Scentsy for a good cause!

Do you need Scentsy refills or warmers before Christmas? Now is the time to get them!! 

My amazing cousin, Joy, has graciously organized an online Scentsy party for my friends & family. All proceeds from your purchases will go directly to support our adoption. Scentsy for a good cause? What's better than that??! :) Go check out the cute Christmas things, order a gift, or just get some refills for yourself! I have a medium sized warmer & a bathroom plug in and I LOVE them. Don't know what I did before Scentsy (besides worrying about burning my house down of course)!

Make sure you follow the link below to get to our party, you want to be sure you see this at the top of the page: 

You are currently shopping at the following party:

Kerlin's HOPE for Ethiopia

https://joyouscents.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Buy?partyId=123478326

P.S. I promise to update you on everything soon!  There haven't been any recent developments, other than waiting, which I better start getting good at! :)  We hope to make some progress on becoming DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) soon, I will be sure to let you all know!

Bring Love In

I just learned about this amazing organization, or community really, based out of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- Bring Love In.  They are working to create families by joining orphans and widows from local Christian communities, to create forever families in Ethiopia.  Please find 5 minutes to watch this video and see what they are doing to change lives forever.

"Some people preach on stage... some people sing... this is what I do... I mother."  

You can check out their current needs here.  One of their needs is for sponsors for their Orphan Prevention Program.  This program will help keep the children who are in the very poor families in their area, in their families.  They currently have 50 families signed up, but only a handful of sponsors for those families.  Would you consider sponsoring one of these families for $35 a month?  Please take a few minutes and stop on over to learn about how you can support them- whether financially or through prayer!

featured

I'm so excited to tell you I've been featured on Shay's blog today!!!  Shay is the sister of Sean, ABC's next Bachelor.  (You all know and love him from Emily's season of Bachelorette!)  Go check out her blog at mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com.  Check out today's post & then browse around her blog to check out her yummy recipes & more!  Thanks Shay!!!

the first waiting post

I'm sure this will be the first of many posts that have "waiting" in the title.  The last week or 2 has really been the first time so far in the process that we are just waiting on something and don't have anything we can be doing on our own to speed things up.  I have been reminded many times over the last few weeks that this thing isn't going to happen on my timing or by my own doing.  It is very reassuring to know that I can rest in the One who holds all things in His hands and works all things in His timing.  I can't imagine going through this process not knowing who is in control.  I'm so thankful my God is so great!  

Right now we are waiting on our finalized home study, we have passport appointments on Friday, and have to go to the police station on Friday to get our local police clearance letter/certification.  Once we get these things done, we send off for the final pieces we need to submit our dossier... once we submit our dossier, the REAL wait starts.  The 18-24 month (if not longer...hopefully not longer!!) wait starts.  We have lots of books to read in that time and lots to get ready for, I just pray the months fly by!

I'm sure I'll also make a few pot holders & towels over those months.  I was just thinking tonight as I was pinning one together, I think it will be pretty cool to tell our child one day all the preparation, planning, and fundraising that went in to bringing them home.  (Maybe not... I obviously don't have children yet... so you can correct me if I'm wrong. :))  To tell them about all the people that supported us, prayed for us, and loved us through the months of waiting will be a pretty cool thing, I think.  I hope it will help them know just how loved they are by so many.

{Speaking of... posted a few new things to the shop tonight.  Including a couple of gingerbread man pieces!}

We have been shown love in some real ways this month.  In ways that leave me speechless and full of tears.  I am thankful beyond words to each of you that have loved, supported, and prayed for us.  God is so good!

  

life as of late

I figured it was time for an update!  What's been going on with us??  Well... the home study is done!  Now we're just waiting on the finalized copy so we can move forward with some of the next steps.  We're anxiously awaiting this so we can get a move on with finishing up our dossier.  I'm honestly not sure if it's possible with the time it takes to get things, but we're hoping to have our dossier completed by end of November.  I'm trying not to look too hard at adding all the time tables up cause then I'll just stress myself out... just gonna take it one day at a time and do what we can when we can!

