Wow! Oh my goodness! God is good! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!.....

Wow!  Oh my goodness!  God is good!  Praise the Lord!  Hallelujah!.....this is just a tiny expression of our excitement right now!  I would like to use the words speechless, but we all know that is never the case with me!  ha!  Stunned is really all we can say about the Chili Lunch Fundraiser our friends and family threw for our adoption yesterday.  We are completely taken back by how many people truly care about this adoption and showed up to support us.  We had been praying for weeks that God would place His blessing on this fundraiser and boy did he ever bless it!!  What a grand day this Orphan Sunday was to our family!  We will never forget it! 

Words cannot even begin to describe how grateful we are for the many hours our friends and family spent of their precious time pulling this event together.  You truly are the people in our lives we always know we can count on no matter what.  When we started talking about adoption, we knew it would be possible with God and with the amazing support system he placed in our lives.  You all have been on this journey with us from the start and we are so excited you were willing to take the time and energy needed to help with our adoption funding.

To the communities of people we are supported by:
We have always been told it takes a village to raise a child and we now know the true meaning of that.  So many friends from all over gathered at this fundraiser to support us.  We were in AWE of the amount of people who came.  It really is amazing to us to see how caring people are towards our family.  What has been so neat about this entire process is the amount of people in our home community and in the surrounding communities God has placed in our lives.  One thing we have seen in our home town community is when there is a "cause", the town of Blanchard is quick to rally around it in support and excitement!  We were also shown so much love from our OKC Community Church family.  Wow!  You all are awesome and we are so, so thankful to be a part of such an amazing church we call family!


We expressed to God when we started this process we were willing to do whatever it took to bring his precious little child to our family but we were going to need Him to get to work.  We knew the expenses of adoption and were fully aware they were not sitting in our bank accounts and unfortunately we did not have a money tree growing in our backyard; but, we also knew that somehow, someway God would provide.  This journey has taught us that if you move forward and take the leap of faith on what God places on your heart, He WILL PROVIDE in miraculous ways that will leave your family speechless.  We have seen it time and time again throughout this process!  God is so good to his followers!  He has paved the entire way for this adoption and we are continually in awe of how big and mighty our Lord is and how much He loves us!.  Thank you for partnering with Him in making this adoption possible!  We love you and are forever grateful!

Orphan Sunday (November 3rd)

Hello friends and family! In honor of celebrating Orphan Sunday this week I would like to share a video with you that is dear to my heart.  Every time I watch this, it brings chills to my arms and tears to my eyes.  Please take a few minutes out of your day to view this wonderful video....I promise you will be touched by it!

http://youtu.be/UWHJ6-YhSYQ 

Dropping the F-bomb....OOPS!

Everybody is always telling me that I handle things so well and that I always seem so positive about the adoption.  People tell me they don't understand how we can do it and how easy we make the wait of adoption seem.  I love how people think that, but am always real with people that there are struggles in the adoption process.  Yes, we always hold onto the fact that God is good and in control and we know wholeheartedly He will bring Nathan home to us....but that doesn't mean it is always "peachy".  I want to share a funny story with you that happened last night.  It is comical today, but was not so comical at the time it took place.  This is probably TMI and could possibly make you think less of me, but in an effort to let people know that we encounter SO MANY blessings on the road to adoption, but we also have our moments where we want to pull our hair out, I will share! 

 

Last night I am laying in bed having just read a discouraging blog about yet another change/hiccup in our adoption process.  We have experienced many of these, but the one last night just really got to me.  I was so shaken up by this news.  Jeremy has no idea what is going on and be-bops into the bedroom with a bright smile and quickly realizes I am not happy.  He asks what is wrong and I tell him (like a 2 year old child :) that I don't even want to talk right now and for him to open his email and read what was just sent to us.  Of course, he immediately reads the email and in the meantime, I sit there and stew over it.  I cannot figure it out, but I am literally so mad that I am envisioning myself saying the F-word.  This is hilarious for me, because I do not say that word nor like to be around when it is said.  At this point, I just want to scream it from the rooftop because I think it will somehow make me feel better. 

