Timmermans family

Trip to Washigton-June 2010

2010-08-02T07:10:00.004-06:00

Daniel and Benjamin sitting by Uncle Jess
Pake and Beppe with all their grandsons

Daniel and Breya playing on Pake and Beppe's deck

Benjamin giving Pake a kiss Daddy and his boys :)

Was this Pake's idea or Ross's???

Daniel having fun with Pake

Daniel sitting by Ross sitting by Pake

Aunt Carla and Daniel

Pake and Beppe and the boys

Mommy and Daddy and the boys

Breya and Benjamin

Daniel "admiring" his baby brother

Summer 2010

2010-08-01T13:49:00.018-06:00

Spending some quality time as a family at the Great Plains Zoo

Daniel preparing to drive off and explore the Jungle.

Those are giraffes. Can you say "giraffe?"
I will have to get back to you about what I see after completing my time in Dental school.
I'm all about blowing kisses. MWAHHHHHHHHHHH

Mommy and Benjamin having a rest break.

Am I watching you or are you watching me?

Mommy and Daniel riding the carousel

"Hey you on the outside of this cage!!! Are we related?"

Can you spot something "hidden" in this picture?

Check out the long tail. The tip was cut off by the camera.

What a life, the aligators didn't move the whole time we were watching.

the ducks

Daniel watching the bears.

A closer view of the bears

Introducing Benjamin John

2010-05-17T08:16:00.018-06:00

Big smile!!

Benjamin's baptism day- One big happy family!

MMM...cakes

This is the saying we found and had put on the cakes.

Brotherly love :)

Benjamin on the blanket Beppe made for him. Thank you Beppe!! We can't wait to see you!!!

My sweet, sweet boys. This was taken on the morning of 2/19. We were in Chesterfield Missouri (I think). It was about 6am and Jim and I were getting stuff ready to go in the van. I had fed Benjamin around 5am and laid him next to Daniel.

We came back to our hotel one night and saw this out our window. It was a promo car and the driver (Kurt Busch) wasn't with the truck and trailer. Just thought it was really neat since we are NASCAR fans!!

From our hotel window, too bad it was too late to take the boys down and take a picture of them with this.

Our awesome social worker in MS, we love you Renae!!

A picture of our lawyer and the judge (holding Benjamin) who signed over temporary custody. She eventually signed the final adoption decree on March 30, 2010.

Hanging out in the hotel room. Waiting for permission to go home.

The boys! :) This was taken at the foster parents home, when we first met Benjamin. We are so thankful for the wonderful care he received from them!!

Meeting Benjamin for the first time! What a moment!

After his first bath at the foster parents house. The pacifier looks so huge in his little mouth.

Wow, where does the time go? I apologize for not updating sooner, but adjusting to life with 2 babies has been a bit tricky. Its almost like having twins- kudos to all of you who are organized enough to do that. I wish I had your skills. Most days are filled with feeding, changing and trying to keep up with the laundry. I'm not complaining, not by any means, but there's not much time for anything else. Once they are a bit older I know the pace will change and I can get back to a routine and get my house the way I want it and maybe even do some things I'm not able to do now.

Benjamin is doing very well. At his 4 month check up recently he was 14 lbs and 23 inches long. He is quite the chubber, lol. His birth weight was 3lbs 13 oz and 17 1/2 inches long, so he has done very well. We will be changing his formula in the very near future. He has been on a special preemie formula, but the way he is gaining weight, he doesn't need it anymore. Which is just as well- he is a huge spitter and somewhat fussy so we are hoping that changing the formula will help that.

I know this is a short post, just wanted to get some pictures up. I've got so much more I want to write, but for now I'll leave you with the lyrics to a song that has meant so much to me. It really tells the story of our journey to have a family, we fall and we ache and we give up, but we've seen miracles just happen - silent prayers get answered~~ that's what faith can do! Put your trust in God!!

If you would like to hear the song, you can go to YouTube and type in the song title and listen to it as well.

What Faith Can Do

Everybody falls sometimes

You gotta find the strength to rise

from the ashes and make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache

you think its more than you can take

but you're stronger, stronger than you know

And don't you give up now

the sun will soon be shining

you gotta face the clouds

to find the silver lining

(Chorus)

I've seen dreams that move the mountains

hope that doesn't ever end

even when the sky is falling

I've seen miracles just happen

silent prayers get answered

broken hearts become brand new

That's what faith can do

It doesn't matter what you've heard

impossible is not a word

it's just a reason for someone not to try

everybody's scared to death

you may decide to take that step

out of the water

but it'll be all right

Life is so much more

than what your eyes are seeing

you will find your way

if you keep believing

(Chorus)

I've seen dreams that move the mountains

hope that doesn't ever end

even when the sky is falling

I've seen miracles just happen

silent prayers get answered

broken hearts become brand new

That's what faith can do

Overcome the odds

when you don't have a chance

(that's what faith can do)

when the world says you can't

it will tell you that you can

New Year- New Beginnings-New Sibling :)

2010-01-21T10:55:00.010-06:00

My new church outfit.

I love playing the piano!!

I love Elmo!!!

Time for a nap.

I think this says it all :)

So Big!!

Wow, its been a long time since I updated the blog. Life seems to move so fast, you blink and a year has gone by. Daniel is doing very well, he is 18lbs 10 oz and 28 inches long. He's come a long way since that little guy of 3lbs 6oz and 16 inches long. He is starting table foods and real milk- that is going ok- a little more spiting up than I care for though. So I backed off the milk a little bit, he still gets it mixed with the bottle, but no as much. He is crawling all over, walking around things and has started to let go of things when he is standing up. He is a very independent little bugger, lol, he knows what he wants and goes after it. He is just a lovable little boy who loves to give mommy and daddy kisses and hugs. He is starting to say a few words- the normal things- mama, dada, he waves bye bye, and puts his pointer finger up and says he's "1". He loves just playing on the floor, making a mess of all the toys, lol. But I think the biggest thing for him this year is that he is now a big brother!!

On Dec.31,2009 we got a phone call from the adoption agency in Mississippi and they informed us that Daniel's birth mother had another baby boy ands wondered if we were interested in having a brother for Daniel. Of course we had planned to do another adoption in the next year or so, but the fact that this little boy is a sibling- well we couldn't say no. We have named him Benjamin John. He was born on Dec. 29 at 32 weeks. He weighed 3lbs 13oz and was 17 1/2 inches long. Being 2 months early he had a stay in the NICU. But as of last Friday he is now out of the hospital and staying with a wonderful foster family. He is eating well, sleeping good (YIPPEE!!!) and sounds to be a very happy baby. We call or e-mail the foster family everyday and they are very good at keeping us informed of all the different things going on. Needless to say this has been a whirlwind of things to do. We had to get our home study updated and do new background checks and of course more paperwork. Now we just wait for the agency to call us and let us know that we can go get our little boy.

I just sit and marvel sometimes at how God works. This truly shows who is in charge of our lives. we ask you at this time to lift us up ion prayer again! Please pray first and foremost for Daniel and Benjamin's birth mother. Her life is in chaos right now and I don't think any of us can truly understand what she is going through, or the sadness she must be feeling. Pray for the family that is taking care of Benjamin, we are so thankful there are such selfless people out there who do this for total strangers. I hope and pray that we can become friends over time and keep them up to date with Benjamin. Pray for safe travels for us. Last year wasn't so nice when we went to get Daniel- we got through it, but it was very scary at times. Pray for Daniel- he is so used to having my undivided attention and now there will be someone who will take that time away from him for a while. Pray for Benjamin- that he continue to improve on his eating and sleeping and that he will attach to us in a timely manner. Lastly, Please pray that all the financial pieces fall together. I really don't like to talk about the money issues, but it is a factor in all of this. We do have some friends who are setting up a basketball tournament fundraiser for us that will take place ion Feb. As soon as I get more info I will post it on here and on my Facebook page.

Here are some pictures of Daniel. As soon as I get permission to post some of Benjamin I will get those on ASAP. Thank you all so much!!

9 months old~where has the time gone?

2009-10-19T13:01:00.013-06:00

I am so big!! I can stand up all by myself!!

Mommy was trying to get a picture of the tooth that is almost through, but I had other plans. ;)

Mommy and Daddy got me this cool outfit. The lettermans jacket is perfect for the cool fall days we have had.

9 months old today! I'm telling Mommy something here.

If I want something, I go get it. Mommy says I'm "determined"

Cool hat, huh?

I am starting to walk around things, and I'm only 9 months old!!! :)

It looks like I am mad in this picture, but I am just happy and excited to see Mommy.

I crawled into the basket of books and was trying to get out, Daddy had to save me.

I love to play and explore!!

Peek~a~boo. I see you!

This was the day after Mommy first caught me standing up in my crib. I'm so strong!!

I love playing in the exersaucer, as well as under it. Its so much fun to crawl under it!!!