I've also been trying to work on towels, pot holders, and burp cloths for the Etsy shop.  There are a few new items, including a fall print and new A&M and UT prints.  Stop by and check them out!!  They make great Christmas gifts, especially for those people that are hard to shop for. :) (www.etsy.com/shop/awaitingethiopia)

[Update: I've had people ask how to donate via PayPal so I posted a link at the bottom of my blog.  TOTALLY not asking for anything, but people have asked that I put an option up. :)]

For those of you who don't know, Chase has been drawing & designing furniture for the last oh, year or so?  Earlier this year he flew out to North Carolina and showed his designs to a furniture company out there and they liked his stuff!  Since then, they agreed to produce one of his chairs and see how it turned out.  The chair was finalized for October's international furniture market and is available for sale!!!  While he was in NC for market he met with them again to show him some more pieces and they liked several more and will be producing some more pieces for April market!!  Just to give you all an idea, Chase is a Marine, ultra runner, guy's guy kind of guy, with no furniture or design background other than his current job.  So it is VERY cool that he's accomplished this!  Although, if you know Chase, you know that he is determined and doesn't let anything get in the way of his dreams.  I'm so proud of him!!

Pictures from boot camp graduation in October 2005, engagement picture just a few days later, and 7 years later his very own chair from frame to completion! 

home study under way!

We are on day 2 of the Home Study!  Tomorrow is the home visit, so I'm doing some final cleaning touches tonight.  So far I think it is going pretty well!  She has asked pretty much the same kinds of questions that were in our extensive questionnaire that we already turned in, so we've at least had time to process the questions already.

My mom and I have been busy keeping up with Etsy orders, I'm so thankful for all the orders that have been coming in!  My mom's dear friend, Luann, was so sweet to feature my blog & Etsy shop on her wonderful blog.  You can go check it out here- while you're there, please browse around and check out her stories of Weegie (her sweet Corgie who is also known to make a blog post from time to time), the Chief (her husband), and you won't want to miss her AMAZING recipes!!!! 


If you enjoy her blog as much as I do, please "Follow" her blog on the right hand side of the page.  She has been given the opportunity to do some reviews for items such as cookbooks and food items, but the blog world thinks she needs to have more official followers before they will consider her "worthy".  And believe me, try just one of her recipes and you will know she is definitely worthy!  Thanks friends!!

thankful

Celebrating one of our first milestones-- submitting the home study application.

We were advised by several people to celebrate the little things through the adoption process, so I plan on trying to do so and document them with at least one picture. :)  It's nice to be able to check something off the list!  I never thought I was much of a list person, but I am loving checking things off of these lists.  The piles of paperwork haven't been consuming us ever since the home study application was turned in.  But that does not mean our work is done... We have quite a bit more to do before submitting our dossier.  I cannot wait until I can say we are DTE (Dossier To Ethiopia), this is when we get put on the official waiting list and get an estimated waiting time!!!  

Since I last checked in...  we've been cleaning and organizing around the house, getting ready for the home study.  My mom and I have been making towels & potholders (and a few burp cloths by request!) like crazy.  Thank you SOOOO much, Mom, for sewing everything!  You're amazing!  I've sold a few orders on Etsy but have sold the most just through friends and family.  Thank you ALL for your support and prayers, it is all appreciated so so much.  You can check out the Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/awaitingethiopia.

I have been somewhat overwhelmed with lots of emotions lately, mostly gratitude.  I could never have dreamed how kind, thoughtful, and generous people would be.  Not only from our friends, but from people we barely know.  We have been trusting that God will take care of us through this, in all aspects, and He has been faithful.  And we are so thankful.  Thank you to all of you, I don't think I can say it enough.

Next week is the home study!!  Can anyone give us any pointers?  I haven't baby proofed the house or done anything at all in the means of creating a nursery.  At this point that is all 18-24 months away, surely she is not expecting to see any of that?!?

Thanks for checking in, I'll be back to let you know how the home study went!! 

home study & etsy link!

