A Post of Pins

So I don't feel much like writing because there isn't anything to write about-- well sure there is but I don't FEEL like writing about it right now. Where are we in the process?? Waiting.... It's all good as God has Jenna picked out for us and He will bring her when she is ready. Whenever I get discouraged I just look at Kaycee and it reaffirms God's plan for us. So we went to Panama City this weekend for a quick visit for our Godson/nephew's First Communion. On the way home I went a little crazy on Pinterest!! I decided I want to make this post a bunch of quotes or pictures I pinned so here you go.....

Open Adoption Agreements

Open Adoption Round Table Discussion #36
Open adoption agreements are the documents signed by placing parents and adopting parents that establish post-adoption contact expectations and boundaries. Discussions often focus on their legal weight (e.g. Are the agreements enforceable in court?) or the practical details (e.g. How many visits?), both very important issues.

When we first began our adoption process I was totally cool with Semi Open adoption but not so sure of "Open Open Adoption!" We had friends that had open adoptions with both of their children but still it was kinda scary. I thought it was going to feel like a divorce situation but instead I have been so surprised that it feels more like a family extension. We stepped out on the edge when our agency's Pregnancy Counselor asked if she could show our profile to a Birth Mother who wanted 1-2 visits a year. Frankly, I was just excited to have my profile shown and was thinking I could handle 1-2 "supervised visits" a year!! When Kaycee's BM chose us and we met her, our whole perception changed. Before then it was just words and stories we had heard. Then there was a real, amazing, beautiful woman who I just wanted to hug and hold and love on. I always giggle when I think of the conversations my husband and I had on the car ride to and from meeting our perspective BM.
It went something like this:
Car ride there...
Husband: "Um, she's never coming to our house ya know. We can meet her at Bethany's office or at a public park with a social worker there." Me: "Ok yeah we'll see how it goes.... I mean I don't want this to be like co-parenting or anything."
Ride Home 2 hours later:
Husband: "Wow-- she is amazing. I think we should have her over for Christmas this year."
Me: "Um, ok let's just see how it goes..."

And we did have her over for Christmas last year.
One thing we did do (which is why I am responding to this round table discussion) is have a written agreement in place. I had another friend who had adopted her son and had an open adoption a few months prior but no written agreement made. She recommended we do it to prevent any miscommunication or hurt feelings. So we did and I was glad we did. We set it up for pics and letters every month for the first 6 months, then at 9 and 12 months and then visits every October, February, June or something like that... As you can tell we haven't really followed it because we have opened it up to where we can text or call and set it up whenever but it was sooooo important to me to have that in place in the beginning. Not because I was afraid she was going to over step her boundaries but because I never wanted to let her down or hurt her feelings by not letting her see Kaycee. So now I send pictures when I get them or I'll text them to her. We saw her at Kaycee's birthday in October (she came to our home for the party) but have not seen her since. I have tried and left that door open for her. Whenever she wants a visit I'll be there with arms wide open. I pray that she will continue to want them...

This song has been playing in my head all day! I just love Matt Maher!! I saw him in concert last year and it was great! I hope you all had a blessed Easter! We sure did!!!

Created for Care Retreat-- Part Two

Sooo I've been thinking how I'm going to sum up the retreat in my "Part 2" post and it's really difficult to put in words the amazing weekend. So I'll try now:
I knew this was a "Christian Adoptive Mom's Retreat" but didn't know that I was going to be so filled by the Holy Spirit all weekend long. It was awesome having people talk freely and opening about God in their lives and families and how we need to TRUST HIM. I have been a little anxious at times this go around with waiting and this weekend reinforced the need to put it all in HIS hands. Boy, He has not disappointed me yet and I know He won't with Jenna. When I wake up to Kaycee singing on the baby monitor every morning I think "Wow-- I am so blessed. What a gift she is to us." I know Jenna will be an incredible gift as well. Anyhow, the weekend surprised me with so much praise and worship and I LOVED it!!! I felt like I was at a Women of Faith conference for a group of Adoptive Moms Only!! As I was inspired after I left Women of Faith back in October, so was I when I left this retreat. On Sunday, I went back home to Central Florida and posted on our Central Florida Adoptive Families FB page and set up a Moms Only Lunch in April. Since our group started in July we have always done family play dates (which I LOVE) but after this past weekend I knew that we needed a time to just connect as adoptive moms and share our stories, struggles, and joys. I'm really looking forward to it!

