I've been tagged!!

Here are the rules--1) Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1) I can not stand for things that should be closed to be left open. Let me explain... for instance, the laundry room doors... these should always be closed. If you open them, you should close them because that is the way you found them. I feel the same way about cabinet doors, drawers, shower curtains, closet doors, etc.

2) I love checklists! I always make a list of anything that I need or need to do and I love to mark it off after I have done the particular task or have bought the particular item. I feel the same way about calendars. I always mark off my days throughout the month.

3) I absolutely love the show Friday Night Lights! I watch it every Friday night and I watched every episode last season. I feel it is a good family show, even though it has a realistic take on high school kids. I think it is important for parents to know what their children face in high school. It would be good for a parent and teen to watch it together so they might be able to talk about certain situations.

4) I have a B.S. degree from the University of Alabama in Early Childhood Development. I wish I would have taken it one step further and done education, but I didn't. I, actually, now wish I had my degree in something totally different, like counseling or social work.

5) I was six weeks pregnant with Lilly when I graduated so I really have never used my degree except for about two months after graduation. Sad, I know! But, I wanted to raise my children before focusing on my career. That is how I have always felt. All I ever wanted to be was a mother!

6) I have many fears. Actually, I am prone to panic attacks. I have a very weird fear of vomiting and also of closed-in, tight spaces.

7) I am a big Alabama fan! I am not what one might call a "fair weather fan" because I love Alabama football even when they aren't winning, but I am especially fond of Saban!

8) When I was somewhere around five or six years old, I got this great idea to "skate like a dog" with skates on my hands and my feet. Needless to say, this was NOT a good idea. I fell and knocked both of my front teeth out. This was just the beginning of my teeth problems.

Now, I tag Tesney, Lacy, Carly, Kelley and Mandy. I do not know enough other people that blog to tag eight!

We turned in our application...

We have done it! We got everything completed on our adoption application and Josh turned it in on Thursday to Laura at Catholic Family Services. I do not know how long it takes to find out if we were accepted to the program. I am afraid that it will take awhile because the application has to go to the Birmingham office to be reviewed by the top guy there and then we will hear something. I have heard that it is all formality, but I am nervous until I know that we have been accepted. I guess once we have been accepted, I will know for sure that we are doing this. I will know that we aren't just talking about doing it. I mean, I think about doing things for the Lord all the time and I don't follow through with them. I don't want this to be like that. I want to adopt a child for myself and for my family, of course, because I want another child. But, I also feel that God chose me to adopt, so I could do it for Him. "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, My brethern, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:40) In fact, I want to do this for Him.

This is testing my faith and trust in God. I am praying everyday that we are doing this because He wants us to and has planted this in my heart and not just because I want us to. I talked to a close friend on Thursday because I was anxious about turning in the application and handing over the money to apply and not knowing, for sure, that we would be accepted. This friend, who has been through this process, reminded me of something very important that I needed to hear and it convicted me. God is in control of this whole process!! I can't tell you how comforting that is for me to hear. I can't imagine not believing that God was in control. I know that I have been through some rough times, but I also know that I am happier now that I have been in two years. I believe that God brought me through all the struggles with wanting another baby to make me depend on Him, which would make me happier. My friend reminded me that it didn't matter how long it took to get approved, or even if we were accepted by this particular agency or not, because when God wanted this to happen it will. She fully believes, just as I do, that the Lord already has a baby picked out for our family, who will fit perfectly with us. She learned this through her own difficult experience with adoption. I felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders when I hung the phone up that afternoon.

I must remember... God is in control of when we get our baby. I feel like He is teaching me how to pray about something and truly let go of it. This is a lesson that I needed to learn. God knows me so well that He has picked me for this.

Please continue to be in prayer for us through this process. Once we are approved, we will have a second meeting with the social worker and find out when we can begin our home study. Thank you to all of you who ask me about this process all the time and to those of you who come to me with your encouraging stories of adoption. You don't know how much that means to me. I feel that you are sent by God to remind me that He is taking care of this and to show me that I can do this.

A Visit from Muffy and Poppy!

Lilly got to see her Muffy and Poppy on Monday night. Most of you are probably wondering who Muffy and Poppy are... they are Josh's parents. They have been living in Germany for over a year and we rarely get to see them now. Lilly has always been crazy about her Muffy! Muffy will play with Lilly all day long everytime she sees her. They took us out to eat at Olive Garden on Monday night. Our dinner was great and Lilly got a few gifts from them. They gave her the cutest Cinderella dress up gown. Lilly has worn that almost everyday since Monday. She also got some new clothes that are so cute.







I have to tell this funny story...