Wow, where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday we were on the road to Mississippi to bring Daniel home. Life sure changes, but it is so worth it. I don't always have the cleanest house, but our son knows how much he is loved and wanted, and time with him is the most important thing. So many things go through my mind about these last 9 months, some good some bad. I'm not going to dwell on the bad, but I will share the good.

Last week at Daniel's 9 month check up he weighed in at 15lbs 12oz and was 26 3/4 inches long. That's a long way from the tiny 3lb 6oz, 16 in baby we loved at first sight. He is actually on the charts for his height- barely- but he's on it, lol. He is pulling himself up and starting to maneuver around things, he is so fearless, it scares me so much sometimes. It seems like almost weekly I am going through his clothes and putting away what doesn't fit anymore- which is a good thing, lol. But I see all these cute little outfits that he only wore once or twice and feel bad. But, I just wash them up and put them away for next time. And if we don't need them with this next one, I'll pass them on.

We have started giving him more food, less dependant on formula. We have even tried some table food- potatoes, jello, little bits of bread etc. Its still kind of tricky since he doesn't have any teeth, lol. They're coming, they're just taking their sweet old time, lol. Its fun to watch his facial expressions when trying these new things.

We have decided that we are going to try and bring home a brother or sister for Daniel. We can get the paperwork filled out and done, but the agency won't show our profile books until Daniel is a year old. We don't know where the money will come from, but we have faith that if this is God's plan, He will provide. But its still kind of scary. I do not look forward to doing all the paperwork again, especially with a very busy little boy around. Its a little overwhelming thinking about it all again. But, it is so worth it!! We won't be specifying gender, we will leave that up to God, its His plan :) I do feel led to go the Mississippi agency again, but I don't know if that's my own need, or God leading me that way- I just think its important for Daniel to have some commonalities with his sibling. It was just such a wonderful experience for us that its easy to want to go that route again. How can I be sure its God led, and not my own wants and needs? Somethings are just so obvious, and other things aren't. A lot of praying going on right now!!

Jim and I are excited about attending the Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference the first weekend in Nov. We have been working with Family Life for almost a year. This will be the first time we will be away from Daniel. I am not looking forward to that at all. I know he will be well taken care of, I have no doubt about that, but its just an anxiety being away from him. I think deep down, I am afraid he will forget me. I know psychologically that this won't happen, but the insecure person in me can't help but think the worst sometimes. Bad habit, putting myself down. Any ideas on how I can go through the conference and not want to call every hour and see how he is doing? I had the same problem recently with putting him in the nursery at Coffee Break. I have to admit, the first week or two I thought more about how he was doing that the topic we are studying. Is this normal? Do all parents feel this way when leaving their children for a short amount of time? Share your thoughts with me please!! Even knowing that there are others out there who have felt the same way would help me.

Prayer requests:

1. Please pray for good health for us, (for everyone really) we all had flu shots and I tend to be over protective, but you just don't know what could happen.

2. Please pray for a young family in Sioux Falls whose husband/ father has been diagnosed with leukemia. We don't know them personally but know some of their family. I can't imagine having to tell my children that daddy is sick and might not get better. Pray for a miracle for them, and give your kids an extra hug and kiss and thank God for all that you have in your life.

3. Please pray for better weather so the farmers can get their crops out.

4. Please pray for us as we again start this journey of adoption.

5. Please pray for all the couples who will be attending the Weekend to Remember conference and for those who will be speaking. May the Spirit dwell deep within us all.

Recent Pics and a Visit from Uncle Burt & Aunt Carla

2009-09-27T20:02:00.017-06:00

A corner of my John Deere bedroom. Daddy
still needs to paint it. But, it's a work in progress.
Eventually there will be chair rail all the way around
the room about three feet from the floor. Below the
chair rail will be painted John Deere green. We aren't
sure yet what color we are going to paint the top part
of the walls. It will be some shade of beige/off-white.

This is a tile/plaque from Aunt Sonya, Uncle Rob, and the kids for my John Deere room. Thank you Uncle Rob, Aunt Sonya, Justin, Ross, and Breya. It looks good on my dresser.

This is a runner that Beppe made for me from some John Deere material. Thank you Beppe for
all the hard work that you put into sewing me some John Deere things. The teddy bear in the back right corner of my dresser is from Holland. It comes from some of Pake's relatives there. Beppe sewed it together and made the outfit for it. We have to take some pictures yet of a pillow that Beppe made for me. Thank you Pake and Beppe.
This is a valance that Beppe made for my bedroom window.

FINALLY some pictures of me with mommy.
We don't do this often enough. It's usually
mommy who is the one taking the pictures.

Mommy and Daddy enjoy kissing me. I like to

kiss them too, have to work on not being so sloppy
about it though ;)

Looks like uncle Burt is telling me something

very important. I am looking pretty intently
at him.

Uncle Burt and Aunt Carla came to visit us

last weekend. They are from Edmonton, Alberta.
They are daddy's great aunt and uncle. They
were visting aunt Carla's sisters in Ontario and
wondered if they could stop by and visit us on
their way home. We are glad it worked for them
to come and visit. We went out for supper on
Saturday with Uncle Ken and Aunt Patty and the
girls. They left for home on Monday morning.

More pictures!

2009-08-21T14:06:00.019-06:00

My church outfit. Mommy and Daddy think I look like a golfer :) Too bad it doesn't fit anymore.
Playing on the floor with Daddy.

My first haircut. Daddy took his trimmer and trimmed the fuzzy hair off. I've since had several haircuts, including the salon where Mommy gets her haircut.

I've heard so many times that I am "too pretty to be a boy" This was my look before the haircut, lol. Daddy got this wig for his birthday last year from Aunt Sonya.

Mommy and me at my first Canaries game. We took Daddy to a game for Father's Day.

It was a long day, and the game took a long time. I needed a nap.

Am I cool or what?

I am finally big enough to fit in the exersaucer. Yay!!

OK, I am on my hands and knees, now what?

Mommy and Daddy love this picture of me! :)

Place your bets, lol. Daddy said I look like a bookie in this visor.

OK, I am ready to go swimming!

I am a good swimmer. I love the water!

See -I can swim all by myself.

Daddy took my life jacket off and let me go back into the water. Woo Hoo!!

My new church outfit. I am blowing kisses to Daddy :)

I am so cute!!! (At least Mommy and Daddy think so!!!)

Daddy and me, Sunday after church. We both looked handsome (or so Mommy said)

All things new...

2009-07-29T14:44:00.003-06:00

Wow, its been a long time since I updated. Time sure does fly by. Although one of the reasons I haven't updated is because our computer is not working up to capacity. That means no new pictures this time, sorry. We have a lot of great new pictures, and when we get the other computer up and running I will definitely get some pictures posted.

Its been a couple of months of firsts for us and Daniel. We took him for his 6 month check up and he weighed in at a whopping 13lbs 10oz, 24 1/2 inches long. From his last appointment in May, he gained his birth weight= 3lbs 6oz. Its amazing to see how much he has grown. I sometimes look back at the preemie clothes he wore and wonder how he ever fit into them- they're so small. But we are very thankful he is doing as well as he is. He is teething right now- drooling all over and putting everything in his mouth. He loves to play on the floor- he rolls all over and really makes his rounds. The other night he got up on his knees and kind of pushed himself forward a bit. He is so strong. He loves to jump too. He will sit in the exersaucer for quite a while and play. He is laughing and smiling and loves giving kisses (well, they aren't really kisses, just sloppy drooling by our faces, lol). On the Saturday before Father's Day Daniel and I took Jim out for supper and to a Canaries baseball game. They both loved it, (me too!). At the end of June/beginning of July he got to meet his Washington aunts, uncles & cousins. We had a real good time visiting. Can't wait to go out there next summer! We also started him on cereal and fruits and veggies. So far so good, although he really made some funny faces when he tried the peas- they weren't his favorite, lol. I wish I had had the camera with when I gave him the peas, it was hilarious.

Jim has been fairly busy this summer taking some classes. He just finished the last one and will now be put to work by his wonderful wife, lol. No, he planned on painting the living room and Daniel's room this summer, hopefully we can get that done. The time just flies (did I say that already???). We have decided to do Daniel's room a John Deere theme. We got some chair-rail and Jim stained that and will varnish it before putting it up, we (Jim, lol) will paint below it John Deere green and we haven't decided on a color for the top half of the wall yet. We have been searching for some decals, or transfers to put on the wall. We can't put a border up- his room has paneling that has been painted, so a border won't stick so well. If anyone knows of anywhere we can find some neat things for a little boys room please let me know.

