Movin' On Up!

We received word via our yahoo group that the flood of referrals that we've been expecting has begun!!  There were four referrals today, so that makes us number

This is a great thing!  So, to celebrate, I made these TOO DELICIOUS chocolate chip banana muffins and thought I'd share the recipe with you. :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 large eggs

3 medium bananas, mashed

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 cups all-purpose flower

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 package {12 oz} semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line and spray approximately 30 muffin cups.  Beat sugar and butter in a  large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add bananas and buttermilk; beat on low speed until blended, about 1 minute.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; mix well.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture; mix on low speed until just blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Use ice cream scoop to spoon into muffin cups.

3. Bake muffins until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. 

4. Cool and devour {with a tall glass of milk}.

The Meal Tip to End All Meal Tips!

It is NO secret that I am not a chef.  I do enjoy the occasional cookie-baking session in the kitchen with my kiddos, but that's about it.

I really do not like being in charge of dinner.  I don't like planning it, I don't like shopping for it, and I don't like spending an hour or so after an exhausting day at work making it.  To be honest, I would be happy just snacking all night (but that's not exactly healthy!).

Introducing

{Insert my life-changing discovery here}

I found this meal plan blog on another blog that I follow here.  I have to admit, I was a sceptic.  BUT, I checked it out and found that I could try it for *FREE* for one week.  So, I signed up and got my first meal plan in my E-mail inbox later that day.  Then, she E-mailed me a second.  For free!!  Seriously!

Here's how it works.  You sign up and pay $15 for 3 months worth of meals {yep, $1.25 a week}.  Then, Michelle sends you your meal plans for one month at a time, which come separated by week.  Each week has a "what to do" page and a "grocery shopping" page.  You go get all your groceries (by the way, every ingredient is super easy to find and you can get them all at any grocery store), then come home, set everything out (all groceries and utensils needed are listed), take one hour to put it all together, clean up, and enjoy delicious *DELICIOUS* healthy, no-hassle meals every night of the week!!

This is what it looks like in our house:

Before

I started the timer at this point to see if it would really take us one hour...

During

Melia and Camden both got into the food prep hour this week...she held the baggies, wrapped potatoes, stirred, etc. and he put the stuff away as we finished using it.  We make a great "team"!

After

Food labeled and ready for the fridge

Food in the fridge, ready for the week

All the utensils we used for the week, washed as a final step

The sou chefs praying over their snacks...a reward for their hard work

This was our third round of meals, so we're getting a pretty good little system down!  It took us 50 minutes and 42 seconds from the time we started to the last picture with all the dishes!!  Less than an hour to prepare 5 meals and clean up!  With a 3 1/2 year old and a 6 year old!  Awesome!!

So, here is what I love about 5 Dinners:

1. It takes the "guess work" out of dinner.
2. It saves me MAJOR time (planning, preparing, listing, shopping, etc.)
3. It helps us stay within our grocery budget because we only buy the stuff we need.
4. We get to try tons of new, normal foods...we are picky, so if it was too weird, we wouldn't eat it!
5. I'm not rushed, so I can let my kids help without feeling like they are in the way.
6. My kids love the meals...again, this is a miracle...they are PICKY eaters!!
7. It is healthy; every meal has veggies and is well balanced.
8. I feel like a gourmet chef...the dishes are easy, but feel "fancy".
9. MY HUSBAND LOVES IT!!

Let me comment further on this last one.  My hubby loves to eat.  This is a little point of contension in our marriage because I do not like to cook.  However, I did not realize just how much mealtime effects him.  He has gone on and on {and on and on} about how awesome this meal plan is.  He loves the food, he loves that it helps us stay within budget, and he loves that it has taken my evening dinner stress away (that one is sort-of sweet and sappy, but, hey, he said it)!

Also, please allow me to say that I am not getting anything for this endorsement.  I just think it would be ridiculous to keep this amazing meal plan a secret {maybe even a sin!;)}.

So, what are you waiting for?!  Head on over and get signed up for your life-changing meal plan RIGHT NOW!! :)

May I Direct Your Attention Please...

to my friend, Emily Hapner's Adoption Auction...

The Hapners are on the waiting list right below us and we have become very good friends, even though we are half a country away from each other.

She has some super amazing stuff on her auction, including several things from yours truly {I was thrilled to be able to pay it forward by donating to her auction!}, so head over and check it out!! :)  Because, seriously, how great is it to get to advance the kingdom AND get something great all at the same time?!

11 Short Years Ago

"I need your IDs and boarding pass, please," the gentleman at the ticket counter proclaimed.  As we held out the requested documents, my hands were shaky.  "Here's our marriage license, too," I replied.  I just knew he was going to reject us, tell us we had to hop back on a plane and head back home.

The fact is, we were too young to go on a cruise with out adult supervision, but we'd gotten a great deal on it and our travel agent (my sister-in-law of two whole days) explained that although we weren't yet 21, we could still cruise for our honeymoon if we had proof of our marriage.  And, she was right...he smiled at us, congratulated us, stamped our boarding pass and pointed us in the direction of our cruise ship, the Carnival Ecstasy.

And, that's when it hit me...we were really married!  We were embarking on a new adventure, our first adventure, as husband and wife.

That was 11 years ago {March 11, 2000} and little did we know that the adventure we began on that amazing day would pale in comparison to the life adventures we would embrace in the coming years.

