This will be a moment that will go in my treasure box of memories ... I have been in a room two times in my life as people handed me my daughters, but today I got to be the one walking into the room with a special gift ... A DAUGHTER, A 1ST CHILD FOR A FAMILY, A MIRACLE BLESSING ... I was so nervous, anxious, and blessed to be holding someone's precious treasure ... As the door opened my emotions got the best of me and tears came, but when I saw the smile on Ally Kat's parents (Now named ... Elly) I was overwhelmed with peace and joy ... I handed Elly over to her mommy as she snuggled close to her ... Elly was a perfect angel as we talked about her ... Her sleep schedule, her feeding schedule, her little habits, and all the dreams that were to come ... I loved hearing about how her parents came to the journey of adoption and I shared my own story of adoption ... THIS WAS SUCH A GOD MOMENT ... They thanked me for saying yes when the Lord told me to do interim care and I felt such a presence of the Lord as I knew He had so many things to teach me, share with me and allowed me to experience these past three and half weeks ... Elly we will love you and pray for you always ...

Elly is HOME ... before the beginning of time this was always to be her journey home and I am beyond honored to have been a part of it ... Elly's parents have graciously said they would love to stay in touch w/ us and allow us to see Elly grow up ... JUST ANOTHER BLESSING IN OUR LIFE ...

THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL YOU DO FOR US ... Following you brings so many emotions, lessons, and glimpses of eternity ...

The emotions are high tonight as we prepare for Ally Kat to meet her forever family tomorrow ... Please pray for Ally, her new family, her birth mother, and the Oatsvall Team ... We are honored to be the family that was able to love on her for the past 3 1/2 weeks ... God has shown us yet another glimpse of His heart ... I just know walking into that room tomorrow will be an experience I will never forget as I hand her over to her MOMMY...

Giving your life away for the Lord is never easy, but it is the best emotion, action, and experience we can have on this earth ... Thanks for all your prayers ...

(Me, Ally Kat, Katie, and Kelly)

I am constantly being asked the question, "Can't I just keep Ally?" ... Well technically NO, but the heart answer to the question is much deeper ...

As I pray over Ally and looked into her eyes I know someone is desperately waiting for her ... I think of it like this, what if someone had walked into the room where Emily or Maggie was before me and decided they wanted them just because they saw them first ... We have all done the WAITING !!! ... There is a family that has been desperately praying, desperately preparing, desperately loving, desperately hoping, and desperately waiting for a call about their child just like I did for Emily and Maggie and I do for Abigail and Joseph ... Ally Kat has a family and someday soon they will be together ... Yes, I am totally in love w/ this child and have had the privilege for almost 3 weeks to love on her, pray for her, and speak words of comfort into her sweet little ear and I do all that so that the day I hand her over to her forever mommy there will be a sense of peace and blessings ...

This is just another view of the journey of adoption and I am thankful God
allowed me to see it!


Side Note: Picture above is from a brunch I had w/ some fabulous moms where Katie shared her story ... We are praying God sends her the people needed to support all the precious kids in Uganda for the following year ... Any amount will help ... It takes $300 to send a child to school for a year, medical visits, and 2 meals a day ... These children don't have parents ... They need our help to have a chance ... Believe me I understand money is tight, but Scott and I are going to sponsor a child ... As always we feel God will fund what He favors !!!! Click on her name above to find out how to donate ... Blessings to you my cyber FAMILY ...

Well a few of my blogging sisters have tagged me, so here it goes ... 7 Random Facts about me ...

1. I am currently obsessed w/ buying holiday gifts, birthday gifts, or appreciation gifts from families trying to adopt or t-shirts that support the starving children in Africa ...

Here is where my latest $5.00 is going ... Raffle (click and see this beautiful handmade afghan) ...Help this family bring home their son from Haiti ... I know we can all pitch in $5.00 ... The support we give each other really is priceless ...

2. If I could afford it I would go to COLD STONE ICE CREAMERY on a daily basis and get the FOUNDERS FAVORITE ... sweet cream ice cream, brownie, hot fudge, carmel, and heath bar all mixed to perfection ... can you taste it ???

3. I love love love to watch BIGGEST LOSER ... I want to be Jillian ... I would love to scream at people and get paid for it ... plus losing weight would be super fun ...

4. I am always sad when flip flop season ends ... I don't mind the new colder weather, but when I can' wear my flip flops I get a little sad ... BEST BRANDS .. Reefs, J Crew, and Rainbows

5. Katie (my new 19 year old angel) has really changed my daily life ... I love talking w/ her each day and planing on how we are going to change the world ... She reminds me that Christ didn't look at the world and give up, but He went to cross because we are worth it ... 143 million orphans around the world are worth it ... the nearly 45,000 dieing of starvation daily are worth it ... Thanks Katie for jumping into my life ... (Baptizing in the River ... feel the tears coming?)