 

Jeremy finishes the email and tries to gracefully lay down on the bed next to me to comfort me and BAM!....the bed completely breaks!  What do I do......scream the F-bomb because it just seems ok at the moment (Ok, those of you are judging me at this point...please keep reading!!).  Are you kidding me right now???  Completely irritated and trying to control myself internally and the bed randomly breaks in half (I happened to move the bed this weekend to clean blinds and curtains and apparently didn't realize I also moved the support beams.....OOPS!  Sorry Jeremy!)  Jeremy is extremely taken back by my action and honestly, I don't think he knows what to do but run to another room scared for his life.  ha!  Poor guy...he had no idea what he was in for!

 

I lay there trying to figure out why I am so upset and quickly realize that I am mad that my baby is not already home.  I knew he wasn't going to be home now, but every time we get another email adding possibly a few more months to our wait, I think I am going to explode.  I am a "mommy" on edge because I haven't received an update on my little boy in over 2 1/2 months now and no pictures.  I am upset at the whole entire process and want to travel to Korea today and bring Nathan home!  I am mad that I make it through most days with the grace to move on and smile yet tonight, I know that I completely failed.  I then lay there telling God that I am SO tired of living in this limbo stage of adoption and I just want things to be normal.  I selfishly want to be able to plan our next family vacation instead of trying to save every extra penny in case another adoption expense comes up.  I want to be able to know what it will be like to be a working mom of 2 and to know that I can do it.  I want to physically touch my baby and know that he is healthy instead of the discomfort of worrying about all the "what if's".  You know....the same feelings you get when you are on month 9 of being pregnant and are tired of thinking about it...you just want to get this show on the road.  In other words, I am tired of living in this slight position of discomfort.

 

After tossing, praying, turning, praying, tossing some more....it hits me.  God is doing a work in our family right now and we don't even see it.  He is trying to teach us not to live this life of complete comfort and to always be willing at any moment for change to live out His plan.  I selfishly want to live a life that I have planned out, but I think God is trying to teach our family to stop with our plans of comfort, and rely solely on His plan.  I pray that I can be a person who God could call on at any moment to fulfill His works and that my own desire for comfort would not be in the way.  God is answering this prayer!  Although last night was a ridiculous, hard night for me and I completely failed at many things, I am so excited to know that God is working in our family to stretch us out of this desire for our own comfort.  Thank you God for stretching me even if it hurts sometimes.  Please continue on as our family desires to live our entire lives devoted to doing things for your kingdom.  Oh yea...and please forgive me for dropping the F-bomb.  ;)

 

**BTW, I have to give kudos to my wonderful husband who puts up with my completely crazed "mommy" moments and who graciously forgives and forgets so willingly.  He is also gracious enough to let me share this story as it might be "airing our dirty laundry."  :)  

Dear Friends of Waiting Adoptive Moms: Some Things To Know...

I read this today and it literally brought me to tears because it is oh so true......  It also made me thankful for all of our close family and friends who are on this crazy, awesome journey with us.  :)  So grateful for each of you and couldn't have made it this far without your support. 

02FridayAug 2013
Posted by wymsel in adoption

1. Your friend is not crazy. (She is adopting.)

There is, I will admit, a fine line between those two but still it’s good to remember. The international adoption of a child requires enough paperwork to kill a small forest. And more governmental red tape than you can believe. Imagine your longest, most frustrating trip to the DMV. Now quadruple that, add in twelve more governmental agencies in two countries, and remember it’s not a driver’s license you’re waiting for but the final piece of paper that says this family you’re creating can finally, finally be together. Yeah. Not crazy. But close.

2. She loves a child she’s never met.

It’s possible. So possible. It’s irrational and crazy but it’s reality. Does she love them like she will once she gets to know them? No. But she loves them. She wakes up loving them and goes to sleep loving them. She drives to the grocery story and aches to have them safe and snug in the carseat waiting for them. She pushes her cart around the store and hears a child cry and her heart pounds wondering if her child is crying? Alone? Hungry? She might even have to leave an entire grocery cart full of food in the yogurt aisle to go home and cry because it just is too hard. Way too hard.

3. It’s difficult having your heart on the other side of the world.

To people on the outside they don’t look like our kids, on paper they might not be our kids yet. But in our hearts we love these children like they are and yet we’re not together. We’re moms without children. It’s an ache that doesn’t go away. It starts before we see their faces and only ends when they’re in our arms. So we walk about with half our heart missing. It’s hard to breathe, to think, to speak. Something always feels missing. Because they are.