Yesterday she got to spend the afternoon with Muffy again because she was in town and wanted to keep her for my mom while I worked. Lilly was getting ready at my mother's house to go see Muffy and she was going through my mom's jewelry box. Mother had told Lilly several days ago that one day, when she died Lilly could have all that jewelry. Lilly told mom that she liked that but didn't want mom to die soon. Well, as she went through the jewelry yesterday she picked out a bracelet that she liked. Mom told her to put it back. Lilly argued with her because she wanted to wear it for Muffy. Mom agreed and told her she could but she would have to give it back as soon as Muffy saw it on her. Lilly frowned, like she does so well, and said, "Well, I can have it now... it doesn't matter, you about to die anyway!" My mother laughed hysterically but Lilly kept on frowning because she did not think she had said anything funny. She was serious! My child comes up with the most amazing things to say, as I am sure all of yours do too.

I hope you all have a blessed day!

An adoption update: we almost have everything ready with the application packet to turn it in. Our goal is to turn it in on Monday. I do not know how long it takes to be officially accepted to the program. I am praying it only takes a week or two. Please pray for this as I am nervous until I know we have been officially accepted and we are on our way to our home study.

So Into Halloween!

My precious Lilly is so into Halloween this year. She has been into it a little in the last two years past, but this year, she couldn't wait to get her costume and she has figured out what Josh and I are going to be. She started talking about wanting to be Snow White about a month ago. She switched from Snow White to wanting to be a witch and then she switched back. My sweet mother found her the most adorable Snow White costume at Sam's (believe it or not) for a good price. Lilly then decided that she wanted ME to be the witch and Josh to be the Prince so she could marry her daddy. I thought that was precious! Now, I just need to find Josh and pair of blue tights and a red cape! Ha! (Yeah right!) I will be lucky to get him into something that remotely resembles the Prince from Snow White.







We were invited to a small Halloween party last night for a few children and she couldn't wait to wear it. I gave her a bath and blew dry her hair very nicely. I then put a little make-up on her so she would have rosy cheeks and pink lips like Snow White. She got dressed and we painted her finger nails and toe nails. She looked so "romantic". (That is her new word.) She was the only little girl at the party and the two little boys her age fought over who got to hold her hand. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. It makes me want to cry!

We all had a good time and Lilly really enjoyed being Snow White for the evening. Now, we just have to wait for Halloween night and I have to find Josh and I something to wear to be the Witch and the Prince.

My Sweet Lilly

Lilly is getting so big and I wanted to share a few things about her. I also wanted to add more pics of her to my site so you all can see how much she looks like a big girl now, instead of a toddler.

-Lilly loves to color. In fact, it is her favorite thing to do. She can color all day long. She is very good at it. She stays in the lines and holds her crayon the right way, already. Her favorite color is red (right now).

-She loves her little television programs. Her favorites are "The Backyardigans" and "Scooby Doo".

-She likes to eat fruit, like bananas and apples, goldfish, cheezits, pop tarts, cereal, bacon, pancakes, pudding, and anything chocolate.

-She started preschool this year. She is learning so much already. She has made three special friends that she talks about constantly; Eli, Emma Lynn, and Cayden.

-She has an imaginary friend, named Andrea. Andrea goes everywhere with us and she is always sick. She throws-up in her mommy's bed all the time.

-Lilly is crazy about her Mimi and her Muffy. (That is my mom and Josh's mom.)

-She is somewhat a drama queen.

-She loves animals.

-She makes up crazy words and dances around saying them. She talks constantly and has a very good vocabulary for a three-year-old.

-She fell and hit her head on our bed and had to have stitches right in between her eyes. (See the picture above.)

-Lilly loves her little cousin, Catherine. She is like a sister to Lilly.

I am so proud of my little girl. I am amazed by her everyday. I learn a lot from her and her little personality is so wonderful.
She is just as excited as we are about the adoption. She wants a baby so badly. She did want a baby girl, but changed her mind this morning to wanting a baby brother. She said she already had a girlfriend, so she needed a boy around.

We've made the first step...

We successfully got through our first appointment with Catholic Family Services. It went pretty good. We loved the social worker, Laura, and she was very informative. She is a talker, like me, which I like. She made me feel very comfortable with the whole process.

Josh and I realized, in front of her, that we weren't seeing eye to eye on one issue concerning what we would accept in our adopted child. That was a small bump in the road. I feel that we got through it and we discussed the issue with her, which was a good thing. This process may be like marital counseling for both of us, too. We are really having to use our compromising skills. This is such an important decision in all of our lives, including Lilly's, and we all need to come away from this feeling very comfortable and happy. So, it is good that we are really talking to each other about this and each of of us are having to give and take.

We have our application packet. We are going to try to get it completed and turned in within a two week period. The longest part of the application is going to be writing our autobiographies. We each have to write one. I am looking forward to writing mine. Hopefully, Josh can find the time to write his between his job, working out, watching NFL football during the week, and watching college football on the weekend. He is very busy during football season! ;)

I can already tell this entire experience is going to be such a blessing for everyone involved. It is hard to believe that we are actually moving forward with this. We talked about it for so long and now we are working to make it happen. It gets me so excited! Lilly is well aware of what is going on. She keeps talking to us about how she wants to get a girl and that she won't come from mommy's tummy. She is also stuck on saying she wants a baby from China because she saw this in one of her little television programs. We are not considering international adoption at this point, though I think it is wonderful. Hopefully, Lilly won't be disappointed.