Nothing else really to report. Well, one thing is fairly new. We have decided that we are going to do this all again. Its a big undertaking again, but we know if its in God's plan for us- it will happen. Its exciting, yet still makes me a bit nervous. It was hard enough getting all the paper work done, but now we have a baby to take our attention away from things. Its so easy to just leave the dishes and sit and play or snuggle with him. You can't get that time back, and the dishes, laundry etc can always wait. So if you drop by and my house isn't in the best of shape- its because I am spending quality time with our son, :) , whom we are so very thankful to have!!

Again we thank you all for your prayers and support. It means the world to us!!!

You asked for them...lots of pictures!

2009-05-29T09:44:00.000-06:00

Aren't I cute? Grandma Ruth gave me this hat!

Daniel with Pake & Beppe (Jim's parents)

One of the awesome cakes for baptism.

Family picture... I like the sound of that!!!

This is the other cake for baptism. I found the saying and we thought it would be appropriate to put on the cake. Not only does it look good, it was delicious, too!!

Daddy, Daniel, and Carson playing after school.

Daniel's train conductors hat from Pake & Beppe.

It's a little big, but he'll grow into it.

Big smile!!!! Of course the tongue is always out, lol.

During Easter break we went to St. Cloud to see my (DeAnn's) Aunt Midge and have her meet Daniel. We went and had lunch and visited with her. My sister and her family went along, and afterward we did a little shopping.

HMM...I really wonder sometimes what goes through his mind. This was too cute!

Daddy and Daniel love playing on the floor!

I just thought I would share some of the pictures we have taken. Many of you have been asking to see some new ones, lol. Sorry I don't get posted as often as I would like. I have been thinking a lot lately about how our lives have changed since January, but I am still mulling those thoughts over and will post that some other time. Again we thank everyone for all your prayers and support- it means the world to us!!

Big boy!!! :)

2009-05-12T10:33:00.000-06:00

"I love sleeping on mommy!"

Wow, its been a long time since we have posted anything. Where does the time go? We have been busy, what with school coming close to an end, and my doing daycare again. Where do I start, lol ??? Well in our last post, Jim's parents had just gotten here to visit for baptism. We had a great time visiting, but of course it went all too fast. Baptism was very special for us. We had lots of friends and family there with us, to support and love us. Jim had found a Baptism form on the Calvin website that dealt specifically with an adopted baby. So that was quite special for us. We had a lunch after church with family and friends. Daniel got to wear the same baptism outfit that Jim wore when he was baptized. We want to thank all our family and friends for helping make our day special.

We have gotten a couple of wonderful things in the mail lately. the first thing we got was the official adoption decree from the lawyer. The second thing was from Shaohannah's Hope- we were awarded a generous grant to help defray the costs of the adoption. What a happy and joyous day that was. But the best day was when the mailman brought Daniel's new birth certificate. It has our names listed as his parents. I can't tell you how that makes us feel. To think that a little over a year ago I had big doubts as to whether or not I would ever be a mom. I admit, I had a faith problem. Jim knew it would happen someday, but I often wondered if it would ever happen. I learned a lot in this whole process, but the biggest thing I learned (which I already knew) was that all things are possible with God. I had to get it into my head to think positively (which can be very difficult for me), and not to focus on the negative things. I am so thankful Jim kept encouraging me to think positive. I think if I were to give people advice on what to do during the process it would be to keep a positive attitude, and to pray- a lot!!

Well, we have just passed Mother's Day. Like I said before, I never thought I would have a Mother's Day celebration. But God had other plans! It was a wonderful day- I couldn't have asked for a better day. Jim and Daniel got me a great gift! They got a Willow Tree Angel figurine for me. It has a man, a woman, and a baby and it's called "Our Gift". Its something I will treasure always!!

Today I took Daniel to his 4 month check up. He is getting to be such a big boy! He tipped the scales at 10lbs 4 oz and is 22 inches long. He is 4 oz away from tripling his birth weight! He had shots again, of course. It hurts me so to see him cry so hard. Right now he is sleeping, the after effects of the shots and some Tylenol I'm sure. I just can't believe how much he has grown. We have put away all the preemie clothes- I will be taking those to Rock Valley to the consignment stores. Hopefully we won't need preemie clothes with the next one. Yes, you heard right- the next one. We have already discussed the probability of doing a second adoption. We can start that process when Daniel turns a year old. We make these plans with the knowledge that it will all happen if its God's plan for us. Of course the money issue comes up again, but if its meant to be- God will provide. Until then we continue to love and protect this wonderful blessing in our lives.

Again we want to thank everyone for all their thoughts and prayers. Daniel is 4 months old and people are still bringing gifts- its all still very overwhelming for us. But it tells us how excited and happy everyone is for us too. And for that we are truly grateful. I ask that this week especially since we just passed Mother's Day, to pray for Daniel's birth mom. I can't seem to stop thinking of her the last couple of days. She has to be hurting- knowing that her baby boy is not with her on a day set aside for mothers. But I hope she can be a little reassured that we are taking great care of Daniel. We know that she did what she had to do because she loved him, and we love her for that. Its one thing to miss out on a Mother's Day (or any other holiday for that matter) when you don't have your child because of other circumstances- like miscarriage for example, but for her to have him placed with another family has to be heartbreaking. So please, pray for her. We thank God for so many things-the adoption being final, the grant being approved, Daniel's new birth certificate, good health and wonderful friends and family.

We have had lots of people ask about seeing some new pictures of Daniel soon, and I am hoping to get to Walmart and have a disc made so I can get some more pictures posted for you. Thanks for being so patient!!

Oh, one other thing. I want to send a big thank you out to my Coffee Break group. I had a thank you card all ready to go, and it was misplaced. I want all of you to know how very thankful we are for your very generous gift. The outfit is too cute, and we have put the gift card away for a toy (or should I say toys- plural) to be chosen at a later date, lol. Thanks again- God has truly blessed us!!

Pake & Beppe Are Here

2009-04-23T11:40:00.000-06:00

Daniel got to meet his Pake and Beppe for the first time last night. For those of you who are not familiar with Friesland, Pake and Beppe are the Frisian words for Grandpa and Grandma. My (Jim's) parents are here (from Sunnyside, Washington) for Daniel's baptism on Sunday. At first they talked about possibly waiting until July to come, but recently decided they would come for Daniel's baptism. Being here now, they will also be able to take in some school activities of their granddaughters in Orange City. They have a Spring Program at Orange City Christian tonight. One of our nieces has a lead part in the program and it is also her birthday today. Tomorrow we have Parents Day at Hull Christian. Orange City Christian has Grandparents day tomorrow. So, there are all kinds of activities this weekend for Pake and Beppe to attend.

We are excited about the special weekend that is ahead of us as a family. With Daniel's adoption being finalized last week, and baptism this week, we are celebrating a couple of big milestones as a family. God has truly blessed us and we are grateful for that.

There will be more family and friends coming on from Minnesota on Saturday and Sunday. We look forward to spending time with them in the next couple days as well.

We again thank all of you for your prayers and support over the past months and years as we have been on this incredible journey.

Responding to the Great Commission

2009-04-19T13:38:00.000-06:00

This past week it was my turn for opening devotions at a Heartland Christian Schools' Executive Committee meeting. I chose to read Matthew 28: 16-20. These words are Jesus' charge to his disciples following his resurrection. I also read a short devotion that suggested how "we" should respond to that same commission. This passage was fitting for those of us involved in Christian Education. But, as I reflected on the devotion, I thought more and more about how this passage applies to me both as a teacher and a new parent. The devotion suggests that there are five elements to responding to the Great Commission:

1. "Be available"- unless we allow ourselves to be available to God, we are not going to be of much use to Him. Likewise, as a parent, I need to make myself available to Daniel. I need to be there for him on order to recognize and respond to his needs.

2. "Be worshipful"- The devotion states that "true worship is a single-minded, unhindered, and unqaulified concentration on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When we focus on Jesus any doubts that we have will vanish." In order to carry out the Great Commission effectively, as a parent, I must focus on the perfect model of parenting that God has demonstrated for us in the Bible.

3. "Be submissive"- In order for the disciples to be able to fulfill the task that they were being required to do, they needed to recognize and accept Jesus' authority. Likewise, I need to have the attitude that "whatever the Lord commands, I will do." If I am going to expect Daniel to submit to my authority, I in turn need to submit to my Heavenly Father's authority.

4. "Be obedient"- The devotion suggested that obedience is required in three areas:

a. "Going"- effective discipling does not mean waiting for others to come to you, you must approach them. In the same way, I need to be modeling this to Daniel. I should be there for him before a need arises rather than after. I need to be a proactive parent rather han reactive.

b. "Baptizing"-Baptism is an outward symbol of our identification with Christ. This we do in faith that we belong to God. As parents, DeAnn and I have the privilege this coming Sunday to present Daniel to be baptized. What greater thing can we do as parents than to have our children baptized. Bringing our little ones before God and His people, acknowledging that they too share in His covenant promises.

c. "Teaching"- Simply being baptized is not enough. We need to know what God requires of us, His covenant children. The way we come to know what we are to do for God, is through studying, understanding, and obeying Him. As a parent I must teach and model for Daniel, in word and deed on a daily basis, what it means to be a child of God. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

5. And finally, "Lean on God's Power"- The devotion concludes by stating that, "although the first four "elements" are very important, they are useless without the power that Jesus offers:" "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20. In order to be an effective parent, I must lean on Christ's power available to me through the Holy Spirit. If Daniel's leaning on me is going to be of any value, I first must lean on God.

"Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever." Deuteronomy 5:29

It's official!!

2009-04-17T06:42:00.000-06:00

Daniel James Timmermans

It's official!!! Just a quick note to let you all know we heard from our worker in Mississippi yesterday. She said court went well and everything is all official. She said Daniel is ours- wild hair and all :) The new birth certificate and adoption decree will be sent to us soon. We have so much to be thankful for and we give all glory and praise to God!

Finalization!!!

2009-04-15T07:33:00.000-06:00

Give me a hug or the bear gets it!!

Look at me!!! I'm a big boy!!!

We hope everyone had a great Easter! We went to Willmar and spent time with my family. Some of them hadn't met Daniel yet. I think my grandma thought he was going to be smaller, lol. But we've been fattening him up , lol. He weighed 8 lbs 11 1/2 oz at his last check. He sure is getting to be a big boy. While we were in Willmar we went and had his 3 month pictures taken. The two above are from that. There are others, but I can't post them all at once, lol. You'll just have to wait to see the others.

One thing that we thought was so cute when we were visiting my sister and her kids was her 3 yr old son. He kept looking at Daniel and then at himself. Then he came over to me and said "He looks like chocolate and I look like vanilla." I asked him if he thought Daniel tasted like chocolate, and he smiled and nodded his head yes. Kids have such an innocent way of looking at life.

Well, today~April 15, 2009~ is our adoption finalization. While we were in Mississippi the lawyer set the court date with the judge and now we are done. It so amazing, it's been such a journey, to think that 3 months ago we were talking about what to do for my birthday, and then I get the greatest gift imagineable! We hoped and prayed that the process wouldn't take so long, we know its all in God's time not ours, but its still very hard to wait. Now we will just let this beautiful little boy be the sunshine in our lives. And next January, when this little guy is a year old, we will put our names in again and see what God has planned for us.

So, hopefully soon, we will have Daniel's new birth certificate with our names as parents, and our Adoption Decree. Prayers have definitely been answered!!!!

We got some awesome news last week. Jim's parents will be coming for baptism!! Knowing they live 1500 miles away, we had kind of resigned ourselves that they wouldn't be able to come, but they have decided to come for a short visit, and we are so excited for them to meet their newest grandson!! We pray they have safe travels.

We thank you all for the prayers said on our behalf and ask that you continue to pray for us as a family. We ask that you continue to pray for Daniel's birth mom, that her broken heart is healing. We continue to thank God for the mercies shown in the healing of Hull Christian's 1st grade teacher, we thank God for the Katelyn's fund family who just returned from Ethiopia with their 3 children and ask that their transition goes well. We also pray for another family who is still waiting to go and bring their son home from Liberia, grant them patience and hope. We thank God for the tremendous joy he has brought into our lives!!

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." Psalm 5:11

"I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17

"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10

Growing, growing,

2009-04-03T13:02:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of Daniel the first time we saw him. He was just over 4 lbs. You can see how small his head is compared to Jim's hand. Well that little boy isn't quite so little anymore. I took him to be weighed yesterday afternoon, and he topped the scales at 8lbs 11 and a half oz. Wow!! I didn't think he had gained 2 pounds in a month, (even though he does like to eat, lol.) We're so thankful that he is thriving- God is so good! Sleeping has been going a lot better as well. The other night we put him to bed at 10pm and I woke up at 4:55am and immediately ran to check on him. he was sleeping- very peacefully, lol, not even realizing that mom was panicking because he had slept so long. I knew it would happen, I just didn't think it would be so soon!!
We've had a very busy week, Tues. night was the hostess supper, Wed. night I had a meeting, Thurs. night we had Bible study, and tonight is the craft night at church. I am going to go and work on a scrapbook for Daniel. Tomorrow night we have our Bible study group's progressive supper. Whew, I need a nap, lol. Actually no nap for me, I still need to get some stuff together for the scrapbook, and I need to make my appetizers for tomorrow night. Plus all the normal everyday things, lol. Don't you feel bad for me, lol lol no please don't- my life is great!!
We have chosen a date for baptism- April 26. Hopefully Daniel will be able to wear the same outfit that Jim wore when he was baptized. I just sent it to Jim's mom yesterday, I didn't feel comfortable trying to clean it, so she said to send it to her- thanks Mom!!! We will have quite a few people joining us for this very special day!
I want to send a big thank you out to Teresa F. In one of my last posts I was telling you all about the neat diaper bags that i was going to bid on at our church sale but didn't get a chance to- well, when Jim got to school that very next morning one of the other teachers brought it and gave it to Jim. Thank you so much!! I was just hoping to find out who made them so I could place an order, but your generosity is amazing- again thank you!!! I put it to use immediately!

On a last note, I want to ask all you Iowans out there reading this to contact your local congressmen, senator, any local politician- voice your opinion on the ruling today. It was announced today that the courts ruled it was unconstitutional to ban same sex marriages in the state of Iowa. We need to be a voice, this is not how marriage was meant to be- marriage is between a man and a woman. If something is not done, in three short weeks these same sex couples will be able to apply for a marriage license.
I'll get down off my soapbox now, but this is a very important issue! Please pray for a timely resolution to this issue and for those people who are fighting to keep marriage between a man and a woman.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2:24

What's My Inheritance?

2009-03-29T15:14:00.000-06:00

In church this morning we had a guest minister who's sermon was titled: "Surely I Have a Delightful Inheritance." His sermon was based on Psalm 16.

On hearing the word inheritance our minds can quickly and easily wander to what we will "inherit" here on earth. Often times, within families, an "inheritance" can lead to bitterness and hard feelings among siblings. It doesn't take much for us to lash out when someone else takes, or gets, what we feel should be rightfully ours.

Don't get me wrong, I value the things that God has given me here on earth. I am grateful for: DeAnn and Daniel (as well as the other members of my immediate and extended family), the roof over my head, daily provision of food, the ability to serve God at Hull Christian School (and the list could go on...). These and other things have shaped me into who and what I am.

However, we can quickly lose sight of the inheritance that we should be focused on. The inheritance that our whole life should be lived in gratitude toward. The gift of Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. Easter is just a couple weeks away. What will your thoughts, and mine, wander toward? Will we get caught up in the materialistic and worldly celebration? Or, will we celebrate the inheritance that our God has given us. Without Christ's death and resurrection, there would be no true inheritance. What we accumulate here on earth is ultimately worthless and will be of no value. This Easter season, let's join together in celebrating what we have been given through the blood of Jesus.

" My Hope is Built on Nothing Less Than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness"

Smiles, smiles, smiles :)

2009-03-25T11:42:00.000-06:00

This was taken at an AAU volleyball tournament that Jessica (our niece) played in. His hair is not so curly in this picture, but it sure is now.

I am sure many of you remember your child's first smile, all their firsts really. But the smile, that one is special. I had that experience yesterday. Daniel has smiled several times in the last week or two, but you never know if they were involuntary, or because of gas, or whatever. But yesterday afternoon, I was talking and playing with him, being silly really, lol, and there he is, looking straight at me- focused on my eyes- and he gave me this big beautiful smile. It was the most wonderful feeling a mother (this new mother anyway) can feel. Happy tears flowed, quite a bit, lol. I have wondered how Daniel would bond with us, and I know he has, but this was just icing on the cake. He has changed so much since we brought him home. I was looking at the pictures we took when we were in Mississippi and he doesn't really look like that little boy anymore. He is so much more alert, his hair is really getting curly, and his cheeks are getting pinch-able, lol. Not to mention his double chin and his legs are getting some meat on them. Maybe next time for shots they will be able to find a place for the shot that has a little more substance. He had little chicken legs last time when he got shots. He is holding his head up and pushing himself up on his arms, and he has rolled over from his back to his tummy several times. He is so strong. We give great thanks to God for all of these new and wonderful milestones.

