not be very stable, but I rushed up them to quickly. The stairs came to a an abrupt stop at the top with hardly any room, and the walls came to a weird angle, so I began to look  for the door and to my surprise, there was none.

I kept my cool and just thought "Okay, Listyn this cute elderly lady and her husband are not trying to capture you in there basement, so there has to be a door somewhere." 

 So, I started pushing on each wall and I found a loose miniature closet size door. I had to shove it open because they blocked it off with furniture on the other side. I ducted through and wound up in their bathroom just like she said I would.  

Now, feeling much less creeped out, I went through their house and found her purse unlocked the house and brought the bag to her. She gave me a hug and thanked me up and down for helping them.

I went back to remove the foundation blocks I had set up and then closed the cellar doors.

I told them who I was, and let them know that I will wave at them every time I am on my way home from work. We said our goodbyes and we all went our separate ways. They were off to the doctors, and I was on my way home again, this time thanking the Lord for a wonderful opportunity to show His love.

So, I guess the moral of the story is that, even when we are just going about our day, I hope that we would be more lovingly aware of others. Now, I am not telling you to go and put yourself in dangerous situations, just be smart about it and let the Lord lead you. I just think this story was just particularly funny because these sweet people happened to unfortunately have a creepy basement.  

Hebrews 13:1-2

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing some people have have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.  

Training Day!!

Andy and I went to an all day adoption training at Bethany Christian and it was incredible!

We got to talk to a panel of adoptive parents that shared their experiences with international and domestic adoption. Each parent graciously shared their stories, and offered very aplicable advise for all of us "Waiting Parents." 

Such beautiful stories were told, both heart warming and heart wrenching.Let me tell you, I am not usually one to cry in public places, but I definitely teared up a few times. I am, and always will be in awe of our magnanimous God.

1John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Andy and I feel very encouraged to dive deeper into the adoption community. Meeting with so many adoptive parents at one time, it didn't take us long to start sharing our hearts. More stories were told, some insecurities, and lots of encouragement that the Lord is ultimately faithful. We have been truly blessed to have met these wonderful families and look forward to making connections and staying in touch with such a beautiful community.

There was so much more to this training day than what I have written, I will actually be writing more on it later, but I can't bore you with a buch of details that you really just had to be there for. 

If you are ever interested in more details about anything feel free to email me and I will bore to death, I promise. 

Well, thank you for reading this today, I really appreciate it.

 I hope we are keeping you more updated now, and please remember that if you have any questions or some wisdom you would like to share with us feel free to comment or email me.

A video from our training day

Story of the day!!

I have a story for you!

I went to a clothing store this afternoon, and I met the sweetest young lady named Mariah. She was checking me out at the cash register, and we got to talking about kids. I mean, what else do Moms talk about right? So, I happened to mention that we are adopting, and she just lit up and started asking me a bunch of questions. I got to share our story about how we are hoping for an open adoption and why we have chosen to adopt in the first place. Well, she told me that she had considered an open adoption when she found out she was pregnant with her daughter, but she prayed about it, and she knew she was supposed to keep her. I asked her what her princesses name was, and she replied: "Anaiah"

I about jumped over the counter and gave her a hug.

 Now, she obviously  had no idea that Andy and I have been looking into many different names and their meanings for both girl and boy. Anaiah is one of my top names for a girl.

 So, she continued to tell me about how she and her friend came up with this beautiful name on their own and how much she loves it. I just smiled and asked,

 "do you know what her name means?" 

"No," she answered.

"The Hebrew meaning of your baby's name is, "God Answered.""

She was so excited, and said couldn't wait to get home and look it up.

What an awesome thing! I love that I randomly even knew that information, and then got to share it with such a sweet woman. I feel like God is pretty crafty. He makes me smile.

   

Sometimes we all feel a bit worn...

Almost spring!!

We went for a nice run today!!

Separation Issues

Well, I must say that I am very sorry for not updating in a while. We have been on a very busy emotional roller coaster ride of waiting...

I need to tell you that this, so far, is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I think it is especially difficult for me as a mother. 

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing and I think God planned it perfectly. He created the woman's body to carry her babies with her, right in her stomach, close to her heart (although unfortunately slightly closer to the bladder).  Mothers never want to be separated from their children. especially as infants when they are in the most need of a mother's care. When I was pregnant with Landyn, I was excited and couldn't wait to meet him. I couldn't believe how much I loved this little person I had never even met.He and I still had a relationship, I mean I always talked to him and just had a great comfort that he was with me at all times.  

  Well, when it comes to adoption, Instead of this child being right here in my stomach, like a pregnancy, this baby is growing somewhere else. Now, this may seem to be pretty obvious statement, in fact it is very obvious to us, I mean come on, "No Listyn, your adopted child will not be grown from within your own body...duh".

I promise I am fully aware of that fact. But  what I didn't know was that there are feelings that go along with this separation. The fact that this child is growing in another woman's body is not the problem, the problem is that I find myself, not only unconditionally loving, but severely missing this little person that I don't even know because he/she is not with me. I never had to miss Landyn, has always been right here...but lately I have realized that I am in love with a person that is missing from me...

So, my job as a waiting adoptive parent, is to trust and pray that the Lord will lead the birth-mother (who is carrying this little person we are missing) and direct her to our family, 

where they will both be loved and accepted into our home.  

I have had many talks with God on this subject and bared my hurt to him and he has been so faithful. I have never wavered from the peace He has given us in our adoption decision, but everything else that comes with that decision shakes every part of my heart. I realize that I never knew the depth of peace Christ can give until now. Even though I wake up every morning missing someone, I have full confidence that Christ is leading that someone to us and that reminds me to call out to Him every day and send him his/her way to check up on baby and mommy wherever/whoever they are.  

So, I will be posting again and just keeping you in the loop now that we are very close, we could get a mommy and baby any day now.

Please keep praying for our family and for our future family.

Thank you.