A Baby Changes Everything

Christmastime is Here!

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year! I love the cold weather, snow (when we get it here in Cali), making fires in the fireplace, drinking peppermint hot cocoa and all of the festivities and memory making moments such as traveling to visit family & friends, hanging Christmas lights, decorating, baking cookies, cinnamon rolls, yams & pumpkin swirl cheese cake (YUM!), attending musicals and making as many family memories as possible.

 One of my favorite memories growing up was going to my Grandma's house on Christmas morning. While eating Grandma's homemade cinnamon rolls, the whole family would gather around and my Grandpa would open his Bible and read to us from the book of Luke about the birth of our Saviour Jesus. My Grandpa recently passed away and is in Heaven now, so the tradition of reading the Christmas Story has been passed on to another family member. I'm praying someday, hopefully soon, we will be able to share this same tradition with our own children on Christmas morning!

Two weeks ago, my Sister flew in to visit! We had such a good time. We spent a lot of time hanging at the house, but we also drove down to Buena Park to Knotts "Merry" Farm (where they actually say "Merry Christmas" to you!) Then we went to the Pirates Dinner Adventure - that was a ton of fun! We even had the joy of getting a flat tire while on our way to Apollo Park (for those not familiar with our area - the park isn't exactly close to civilization). Memories and more memories!    :)

Saturday we attended our church's Christmas Musical "A Baby Changes Everything" and Korry was able to play his trumpet with the church orchestra in the musical this year (last year he missed out since he had broken ribs). Korry and I were excited to hear that both of our families were able to watch the entire musical online via our church's LiveStream. The turn out at the musical was great and there were lots of visitors this year. Several people came to know Christ as their Saviour as well! Praise God!

As we continue moving through the Christmas season, we are keeping ourselves busy with church, family & friends, Christmas preparations and (always close on our minds) our adoption... As we anticipate celebrating the birth of our Saviour, we continue to pray and wait, dreaming & hoping for the day we receive "The Call" from our adoption case worker, that we've been matched. Until then,

Merry Christmas to all our Family & Friends! And remember that "the reason for the season is Jesus"

Count Your Many Blessings, Name Them One By One

This month I have been thinking about all that I am thankful for. Recently, I have observed some of the many ways family & friends have shared the things they are most thankful for. Some have made lists of things they are thankful for using a different letter of the alphabet each day and some have baked goodies to give to neighbors and local firemen. My memories keep floating back to when I was a kid standing in church with my mom & dad singing. The song leader would lead us in the song "Count your many blessing" and every time we came to the chorus "count your many blessings, name them one by one" my mom and I would count each others fingers. It is really a sweet memory that gently reminds me each time I think of it of all the many wonderful things I have to be thankful for. Then it dawned on me today that when you think of things you're thankful for, the thankfulness just continues to spread and more and more things keep coming to mind. I have in my mind a picture of a flowering vine. It starts out small, but as it grows it continues to branch out with more and more flowering buds. It continues to spread and soon everywhere you look you are surrounded by a beautiful flowering plant. This is the same way I see a heart full of gratitude. The more thankful you are, the more that joy will begin to surround your life, like that beautiful flowering plant. Pretty soon, life's little difficulties will be diminished in comparison to the joy and all that God has blessed you with in your life. Today, I am so very thankful for my salvation (without Jesus shed blood, I would be so completely lost). I am thankful for family, friends, my home, adoption and a wonderful church family. These are the start of my flowering vine - from these everything else grows. Happy Thanksgiving!


Psalm 100:1-5
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generation.

Summer Snapshot

We are asked often how the Adoption process is going. Here is a snapshot of our summer & fall in the world of Adoption!

Garage Sales

JUNE
1st letter sent to family & friends about the adoption

Weekly Garage Sale Fundraisers

Pathways to Parenthood Class

CPR/First Aid Class & Water Saftey Course

Fingerprinting for Background Check

Began Skybox Suite Raffle Fundraiser

Quarter Auction Fundraiser courtesy of my friends Stephanie & Amy

Sold homemade card & held candybar Fundraiser

Skybox Suite Raffle

JULY

Sold more Skybox Suite Raffle Tickets

Candybar Fundraiser

Special night at Cold Stone Creamery to draw winner of Skybox

Home Study visits with our Adoption Social Worker

More Garage Sale Fundraisers

Started Adoption Profile/Dear Birthmother letter

AUGUST

Home Study Completion Letter!

Candybar Fundraiser

Transracial/Transcultural Class

Received  Home Study Completion paperwork

Finished up Adoption Profile/Dear Birthmother Letter

Held another garage sale (against my better judgement - it was 100 degrees outside)

Recycling fundraiser

Started a Baby Registry - because now we "officially" can be matched with a birthmother at anytime! YEA!

Preparing Letters to Mail

SEPTEMBER

Last garage sale fundraiser of the season! (Thank you for all your donations)

Mailed 199 letters to every pro-life group in California

2nd letter to family & friends about the adoption

Waiting for a call saying we've been matched with a birthmother.

OCTOBER

Waiting......waiting.....waiting....

Encouraged by supportive friends and family

Waiting.....waiting....waiting....

Began forming lists of schools, women's shelters, youth shelters etc to send letters to about the adoption
Started an Adoption Blog to give everyone updates on the Adoption.

In-between and behind every line and letter has been much prayer for God's perfect timing in our lives. We know he has a plan and while we try to wait patiently, we cannot wait to see everything unfold over the upcoming months. 

-Korry and Sarah