November Adventures…

Whew! What a whirlwind of a month! This is gonna be a long one, I'm warning ya. November 2010 probably ranks up there with one of my favorites of all time, I think. It started with a visit from my sweet cousin Chelsie, who is now 21 and has grown into such an incredible young woman. I just love her. I babysat her when I was a teenager (she was definitely one of my favorite sitting jobs) and I am so thankful that we have stayed close (gotten closer, even!) as we’ve gotten older. What a blessing to have family that you can honestly say are friends, too! While Chelsie was here, we spent some time at the park (of course). We hiked about 5 miles on a beautiful day. Here we are at an overlook at the top of our hike.

Chelsie is tall! Not that it takes much to be taller than me. I think I am the shortest of all of the Larson cousins, even though I am far from the youngest...I say they took all the tall genes, haha. Here are some more pictures of our Shawnee Mission Park excursion.

This picture was taken with my camera lens half closed, but it actually turned out pretty neat!

Don't worry, I have now put a new digital camera on my Amazon Wish List. My 7 year old Kodak Easy Share is no longer cutting it. Hehe.

Chelsie and I also had some tasty cooking adventures (poor Steve missed out since he's on a different meal schedule with his crazy sleep schedule). We made some gluten-free stuffed green peppers, and they were delicious! See?

The best part about Chelsie’s visit was that I didn’t have to say goodbye to her when it was time for her to go home…I just went with her! Chelsie, Norman, and I had a road trip to MN! It was so great to have company for the 7 hour trip up there. We had some great talks, and wonderful laughs. We also decided that we are going to run a half marathon next August. I don’t know, maybe I was delirious from being on the road for so long? But I’m sticking to it…we’re even trying to get some of the other Larson cousins to join us (with limited success so far…hmmmm). The cool thing is that the race route goes through our own hometown, within a block of my parents’ house, and right by Chelsie’s parents’ house (so our family can give us Snickers bars as we pass the 11 mile mark set up a little cheer party there). It should be a great time…anyone want to join us??

Ok, so back to the MN trip. I hadn’t been there in over a year, so I had quite an agenda and still didn’t get to see everyone I wanted to. I was able to get some important visits in, though! On Thursday, I got to see my cousin swim in the section swim meet (go Amy!), after having dinner with my aunt, my brother and his wife, and my dad. Friday, my mom and I had a fun afternoon shopping together, and we were able to meet up with my friend Julie whom I haven’t seen in 3 years (she has had 2 kids since then!). Julie was one of my bridesmaids and is probably one of my oldest longest friends. We were in kindergarten together! I love my friendship with Julie because it’s the type that, no matter how long it’s been, just picks up where we left off. Love that girl!

Friday night, I helped my dad cover their motorhome (with a 30’ x 50’ tarp…in the dark…we made memories…haha). We had to be sure to get it covered because overnight, we were looking to experience the first snowfall of the season in MN! Norman and Rosie (my parents’ 15 year old greyhound/lab mix) loved it!

Norman and Rosie get along so well…though I’m not sure Norman is a huge fan of Rosie sleeping in his bed.

Now I usually am not a fan of driving in snow, but that 8 inches sure wasn’t going to stop me from a breakfast date at the Mall of America with one of my besties, Kazia. She and I go way back…all the way to a junior high slumber party. Kazia is the friend that could talk me into all sorts of crazy adventurous things back in high school, and we have such a history together. We’ve supported each other through so many things over the past 17(!!) years, and I am so thankful for her. Here is the gorgeous Kazia and her yummy Cinnabon treat (did you know they now make “just the middle” as a menu choice? That is, after all, the best part of any Cinnabon). My mouth is watering just uploading this photo…

I was also able to join some of my family for their traditional Sunday lunch at Perkins. They go there every week after church. Here are my cute grandparents. I just love them! Such a great example of an awesome Godly marriage…60 years and going strong!

After lunch, we headed back to “the farm” to see my grandparents’ newly-remodeled bedroom (their kids did a sort of “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” for their anniversary gift) and spend some more time together. See how adorable my grandpa is…doting over his beloved.

Sunday night, I was able to meet another one of my besties for dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants (yay for Margaritas!). My friend Stephanie and I were the 1999-2000 Miss Richfield Ambassador Princesses…whew…10 years ago already! Our year was honestly a bit of a “dud” for the program as we were stuck in the midst of a coordinator switch with little direction (they have since picked back up and are going strong again! Yay!), but I have to say my friendship with Steph is the best thing I could have gotten out of that year. She has become one of my best friends and we, too, have been through a lot together over these 10 years. She has become such a blessing to me and I am honored to call her a friend and sister in Christ.

Monday morning, I had coffee with a friend that I haven’t seen since high school! That’s over 10 years, people! Man, it was great to reconnect with her and hear about what God is doing in her life. Thanks for the great coffee date, Krickey Mae! After she had to leave for work, I stayed at the Mall (yes, I was at the Mall of America again…and I already miss it!) and met my BFF Gretchen and her little boy Aden (who had his 6 month shots that morning…poor thing). Gretch and I had a day full of adventures. Since Aden was in the car sleeping and we needed some more drive time, I hopped in and we made the trip to White Castle…YUM!

Oh my goodness, their sliders are incredible. And they’ve also started making sweet potato fries, which of course we had to try! After our tummies were pleasantly full, we headed to the Minnesota Zoo. It was chilly, but that wasn’t going to stop us from seeing the bears, beavers, wolves, and other animals on the trail. We also got to see the brand new baby dolphin! It was fun to be there pushing a stroller…can’t wait until it’s my kiddo in that stroller, though! When it was close to the zoo’s closing time, we headed back to the Mall (we had to, I promise…my car was still there) and got a little crazy. Gretchen’s hubby Ryan met us there (to be on baby patrol), so Gretch and I were able to go on a couple rides (pictures to come…they are on her camera) and we also got to try out the new Xbox Kinect as we danced the night away in front of a stunned captive audience. After Ryan was too embarrassed to be seen with us anymore needing to get home because he was tired after a long day at work, Gretchen and I wrapped up our day with some gelato and, of course, shopping. I couldn’t resist a couple cute outfits for the future baby Irwin (it’s hard to shop for a baby when you don’t know gender OR time of year he/she will be born…just sayin’). It was a great way to spend my last full day in MN.

After a morning walk with my parents and Rosie, and then breakfast with one of my theater buddies, Meredyth, we (Norman and I) hit the open road back to Kansas. We made it home just in time to see Steve before he headed off to dreamland. While we were gone, Steve had put up lots of fun pictures and did a lot around our apartment to make it more homey. I loved seeing what he’d been working so hard on all week! It was a quick turnaround, as I got home Tuesday night, and we left again Thursday morning…this time for our Waiting Families Workshop at CPO in Tulsa, OK. What a great weekend! We were hosted by the most amazing family. They actually haven’t adopted through CPO (they have 5 biological children, though), but they wanted to be a part of the ministry and have opened their home to families that come in from out of town. They even let us bring Norman! Their kids were so sweet and so respectful. And they LOVED Norman. Their middle boy Luke (who's 5) especially took a liking to him. We woke up Friday morning and as we were getting ready, we saw little fingers come under the door, passing along a doggie treat (which Norman was happy to eat). He also drew a few pictures for Norman and made the cutest little gift…a dog treat with a face drawn on it, gift-wrapped in a paper towel decorated with marker. Precious. These kids were so well behaved! They were very much kids and had tons of energy, but they were also such ladies and gentlemen. No arguments when their parents told them it was time to get PJs on, and sweet Luke even took Steve’s bowl for him after dinner! What a great host! We just latched on to everything we could while watching this family. I’m so glad God blessed us with new friends. Thank you, Wyatts, for opening your home to us for the weekend!

Our workshop was great. We were able to meet 16 other couples that are in the adoption process (actually, two already had their kiddos). It was so cool to listen to the different stories of how God brought each couple to CPO. Many already had children, and a few did not. Some had already been matched with birth moms, and most had not. There was even a couple that met with a birth mom while we were there that weekend! It just makes it so much more real and exciting that it could be us soon (we hope!). We were also so blessed to finally meet the director of CPO in person. What an incredible woman. She is such a servant and Christ’s love just radiates from her. She is funny, blunt, feisty, genuine, and such a Godly woman. After our workshop, we were even more excited to be a part of the ministry. I sure wish we lived closer so we could be even more involved. The workshop covered basically everything it could, from adopting a baby in the NICU, to trans-racial adoptions, to relationships with birth moms. They even brought in the attorney that we’ll use (for both birth parents’ termination of rights, as well as adoption finalization) and she has such a heart for these girls. They also brought in the doctor that takes care of the girls during their pregnancy (an awesome Christian guy who also has a clear love for this ministry) and the therapist (loved her!). We heard from several birth moms, adoptive families, and even some adults that were adopted (as infants) through CPO. Such a neat thing to hear all of the different perspectives. These birth moms are amazing to choose life for their babies, especially in a society when an unplanned pregnancy is often seen as an inconvenience that can be easily terminated. They are truly heroes, no matter what their story is. As the director says, “I couldn’t even give someone a kitten, much less a child,” so what these girls are doing is the most self-less thing, carrying a baby to term, knowing she is going to be placing that baby in someone else’s arms in order for that child to have a life that she isn’t able to provide right now. Just awe-inspiring.

Wow, so that’s our November so far. Super busy, and 100% wonderful. Things should slow down for a bit now…the next adventure up is the great 2010 Irwin Christmas Tree hunt. Stay tuned!

Christmastime is Here...

When Steve and I embarked on our adoption journey, we created a Life Book that can be shown to prospective birthmoms (I like to call it our “pick us” book!) which gives these special women a glimpse into our lives and who we are. One of the requirements of our agency was that it needed to be done using Shutterfly. It's a great way to produce multiple copies quickly as needed (or in case one gets lost) and it offers a final product that can withstand little fingerprints (many birthmoms are already parenting little ones that may enjoy perusing the books as well!), and hold up to many years of browsing through the pages, as the books become somewhat of a keepsake for these birthmoms (we'll also have a copy made for our baby, so they can see what their birthmom was looking at when she chose us for her precious babe). I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience using Shutterfly, and I can’t wait to make many more digital scrapbooks (it’s addictive!). Another cool thing Shutterfly offers is photo cards. One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is receiving photos and letter updates from those I love. I've always wanted to do a cool holiday photo card, and this is such an easy way to make the perfect one! My goodness, Shutterfly will even stamp and mail the cards for you if you want! Does it get any easier? They have a wide variety of designs, which allows lots of creativity without all the work! Here are a couple of my favorites…I’m still deciding on which to use for our very first photo Christmas card…


Here are some of the cool ways to use Shutterfly this holiday season, from fun cards to personalized gifts…

Holiday Cards: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards – I can’t wait until it’s our turn to have the token “holiday card with the kiddos in all their cuteness,” but I also happen to have a pretty amazingly dashing husband and adorable dog, so what’s to say we can’t have a holiday card with us in all our cuteness, right? Who knows…maybe this will be the last year before we get to add an adorable mini-face to the mix!

Gift Tags: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-gift-tags – And how cute are these? Definitely better than the whole “cut some extra wrapping paper and fold it in half to use as a makeshift gift tag because I forgot to buy some” concept that typically happens in my house.

Calendars: http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars – Anyone that knows me knows I LOVE calendars. I often have at least 3 going at one time (it really is a sickness…but I think it’s actually hereditary, as my sweet grandma shares the same passion). With Shutterfly, you can personalize calendars for yourself, or make a fun gift for your loved ones that truly lasts all year long!


How would you like 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to find out how (http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form)...

Fun at the Farmer's Market...and Ethiopian Food!

Steve and I went to the huge farmer's market located near downtown Kansas City and had such a fun time! It felt great looking at all the fresh produce and being able to support the (mostly) local vendors. And check out this amazing loot we picked up...all for only $4.00 total!

The best part? It's a year-round farmer's market! We also had the opportunity to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant. I have been wanting to try Ethiopian food for a long time, and Steve was brave enough to venture out of our "meat and potatoes" norm to try it with me.

It was SO good!

And so filling...we shared an entree and still couldn't finish [Steve thought it was gross that I was taking pictures of our finished product for my blog]. But can you tell we liked it? The butternut squash soup was incredible. I can't wait to go back. We're having such awesome adventures so far. I love our new life!

What?! A Free Missions Trip????

As you know, Steve and I are passionate about adoption. We hope to adopt more than once, both domestically (as we are doing now) and internationally. One of my favorite things to do is follow others' stories as they walk through the exciting, scary, emotional, heart-wrenching, amazing journey called adoption. One family has taken things even further. They are giving away a Missions Trip to Ethiopia (which I hope to win!) while raising money for some incredible causes.

Check out their blog for details...but hurry! It ends tomorrow (October 28). What an amazing opportunity!

What a beautiful place to live!

So when Steve was looking into places for us to live here in Kansas, he started out looking at various rental houses. We really wanted to have a fenced yard for Norman to play in (ok, so part of it was that we missed the luxury of our yard at our previous home and were thinking ahead to the winter and being able to just open the door for Norman to go out and go potty). Of course, as we are on a pretty tight budget now, the houses we could afford were not necessarily in the best neighborhoods, so we went back to apartment hunting. Steve called me while I was in NY and said “I think I found a place for us to live.” Well…this place was definitely a God-thing. Here’s why:

1) It is right by this amazing park (that’s what drew Steve to it in the first place) which is our main source of entertainment right now! Oh, and the park has a huge outdoor theatre which I cannot wait to (hopefully) be involved with next summer! More on the park in a bit…
2) When we wanted to get some pics of the actual apartment we were wanting to rent, Steve asked the Admin. Asst. at his company if someone there would mind going and taking some pictures for us (we didn’t want to put a deposit down without seeing it, but we also didn’t want to lose the apartment either)…turns out one of Steve’s co-workers lives not only in the complex, not only in our building, not only on our floor, but RIGHT ACROSS THE BREEZEWAY from our apartment. He went and took tons of pics for us (such a huge blessing!) and we felt so much more at peace about everything. And the other perk about having them as neighbors is that I was able to watch their super sweet 17-month-old son when he was sick and the guys needed to attend a training meeting at work. I have always wanted to have the free time to be able to bless someone like that (and actually I got the blessing, because I got to snuggle with a sweet little boy for 3 hours while he slept and cuddled on my lap).
3) My dad’s cousin’s wife found out we were moving to this area, she said “I wish I would have known…I lived in Kansas for awhile and was in THE BEST apartment complex. I would have told them where to live!” Well, guess what?! We’re in that complex! And she’s right…it is an awesome place to live.

Since we are on our tight budget due to my not working (BTW, right now…LOVING the trade off. May have to remedy the "not working" situation in the future, but for now, I’m very much enjoying some time being a stay-at-home-wife!), anyhow...we are trying to find lots of cheap (read: free) things to do for fun! We happen to be very close to the best park I’ve ever seen. Shawnee Mission Park has just about everything. We have been there at least 3-4 times a week since we moved here. They have miles and miles of paths and off-path trails. Beautiful trees, a huge lake with a marina and canoe/kayak rentals, an off –leash dog park with a beach (though the dog park area is not fenced in, so it will not be an off-leash park for Norman), horseback riding trails, and even a hot air balloon launch area (which is good, because I was wondering where in the world I was going to launch my hot air balloon from around here! haha). Here are some pictures from one of our recent visits to the park.

Such a regal beagle we have! And no, that is not a muzzle (people always ask that).

We saw some pretty fall colors...the leaves were just starting to change.

Norman and I also did some exploring by the lake...

There are seriously miles and miles of paths like this...AMAZING!

And *this* is my heart all in one photo frame...

Isn't that just beautiful? We feel so blessed to have it close-by! When I go up to MN for a visit next month, I'm going to bring back our cross-country skis...won't that be so much fun this winter?! I also cannot wait until we are pushing a stroller...that will be even better! Anyone that comes here for a visit will definitely be introduced to our park!

Where to start??

Whew, what a month! Our lives have been completely turned around (for the better) and we are loving it! Steve ended up with TWO job offers, but ultimately, the Kansas City job was a much better fit. He loved the Huntsville area, and it was a strong company, but he opted for the position that would give him experience better suited for a possible future (down the road, God-willing) with the National Weather Service as a forecaster, rather than digging further and further into the research and computer side of Meteorology. And my goodness, did he make the right choice! He is learning so much and getting some pretty incredible training with some amazing people. There are so many positives about this move that I can hardly even list them. We are much closer to my family (it cut the distance basically in half), I am not working full-time anymore (PRAISE GOD!), God provided an awesome apartment that is within walking distance to the most beautiful park (seriously…miles and miles of trails for walking/running/biking/horseback riding. It even has a Hot Air Balloon launch field! What?!), I am not working, Steve loves his job and is being challenged, Norman is much more comfortable in our new apartment, and did I mention…I’m not working?! I am just feeling so blessed by this new life…I feel like after 5 years of marriage (we just celebrated our 5th Anniversary October 8th) we are just getting started on the life of which we have dreamed. And it affirms that our decision to send Steve back to school for this second bachelor’s degree was the right one. God has provided confirmation after confirmation for us, and how cool is that? So anyways…about our new life…

Steve got the job offer(s) while I was in New York last month, so we had to basically consult via phone regarding this decision that would affect our lives in a pretty huge way. The positive side of that…although I was more than happy to leave many parts of my job, I was also very reluctant to leave it (I worked at the most amazing company, with the most amazing people, making a very decent salary with amazing benefits and perks)…so being in New York helped me escape the reality of “oh my goodness, I need to turn in a 2 week notice!” Yes, you read that right…Steve’s new company wanted him to start October 1st (we were able to push them out to the 4th). Not much time to wrap things up in OKC, that’s for sure! But we knew it would happen quickly when it happened, and certainly weren’t complaining about things, because STEVE HAD A JOB!! My trip to New York ended up being a pretty awesome “last hurrah” for my life as a career woman, because I got to fly out on the jet!

We were riding in style!

This is my sweet co-worker. I miss seeing her every day...she is such a wise woman of God!

Needless to say, commercial air travel will never be the same for me again. Haha!

Here is another awesome thing we saw in NY. God’s creation is breathtaking!

Our last two weeks in Oklahoma were quite a whirlwind. It happened to include the only two weekends that we actually had made plans (go figure). Steve’s folks arrived in OK the day I returned from NY, as we had been planning to go to the OU vs. Air Force game that weekend (Steve’s dad is an Air Force Academy graduate) and they ended up being a tremendous help. Steve’s mom is probably the best packer I know. She was a life saver in helping me get the kitchen, pantry, knick knacks, and many other things wrapped securely and packed (did I mention she is FAST?!). We could not have done this move without them. For reals. They were with us through the weekend and then went back to CA knowing that in just about 9 days, they’d be back. That is the best way to say goodbye…knowing they will be back soon! Then, the following weekend, we had already planned a Kansas City weekend with some members of my family. It is a great “halfway point” between MN and OKC, so many Kansas City weekends happened with various family and friends during our 4 years in Oklahoma. Even though the timing was a bit crazy, I knew I’d probably actually need a weekend of just relaxing, playing some cards, watching football, and laughing with my people, so we kept it on. And I am so glad we did. We were also able to take a car load of stuff up to our new apartment! Nice! Thanks, Dad, for helping us unload that first car load!

