I finally (FINALLY) put up my photo wall and I love it! I have had the frames for over a year and the pictures printed for like two months. It really changes the look of the house and is the first thing you see when you walk in my front door. 

I feel like this completely shows my decorating style, which is pretty much being carried out through the whole house, except for Kris's office and our bedroom currently. Kris says I am nesting...haha! Pretty sure you have to actually have a baby on the way to be nesting which is not our current situation. However, I can't wait to add some baby photos to this wall!

Day 8 for #knittogetherbyadoption : Finding Strength. This right here. Jesus is where my strength comes from. Truly. I have full faith in His word and His promises. I know that I would not have the strongest pull for motherhood if that wasn't meant for my life. And I cling to the blessings I have already been given: a partner in the struggle, friends and family who are so supportive, and nieces and nephews and godchildren to love on.

Day 7: KINDNESS. I love this quote so much! I have experienced the sweet sweet kindness from my loved ones through this last 2 years (since we started looking into adoption seriously). We have received precious gifts from friends. I have felt the prayers from others in this adoption community. The kindness bestowed upon us is honestly overwhelming sometimes. It helps lighten the load. It draws my eyes upward instead of inward. Thank you all for the kindness expressed to us. I hope I can show just as much kindness to you.

Day 2: Why talk/share about adoption? I love that I can be a part of this adoption/foster community on social media. I love that I can learn from other's experiences and hopefully be able to inspire and assist others with our own journey. I fervently believe that it takes a village to thrive as parents and know I will need that village when we have our child(ren). These children need adoptive/foster parents who are knowledgeable about how to meet their needs. We are (will be) parenting children coming from trauma or brokenness or dealing with identity issues and a number of struggles. This beautiful gift is never without sacrifice or pain and brokenness. So please continue to share about your journeys, parents, the good and the bad, so we can love our babies better. 

Our social worker was here this morning for our home study update. We have been a waiting couple for exactly a year now. There are days where the wait has been so heavy and the longing for parenthood weighs in my heart and soul. There have been plenty of days with patient consciousness that God has got this in control and it will happen when it is supposed to. As we continue to wait, please pray with us to keep the positivity and steadfast faith in front of us and the doubts that creep in pushed behind us. If you know an expectant mother looking to make an adoption plan for their child, please don't hesitate to mention our names to them. The more people who know about our journey, the better. Many adoptions don't just occur through agencies but through mutual contacts. As always thanks for your prayers and support as we continue this journey.

We have been contacted about a potential adoption need. There is a lot more info we need but have been advised that this birth mother would like to see our profile. This is not from an agency connection but through mutual contacts. Asking for prayers of wisdom and guidance as we navigate these waters.

Edit: The possible adoption opportunity fell through. Birth parents decided they did not want to adopt out their child. We didn't get very far and had very little info on this so we didn't have a chance to invest into the situation emotionally at all. This obviously was not meant to be our child. Please pray for these soon to be parents.