4. She is addicted to her email.

It’s okay. This is a temporary condition and most make a full recovery. It can be diagnosed by refusal to allow separation from her smart phone, or glassy-eyed concentration as she clicks “refresh” over and over and over on her computer. Other signs may include: waking up in the middle of the night to check because it’s X time over there, and muttering aloud “must get home, must check for update, must get home” while out in public.

5. Her child has been through trauma.

If she’s like a lot of moms she won’t be advertising that fact everywhere because she respects her child’s privacy. But children don’t come to the place of needing a second family because they were placed in a cabbage patch by unicorns and leprechauns. Adoption comes from loss. Loss she will see in her child’s eyes and in their heart. Loss that as a mama can make your soul curl up in a ball for an ugly cry. So don’t tell her the kids are lucky. You wouldn’t tell a person who lost an arm that they’re lucky to have a prosthetic one would you? I mean yeah, they are lucky to have that replacement. But you know what would be luckier? Not losing that arm in the first place. So please be understanding. Also, maybe instead of asking for her child’s story outright ask “are you sharing about his history before you?” That gives her a chance to either answer you or bow out graciously.

6. Adoption isn’t pregnancy.

It just isn’t. Well, it is in that at the end of it the hope is to have a new son or daughter in your arms. But I’ve yet to meet a pregnant woman who wonders how old her child will be upon entry into the family. Adoption is different. There is no due date for us. Let that sink in. No due date. And even given preemies and late arrivals with the baby by stork method you have a narrow months-long window of time in which the baby will arrive. That brings us to point number seven.

7. She probably doesn’t know when the child is coming home.

And she has probably been asked this approximately twelve times that day. Because you, her awesome friends, care about her! (And also you secretly worry she’s going a little nuts, see point #1.) And I get it. It’s hard with adoption because you don’t know what to ask. I feel that way with pregnant ladies, like what am I supposed to say? “Your ankles really don’t look that bad do they?” Recently I learned the always safe phrase “you look great – how is baby doing?”, the adoption equivalent is “I know you must miss your kiddos, how is the adoption going?” Or, if you don’t have time to have her break down and cry all over you try the even safer “can I see your latest update pictures?” and then ooh and aww over their cute faces. Even if the pictures are horrible say something positive. I mean I don’t tell people that their sonogram pictures sometimes look like aliens made of bread dough. (Except yours Amy B. Yours is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.)

8. She isn’t sure they’re coming home.

This is the part of the adoption process that makes you want to crawl under your bed and not come out until it’s safe again. This is the part that tears you soul in two. This is the part that you wake up in the morning remembering and going to bed at night fearing. Because there are no guarantees. And that’s hard. No, not hard. It’s gut-wrenching. It’s not just the fear that your child might die before having a family, it’s that this child you love with every ounce of your being might grow up in an orphanage, on the streets, or worse.

9. Your friend is kind of stupid.

I know. That’s harsh. But it’s true. You try operating on a daily basis with only half your heart and half your brain, because that’s what it’s like. ‘Cause they other half of you is wrapped up in a tiny person who is half a world and what feels like a lifetime away. Also, because of the time zone difference it means that half of you is awake pretty much all the time.

10. She doesn’t need to hear your HAS (horrible adoption stories.)

Yes, I know, everyone knows of someone’s uncle’s neighbor who adopted a child and then the child burned down the school with the power of her mind after her classmates dumped a bucket of pigs blood on her. (Oh wait, that’s the storyline of “Carrie” isn’t it?) But sharing these stories are the equivalent of telling someone hopping in a plane for their first sky-diving session “I watched this video on youtube where a guy skydived. He died. And his body was all smashed and stuff.” Maybe it’s true but it’s also not overly helpful. Unless you’re the kind of person who also goes up to pregnant woman and says “I read a book about this lady who got pregnant one time, she gave birth to a kid who became a serial killer and sewed a suit of clothes out of his victims skin. (Shoot, that’s the storyline of “Hannibal” isn’t it? Well, I tried.)

Do “Adoptive Kids” sometimes grow up and do horrible thing? Yep. You know who else grows up and does horrible things? “Vaginal kids.” So really, the warning should be more along these lines: “You’re going to be a parent huh? Good luck with that.”

11. She has probably done her research

Don’t assume she’s going into this because of a driving urge to be mistaken for Angelina Jolie. Unless she is also demanding everyone call her husband “Brad” it probably comes from some deeper place. Or you know, her husband’s name really IS Brad. Chances are she’s read books on adoptive parenting, has agonized for hours over which adoption agency to choose from. Made a decision. Then agonized some more. She’s thought about the ethical questions. And if you don’t think she has then maybe ask. “How did you pick your agency?” “What led you to X country?”

