Mountains Moved

Almost a year ago, we announced our decision to adopt.  

When announced our decision, we didn't even have the $250.00 application fee. 

But we knew that God was calling us, and He was calling us to move right then!

Over the past year, our faith has been tested beyond what I could imagine.  

Thinking back to our garage sale when we needed to make just $600 to cover the remaining of our USCIS fingerprints.  God saw that number, and blew our minds. That day, we made $1,967!!! 

Only God. 

We have had friends give us unexpected financial blessings, huge blessings. We've had children of friends give us their change for our baby. We've had students come to us, wanting to help however they can. 

We've been blessed by an imaginable grant from ShowHope (a resource for adoptive families)  That grant covers over what our expected travel costs are for two trips (one being coming back as a family of three :) ) Another example of God providing over what we think we need. 

Yesterday, we added up all our donations and gifts and money we've been saving...we are so close...

We are just $1,320 away from our adoption being fully funded...

I'm going to be completely transparent so you get how amazing this is

I can't believe I'm typing this for the whole world to see, but we make roughly $43,000 a year.  Half of our annual income was our projected adoption cost. 

God moved HUGE mountains this year thorough His people. You all play a part in that mountain being moved. Friends, we are so close, so so close. $1,320...I would never have thought I'd be typing that in less than a year, God provided $23,680 dollars.  

That's all Jesus.

We're praying big that our adoption will be fully funded by the year mark of our announcement.  That's about 7 weeks away.  God can do it.  Want to help us make it?! I'm booking Noonday Collection trunk shows from now until December, every penny of my commission goes to our adoption.  

Will you pray with us? God moves mountains. 

In unbelievable ways.  

To think..this was almost a year ago...

Deja Vu? Nooo, but kind of...

Remember back in April when Justin and I were featured on the Give1Save1 adoption site and you guys blessed our socks off with all your support?! Well....we have some friends that are currently the featured family! We got connected to The Anderson's though the awesome adoption community and they live about 2 hours away from us.  I love reading what they're up to, seeing where life has them.  They're also in full time youth ministry, so that's also awesome as well! Please head over to Give1Save1 and show them some love! Watch their video, you'll love it, because they're awesome. And they love Jesus, also awesome.  One thing I love that Jessa said in their video was how cool it's been to literally see people become the hands and feet of Christ through their adoption, awesome. I love the family of Christ

Go show the Anderson's some love!

And so it begins...

We have started getting Zachariah's little room ready for his little self! Okay, not really his room, but we've started getting things ready for his little room.  We have his crib, and I'm working on getting it ready to move into his room.

I love decorating, but along with decorating, I love pieces that have stories behind them.  We're so lucky to have many pieces in our home that come from family and close friends that all have memories and stories behind them.  Little Z's room will be no different. Each month I've been collecting little things along the way that will go in his room, and when he's old enough we'll share the story behind each one. 

Here's just a few things we've gotten so far, and their stories :)

I was given this map for a birthday gift this summer.  I'd been eyeing it for a long time, and was so excited to see it in person.  The map comes without any hearts, so you can place them where ever you'd like, ours has a heart on Ethiopia, and a heart on California. It's important for us to preserve Z's heritage and that we incorporate both American and Ethiopian things in our home. It's my prayer that this map will be a visual reminder of people that love him all over the world; from Ethiopia to California. 

This sweet doll I got when we went to see the Rwandan Children's Choir sing this last summer.  It was made in Rwanda and will be placed in a special spot in Z's room.  This doll s a reminder to us for the heart God has given us not just for Ethiopia, but for Africa as a whole.  When we make the trip to Ethiopia, I hope to get more things from Z's country to put in his room and our house, pieces of his county that will be a part of his story. 

The blanket the doll sits on is so very special to me.  It was handmade for little Zachariah by a former co-worker.  She wrote the sweetest note that goes with the blanket that I've put away in a special place to share with Z when he gets older.  In her note, she wrote that while she crocheted his blanket, she was constantly praying for him; for his birth mother and birth family, for the journey he'll soon go on in his young life, for Justin and I as parents to him-seriously I can't even write about it because I will begin bawling.  