6. Most days I do nothing more than brush my teeth, take a shower (this is an iffy one on some days) and put some lip gloss on, plus I keep my hair long so I can put it in a ponytail or a messy bun ... Not for fashion, but for function ... lol

7. I have chap stick hidden all over the house ... I have multiple ones in my purse ... I CAN'T STAND FOR MY LIPS TO BE DRY ... Favorite is BURTS BEE ...


ALLY KAT UPDATE ... Please continue to pray for this sweet angel ... She will have been w/ us 2 weeks tomorrow .... She may have a family by next week ...It is hard to describe loving on a sweet baby that currently only belongs to Jesus ... I am loving this new job Jesus has given me ...I think our family is learning a lot about the Father through this ...

I pray someone is loving on my A/J in Ethiopia just as much ... Hope you all have a fabulous week ...

1. I said read JESUS CALLING by Sarah Young would change your daily devotional life ... AND YOU SAID IT DID ..

2. I said read SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME and it would change how you viewed people ...AND YOU SAID IT DID

3. I said read RED LETTERS "LIVING A FAITH THAT BLEEDS" by Tom Davis and it would change your prayer life ... AND YOU SAID IT DID

Now I am going to beg you to read Katie Davis' blog from start to finish and I PROMISE IT WILL CHANGE HOW YOU VIEW THE WORLD ...


KATIE AND HER KIDS .... Isn't this just a picture of LOVE !!!


A friend told me to check out this 19 year old's blog from Uganda, so I did ... I read one post about her baptizing children in the Nile River and the tears just flowed ... She went on a mission trip and decided to call this place home for a year ... During her time there she saw so many needs and meet them ... She walked hours to help an aged grandmother clean her house and care for her scabies ridden children, she slept on a floor in the hospital of a dying child and literally prayed w/out ceasing (she is now the legal guardian of this child), she has killed chickens w/ her bare hands to feed her children, set up a foundation to sponsor 150 children for schooling, medical, and daily meals, she now has 10 children living w/ her that call her mommy, she has two employees, and has a party praising Jesus on Fridays at her house for over 80 children (she baths, feeds, and loves on these kids every Friday) ... SHE IS THEIR OWN PERSONAL ANGEL ...

I have only given you a glimpse of what this amazing girl is like ... READ HER BLOG STARTING BACK IN 2007 ... Make it your daily quiet time, or think of it as a book you are reading. You will see the heart of someone who truly understands Jesus' call for us to serve "THE LEAST OF THESE." ...

Katie is home this semester attending school and hopes to be back in Uganda by January ... I have meet her and now call her friend ... We see each other at least once a week ... She has been twice just to hold Ally Kat ... I love to listen to her stories of life in Uganda and about the amazing people she loves ...

If you could send just $10 to her it would make more of a difference than you know ...

STAY TUNED FOR A T-SHIRT I AM DESIGNING TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HER MISSION ...

I promise you won't regret the time spent getting to know this amazing young woman of faith and action ...

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AS YOU ARE READING ... AND PLEASE LEAVE HER A SWEET COMMENT OF ENCOURAGEMENT ...

I don't even know how to start this post ... Yesterday two women I knew went home to be w/ the Father ... One battling cancer for a long time leaving behind a sweet son and loving husband and the other so sudden leaving behind a senior in high school (I had the privilege of coaching), one daughter preparing for a wedding in December, son away at college and loving husband ...

They were strong women of faith leaving behind a strong legacy ... I was not in their life on a daily basis, but my heart ached all day yesterday for the sweet children and spouses left behind ...

As a mother we have such impact on our family ... It is an honor to guide our children and support our husbands in a godly manner ... I feel amazed at how the Father created our hearts to endure much, our bodies to withstand fatigue, our arms to carry heavy loads, and our mouths to soothe the soul ...

To all the mothers out there .... You are a true gift to your family ... Try not to let the trenches of life make you feel unappreciated or alone ... You were created to be a shining light in this world ...

P.S. I am sorry I haven't visited many of you lately, but Ally Kat requires much holding w/ her fussiness ... And then Maggie is begging for some attention when I put her down ... AGAIN WHAT AN HONOR TO BE A MOTHER ... Will check in on all you soon ...