12. She looks brave on the outside, she’s brave on the inside too. But she’s also a mess

Which, I think is what mothering and loving is all about. Being a mess. Throwing your love out there and not knowing if you’re ever going to get it back. It’s scary. It’s vulnerable. It feels like you can’t breathe and when you can it hurts to do it. And you don’t want to complain about that because you picked it. So you pick up the pieces of your heart and you keep going. You keep going because at the end of the day what you go through as an adoptive mother is nothing compared to what children go through when they live their life without family. And that’s what this journey is all about.

Nathan's 1st Birthday---Brown Spot

Last week was a tough week for our family.  I was caught off guard with how much Nathan's 1st Birthday would effect us.  I have said since day one that even though he wouldn't be home with us for his 1st Birthday, we would still have a party and celebrate his precious life.  This was exciting to me.  As we planned the details of the party, shopped for it, and ordered the cake, it was still exciting.  The week of the party however, was a different story.  We were both suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that he is 1 year old and we could still wait another entire year before getting to even lay our hands on him.  It overwhelmed me with thoughts of everything we have missed, are missing, and will continue to miss until he comes home with us.  Although we knew all of these things and considered them greatly when we decided to adopt, we didn't realize how emotional they can be.  

A few nights ago, we received a very vague email from our agency that had an attached note translated from Korean to English that said our foster mother had found a new "brown spot" on Nathan's upper right chest and that they would be sending pictures via mail for us to review.  The email then just said, please call me with any questions.  Any questions????  Of course I have questions.....tons of them.  The agency was closed so I couldn't call that night, but I laid awake all night with my mind wandering to things like, "I am sure it is no big deal Brandy", then I would think, "Well, if it wasn't a big deal, why are they sending us photos? Why did they notify us of it?  How big is it? What in the world is a "brown spot"?"  Then I realized again how completely helpless we are in situations like this and it is one thing if your child who lives with you has a "spot" and can take them to the Dr. the next day and get a diagnosis, but when your son lives on the other side of the world with somebody whom you do not know, it is a completely different story.

Of course the second the agency was open, I was on the phone with them.  Let me stop there by letting you know how awesome our agency (Dillon International) is.  They are GREAT!  I load our case worker up with about 55 questions and she gives me a huge apology for not going into greater detail in the email and said she was so sorry that I had been up all night with my mind wandering, but she thought she had already spoken to me about this so she didn't go into any explanation in the email.  She said the orphanage is required to notify them if there are any new skin marks and they in turn are required to notify us.  This is an extremely common thing, she had already received 4 others this week, and they are typically nothing to worry about one bit.  Whew!!!!  I was instantly relieved!

The next day we received the photo of the "brown spot" and literally both of us laughed out loud.  It was the size of a small freckle and that was it.  :)

This long story to say that something I worried was a bad thing, turned out to be a blessing from above.  This little "brown freckle" incident is one more touch from God that let's us know that He is taking such good care of Nathan, a tiny little freckle does not go unseen.  The foster mother He placed in our lives, loves him so much to take him to the Dr. over a freckle.  ha!  I absolutely love it and love that sometimes feeling helpless makes you realize how much God is in control and how good He is. 

**Also a side note that is going to make me completely weird but I am going to let you in on the things adoptive parents hold onto to get through the long wait....The photo only showed his bare chest with the spot (not his face or anything else), and I am literally overjoyed and keep staring at it because I have never been able to see my baby's chest before.  Little things matter.  :)

A little movement....BIG EXCITEMENT!

Wow!  Last week we received news that SeJoon/Nathan's legal paperwork had been received by the agency.  This is good news for us because this means that we can now file the I-600 form.  This is a petition form to make Jeremy and I both immediate relatives of Nathan until we bring him home and officially become his mommy and daddy (of course, we all know we already consider ourselves to be this:).  When I got online on the US Customs and Immigrations Departments website to look at what the form requires of us, I couldn't get past the first page that reads:

I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
Purpose of Form :

This form is used to classify an orphan, habitually resident in a non-Hague Convention country, who is or will be adopted by a U.S. citizen as an immediate relative of the U.S citizen to allow the child to enter the United States. The petition is filed by the U.S. citizen who is adopting the child.

