In the Midst of Quietness

No news on the adoption front lately. We don't really hear anything. Too quiet. I wish I could say things were speeding along, but we're just kind of hanging out here.

That is the way it goes, they say.

We started the official process to become A's family almost 10 months ago exactly. We found out about her over a year ago. The time has f-l-o-w-n in some ways, and in other ways, it seems like a really long time.

We have been waiting on a big approval from I*d*a for over two months now. This is pretty normal, well, really normal, but we would prefer to not be normal. We had a friend and another family that had their approvals processed super quick, so we got our hopes up, and probably shouldn't have done that to ourselves. We're praying that things happen sooner than later because we know time with her is so,so precious and necessary right now. Crucial, really.

While we wait, we do what all normal people do... things like---have consecutive fundraising garage sales.

We finished up the final adoption fundraiser garage sale of the year this past weekend at our house. It was a pretty good sized sale, and was mostly leftovers from our previous sale, with a few new goodies mixed in here and there. The sale went well! We are glad we decided to do it again.

I had planned to make and sell baked goods, and serve hot drinks as I sat idly by the sale table in my nicely pressed linen skirt, and tamed hair, and of course, if you know me, you know that didn't happen. The hair was a flyin, people! I was laying on the bed the night before the sale at some odd hour after organizing the sale, and I told Mr. Fly that I was about to go to Kroger's to buy ingredients to make scotcheroos. Mr. Fly, in all of his good reasoning, notified me that I was not going to Kroger's, and that my sound mind was worth more than the delicious goods I was about to make.

Can you see who is the rational one in our house?

Okay, so maybe I was relieved that Mr. Fly foiled my plans, but I did get pained during the sale when I saw the little old men that would be so happy to buy a nice gooey scotcheroo, and cup of coffee while their wife scoured the reject Santa Clause collection table.

edit: My dear hospitable mother did bring coffee the first morning of the garage sale, but after that, I faltered on the coffee as well.

Am I still talking about food?

Anyway, it was great fun to catch up with some neighbors throughout the garage sale. The neighbor boys would come every night right before we closed with pockets full of loose change to see what they could barter with me on, or better yet, what they could get for free. It was pretty stinkin' cute, and was a win-win for all of us. It was so fun to see them with all their loot, and I am just about positive that their mothers welcomed them and all of their treasures home with open arms...? I didn't ask.

It was a good chance for me to tell the neighbor kids about A, and to fill them in on her story. The boys told me they would be nice to her, and some of the neighbor girls are ecstatic about the possibility of getting to help out with her...be still my heart.

I had a restless dream last night that we had another garage sale that started this morning, and we were starting to get some "stink eyes" from the neighbors. Note taken.

I went to an Empowered to Connect parenting conference 2 weeks ago in Nashville. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Mr. Fly was unable to get off work, but I was so glad I decided to go. More on the conference later.

Also, we took our first sign language lesson today...oooo boy. 

Standing in Puddles of Joy ::because our cups have overflowed::

I have attempted to write this post on several different days over the last couple of weeks... I could never finish the post because I don't know how to fully express our gratefulness after the cook-out/adoption benefit celebration that was held for sweet A.









































Joy. Blessed. Thankful. Faithfulness of God. 

Those are just a few words that try to describe our hearts.

Some of our dear friends and family organized an evening in honor of A...to celebrate her life, and a cook-out to raise funds to bring her home.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped make the night what it was...all of you. I can't hardly even name everyone who put time and effort into pulling the evening off.

Thank you so much to all of you who came and to everyone who prayed for the evening.

The party was decorated so cute! Lots of fun details everywhere. I didn't get a chance to take very many pictures myself, and capture all the fun "pin-worthy" details, but do have a few more pictures that a friend took on my camera, and some my mom took. If anyone has any pictures they took, send them my way please!

Thanks so much for everything, Laura and Lindsey! You guys are awesome...

It was a blur of an evening, but so very fun! We are sad the guest of honor could not be there to celebrate with us, and can't wait to tell her stories of her "village" that loved her.

We were blessed so much by the amazing God-sized emotional and financial support given so freely for our family. We are so, so thankful us to have a wonderful family of prayer warriors and encouragers.  Thank you over and over for all of your continued prayers and your very generous financial support of bring A home. Thank you for taking the time out of your hectic schedules to be there. It.means.so.much.

We love you all! We think A will love you too.

----If anyone at the benefit saw the "guest list" that everyone signed floating around (just white sheets of paper), and know where it ended up, please let me know! We would love to have everyone's signatures as a keepsake for A. Kind of {really} sad we can't find it.