His crib is a gift from a friend, it's spent many years with sweet babies sleeping in it, playing in it, ect. I can't wait for Zachariah to join the list. It is a special crib with special memories. 

So many people play a part in his story, and he doesn't even know them yet. I love it. 

On a complete sidenote, this past weekend I have felt a strong burden to pray for our adoption, not sure why, but if you're a praying person, will you join us in prayer? Prayer for our son, prayer for the 147 million orphans in the world, prayer for the country of Ethiopia and the adoptions that are happening there right now, and for the adoptions to come. 

Have a wonderful week!

Oh, and ps, this last week we celebrated 4 months waiting for sweet baby Zachariah! We're now month 5! 

 “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”

-Habakkuk 2:3

I want them to know

I love Jesus, and I dream really, really big...

And that's okay. 

That just shows how much God's transformed my life, I don't think about the "mountains" anymore, because I've seen them moved. 

Sometimes I sit and I think about our son, and his country.

I think about his birth mother

Is she pregnant?

Where is she?

Is she scared?

Does she know she's going to give up her baby?

Does she know Jesus....

That last one has been a big one for me lately. I don't know if we'll even have the opportunity to meet our baby's birth mother, father or family. I don't know what we'll even know about them. 

If we meet them (and I pray we do), I want them to know about my Jesus, I want them to know what lead us to adopting, and what we will tell our son about our Jesus. I desperately want them in our family, both on this earth and eternally. I pray they will know Him. 



"The motivation should always be Jesus.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." -Francis Chan

Come at me bro

This past week, there was a lot of sadness around me.  Not just with me personally, but with friends, family, people I know and people I don't know. I could just feel the darkness trying to attack.  I felt like everyday I would get a text, a phone call or something that showed the reality of the fallen world we live in.  It made me feel like writing, getting things out on paper, but then again, sometimes it's best to just pray and be short and sweet. :)

Then, I remembered a quote I saw on Pinterest, a quote that made me feel strong and ready to take on anything.  Because although there is sadness and the evil one is trying to cause destruction, I have hope. 

Come at me bro. 

Will you share a story?

-Update on giveaway, thanks to Random.org, the randomly selected winner is Becky Fisher!

 Congrats Becky!!! :)-

When we began our adoption journey, I struggled (and still struggle) with an intense desire to do more. More for my community, more for the world, more for the country of my son.  Enter..Noonday.  Noonday allows me to share stories with others.  My story, the story of the journey we are on to our son, and the stories of women around the globe.  Stories of redemption. I would like you to join me in my movement, my crazy journey to do what I can to make an impact globally.  Noonday has officially launched the fall line, oh my word, it's gorgeous. Not just the pieces, but also the stories behind them.  I love them.  You can have a chance to win one of my favorite fall pieces, want to know how? 

Ok here it goes...

I'm hosting a giveaway, and here's how you can win! Doing each of the following receives one entry (unless otherwise noted) 

The giveaway begins Wednesday Sept 5, and ends Friday Sept 7th at 10pm, the winner will be announced Saturday the 8th! 

1. Follow our journey, if you already do, let me know :)

2. Share this giveaway on your Facebook

3. Share this giveaway on your blog

4. "Like" the Noonday Page

5. This one is BIG, book a trunk show for Sept. or Oct (this equals 5 entries! yay!) Trunk shows are awesome, fun and just a good time to swap stories and try on some awesome jewelry. If you don't live local, recommended a friend in the area and get them to book a show.  Seriously, you won't be disappointed. 

Ready to see what you can win?!

The Waterfall Necklace

A tri-level cascade of handcrafted paper beads set in gold colored brass make for an every day inspiration.

Handmade by African Style, a group that Noonday Collection helped launch in Uganda.

19" long. Composed of handcrafted paper beads and brass beads

Want to see WHO makes it?

Meet, Anita...

 Precious. 

Let's do this, lets speak up for women like Anita all over the world