There isn't a whole lot new, we went to our church's Christian Education auction last Friday night. I was really hoping to get one of the home made diaper bags that someone donated, but when it came time to auction them off, someone was talking to me about Daniel. Jim was clerking at that point, otherwise maybe we would have gotten one. Maybe I can still find out who made them and get one. Saturday night we went to our Family Life meeting in Canton. We are so excited to be involved with this ministry. This week has been kind of...slow, lol. Although, tonight we are going to go to Sioux center to the Indoor Fair. It was a year ago, exactly, that we started this process. It was at the Indoor Fair that we came across the booth for New Horizons, and changed our lives forever! Tomorrow night we have Bible study, and Saturday we will be going to Edgerton to see our friends, and have our taxes done. Friday night our church is having a ladies craft night and I think I am going to go to that. Jim said he would take Daniel for the evening so I can go and get some girl time. :) (Thank you Honey!!) I went to Walmart and got copies made of all the pictures from when we first got the call for Daniel until a couple days ago. I figured I can get a scrapbook started for him. Maybe I'll enjoy this process more, that making the profile book, lol. At least I don't have a time limit as to when it has to be done, lol.

Again there are several prayer concerns, and we thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

~Please continue to pray for Daniel's birth mother. I thank God everyday for the decision she made, but know that in making that decision her heart is broken.
~We give thanks that our First grade teacher at HCS is home from the hospital and continuing to improve.

~We pray for a Katelyn's Fund family who will be leaving to go to Ethiopia soon to bring their children home. ~We pray for another K.F. family who waits for Liberia to open again so they can go and bring their son home.

~We thank God for the rain we got the other day, preparing the fields for planting this spring.

~We thank God for the many friends and family who have generously given us gifts for Daniel!

~I thank God for beautiful baby smiles!

"I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart." Psalm 138:1

Spring is here :)

2009-03-17T10:17:00.000-06:00

Our beautiful baby boy-sleeping in mommy's arms!

What a beautiful day it is! Let's hope and pray that it stays this way!! Our week last week was somewhat busy and I apologize for not posting sooner, the days seem to get away from me sometimes. Monday was Daniel's Dr. appointment, all is great with him. We do not have to go in every week for a weigh in anymore and he doesn't have to continue with the vitamins. Hopefully this means less rumbly tummy problems. Its just amazing to look at him and see the changes in him, his face is getting chubbier, he is growing out of the preemie clothes (although the newborn clothes are still kind of big, lol). He has smiled at me several times, probably thinking mommy is a wacko making all those weird noises and faces, lol. He actually rolled over the other day as well. Jim laid him on his back for a nap and when we went to get him he was on his tummy. He loves to be on his tummy!! Sleeping has gone a bit better, too, since we moved him into his room and crib. He has grown into the car seat much better as well, he still doesn't like it so much, but he isn't as fussy as before.

Last Thursday night we went to the Katelyn's Fund support group. The speaker spoke about attachment and bonding. It was very interesting. I was somewhat concerned with Daniel bonding with us, but that is not a problem I should have worried about. But from what this lady was saying, its not just adopted children who can experience attachment issues, your biological children can suffer as well. There are several books out there with all kinds of info on this subject and even if you don't have an issue with this, I would recommend reading them.

Saturday morning we went to Blue Earth to New Horizons to tell our story to the next group of adoptive parents. We were very happy to see the big group, there were 12 couples there! When we went to that training, last August, we were one of six couples. While we don't like to talk in front of a group or be the center of attention, we knew that it was important for us to be there. I know when we took the training and the families came to tell their stories, it made me so much more hopeful. So, I knew we had to be there to help give hope to those couples as well. We met a really neat couple from Litchfield, MN. They had adopted 3 kids from Guatemala, and they are all within 11 months of each other- they will all start kindergarten this fall. Its just amazing to see how God works in the lives of others, as well as our own.

From Blue earth we went to Sioux center for a Katelyn's Fund Family Fun Night! At our support meetings we meet the parents, but that night we got to see the kids, too. That was so cool, to see all these kids playing together. Someone took a group picture of all the kids, and then with all the parents as well. It would be neat to have a copy of those!

Yesterday I took Daniel to Sioux Center to Walmart. I figured it was so nice out we needed to get out. Plus, our baby monitor died so we needed to get a new one. I hope this one lasts longer than the other one, that will teach me to go cheap, lol. The rest of this week isn't too busy. We do have our church auction on Friday night, Jim has to work at that. Saturday night we have a Family Life meeting in Canton. We are very excited to get more involved with this ministry! We are hoping to get a group together to do a Home Builders Bible Study in the near future.

Well, its almost time for Daniel to eat, so I better cut this short, lol. Hopefully Daniel takes a good nap this afternoon so I can get some things done, specifically I would like to get his birth announcements addressed and in the mail. We'll see what I can get done :)

We have many prayer requests today:

~We praise God for Daniel's continued improvements and growth

~We praise God for the couples at the training in Blue Earth- we ask they get their hearts desire- in His time.

~We praise God for the Katelyn's Fund family who will be leaving April 3rd to go to Ethiopia to bring home their 3 children, may they have safe travels.

~We also pray for another Katelyn's Fund family who is waiting to go to Liberia and bring their son home.

~We pray for an HCS staff member who recently lost her father.

~We pray for an HCS teacher who is having some serious health issues.

"Pray without ceasing"

An Eventful Week

2009-03-09T14:47:00.000-06:00

As I am typing this, I am thinking about the week that lies ahead. This afternoon we had a mass exodus from school as many of our students are traveling to Des Moines to cheer on Western Christian High School in the State Basketball Tournament tonight. If they win tonight, they will play again on Thursday and Friday. Thursday and Friday even more students will be traveling to Des Moines to support Western at the tournament.

This afternoon Daniel went to the doctor for his 2 month checkup. He has now officially doubled his birthweight. Not something that you would want for most two month olds, but we are very pleased and excited that he is growing as well as he is. The doctor even said that he could be taken of the "extra" vitamins that he gets with two feedings every day. WAY TO GO!!! Daniel. :)

On Saturday we have the opportunity to share our story with others who are going through the adoption process. We will be traveling to Blue Earth, MN on Saturday morning and have lunch with the group going through New Horizons' orientation. After lunch we have an opportunity to share with them about our adoption journey. It's hard to believe that just last August we were sitting in the places that they are in now. God has Truly blessed us.

Humanly speaking, the journey has been a long. We began this process while still living in Edgerton, MN. After accepting the position to teach here at Hull Christian School, our file in MN was closed. Last April, after much prayer and discussion between DeAnn and me, we felt that God was nudging us to start the process once again. As we look back, we may have been discouraged and felt like the process would drag on, but God is truly faithful. We have much to be thankful for, especially that He is in control and not us.

Psalm 37: 4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

What a beautiful day!!

2009-03-04T11:11:00.000-06:00

This is a photo of all the gifts from the baby

shower at church. People have been so generous!!

The sun is shining, the snow is melting and we are getting cabin fever. I haven't been out much in the last month and a half, but that's OK, we are trying to keep Daniel away from all the yucky things going around. I took him to be weighed yesterday and he gained another 5oz, so he is at 6lbs 6 oz. Another 6 oz and he will have doubled his birth weight- yea! Not something you usually want your two month old to do, but we'll take it. We found out that he will not be getting an RSV shot, the Dr. called and spoke to another Dr. in Sioux Falls and being as he was born after 36 weeks, he did not need it, or suggest it. So, we just stay home and hope mom doesn't go nuts, lol. I don't mind too much, I do miss going to Coffee Break though. Jim has been awesome about staying home with Daniel in the evenings, then I can run to the library or go to Walmart to get groceries etc. Those outings are good for me, lol.

We have a busy month coming up, lots of things happening, but one of the most exciting, for us anyway, is being able to go to the New Horizons orientation class on the 14Th. We attended this class last August and now we have been asked to share our story. At that time, we were still in the whole paperwork process and seemed like it would never happen for us, but its only been 7 months and look at us now!! :) I only hope we can give some of these couples a little hope and help them know that it will happen, in God's time! You have to give it up to God and let him take care of it.

Tonight we have our first post placement visit from our worker. I feel bad that we don't have a room ready yet for Daniel, but we do have the crib up and he spent his first night in there last night. He did very well, and mom and dad got a bit more sleep. Its just so hard to put this cute little guy down and get anything done, lol. I have been trying to work on things when I get a chance, and that includes working on the mountains of thank you notes we need to send out. People have been so generous, it is very overwhelming and a bit humbling. This adorable little boy won't need to have any clothes bought for him until he's a toddler, lol. We have gone through all the gifts and sorted and arranged all the clothes he has gotten and its just amazing. I often wonder if he'll even get to wear it all, lol. But we are very, very thankful for all the gifts and well wishes, but most importantly for the prayers said for us and for Daniel.

Well, I should maybe get some things done around the house here being as Daniel is sleeping. Its amazing how the dishes (bottles) accumulate. Laundry too, how can one little guy use so much clothing, and blankets, and burp rags, lol. Oh well, its all part of parenthood, and I love it!!

Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes. They mean the world to us!

First bath and other misc. pics

2009-02-26T18:39:00.000-06:00

Being held at the surprise shower that daddy's
7th &8th grade students had for me

Our new form of Saturday evening entertainment

Mommy, may I have a kiss please? :)

This is what my hair looked like after my first

real bath

Another view of my cute curly hair

A close-up of my new look

What a big boy!!