Together in 11 short years, we have:

1. Graduated 5 times
2. Built 2 homes
3. Experienced the birth of 2 children
4. Experienced the death of 4 grandparents
5. Gained 7 semi-immediate family members {2 brother-in-laws, 1 sister-in-law, 3 nephews, 1 niece}
6. Gained many amazing friends
7. Changed jobs 11 times
8. Traveled out of the country one time
9. Vacationed at three different beaches
10. Had 8 different vehicles {the last 4 of which we have owned free and clear, thank you very much!;)}
11. And began one amazing journey towards our next two children through adoption

What an amazing and wonderful whirlwind the last 11 years have been!  We are so blessed and I look forward to what the next 11 will bring!

P.S. I even got flowers delivered to work for this anniversary!  Aren't they beautiful?!

The Situation in Ethiopia

Hey, friends! So sorry I'm just now posting a follow up on what is currently going on with Ethiopian adoptions. However...

On Thursday, I spoke to our adoption consultant, Ashley.  I found out a couple of things.  First of all, we are currently {officially} sitting on our waiting list at number

So, while we haven't moved up much in the almost three months that we have been on the list, we have moved up a little, so that's good.

Here is what I learned about the "situation" in Ethiopia:

Short version:  It's not as bad as we thought.

Long version:

There are two separate things that have been going on there that have affected us.  First, there has been a lack of referrals and second, the MOWA is making some changes to slow down their portion of the adoption process.

To address the lack of referrals, Ashley informed us that the transition house (babies waiting to be matched with a family) is full right now, but they have not been able to offer referrals on them.  The reason has to do with a lack of HIV tests.  The HIV test that they do on older children has been available, but the test for babies has been out since January...basically, we got on the list and they ran out of tests right around the same time.  So, while we were on the phone, she was telling me what they thought they might do as an alternative and then she said "Wait...just a minute...I JUST got an E-mail...THE HIV TESTS ARE IN!  Next week is going to be a great week!!"  Basically, they have run the tests, are waiting for the results, and will be offering a bunch of referrals next week.  Praise Jesus!!

Now, let me clarify...we do not expect to get a referral next week.  Since we are requesting siblings, we have to wait until we are at the top of the sibling list.  So, unless there are about 10 sets of siblings, we won't get a referral next week {praying for lots of twins waiting!;)}.  However, we expect to see a big jump in our number on the list next week.  This is a good thing...a God thing...and quite a relief!

Secondly, the Ministry of Women's Affairs deal.  Ashley first explained what this means.  When we go to our court date (our first trip to ET), three things have to be present: 1) Us, 2) the birthparent if he/she is living, otherwise the orphanage representative, 3) the letter from MOWA stating that they have reviewed our dossier and approve us to adopt our children.  Currently, MOWA does this the day before court and generally does up to 40 (contrary to what the initial article said).  They are planning to decrease that to 5 per day which truly would drastically reduce the number of court cases that would be able to be complete. 

HOWEVER, the MOWA is having major conversations with child advocacy groups and adoption agencies to try to increase that number.  Ashley told us that they are hoping to be able to help the MOWA facilitate the dossier review and ease the load.  There is a lot of speculation about why the MOWA chose to drastically decrease their dossier review including some corruption in the process {we believe our agency is not at all a part of this} and the fact that the MOWA is overworked and understaffed. 

Ashley stated that they feel good about the conversations they are having, but no one really knows exactly how the change will pan out and manifest itself.  Only time will tell. 

Please pray tomorrow (Monday) as the talks/negotiations/etc. will continue.

I'm sure I didn't answer all the questions, but hopefully this helps to clarify some of what is going on.

I honestly did not realize how much the bad news was affecting me.  To say I was in a funk last week is probably a pretty big understatement.  I needed some good news and God provided it just at the right time.  It was like a dark cloud lifted off my head.  So much is still uncertain, but I feel so much better about it now than I did before.  Thank all of you who are praying for us and who intensified your prayers in the last week...they were felt and appreciated.  Also, thank you everyone who offered a word of encouragement and concern.  I can't acurately express how much each word means to us!

Let's pray for more good news this week!  I can't wait to post our new waiting list number at the end of the week!!

A Word

Just wanted to say thank you for your prayers.  The last several days have been a rollercoaster of emotions. 

Tomorrow we have a phone meeting with our adoption consultant.  Hopefully we will get some answers.

In the meantime, please consider signing this petition asking the Ethiopian government to reconsider their action that is supposed to take place tomorrow (the action that I discussed here). 

What now...?

I'm not even sure how to begin this post.  I keep putting it off, but I think my friends and family (and those of you we've never met but that care about us anyway) deserve to know that's going on.  Plus, we could really, REALLY use your prayers right now.

My mind and heart are all over the place and have been for the last several days.  It started with the Friday update that our agency sends out each week.  Last Friday, the update started with no referrals (which is beginning to be the norm, unfortunately) and then said that the social agency in charge of adoptions in Ethiopia, the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) just passed a cap of sorts in which they will only process 5 adoptions a day.  We didn't really know what this meant, but could tell it was not good for our adoption.

So, we got on our agency's yahoo group and saw the following link to an article regarding the change which, according to the article, could cut down on 90% of Ethiopian adoptions.  http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/-Ethiopia-to-Cut-Foreign-Adoptions-by-Up-to-90-Percent-117411843.html

So, what does this mean for us?!  We have no idea.  We are, of course, thrilled that steps are being taken to ensure ethical adoptions are taking place in Ethiopia.  But, beyond that, I don't know how to feel or even what to do with these feelings.  I've never felt the emotions I am feeling right now.

What we know in regards to our adoption is basically nothing.  We know God has called us to adopt.  We believe that our family is incomplete and will be until our other two children are home.  At this point we have no idea when or how that will happen. 

We need direction and guidance from the only One who knows our future and who is mighty to save, the Author of our lives.  So, we are on our knees asking for guidance, strength, stability, hope.

Please join us.