I am not sure I have the words to explain my newest angel Ally Kat ... She is a perfect gift from God !!! There are many private things I can not share due to legal matters, but I will say she has a slight medical condition from her birth mother that makes her very fussy (please pray for her little body to heal) ... She cries a lot when she is awake and it just breaks my heart ... I am so exhausted, yet I have an energy source that comes only from the Lord ... He has given me a heart for interim care these past two weeks which I had never even explored before and I am praying about where this journey may go in the future ... I have been thinking a lot about the people who cared for my girls before I brought them home ... I feel Emily was cared for and loved, while I know Maggie was not ... It is hard to swallow sometimes thinking that everyone does not look at a helpless child and reach out to them, love them, help them, pray for them, and provide them w/ safety ... BUT IT IS TRUE ...

I appreciate all your sweet comments ... They are very encouraging to me and are a blessing to my heart ..I am accepting that God wants all of me and I feel over the past year I have been giving more of myself ... It is hard, it is tiring, it is a blessing, and it just seems to open the door even wider for what God wants of me and my family ... I enjoy seeking Him and I am trying hard to listen to the call WHATEVER THAT MAYBE ...

The kids are doing great w/ the our little angels ... Maggie walks around and tells everyone, "quiet baby sleeping" and of course Emily, Jeremiah, and Elijah just want to hold her ... Scott is being such a great support even when he knows the departure of them is hard on me ... I appreciate him following my heart on this one ...

I pray today that whoever is watching over my Abigail and Joseph will love them as much I have loved Gracie Lou and am loving Ally Kat ...

Blessings to all your weekends ... May the Lord speak into your heart and life each day ...

P.S. I love that I am never alone in my journeys ... Today, my friend Beth brought me a chocolate candy bar and diapers for Ally Kat, Katie, Yolanda, and Anna came by for cuddling duty, and Tara and Suzanne brought me my favorite cold stone ice cream (yes, I am chocolate lover) ... I have so many people who support me daily in life that I just can't say thanks enough ... We really are all in this together ...

OK, so most of you know that after Gracie Lou left I said that I wouldn't be doing interim care again because it was just to emotional for me ... Well, apparently God didn't hear me or is wanting to stretch me a little more ... So today I am introducing ALLY !!!! I would appreciate all your prayers for this adorable 5 week old little girl ... Pray for her mother, pray for sweet Ally, and pray for potential adoptive families ...

I know this is a God thing in our life right now because interim care has never even been on our radar and our agency has never had a need like they have had these past two weeks ... I am answering a call to cherish, pray, and get up all night long for a sweet gift of God ... I know it will be a blessing in our life and I also ask selfishly that you pray that God guard my heart this time and allow me to love without getting so attached ... Probably impossible so to my knees I go ...

Thanks so much for always encouraging me, praying w/ me and for NOT CALLING ME CRAZY (at least not in the comments section of my blog) ... lol

There are no words to describe this most amazing ceremony ... Emily and Tanner are perfect for each other ... God truly showed up on their wedding day ... They have such a mature love in the Lord and I know they will serve Him through out their entire marriage ... I was honored to be there and I am privilege to know them ... I have said this a 100 times, but Emily Chapman has changed our lives more than any other person ... She opened the door for the Oatsvall family to leave a legacy that will honor the Lord, she gave us a purpose and a mission ... We love you Emily and now we love Tanner too !!! May all God's blessings fall upon you ...
This is my friend Wendy and I ... Hot Mamas !!!!
Yolanda and I ... We have adopted each other as sisters ... We call ourselves the "CHAPVALL'S" .. that is Chapman and Oatsvall put together ... I love this woman ... She is always there for me !!!
This is the Wheeler family arriving home ... I love the airport homecomings ... Lindsey and sweet Eliana ... Sorry it isn't a great picture, but I had a few tears in my eyes .. Lindsey has been living in Guatamala since July parenting her sweet child till it became official ... I admire her strength ...
Below that bottle is Gracie Lou ... I do miss her so, but am so thankful to the Father that her precious mother has her in her arms and allowed me to love her for 48 hours ... It did change a small piece of my heart ...
20 year REUNION "WE ARE FAMILY" ...

The following two pictures contain some women in my life, who have shared some amazing experiences w/ me from 1st love (I married him), to prom, homecoming, slumber parties, cruising around McDonald's, Mexico, senior trips, church camp, sports, horrible teachers, small town fun, all the way to my wedding day, and even to China ... These 6 women stood w/ me the day I married the love of my life and for that they will forever be special to me ... We don't often get to spend time together, but when we do it is amazing ... We have changed a lot over the years, but nothing has changed the way we feel about each other ... SO ANGELA, SARAH, TIFF, BETH, JEANNIE, AND KRISTIE "I will forever be your friend and even more than that I am your sister in Christ." ... I LOVE YOU !!!
I have known Jeannie and Kristie since I was a child ... They have seen me through it all ... They are priceless to me ... I will never forget our moments together and how God has made us all so different, yet so like sisters !!!! I love you both more than words can say !!!!