2009-02-25T16:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I took Daniel to be weighed today and he's a whopping 6lbs 1 oz. WOW, that's almost a full pound more than last week. What a blessing. Hopefully, once he gets a little bigger, he might sleep a little better, lol. Its not so bad really, but I am still not used to it.

This has been a busy week. The ladies at church had a shower for us on Monday evening. What an overwhelming show of generosity! I will have to post pictures of the table full of gifts. Its very hard to be on the receiving end, when we would rather be on the giving end. But we are very thankful for everything that has been done and given to us. Now I just need to find time to write thank you notes. I don't know where my time goes. Some friends of ours from Edgerton came down for the shower, as well as Patty and the girls. It was nice to have them there for us.
On Tuesday the AEA came out to the house to check on Daniel and his progress. They will probably be coming once a month or so.

Today I went to Wal-mart to get formula and have pictures made for our family. Everyone wants pictures, lol. The newspaper articles in the Sioux County Index Reporter and in the NW Iowa Review were done very well, but again, we are not comfortable in the spotlight. But, if it gets the word out about New Horizons Adoption Agency, then its worth it. We were called last week, (maybe it was the week before, lol) anyway, we will be going to Blue Earth to the agency to tell our story to the people going through their orientation. That was the best part when we went through orientation, it really made it seem like it could actually happen for us.

Again, we'd like to thank everyone for all your support. It means the world to us. We ask that you continue to pray for Daniel's birth mother as she is grieving. We ask that you pray for Daniel, that he continues to gain weight, stay healthy and continue bonding with us- that he will love us as much as we love him.

Our first week (or so, lol) home

2009-02-18T12:49:00.001-06:00

Daniel holding on to my finger, really shows how tiny his hands are.

Well, we've been home for a little over a week and a half. Its hard to remember what our life was like before Daniel. We have had several things going on this past week. The first and foremost was our first visit to the doctor. Last Tues. Feb 10 we went to have a check up. Daniel weighed in at 4lbs 13oz and was 18 inches long. He gained half a pound in the week that we have had him. The doctor was very pleased. All in all Daniel is a very good baby, he eats well, and for the most part sleeps well. He loves to be held and snuggle with mom and dad. (We kind of enjoy that too, lol) On Thursday evening he went to his first Katelyn's Fund meeting, and on Saturday (Valentine's Day) he went out for pizza with dad and mom. We took him to church the day after we got back as well, everyone was so happy for us! It has been very overwhelming for us, the generosity of our family, friends, and church family has been phenomenal. Quite humbling, actually. But we are so very thankful for everything. Oh, last Thursday afternoon, the 7th and 8th grade classes held a surprise shower for us. They were all so excited, they had to hide in one of the offices in the music room until Jim came in and they could yell surprise. It is so awesome to see how excited these kids are for us, it really shows their hearts, and we truly appreciate them and their parents.

Yesterday, Feb. 17, I took Daniel back to get weighed again. He is now a whopping 5lbs 4oz. He gained almost half a pound again. Makes me feel a little better, like I am doing something right. Every time he fusses and can't be calmed I feel like I am doing something wrong, is this a normal feeling for new moms? I want to be able to comfort him all the time when he needs it, and it breaks my heart to hear him cry. We did figure out that he has a little tummy trouble- gas. He burbs very well when we feed him, but there are times when his poor little tummy just rumbles. He was a little constipated Sun & Mon, but that seemed to work itself out, thankfully.

Today, someone from the NW Iowa Review is coming to interview us about trans-racial adoption. While we did not ask for this, we feel it is important. Daniel may be African American, but we don't see the color of his skin, we see our beautiful baby boy, our gift from God. That is not to say we won't be proactive with helping him know about his heritage and culture- its very important for him to know his roots. We don't want to be known as the couple who adopted that cute little "black" boy, we want to be known as the Timmermans. Color does not define who we are, our beliefs and faith and how we live our lives will define that. Does that make sense? Sometimes I know what I want to say, I just can't get it to sound right, lol. Anyway, we are curious what kind of questions we will be asked. Thursday afternoon, Jeanne from the Hull Index will be coming to interview us. I hope this is the end to our "15 minutes of fame", lol. We do not like to be in the spotlight.

I think this Sat. evening we will be going to the Little Miss Hull program- one of my daycare kids is participating. Good luck Emma!!! We love you!!!

We want to thank everyone for their generosity- the gifts, cards, meals and especially your prayers. Like I said before its so overwhelming- we can truly feel the love you all have for us! We ask that you continue to pray for us as a family as we continue to get to know each other and bond with each other. We ask you to pray for Daniel's birth mom- she knows she did the right thing, but she is grieving over that decision. We ask that you pray for a family in our Katelyn's Fund group, they were days away from going to Liberia to pick up their son, and the country closed. So now they have to wait (some more). It is hard waiting, we know that full well. Good things come to those who wait.

God is good- all the time!!!

A pictorial reflection on our trip

2009-02-07T22:23:00.000-06:00

Daddy and Mommy's favorite picture of me :) : Can you say, "What have these people gotten me into?"

Just in case you might think I am happy all the time.

Do I look like I am praying to you?

Daniel being held by the social worker who represented him at New Beginnings Adoption Agency in Tupelo.

Daniel was released from the hospital to us on Friday, January 30, 2009. We went to court the following Monday to petition for temporary custody of him. We were granted an order of temporary custody on Monday, February 2 after appearing before the judge.

Daniel laying on the blanket that Beppe (grandma) Timmermans made for him.

Pictures of the three of us together soon after we were brought into the NICU for the first time to meet Daniel. Words can't describe the emotions that we felt when we were able to see the little boy, for the first time, that God selected us to become the parents of.

Dad holding his son for the first time :)

A few pictures of the area in southeastern Missouri and Arkansas that were affected by a severe ice storm not long before we drove through the area. Over 2000 power poles were broken or damaged and thousands of people were/are without power for two or more weeks.

Studying the atlas intently on Tuesday evening. We wanted to make sure we knew where we were going and how to get there. Neither one of us has ever been to Tupelo before.

This Banner is posted below the secretary's office window at Hull Christian as an announcement of Daniel's birth and our being selected to adopt him.

An Answer to Prayer

2009-02-05T16:21:00.000-06:00

We received word this afternoon that Daniel's travel papers have finally been approved and signed. We will be staying in Tupelo tonight yet, otherwise we will end up back in the area of Missouri/Arkansas that was devastated by the ice storms about a week ago. Most of that area still does not have power and all the motels are filled.
We will be leaving Tupelo tomorrow morning to begin the trip home. It will be a new experience having Daniel be the one who determines when we stop, and for how long. We look forward to being back at home, being "stranded" and at the mercy of someone who needs to sign paperwork so that you can make your "next move" has been both frustrating and rewarding. It has given us some extra time to spend getting to know Daniel and being able to bond with him before we get back into our old routines and new roles upon returning home. Thank you SO much for all the prayers that have been offered on our behalf over the last couple weeks. We can testify to God's faithfulness during this adoption journey. Great is HIS faithfulness.

In Christ,

Jim, DeAnn, and Daniel

And wait some more

2009-02-04T21:15:00.001-06:00

Hello again,
We are still in Mississippi. Our travel papers got to Iowa today, but the person who is supposed to sign them didn't get to them. Our worker said she figures tomorrow, (Thursday) we should be able to leave. We know this is all out of our hands, but we just want to get home with our son. We spent the latter part of the morning and early afternoon sitting in Barnes and Noble, reading magazines and talking. Jim went for a walk in the mall (its a huge mall, lol) He is getting a little stir crazy, me too really. I am looking forward to sleeping in our own bed, lol. While we have been here we have been eating on the cheap- fast food. But tonight we actually went to a buffet- we just couldn't stomach the thought of eating another hamburger & fries. The buffet was good, a little more than we would normally spend on supper, but at least we got some home cooked food. A good salad, some mashed potatoes w/ gravy and some chicken. They had fried okra too- I was going to try it, but I chickened out. I should have tried it, where and when else am I going to have a chance to have something like that? Oh well, maybe next time, lol.
Daniel is doing very well, we just can;'t get enough of him. I just sit and stare at him when he's sleeping- he's so cute! He is eating well ( we had to buy some more formula- he has gone through what they gave us at the hospital. It looks to us like his cheeks are a little plumper. We just can't wait to get him home!! Hopefully, God willing, we will be able to head home tomorrow.

Patience is a virtue!

And we wait...

2009-02-03T21:34:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,
We were hoping to have left Mississippi earlier today, however that didn't happen. We are back at the hotel, waiting for our travel papers to be approved. They should be getting to Iowa around 10:30 Wed. morning and hopefully signed and approved shortly thereafter. We are hoping to get a ways down the road tomorrow- hopefully beyond the Missouri area that was hit with the ice storms a day before we went through there last week. When we get home I hope to put pictures up of the storm damage (as well as pictures of Daniel, lol). So now, I am going to go get some rest until Daniel's next feeding. We will keep everyone posted of our adventures, lol. Thanks so much for all your prayers!