On the way to the post office with complete Home Study Application!

All 89 pages of our Home Study Application were mailed off this afternoon!  Our home visit is scheduled for September 24th.  Now the rush is on to do several things around the house.  These things are on the top of the to-do list:

1.  Finish tile downstairs.  If you've been to our house in the last year I'm sure you've heard me whine about the almost finished tile floors. :)  My wonderful husband (only 3 months after breaking his knee) decided to rip up the carpet downstairs and put down travertine tile.  I shouldn't complain, because it looks great... but... he didn't know how to pull up the toilet and sink in the bathroom so the tile stops at the door to the bathroom. :)  It also needs to be finished up around the baseboard.

2.  Clean out the black hole known as the "office" upstairs.  It's the one room that is not used for anything really, so I just stuff everything in there that doesn't really have a place.

3.  Clean out closets in all the upstairs bedrooms.  Again, these closets haven't been really needed in the past so I just shove stuff in there haphazardly... but I want the social worker to feel comfortable that we are ready to put lots of baby clothes in at least one of those closets!! :)

4.  Do some emergency training with Major.  If you've been to our house you know how um, protective, Major can be.  (It actually seems like he's gotten a lot better over the last few months!)  But he tends to bark his head off and growl for a long time when people come in, especially if it's someone he doesn't know.  Hey, he's a great guard dog, that's a plus right??  I promise he's a sweet dog once you get to know him. :)  Moral of the story is I want to try to stop the guard dog stuff so the social worker isn't scared she, or a future baby, will get bitten by the big, bad Major.

I set up an Etsy shop today and got some potholders and towels listed!  Check out our available items here- http://www.etsy.com/shop/AwaitingEthiopia.  Each item is listed for $15.00 each.  For Austin friends, let me know which items you're interested in so I can get them to you without you having to pay shipping.  Instead of placing the order through Etsy just email me what item you are interested in: awaitingethiopia2012@gmail.com.  My mom and sister are also my unpaid salespeople, so if you see them at church they can get your order to you as well. :)  By the way-- big shout out to my mom for sewing all these and Jamie for helping me pin them together!!!  Thank y'all for all your help!

I'll leave you with a link to another AWAA family's blog, www.pureandlasting.com.  They just returned from Ethiopia for their court date for their daughter, Maya.  I can't get enough of her pictures or posts.  She does a great job of documenting their journey with words and pictures.  Check out their story about Alain too... wow!!!

one step at a time

Thanks, Jamie, for the great pics!!!

We only have a few more things on our list before we can send off our home study application!  So excited that one step is almost complete.  At the beginning of it all it felt like we might just be doing paperwork forever, but the end is almost in sight, at least for this part of it.  I'm not even looking too seriously at the dossier checklist right now, it's considerably more overwhelming than the home study paperwork.  Thankfully, we have already completed some of what is needed for the dossier.  I know there is quite a bit more that needs to be done, but I don't want to think about it too much yet. :)

At the time we submit our dossier we have to turn in a big payment.  We're going to try to do a few fundraisers between now and then to go towards the costs.  When we started this process we honestly had no idea where the money was going to come from.  We've been amazed at how God has been working in this so far and are trusting Him that He will continue to provide and guide us.  I'm so thankful that, at least so far, the financial aspect of this all is one thing that I have not been stressing much over.  Trying to remember to just leave it all in His hands as we are not in control!  

(Here is a link to an awesome blog about another family's adoption.  They are using the same agency that we are using, AWAA.  She explains the costs here: http://www.pureandlasting.com/why-does-adoption-cost-so-much/)

We are going to be taking pre-orders for our fundraiser t-shirts and hope to have them printed in the next week or two.  They are American Apparel 50/50 blend unisex t-shirts, adult size S-XXL.  We hope to have the shirt design up later this week along with a "Donate" button on the blog where you can pay via Paypal.  We also hope to have the towels and potholders up for sale online later this week or next, so be watching for those too! :) 

Thank you for all your prayers & support!  We greatly appreciate it!!

paper pregnant

Our thick file of paperwork for the Home Study, almost complete!!

