RANDOM UPDATE IN PICTURES...

A Thanksgiving dinner for two. We decided to stay in Kansas City this year. We missed family, but it was nice to just relax and have a few days off without traveling. I ended up making some fried chicken and mashed potatoes... mmmm! I kept thinking about how this will be our last Thanksgiving without Arthur! So crazy!!

We made it out to the Plaza lighting ceremony, which was fun but sort of anti climactic.

The crafty chicks show was really fun! I got to meet Zinashi and some sweet friends came out to support me :) THANK YOU!!

A few weeks ago I had a few friends over for pot pie! Each pot pie had the guest's initial on top. Tegegne got a kick out of it!

Told you... random.

CRAFTY CHICKS THIS SATURDAY!

If you're around this holiday weekend, you don't want to miss out on the beautifully unique, handmade treasures at this show. The girls from two stitches were kind enough to let me share a table with them, so you can come see the Love is Waiting goods in person! Bring your friends!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27

9AM - 4PM

HERITAGE HALL

117 W KANSAS

LIBERTY, MO

Here's a little a sneak peek at few of the artists that will be there.

Flora Chang

Jeanee Duval

Ashlee Dowd & Heather Van Wyk

BROOKE FRASER - LOVE IS WAITING

I was out running errands the other day and listening to the song that inspired the title of the blog. The cold, sprinkly, autumn day really set the mood for the song and I got a little teary thinking about my boy. (even though this song is meant for more of a romantic love... whatev.)

"Love Is Waiting"

In the autumn on the ground,

between the traffic and the ordinary sounds

I am thinking signs and seasons while a north wind blows through

I watch as lovers pass me by

Walking stories - whos and hows and whys

Musing lazily on love

Pondering you

I'll give it time, give it space and be still for a spell

When it's time to walk that way we wanna walk it well

I'll be waiting for you baby

I'll be holding back the darkest night

Love is waiting til we're ready, til it's right

Love is waiting

It's my caution not the cold

there's no other hand that i would rather hold

the climate changes, I'm singing for the strangers about you

don't keep time, slow the pace

Honey hold on if you can

the bets are getting surer now that you're my man

QUESTIONS ABOUT MOTHERHOOD

I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing women and mothers who don't mind me asking a million questions. I've gotten some really great, really funny advice about being a mother. I thought I would share some of what I've learned...

"Don't read too many books. They will just freak you out!"

"Adoptive parents are better... they want it more." (he was kidding... sort of)

"Find a mom who you really love their parenting style and ask them lots of questions." ( sweet Olivia)

"Parenting is 1/3 love, 1/3 discipline, and 1/3 sitting on your hands." (from Kristyn via "Blessings of a Skinned Knee")

"Ask your mom." (duh. I can't wait to hear all of my mom's secrets)

"Knowing Jesus is the most important, most helpful, most impacting and most transformational person you could know and all you really need to be a good parent. Remember that when it gets scary." (Thank you Besty!!)

"Drug 'em and send 'em to day care. You can at least get a half day out of it." - HAHAHAHA

Here are some books that were recommended. I'm going to heed that first piece of advice and try to decide on a couple. Here they are...

DO YOU SEE THE PROGRESS??

I get so excited every friday when I get to take another link off of our waiting chain! And today marks 6 weeks of waiting!! Can you believe it? I can't. I have heard stories of how painful the waiting period is and how time just stands still, but so far, I'm not feeling that way at all. In fact, I almost feeling the opposite... meaning I'm kind of freaking out! I feel like there's so much we still need to do and time is flying by. OH! and according to the email updates we get from our agency, the wait time seems to be getting shorter and shorter! The last family to get a referral only waited 7 months... what?!

I think it's time to do some reading! I need recommendations. Arthur will likely be 5 months or older when we bring him home and I don't really know anything about babies. Help?

STORE UPDATE!

I've had a blast putting this store together and seeing my friends wearing my creations! I really appreciate your support and it has allowed me to expand!

my cute friends janette and amy :)

A week after I got the shirts in the mail I sold out of two sizes! Which sort of threw me into a panic, because ordering more shirts, means more money I have to spend and more risk I have to take. In the end I decided, if I'm going to do this I just have to go for it... And I have to go for it before Christmas so that I don't miss out on crazy Christmas shoppers! This all happened really fast, but I'm excited to show you some new designs that will be in the store very soon! Sorry guys, this one's just for the ladies.

SPEECHLESS PART 2

This was the first of four sweet notes we received in the mail this month, each containing four generous checks! We're blown away and so so thankful that these four people felt a call give to our family. This was a rough month and these checks made it possible for us to stay on track with our "adoption saving plan"!

Aaron and I have talked a lot about fundraising and writing support letters and so far we just haven't felt really comfortable with it. I'm not saying that I disagree with people who decide to do fundraisers, I honestly just think that Aaron and I NEEDED to get our butts in gear and learn some financial discipline! Ha! We have an amazing support system (I'm talking about our parents, both sets!) And every time we had a new idea they were there to "help us out"... house, car, debt, music... I probably shouldn't be telling you all this, but I want you to know our thought process and how far we've come. When we let our family know that we were going to start paperwork, there was just sort of this understanding, not something we had to talk about, we just sort of knew that we had to figure this out on our own! And I'm so glad because in the past six or seven months, Aaron and I have been able to come together and set goals, and make changes, and work overtime!

We've also had to learn to rely on God when our efforts fail us. Receiving these gifts from you just feels like a big pat on the back for all we've done to get this far :)