On our way home- soon we hope

2009-02-02T21:14:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,
Just a quick update, everything is going very well. Daniel seems to be adjusting very well to his new parents, lol. It's hard to describe how much we love him already. We were talking earlier, he was conceived about the time we started the whole adoption process. God certainly had a plan for all of us!! Daniel is recognizing our voices and is even starting to look at us like he recognizes us. We have had several smiles, although I am sure that's probably gas, lol, but its so precious to see- it makes my heart jump for joy!

We had to go to court this morning. The judge and lawyer asked us some questions and we were granted temporary custody of Daniel. They still have to make an effort to locate his birth father, but the chances of finding him are VERY slim. If all goes well, the adoption should be finalized in about three months, or possibly less. We can't wait- what a party that will be, lol!!!! As of right now we are kind of up in the air about when we can leave. We are waiting for something called an ICPC- which in essence is permission to travel across state lines. We have to have the papers from the state Daniel was born in and the state we live in. We are hoping to set out for home sometime tomorrow and get into Missouri and spent the night there. I am hoping the hotel we stay at will have a laundry room, lol. I am running out of blankets and sleepers, lol. Daniel keeps wetting through them. Must be the diapers, :( We might have to try some other brand when we get home, lol. Anyway, we are hoping to be home sometime on Thursday. That's the plan for now, but we know who is in charge and we will follow His lead!

Thanks so much for all your prayers, we can truly feel every one of them! Please pray for travelling safety for us, and that Daniel will be a good traveller. Please continue to pray for his birth mother as well. We hope to see you all soon!!!

Life is good!!!

2009-01-31T10:20:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,
We just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! We arrived at the hotel last night. Everything is going very well. Daniel is a good baby. He loves to snuggle and be held. I could do that all day long!!! (So could Jim, lol) He has such dark hair and it is so soft, almost like silk. I just love kissing and hugging on him!! :) I knew motherhood would be wonderful!!! Its what I was born to do, lol. Oh, I have to say, the weather here is awesome!! Today is supposed to be around 60 degrees!! We have been walking around without coats on, but everyone here thinks it is cold, lol. Its like a beautiful spring day. It will be hard to come back to the cold, lol.
We went to Walmart last night to make a picture cd, but when we got there they had closed their machines down. Which was ok anyway, because we forgot the sd card to make the cd, lol. So this afternoon we will venture back and have one made. Yesterday afternoon, after we were discharged from the hospital we had to go back to the adoption agency and go over somethings with the lawyer. We go to court on Monday, and will be granted temporary custody until the adoption is finalized in the next few months. Mississippi finalizes all their adoptions here, and thankfully we won't have to travel back down for that, they will just send us the decree. They don't foresee any problems. Of course it is always a risk when the bio-dad isn't in the picture. They have been trying to find him, and the next step is to publish in the newspaper that they are looking for him. If he doesn't come forward in 30 days, they declare that his rights will be terminated. That is our fervent prayer for the next month. Our next prayer request is that if they do find him, he will sign off his rights and not make problems.
Well, I know this is short, especially for me, lol, but I want to get back to Daniel and Jim. Daniel was sleeping when I came down to have breakfast. Jim came down earlier while I was feeding Daniel. They need some bonding time too, :) We can already tell he loves us, the nurses were happy to see that he was so comfortable with us. Just a short note- we want to thank the NICU nurses for taking such good care of Daniel. We know its not an easy job, and its so hard not to become attached to the babies there. They are going to miss him, but we will send pictures!

Hopefully we can get some pictures posted later today. Again, thank you so much for your prayers. We ask that you continue to pray for Daniel's birth mother as she is grieving her loss. She knew this was the best decision for her son to have a life that she couldn't give him, and for that we are so thankful. We ask for travelling prayers as well, we are hoping to leave for home on Tuesday, provided our travelling papers come through.

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen"

On our way to meet Daniel

2009-01-29T08:43:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

I'm not sure what the weather is like in NW Iowa this morning but what an incredible sight last night as we traveled further down I-55 in Missouri.
Our trip to Mississippi began at 6 o'clock yesterday (Wednesday) morning. The roads and weather were great until early yesterday evening until we went about 30 miles south of Cape Girardea, MO. Even in the dark, the downed power lines and broken trees were humbling to see. This too is a display of God's power over creation. What a mighty God we serve. Due to the power outages further south, we ended up venturing back north on I-55 about 30 miles to get gas and find a motel. Gas we found, after waiting in line for a while. As far as a motel, there was no room at the inn. However, God did place in our path a wonderful motel receptionist who, after saying that she had no rooms available, proceeded to call other motels in the area to see if they had any cancellations. After calling a motel about 10 miles further north there was a room available for us due to someone cancelling for last night. Again, God is obviously watching over us.
We are now about 4 hours from Tupelo, MS and seeing Daniel for the first time. What a happy moment it will be when we get to see and hold that little boy :). Because of the weather, the time schedule for today is a bit up in the air. We were scheduled to be in Tupelo early this afternoon to spend some time with Daniel and then I am supposed to take a CPR class at 4 PM.
We get to spend tonight in the hospital with Daniel and then tomorrow we have reservations in a nearby motel for a few days. The way it looks now, we will be going to court on Monday morning to get temporary custody of Daniel. It is our understanding that he will be released from the hospital to us at that time ( as long as all of the hospital paperwork is in order).
We got a chance last night to talk to Daniel's social worker in Mississippi. She said she had talked to the director at New Horizons in the last couple days and the Iowa travel papers normally do not take very long to be written up, the blessings just seem to keep pouring out for us.
We are not totally sure when we will start heading back home again. Our hope is that we can leave Tupelo on Tuesday and see where we get from there. It will be a new and exciting experience traveling with a baby. I can just see some of you cringing at my excitement over this. :)

Items for prayer: If you are reading this on Thursday morning I would ask that you pray for us as we travel down I-55 in a little while. Pray that the roads might be open and clear (I-55 was closed for a while yesterday because of fallen powerlines over both the north and southbound lanes. Over the next several days for please be in prayer that the paperwork will all be done quickly and efficiently. Early next week please be in prayer that the weather and roads will be good so that we can return home safely and in due time.

P.S. I would like to offer all of you a word of thanks for all the prayers that have been offered on our behalf. Many of you have been praying for years that God would bless us with a child or children. Our prayers are with all of you as well. Not knowing sometimes who has needs and what those needs are we continue to bring our prayer warriors before God in our conversations with him.

P.S.S. Just in case this post sounds like rambling, we could blame it on the excitement that lies ahead of us today. Most likely though it's because of the fact that DeAnn let me write it. She's better at these kinds of things than I am but I feel guilty when I don't help her out by expressing my thoughts once in a while during this wonderful/life changing adventure that we are on. God's Grace is truly sufficient for all our needs. Have a blessed day.

In Christ,

Jim and DeAnn

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!!

2009-01-26T10:27:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,
I've got some news!!!!! :) We will be going to pick up our son this week in Mississippi!! YAY!!!!! I'm a little excited (Jim is too, lol). So if I wander in my thinking here you'll have to forgive me, lol. All this has happened so fast I've feel like I've hardly had time to breathe. But I will start at the beginning. Jim took me out for dinner and a movie on Sat. night for my birthday (which is today), and neither of us had our cell phones on- big mistake, lol. So we went to Walmart after dinner and looked around and got some groceries. We got home around 11pm. There was a message on our machine and all it said was "Jim & DeAnn- give me a call as soon as you get this" The voice sounded familiar so Jim thought he would check my e-mail and sure enough there was a note from our worker to call her right away, but only if we got home before 10:30. Then we figured we better check our cell phones and sure enough there was messages on those too. So we had to wait until 8am Sunday morning to call her. She said there was a little boy in Mississippi who needed a home, were we interested? Uh, yeah! Of course we were, lol. So we got all the details and then decided we better get ready for church, lol. Once we got home from church we were able to talk with his social worker and she gave us all the information that we needed. So here's the scoop.

We have named our son Daniel James. He was born on Jan 9 weighing 3 lbs 6 oz and was 16 inches long. He is not considered a premature baby because he was born at 39 weeks. The Dr. believes his low birth weight is because the birth mother did not have the nutrition she should have had while pregnant. Apparently she didn't really gain any weight. But all his tests came back good, he needs to weigh 4 lbs before we can take him home. We are planning to leave on wed. morning. Heidi said it should be about a 14 hour drive.

I've been on the phone pretty much all morning trying to finalize different plans, getting the money in order, insurance taken care of and trying to find a preemie car seat. Apparently there is a special car seat for babies under 5 pounds. I have a lead on one in Des Moines and am waiting to hear back from her.

