So...I've been reminded a few times in the last few weeks by a certain someone who will remain nameless <cough cough you know who you are> that I need to update my blog.  It's true!  I do!  You know, I've actually written out what I want to say already but I am an over thinker.  I want it all to be "just right" before I put it out there.  But it is time to give the <cough cough> people what they want...AN UPDATE!!

So much has been going on and we have a lot to share.  Since our last post, we have had 2 fundraisers.  A 31 party with our friend Glenda offering to donate all of her commission from the night toward our adoption.  (AMAZING!).  We also had a night at Sweet Frog.  They donate a percentage of business that we were able to bring in that night.

 

It's fun to pretend that all these people were there for our fundraiser. 

 
With those fundraisers and with our tax money, we are able to  move forward with our dossier (this just means the paperwork that will go directly to China).  As a matter of fact, we are going to Annapolis tomorrow morning to get our final dossier papers state sealed!  Woohoo!  This is a huge step.  We will be able to send our paperwork to our agency on Monday.  Our hope was to have this specific paperwork done by Christmas so this is a really big deal!

I have to be honest, this process has been difficult and challenging at times.  The thought of raising over $30,000 can seem insurmountable.  Someone told me one time that I need to learn to "rest" in this process.  WHAT??  There is rest??  In this process??  Who knew!  But you know what, it's true!  When you learn to rest in God, things start to shift.

I have to tell you a great story about this...it was a particular week that we were particularly (like how I did that?) stressed about money.  How was it all going to happen?  And then this amazing thing happened..we received a package in the mail from our friends.  They are 9, 8 and 6 years old.  They had sent us all of their change to give toward our adoption fund.  It was in that very moment that I knew we were going to be ok.  Checks for $10,000 are super nice but when you get a gift from the heart like that, it is just indescribable!

 Speaking of gifts from the heart, we received another present from some other sweet friends who are 10 and 9.  They had been collecting money for our adoption and presented us with a box of what they had collected.  What a precious, sweet, amazing gift from God and from the hearts of these amazing kids!   God's love for us was revealed through these little packages with such big hearts!  We are truly blessed!