We are "paper chasing" or "paper pregnant" as some call it!!!  What does that mean?  Lots of paperwork.  There are 2 parts to the paperwork process.  One part we are working on is our paperwork for the home study.  We are nearly done with gathering everything needed to submit to have our home study done!!  I finally feel like I have time to sit down and do something other than fill out paperwork or get things in order.  

We've ordered certified copies of birth certificates, marriage certificate, gone to get new social security cards (because we somehow lost ours?! :-/), filled out what feels like a tree's worth of papers, bought 9 books on adoption from the required reading list, gotten physicals (Umm, getting the form needed for Chase's physical from his doctor is a whole blog post in itself.  If you ever considered Northwest Diagnostic Clinic in Cedar Park please reconsider.  These people can't fill out a form, I don't know how they could diagnose or write a prescription??!), had friends and family write referral letters (THANK YOU!!!), and the list goes on and on...

The second part of the process is our dossier.  This is our compilation of our home study report along with more paperwork that gets sent to Ethiopia.  Once that is completed and sent we are considered "DTE" (Dossier To Ethiopia) and put on the waiting list!!  We hope to be DTE by November and the approximate wait time right now is 18-24 months.  So in about 2 years (hopefully less!) we will be bringing home our baby boy or girl!  We are requesting 0-18 months, either boy or girl.  

I've been stressing myself out thinking about all we have to have done, not to mention the money we will have to come up within a few short months.  I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not doing this on my own and that I need to rely on Him to get us through.  God has provided and guided us this far, we know He will continue!  

I'll leave you with a couple pics of our first fundraiser! :)  My mom, sister, and I made these kitchen towels and pot holders this week to sell as a fundraiser.  Thanks Mom, for sewing them all up!  I hope to get a link up on the blog to sell these if anyone is interested, for now you can email me!!

howdy y'all!

Welcome to our blog!  Disclaimer: I can't promise you much from this here blog, I probably won't be very consistent and it probably won't be very entertaining.  I mostly wanted to create a place for us to document our journey and allow others to keep up with it as well!


The picture above was taken the day we found out we were accepted into the Ethiopia program with AWAA!  It was also the last day of school for my sister-in-law, Denisse.  She'll be graduating with her Master's degree in August!  This girl is amazing, she might be the president one day.  So we had a little celebrating to do at Mighty Fine for dinner with my mom & dad, sister, brother & sister-in-law.


I guess I should give a little background on our journey to adoption...  Adoption has been on my mind for years.  It's been one of those things I admired that other people would do.  One of those things that I would gladly pray about for others, give money to help others, etc.  I have several cousins that have adopted and after my cousin Brian adopted his son & daughter from Ethiopia it's been something that God keeps putting on my heart.  I remember following Brian's adoption story on his blog and thinking, wow, I don't think I could ever do that.  Since then God has been putting adoption on my heart.  I know this road we've just started to walk won't be the easiest thing to do.  We will rely on Him to get us through this, because we know we can't do it on our own.  We're stepping out on faith that He will provide and make our steps firm.


Why Ethiopia?  I don't have an exact answer to that.  It was at the end of last year or beginning of this year that I told Chase I had really been thinking about adopting.  I was expecting, and honestly somewhat hoping, that he would say no or call me crazy.  I was thinking if he said no then that was an easy out.  I know adoption won't be easy, but I do feel it's something God has called us to do.  We started praying about it together and started looking into it more seriously over the following months.  International adoption was something we were both feeling led to, for several reasons.  Due to our age and the fact that we were hoping for an infant Ethiopia was one of our few options.  So we prayed about it (and I dragged my feet) a little longer until God made it blatantly clear to us that He has a child for us in Ethiopia.


We ask for your prayers for us throughout this journey!  We'll be having a t-shirt fundraiser along with some other things coming up soon.  So stay tuned for those!


Now we're off to catch the Bachelorette finale!!