Go Cheer the BYNUM FAMILY on .... They got the call they have another precious child about to be born and they need $12,000 NOW for the adoption fees ... They have raised over $8,000 in 24 hours ... God is amazing ... This family is so precious and Alison takes the most beautiful pictures!

Stay Tuned ... Pictures from Emily Chapman's (Now Emily Richards) Wedding ... It was the most amazing wedding ... God was present in every aspect !!!! Emily looked like a princess w/ the most amazing light shining in her eyes !!!!

One of the lines of JC today is " Only in the spirit realm could Someone so infinitely great live within someone so very small. Be awed by the Power and Glory of My Spirit with you!"

Verse attached to the devo .. "John 14:16-17 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you will know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Now here is how I know God sent this to me today ... the very next verse in John 14:18 (We all know it) is "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

Thank you Father for the comfort of your words, the Truth we receive from your promises !!!! Prayers will continue for Gracie Lou, and her mommy !!!!

PRAYERS FOR TODAY .... Emily Chapman's wedding day, Bynum Family need to raise another $4,000 to bring home their baby due any day now, for the hearts of those sitting on the fence of adoption (I pray you fall hard and fast on the side of ADOPTING), and to all my special friends waiting for their children (please know I pray for you !!!!), and for Abigail / Joseph ...

Love you all and have a blessed weekend !!!!

It could be YES, NO, or WAIT ... I have been praying for about 48 hours now for Gracie Lou, her birth mother, and a possible adoptive family ... @ 4:52 today God answered the prayer and Gracie Lou left our home ... The Social Worker called at 2:00 today to say the birth mother had decided to parent this precious angel ... My heart leaped in my throat and right then I knew that I changed again forever in a real way ... I am in love w/ this precious girl that I only met 48 hours ago ... This is a precious gift from God that He gives mothers the amazing capacity to love in a way that can't be describe in words except for maybe instantaneously, to the depth of our soul, for all eternity ...

I will definitely count the 2 days spent w/ Gracie Lou in my top 25 days of my life ... She is a miracle from the Lord and I am thankful that I got to love on her and pray over her sweet body for those two days ... I spent the last 30 minutes holding her precious frame and just praying whatever my mouth and heart would say ... THANK YOU FOR PRAYING W/ ME FOR THIS ANGEL ...

I have a lot of reflecting to do on this experience ...

It is a day that holds other amazing blessings ... THE WHEELER FAMILY IS HOME (Hope to post pictures later from the airport) ... This family has been through so much to bring home their daughter !!! Lindsey has been living in Guatemala since July fostering their child till it was legal and they are finally home... Plus the Bynum family got a call today that they have a baby that will be born in a few days and this child will be a full sibling to their other precious adoptive daughter ... GOD YOU ARE EVERYWHERE ... I pray we feel you watching over all our children till they are home !!!!

Just Around the Corner sits a girl/woman who has made a sacrifice that is beyond what I can understand ... She is a hero to me ... I spent all of last night starring into the eyes of an angel ... I was overwhelmed w/ emotions that I can not explain for the birth mother of this amazing child (that we are affectionately calling GRACIE LOU) ... I would love for this girl/woman to know what an amazing blessing she is giving to some family ... I want her to know I will never be able to comprehend her pain, but I love her heart for giving her child a chance at life ... I kissed, prayed, cuddled, prayed, feed, prayed, swaddled her and prayed some more ... I am very drained today emotionally and so very full of joy to be the one holding this child and loving her for 17 days ... I promise to give her the best start in life as possible ... I promise to pray over her each day !!!

Down the street is a family waiting for the call ... I have been in their shoes WAITING, WAITING, WAITING, AND LONGING FOR YOUR CHILD MORE THAN YOUR NEXT BREATHE ... I am sure they are wondering if they will be chosen, what is their child like, where is she now, will she be cared for ... I hope to meet this family and assure them she has been cherished and adored ... She was loved in a real way by us, the family that had the privilege of standing in the GAP for these two families ...

I am not sure this is something I can ever do again, but I know God called me in a real way to be the one to journey w/ Gracie Lou these 17 days ... Thank you Lord for this blessing ... Thank you for the glimpse into this world of domestic adoption ... Thank you for opening my eyes to another window into your kingdom ...

Thank you to my sisters, who have checked on me all day because they know my heart and how hard this will be for me the day she goes to her amazing family !!!! I know God has chosen this family before time just like we were chosen to be Jeremiah, Elijah, Emily, Maggie, Abigail, and Jospeh's parents ... Gracie Lou has an amazing life ahead of her and I know God will be smiling down the day she meets her forever family ...

Side Note: obviously I can't post pictures .. I ASSURE YOU SHE IS BEAUTIFUL W/ THE MOST AMAZING LIPS YOU HAVE EVER SEEN !!!