The words in bold literally brought me tears of joy reading them.  The agency says that although this is not a travel call, this is definitely one step closer to getting that phone call.  This makes me feel extremely overjoyed!  The process seems to still be moving along at a snails pace, but we are so hopeful that it will speed up over the summer months to come. 

Also, we received new pictures this week.  What a wonderful week for the Romine family!


I think right here he was saying, "I want you Brandy Romine to be my mommy!"  ha!  Maybe just wishful thinking!

 

Embracing Change....

Wow! It has been a while since we last updated our blog.  A lot of changes have taken place during this interim.  There have been many new laws issued in South Korea regarding adoption that pose some changes to our adoption process and especially our trip to South Korea. We started hearing about these new changes back in February and over the past 4 months, new laws have been issued, unanimously overturned, and then re-issued.  This being said, I don't want to focus on the changes taking place and give specifics because honestly, we do not know specifics at this point.  I want to just ask for prayers that our adoption would continue to be in the palm of God's hand and that it would all be completed in His timing.  We can choose to  get frustrated/overwhelmed/exhausted and stay that way, or we can simply choose to trust in the Lord and believe wholeheartedly that He started this work and He will complete it.  Our family is choosing the second option and we hope that you will agree with us on that. 

 

Throughout the last month, we have been so abundantly blessed by friends and family.  We have some amazing friends who selflessly donated their family boat to us to sell and put all of the money towards bringing Nathan home.  Wow!  We listed the boat on craigslist one evening at 9 pm and sold the boat at 5 pm the next day.  God is so good to us!  We have also been blessed by some family members who recently just gave us some money they have been saving for Nathan.  Wow again! (if that makes sense :)  We have also recently been approached by many other family and friends who want to help and are excited to be traveling this journey with us.  What I am amazed at through all of this is that God is providing for this adoption for us and we haven't even had to ask people.  We started thinking of this adoption process about 4 years ago and were overwhelmed by the finances it takes to adopt.  It is amazing to me how God has proven to us time and time again through this adoption that He will provide.  If we just take a step of faith and trust in Him with what we feel He is asking us to do, He will provide!  It is easy to get overwhelmed by situations in front of us or by a choice that we are thinking of making, but one thing we are sure of now is that God will put the finances in our bank account to bring this sweet little boy home to our family! 

 

We pray for his sweet little heart to be attached to ours as ours is to his.  Healthy attachment is extremely important when you adopt, so we hope that you will join us this next week in this prayer for our family as well as a prayer for quick timing on bringing Nathan home to us.  We pray specifically that God will break these chains of injustice that are taking place in adoptions around the world and that we would be able to bring Nathan home this summer (I know, this is a BIG prayer, but please join us!). 

 

Suffering.....

 

This is a wonderful excerpt on adoption that I thought I would share.  People often wonder why others have to suffer and why life isn't always "peachy"....this is a perfect writing that explains why and encourages us to keep moving forward no matter what comes our way!

 

OKC Community Church

Below is a blog written by our Pastor Tim Mannin at OKC Community Church.  Many of you have asked me about our new Church and this blog seems to sum it up so perfectly so  I wanted to share. 

A Beginning

February 17, 2013

Here’s a little nugget from the message on Sunday. February 17, 2013 -- this day marked our first Sunday Morning Worship Service. We are currently meeting at the Civic Center Music Hall – our next Preview Service in March 10 – weekly services begin March 31.
There are times that something must be done.
Times where we can’t sit idly by and allow what’s happening to continue.
I imagine that is how Peter felt the night that Judas showed up in the olive grove with a detachment of armed soldiers. Earlier that night Judas had left dinner and went to the chief priests and Pharisees and handed Jesus over to them for thirty pieces of silver. Peter wasn’t going to let this betrayal take place under his watch. Peter was brash and bold, and these accusers had no truthful basis for their charge against Jesus.
Peter was carrying a sword just in case a moment like this ever happened. He drew his sword and acted before it was too late. He struck one of the high priest’s servants and cut off his ear. Can you imagine the scene? Jesus and his eleven disciples were not violent, but here they stood with one of Jesus’s closest disciples holding the assault weapon in his hand. Jesus immediately commanded, “Put your sword away!” I’m sure Peter was ready to keep going, but he submitted to Jesus and dropped the sword. Scriptures say that Jesus touched the man’s ear and it was restored. What? Jesus heals the man arresting him? Please tell me that man became one of his followers.
This was Peter’s immature moment of stating what ought to be different.
WHAT HE DID WASN’T RIGHT, BUT IT WAS HIS BREAKING POINT.
I often wonder if most of us will ever even have a breaking point moment where injustice, oppression, a need, or a cause will ever stir us so deeply that we are willing to stand up and say i can’t take it anymore.