So what did I get out of the Created for Care Retreat??
1) Rejuvenation of Faith filled with goosebumps from so many worshiping moms together
2) Stronger Trust that God has our adoption story written and we must be patient
3) New understanding of different types of adoption-- international, foster, domestic
4) True connections with my "Blogging Buds" and new friendships
5) Education on racism with adoption and tips on raising our daughter of a different race
6) A sore jaw from talking so much....

I decided next year I am going one day early just to rest and enjoy the retreat center. I did not rest much at all-- I didn't want to miss anything!! This was an amazing weekend and I am so grateful to the women who put it together!!

Created for Care Retreat-- Part One

So this past weekend I drove up north of Atlanta alone (boy was that peaceful!) to a beautiful resort called Lake Lanier Resort (www.lakelanierislands.com) for an incredible retreat for adoptive moms. It was called Created for Care http://createdforcare.org and over 450 women-- Adoptive or waiting to adopt were there! I was sooooooo excited! I've always said that I feel like adoptive moms/families are like their own little club-- we just understand each other more than other people understand us. We have had people say the craziest things to us and searched within ourselves for the best responses to be kind and educate when really we just want to hit them over the head! Anyhow, my weekend started meeting a "friend" of mine who I feel like I really know even though we never met! She contacted me almost 2 years ago through the Bethany Christian Services FB page because I put a post there. We ended up talking on the phone and then following each other on our blogs and FB through both of our adoption journeys. She is just as cool in person if not more!! She roomed with me and another girl she brought who she met at their Bethany Adoptive Parents Training weekend and Cherie is a waiting mom too! That was the beginning of the excitement of the weekend!
My first breakout session was with an Adoptive Moms panel-- I LOVE panel discussions. It's so fun to see what people have to say and soooooo neat to see several women all with awesome families built through different types of adoption telling their stories! I must admit I was most excited to see/meet Aimee Powell (Mac Powel's wife-- lead singer of Third Day). I have read their stories in magazines and seen some of their testimonies but so cool to meet her in person and what an awesome person she is-- not that I ever doubted it...
OK--there is so much to say that I'm going to put this in a few posts...

Psalm 27:14 and Psalm 31:24

So these are the scripture verses I have been meditating on this past week. If you aren't sure what they are go look them up! ;) We are at the 3 month mark of waiting which is really NOTHING. Some days it is nothing and I'm so busy and other days it's just a grip on my heart wondering when our daughter will be brought to us. I have complete faith that God will bring her in His perfect time. I must admit it is MUCH easier the second time around!! Kind of like having your 2nd child-- you don't get as nervous or as anxious as the first time. It is still so very exciting but I know it is all going to work out just right...
So I've been blessed to be able to minister to other waiting families with Bethany. About a year ago I contacted Bethany's Director and told her that I love making digital scrapbooks and would be willing to help edit or make books for couples that may be having difficulty with it. She said "Ok great-- thanks. We'll let you know." I never heard anything until December. She called and asked if I could help them. I was so excited. I filled out paperwork and became an "Official Bethany Volunteer." I am now the Profile Book Consultant and I love it!! I love helping couples make their books go from ok or good to awesome! It is very rewarding! Just this last week one of the families I talked with and reviewed their book brought home a "stork drop" baby after their book had only been "out there" for 2 weeks! I was sooooooo excited for them! I just LOVE seeing families built through adoption. It is such an awesome blessing!!!

Adoption Friends

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my adoption friends-- old and new! There is a special bond people who adopt have that is just so awesome! Back in July I had a bunch of adoptive moms and their babies over for lunch. We were talking about how there was an Adoptive Families of the Tampa Bay Area on Facebook that we had become members of but we thought it would be neat to have a Central Florida group. That night I started one on Facebook. It started out with just the 5 of us from the group and maybe a few more we knew. Right now we have 46 members! I love it! So we got together last weekend for a play date in Winter Garden-- it was 30-70 minute drive for everyone depending on where we were coming from. I always wish there was more time to talk at these things! This time a girl named Jen came with her son and daughter. It was our first time meeting them and we are soooo psyched they joined us! They are awesome! Also a couple that we had met at Magical Families recently relocated to Orlando and hooked up with us! It was great to have them and their boys there!!! Have I said how much I love our group?? tee-hee...
Anyhow, here are some pictures from last Saturday: