Repeat: Money-Money-Mooooneeey ... and Interviews!

One more time with the theme being the Million Dollar Man's theme music, but today was all about raising money with our yard sale/bake sale/hotdog sale.  While the hot dogs didn't fly out the door, everything else sure did.  I cannot thank you all enough for the kind donations for items that we could sell.  I could not believe the outpour of items that we got, and man did people flip over them.  It  was insane!  People were here before 6:30 am!  And only 1 person left without an item (or several) in hand.  Being that we don't really live in a high traffic area for yard sales, I was so pleased with the turn out.  I prayed so hard last night and all this morning that we would have a great crowd, and all I can say is God is an awesome God! :) Between sales and donations from some very amazing friends, we raised over $1700!!!!!  Yes you read that correctly!  I counted it 4 times to be sure!  That is 10% of the amount we are trying to raise....10-STINKIN-PERCENT!!  That is past amazing!  That is only one thing and it's a God sent miracle through family, friends, and some kind strangers.  I had a garage you couldn't walk through this morning and this afternoon....it was almost cleared.  We still have some really good stuff left, so we may have another sale in the spring time either here or maybe at Michael's family's area, but I still can't even wrap my mind around how well things went.  Thank you Michelle & Steve, Crissy, Casey, Robby, Drew, Mrs. Patti, Tara, Tami, Carrie, Drew, my Parents, Mrs. Francis, and friends/family of all these people who donated money or items to us, and to all you awesome folks who spread the word on Facebook and to your friends and family, as well as sent up prayers.  I wish I could say thank you enough times....but I just could never say it enough to truly express how thankful I am.  I think I cried for about an hour tonight.  A week ago I was so scared about the money, but 10% toward the goal has lessened that fear so much.  I know I still have quite a way to go with about $15,300 more to try and raise to cover everything, but I just have faith that it will happen.  We may not have these results everytime, but every little piece chips away that total and gets our little peanut a little closer to us!

So now on to progress news for the home study.  What is happening now?  Well we officially submitted the packet and it was received by our agency last Thursday.  Friday they called to schedule our individual interviews.  Those are basically to get to know us and the things about us that could be potential strong points to match us (or steer us away) from certain birthmoms.  They work hard to not put your profile out to birthmoms whose feelings or beliefs strongly conflict with ours.  For instance, say the birthmom isn't a fan of a certain thing, like maybe she is Jewish and doesn't want her child raised in a non-Jewish home.  Well we wouldn't be a good fit for her, so they probably would not show her our profile, unless that was something either us or her were willing to give on.  If that makes sense.  The interviews make me a little nervous!  But I love our social worker so much, so I think that will make it much more relaxed.  After this, they come to our house and talk to us together and do the official home visit.  I BEG you to please pray for us through these next few steps.  These are were they are heavily reviewing both us, our home, and our paperwork.  Pray that not only is everything in order, but that it goes smoothly and quickly.  I am ready to be officially waiting!  And that will happen when this is all approved.  We are literally just a few weeks away from being a "waiting family" if all goes well.  I am beyond over the moon...I am over Saturn! :)  When we are official, birthmoms can start looking at us!  Ahhhh!!!  I am sure I will be a wreck and venting on here quite a bit, so I thank you in advance for putting up with me. 

One exciting thing I did do recently was pick out my nursery furniture.  I am in love with it and can't wait to get it.  I would also like to express my love for the sweet lady at All About Baby.  When she found out we were adopting, she looked so sweetly at me and said I know how expensive it is and I want to help.  She offered us a discount on the furniture and said she would make bedding as affordable as she could.  This lady didn't know me at all and opened up her heart and her pocketbook basically because this is her business that she uses to make a living.  Just made my heart sing and my eyes well up with tears that people can be such dolls.  Needless to say if I can at all afford to do it, I will buy those things from her and anything else I can.  God has worked through her to bless me, and I will bless her back as much as I can.  Below is the picture of it.  I love it because it will grow with the baby and actually not look like too much of a little baby room as the grow up and use it as a full size bed.

 

 

Well that's about it...well not really.  I still want to talk cookbooks and my new candles that I hope will turn out great....and thank everyone again, but I am beat.  Don't mind telling you that staying up until nearly midnight and then getting up before 5am and staying on my feet all day move beds, tables, mattresses, and working the sale/baking/cooking hot dogs wore me out!!  Michael, Hef and Coco are all already snoring beside me :)  My sweet little family is just dog tired!  So I am cutting it off and going to curl up beside them and say many many prayers of thanks for the miracle that happened today.  I love you all so much and I thank you from the tippy toppy to the very bottom of my heart for it all.

 

Hugs, Kisses, & Skittles (because they are awesome!)

Misty