When we returned to Oklahoma City that Monday, the rest of the week is seriously a blur. I was blessed to have great groups of friends in Oklahoma and I was trying to cram as much time in with them as I could…and it still just wasn’t enough. I sure miss them! Another plus of being in Kansas City…it’s not far to go back to OK for a visit either! I worked the rest of the week (my final week at Chesapeake…bittersweet), and Steve’s folks came out again for the remainder of the packing/loading/moving extravaganza. We filled a 26-foot truck, people! How in the world can a couple that has been married only 5 years fill a 26-foot truck, plus three (actually, four, including our pre-move trip) carloads of stuff?! Phew! Which explains my new part-time job, for the time being. SELL STUFF! I am having a blast just being able to “nest” in our new home, and simplify our lives by selling/donating things. It is just an awesome feeling.

Steve’s parents were again instrumental in the tail-end of the move as well. Have I mentioned that our new apartment is on the 3rd floor?? God bless the guys as they made numerous trips up those stairs with very heavy things. Steve’s mom was also extremely helpful in keeping Norman safe and happy. The poor pair was holed up in one of the bedrooms for much of two days. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mommers Irwin! I wanted to start the unpacking/nesting later that week (after the folks left), so on Monday, instead of unpacking, I decided to introduce my MIL to one of my absolute favorite parts of the Kansas City area…Country Club Plaza! We had such a fun day together, shopping, eating, lots of walking, and just enjoying each other’s company. I am so blessed to have ILs that I absolutely love.

Now that we have been here for a couple weeks, we are adjusting quite well. I am, of course, loving staying at home and getting our apartment in order, and Steve is doing great at his new job. His first two weeks consisted of training on the day shift before he switched over (this week) to his normal shift…1:00 am to 9:30 am. Crazy, huh? We got some killer blackout curtains (two layers, actually), and Steve even came up with the idea of using Velcro to attach them to the wall so that no light can leak through. It’s a pretty cool system, if I do say so myself (sorry, honey, for giving you a hard time about it pre-installation...you were right)! It’s pretty neat to have Steve come home around 10:00 am and have the day together (well, until he has to start getting ready for bed at around 4:00 pm). On Monday, we went to the park right after he got home and enjoyed a 3 mile walk! I love having him home during the day.

Today, we had our Home Study Update visit with a new Social Worker (our current adoption Home Study was done in Oklahoma, and we need to have it updated now that our living/job situation has changed…it now needs to be done by someone licensed in Kansas, hence today’s visit with a new Social Worker). We are now in the paper chase (abbreviated version) again as we wait for the Kansas Background Checks to clear and our new home study to be written up and sent to the agency. We are still able to use the same adoption agency, and we are so glad to be able to continue the process with them. We are sort of “on hold” while we wait for our home study to be updated, etc. (they can’t show our profile to birthmoms that are due anytime soon, just in case our home study update isn’t completed in time)…hopefully not for too long, though! And even though it stinks to have this delay, we knew from the beginning that this was likely, and I feel such a peace about where we are now. One thing we know for sure is that God is in complete control of the process, so it’s not like we are going to miss the child He has for us, ya know? Plus, it’s nice to not be “up in the air” anymore. We are here for awhile (at least) and can make our home here with confidence until God leads us somewhere else. And the bottom line is, each day we are closer to meeting our baby, and I could not be more excited for that!

Wow…this post has gotten long, but there have been so many things to update you all on! Let me know if you want our new contact info (I can send it via email). In the meantime, I have no excuses on not keeping up with the blog…especially since I have lots of quiet time in the evening now while Steve sleeps! I also have learned the art of quicker photo downloads (a perk of all my selling on Cra*gs L*st!) so I can include fun pictures of our new adventures. Quick prayer requests before I sign off:

*That I find a part-time (very part-time, preferably) job to supplement our income. Would love to either work from home or find a coffee-shop job or something like that
*That we can get plugged into a great church. We really miss our church in Edmond and are praying for God to lead us to a place where we can build some great relationships (since we have no family here…our church family will be our family)
*That our adoption process will continue to move forward as quickly as possible, but mostly for peace and patience during the dreaded wait
*That Steve will continue to adapt to his new schedule. God has really been providing in that area, and we pray that He will continue to do so

Thank you so much to everyone that has prayed for us, offered words of encouragement, and just been excited with us as we begin this next chapter in our lives! We are so blessed by each one of you!