 

Will we be STIRRED?
This church…isn’t starting so we can do it better than someone else. We aren’t starting because we like this area of town. We aren’t starting so we can have the church of our dreams.
We exist because God has called some – STIRRED MANY – to be about THIS.
So what is...THIS?
What should we be stirred about?
What are we doing here? Why do we need to be here? Why did some people move here for this?
Because…I believe you and I need this.
Because…we needed to be pulled out of our complacency.
We needed our faith to be become real. We needed our lives to no longer be normal.
I believe this church is going to be a church that awakens the stirring that lies within people get off their butts and do something for the kingdom. I believe this church is for the person who wants to not just receive, but chooses to give their life God’s purposes.
This city needs a group of people who CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE?
• Who can’t take our consumer minded church culture.
• Who can’t take the fact that the poor are so often overlooked.
• Who can’t take the fact that in America we’ve relegated our faith to being a private matter.
• Who can’t allow ourselves to continue to chase the wrong things in this life.
• Who can’t take the mediocre versions of faith that we’ve allowed one another to live.
And many of us know that we must do something with our life. JESUS HAS DONE TOO MUCH AND GOD LOVES US TOO MUCH – TO CONTINUE LIFE AS IS.
This church will be a church that awakens people to pursuing God in a way that takes faith out of the being in a seat, it takes faith out of staying confined to our quiet times, and instead it takes faith into a place beyond reason.• It will take our faith into places that God has to do miracles.
• It will take our faith to places where courage will replace fear.
• It will take our faith to places where people will drop everything to follow Him.
• It will take our faith to real action and work of the gospel.
You might think...'wow...you sound pretty sure of yourself.'
This is not about a n y o n e other than Jesus. He's already taught us many times who is in control of this thing.
SO WHAT IS…THIS?
It's a beginning.
THE BEGINNING OF DOING OUR BEST TO BE THE CHURCH THAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE.

http://okccommunitychurch.com

If you are stirred by this at all, please email me at brandylromine@yahoo.com to get more information.  Happy Friday! 

New Pictures!

We have had people ask us in the past, "Do you really, truly think you can love an adopted child as you would your own biological child?"  I can really and truly answer that question now.  I honestly did not know you could love a child so much based on a sheet of paper and 3 pictures.  I truly feel so attached and so much love for Nathan already.  I literally look at his picture and cry just wanting to hold him and hug him.  I have to constantly remind myself that "I am going to make it through this 16 month wait!"  When people have been asking what to pray for our family, I tell them to pray for Jeremy to make it through this 16 months with me because I can't quit crying (tears of joy).  ha!  Only partially kidding!  :)

We are so overjoyed at this point to be blessed with this sweet little guy!  Please pray for our family that we are able to bring him so much sooner than 16 months.  Below are some updated pics of Nathan we received this week:

     
 Isn't he just so precious?  I may be a little partial, but I think he is absolutely perfect!

The Power of Prayer

As we have went through our adoption process, we have prayed like we've never prayed before! We have prayed for our family, the adoption, and our child that God has blessed us with, just to name a few. After we received the referral of our son, we began to pray and thank God for all the blessings he has given us through this process. I began to think this....What if how I prayed through all this, I prayed that way every single day for other people?  What if I prayed with all my heart for my friends, my family, and for people in general?  I can say that I'm guilty of saying the whole, "God thanks for all our friends, our family, and god thanks for our blessings...AMEN!" A quick prayer that I've said in the past. If I took the time and energy that I've done through our adoption and spent time praying for people like I've never done before, what could happen? Could I see the lives of people changed, just like I've seen God change mine? Better yet what if we all would pray with every ounce of energy we have in our body, every single day for something., what could happen? I have seen the power of prayer through our adoption. I know that God can do anything (Eph 3:20). I just want to challenge myself as well as my friends and family that when we say our next prayer, whether it's for ourselves or for friends or family members that we PRAY BIG and with complete confidence that God can do ANYTHING!.....written by Jeremy Romine

A Part of The Process People Never Talk About....

About 1 week before Christmas, Jeremy and I received a phone call telling us that we had been matched with a sweet little boy. You would think that we both would have been ecstatic and excited, but that was not the case. Jeremy was completely at peace with this little boy being our son, but I was not. I did not have peace about the decision and did not feel like he was supposed to be our son or to be in our family.  We were on opposite pages at this point. Never in a million years did we think to pray for peace and harmony for when we received a referral. We had read all of these blogs about how people were so excited and overjoyed and honestly just assumed that is how it would be for us too. Jeremy kept telling me that it was a "family" decision and not just his decision and encouraged us to just take time and pray for peace. He was never pushy in trying to get me to think like him or make a decision, instead he was encouraging to me to just keep praying. We took a little over 2 weeks to pray, and let me tell you, we prayed more in that 2 weeks than we have prayed all together in our entire lives. I still did not have the peace we needed to move forward and to be honest, I was starting to get a little agitated with God because I was BEGGING for peace! I spent every morning on my hands and knees literally just begging "God, please give me the peace Jeremy has if this boy is meant to be our son! We will move forward if I can just have peace with the decision."

 

This honestly knocked us off our feet because all you ever hear in adoption are the happy stories of how people knew instantly that it was their child. I called our agency panicking because I didn't know for sure if he was ours and I was having to pray about it so hard. I felt like the most awful person ever and honestly, I questioned so many things about myself during those 2 weeks. The agency and our case worker re-assured me that this happens often in adoption, but nobody ever writes about it or talks about it because it can be shameful or embarrassing.

 

Needless to say, after 2 weeks of intense praying and never receiving the peace we needed to move forward, we let the agency know we were declining. Of course, I felt completely guilty and awful. I cried and cried because of the guilt.  We had dinner with some friends (and also a pastor) and shared what we were going through and they encouraged us to change our thinking from us declining the child to thinking that we were a step on this child's journey...that maybe, his forever family wasn't complete with their adoption paperwork and God used us as a stepping stone to get him to his forever family. They will probably never truly know how much they helped us that night. We started looking at it through that light and continued to pray for this sweet little boy.

 

The most amazing part of the story is that when our agency called us about Nathan (our son), they said, "we have to tell you what happened to the other little boy". Of course I was all ears listening and excited to hear what happened. We wondered about him daily and thought we would always question if we had made the right or wrong decision. She told me that 2 days after we declined, the agency became aware that he had a half brother living here and they were able to place him with his brother! They did not know this

It's A Boy!!

Yay! We are so excited to announce that we are now a family of 4! We have 2 sons! Earlier this week, I was literally in the middle of getting my hair colored when my phone rings and guess what??? It was our agency telling me that they had a child for us. I literally could not get my brain to work. Needless to say, I left in a hurry with my hair dripping wet to race home to open the email of our sweet little BOY. At this point, Carter still doesn't even know he is for sure getting a brother/sister. We put him in the bath and hurried to the computer. WOW! Tears of joy, excitement, and amazement of God streamed down both of our faces. We literally could not take our eyes off of this sweet, precious child of God!

 

Once we composed ourselves, we got Carter out of the bath and called him in the living room to tell him. Jeremy said, "Carter guess what? God gave you a brother tonight!" As you can imagine Carter was completely excited! This little boy has wanted a brother for so long now and his dream finally came true. Carter told Jeremy, "Dad, God knew what I wanted. He knew in my heart that I wanted a baby brother!" We could not get Carter to quit looking at his baby brother that night and it was the first thing he asked this morning. Believe it or not, he seems to get it that God is going to take care of his brother for a while until we are able to go get him. He told us that he wanted to just get in the car right now and drive to get him! :) He also told us that he wanted to get a picture to wear around his neck to show all of his friends at school who his baby brother was. So....of course I made a "homemade" necklace for him to wear to school Wednesday. 

 

We prayed for very specific things for this child and EVERY detail we prayed for is seen in our new little boy.  The funny part of the story is that I have been praying for God to give me a clear sign to know that when we received our referral, we would know instantly that he/she was our child.  I am not good at reading into things, so I need something crystal clear and I stressed that to God.  :)  Well, those of you who know me well enough know that I have an extremely weird phobia with mushrooms.  Not mushrooms that are on a plate, but the extremely creepy ones that grow in people's yards.  I hate them so much that the hair on my arms will literally stand up when I see them and I will panic.  Yes....it is weird.  When we