But my life isn't interesting enough to blog...

Ha. I say that all the time. But then all of a sudden there are a bajillion updates. We definitely have had some great opportunities to trust God with things in our life that are a pretty big deal. You know, the usual...babies, jobs, moving. God is proving again and again that He is faithful (and also being patient enough with me to offer glimpses of encouragement even when I like to throw my tantrums about wanting things NOW). More in-depth updates to come, but here are a few tidbits, so you know what is on our prayer list and what we would be so blessed to add to yours (and we also want to know how we can pray for you!). Things got pretty crazy a couple months ago when this little guy started to have seizures.

I know he's "just" a dog, but for now, he is our baby, and seizures are never fun to witness. We made many trips to the vet (they love him there...and we love them) and our Norman is now on meds every 12 hours (sorta kills the social life, having to be home at 9 am and 9 pm every day...hehe). He is improving, though, and we are so thankful. More than 4 weeks seizure-free now, praise God!

We have also been enjoying the start of football season (Steve has even entered his first Fantasy Football league!), but can hardly believe Fall is here already. I do love Fall (except that it leads to Winter...boo). Tomorrow I get to jump headfirst into Fall as I travel to upstate New York for work. Business travel is one way to make a week fly! I think we might even get to see Niagara Falls...if so, I will definitely take pictures! The other fun thing about this trip is that I get to fly on the corporate jet. Rumor has it that they even stock the seats with candy! Looking forward to seeing if that is indeed true...

No new news on the adoption front. Thanks so much to everyone that has supported us with encouraging words, surprise notes, prayers, and even buying coffee! We are officially "waiting"...and I'm not gonna lie...this whole "waiting" thing is turning out to be a bit overrated (hehe). Many prayers for patience are coming out of this heart. I have still struggled a bit with hearing that everyone (seriously...ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a tiny bit, but not by much) is pregnant. And it's not even that I want to be pregnant (it would actually put our adoption on hold), but man, I just long for that baby NOW and it's so hard to wait and trust God's timing in all this, especially since adoption is such an unknown timeline. I have to be honest in saying that the idea that we could be waiting years definitely frightens me and discourages me a little. Comparison is never a good thing. My aunt put it very well when she said "I refuse to look to the right or to the left, or to compare myself with those who are more or less successful than I am. Those comparisons bear rotten fruit: either pride or despair." So true, and I'm so guilty of it. Constantly looking at one of the 5 (yes FIVE) people on my floor at work that are "drinking the water" and wonder why am I the only one that can't do this? Like I'm a total failure because I haven't been able to get pregnant in 2 1/2 years. Yet I am so passionate about the path God has opened for us in adoption...I just want it to move much faster. I strive to be at peace with my "now" so that I don't settle even for good, when God wants to offer me His best. When looked at that way, who could even argue that this wait - long or short - isn't worth waiting for? I want to take every thought captive (especially those that Satan throws in there that say "you know this isn't going to happen for you" or "you aren't a mother; therefore, you just don't fit"...those have been hammered at me a lot lately) and replace it with God's truth, like Jeremiah 29:11's "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I cannot wait for that day, but I also must rejoice in the journey. Whew...better save more of that for another post. This "quick update" could get long.

The other big excitement is Steve's job search. After graduation in May, things were pretty slow on the career front. But within the last month or two, things have started rolling. We were blessed with several phone interviews and Steve had two in-person interviews last week! One in Huntsville, AL, and one in Shawnee, KS. Both went extremely well (the one in Huntsville is already drafting an offer!), and we are hoping to have a big announcement within the next week...stay tuned!

So yeah, big changes on the horizon I think. And many things on the prayer list. Praying for our adoption process to continue to move forward, but most importantly for peace during the agonizing wait. Praying for Steve's job situation and discernment in that process. Praying for our potential move, and the logistics that go along with that (including my job situation following said potential move). God has proven his faithfulness over and over, and we are so excited to see where He leads us next!