Wow, I am just frazzled at this point, but its a wonderful feeling. We are so looking forward to bringing Daniel home and starting our life as a family!! We can't wait to show him off to everyone!!!

Once we get to Tupelo, we will have to spend the night in the hospital with Daniel and have the nurses and Dr. show us different things, all the new parent things, not that we don't know how to give a baby a bath and change his diaper etc, but its standard for all new parents. Jim will also have to take a CPR class (I am already certified for daycare so I just need to show them my card). While we are there, we will also be going to court to have temporary custody given to us. In a call earlier this morning, apparently Miss. does things a little differently and the state of Miss. takes care of finalizing the adoption. So, once our follow up visits from our worker are done (those are at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months), the adoption will be complete. Yeah!!! That will be awesome! Once Daniel is discharged from the hospital we will take him to our hotel room and stay there until our travel papers are ready and we can come home.

We thank everyone for their prayers and words of encouragement. We can't tell you how much they have meant to us! We ask for continued prayers as we travel to bring our son home- for travelling safety and good health for all of us. We would also ask that you think of the Dr.s and nurses who have taken such wonderful care of Daniel while he has been in the hospital, and for his social worker Renae who has cared for him and visited him every day. We also ask you to remember his birth mother, who gave him life rather than ending her pregnancy. Pray for peace for her as well, it couldn't have been easy leaving her son at the hospital.

We will try and keep this updated and get some pictures on here as soon as we can. Again thank you all so much!!

" For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29.11

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him." 1Samuel 1:27

Introducing...Nala :)

2009-01-22T08:17:00.000-06:00

Good morning everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful day we had yesterday. I am again playing with putting photos on here and how to do different things. Let me introduce you to Nala. Some of you know her, lol, but not everyone has had the privilege of meeting her. She looks like she is mad in this pic, but she really doesn't like having her picture taken, I think the flash bothers her. She is a pug, in case you can't tell from the pic. I have had her since April 2001, so she will be 8 years old on Feb. 19. Wow, that seems like such a long time. She is showing her age lately, she is going "gray". Which is actually white. Under her chin, on her belly and legs, and even her eyelashes are white. I got her before I met Jim, and he puts up with her (because he loves me, lol). I just think back on the years that I have had her and as silly as it sounds, she has been a good friend to me. I keep thinking back to the good times we had growing up with our dog Nicky. I want our children to have that experience as well.

Not a whole lot new to report. We got an e-mail from Shaohannah's Hope foundation asking for some follow up information as they consider our grant application. I don't know if this is good or bad, we'll keep praying that we are granted financial assistance from them. We are also working on several others at this time. I have had such a cold for the last week or so that I haven't done much of anything. But, today I do feel a little better. I was going to go to Rock Valley yesterday afternoon when Carson left, but I just didn't have the energy. I ached all over and the coughing is horrible. I have spent the better part of the last three nights in my recliner. I can breathe better when I am not laying flat. I am SO ready for this cold to be over. I just hope Jim doesn't get it.

We again want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Please continue to pray for the birth mother of our child and the wonderful thing she will be doing for us. Pray for that child that God has set aside for us. We ask that you pray for good health for us and our soon to be child as well. We ask for prayers for patience as well, it is so hard to wait, you can't imagine how hard.

One more thing, I got the following poem from my wonderful friend Heidi and thought I would share it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you God, for wonderful friends!!!

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

By Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin''I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect, My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain..I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!'

Pretty is as Pretty does... But beautiful is just plain beautiful!

Thank you Heidi, for sharing this with me.

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Let's try this again...

2009-01-15T14:48:00.000-06:00

Earlier today I tried posting a new message and I was almost finished with it, and it disappeared. AARRRGGG. LOL, not really a big deal. There's not a whole lot new to report. I added this picture to see if I could figure out how to add them before we bring baby home. It would be horrible if we couldn't post pictures for all of our family and friends to see!! :) This is a very special place for Jim & I. This is Snoqualame Falls in Washington state. Jim took me here in 2002 when I first went to meet his family. It was here that he proposed. From where this picture was taken, we are standing on an observation deck. He didn't propose right there in public, there were way too many people around, he waited until we got back to his pickup and pulled out a box and gave it to me. I opened the box and there was a teacup and saucer with Precious Moments on it. (I collect teacups and I love Precious Moments stuff) I didn't see the ring in the cup and almost dumped it out of the cup, lol. It was so cute, I could tell he was nervous, lol. Of course I accepted. :) I often think back to that day and thank God for bringing Jim into my life. I often wonder about the day we see our baby for the first time, too. I know there will be tears, there's tears now just thinking about it. Joyous tears. I can't wait for that day to come!! Its the waiting that's the pits. But, I know that God has a child chosen especially for us and in His time that child will come to us.

Its a cold, cold day here in NW Iowa. It was -19 last night when I took Nala out at 10pm. When we got up this morning it was-23, or something like that. It really doesn't matter when it gets that cold does it? LOL We didn't have school yesterday, we had some snow and blowing the night before and I wonder if the gravel roads were not cleared. It seemed like an OK day. We decided to go to Wal-mart and look at paint samples for the baby's room and the kitchen/dining room area. There was some drifting snow when we came home, but other than that it was just cold. Hopefully we can agree on a color together, we each have our own strong opinions you know, lol.

We had a busy week last week. On Tuesday when I went to the freezer to grab a bag of tater tots, I realized they were sort of thawed. I checked some other stuff in there and it was all thawed. I checked the fridge and the temp in there was a bit higher than it should be. So, I called someone to come and check it out and started cleaning it all out. Most of the freezer stuff was not salvageable, a lot of the fridge stuff went in the trash as well. When all was said and done, between the cost to fix it and $ total of food I ended up throwing away it cost us several hundred dollars. Then the heater in Jim's pickup decided not to work. Turned out being the blower motor. January isn't starting off too good, lol.

In my last post I mentioned that we had one a Family Life Weekend to Remember. This last Saturday night we went to a get together to become more acquainted with the things Family Life does in our area. We are very excited to do something like this together. This group volunteers at the Sioux Falls Weekend to Remember, and has a booth at Life Light over Labor Day weekend. They do other fundraising stuff as well. If you are interested, check out the website http://www.familylife.com/ By the way, have you all seen the movie Fireproof? If not, I highly recommend seeing it. Anyone doing the Love Dare?? If you've seen the movie you'll understand the Love Dare :)

Last Thursday night we went to the Katelyn's Fund support group. This is a local foundation that helps couples with their adoption expenses. I met a woman who is with the same agency as we are (New Horizons Adoption Agency). Her and her husband are the first couple at NHAA going through the Liberia program. They are adopting a little boy and just found out they will be travelling soon- probably in the next week or so. I am very excited for them, and they brought a video so everyone could see him (he is soooo cute!!) I have to say that after talking with her for a while, my heart is much lighter. I have been a bit down that it seems to be taking so long, when in essence, its only been a little over a month that our home study has been approved. We started this process last April/May. Its really not a long time, but sure seems like it. Anyway, she was just so sure and positive that it won't be long for us, and for that I thank her! I needed that reassurance.

On that positive note, we again thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue to uphold our child's birth mother in your prayers. My heart just hurts for this person, pray that she finds peace with her decision and know that she has made the correct choice in giving her child life and parents that will love and adore them. Pray for our child, the child God has chosen for us to bring home at His time. Pray for Jim and I, that we are patient while we wait for this wonderful gift.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" Hebrews 10:36

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T11:07:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year to all!! Not much to report, but we really didn't think there would be being as the holidays were upon us. We have had a couple small set backs, but that has all been fixed now. Our set backs were miscommunication between the agencies, etc. I had sent our photo CD to North Carolina to have them put our profile on their website and they said they didn't get it. So we made another one and sent it out. They also hadn't gotten our home study from our agency, but like I said its all taken care of now. Its very frustrating to have these little hold ups, and its very discouraging. I am not liking the waiting so much anymore. Everything is done and now we wait, I never thought it would be so hard! But as I think about it, even though it has been a short time with this agency (8 months), we have waited a lifetime. You know, as you grow up you have plans for your future, of course God is the only one who knows what your future holds, but from the time I was little I knew all I wanted was to have a big family and be a wife and a mom. Sometimes I feel like I wasn't meant to have all that. I know I have a great husband, he's the man God chose for me and I love him more than words can say, but that ache for a child has never diminished. As we wait and don't hear anything the doubts set in. More so for me than Jim, I don't know how he stays so positive and keeps uplifting me and my negative thoughts. I worry about everything... I worry we won't be chosen, that no one will like our profile, that the money won't be there when we need it-if we need it. I could go on and on. But Jim keeps me on track and helps me so I don't focus on all that negative stuff. We have had such a great time together this Christmas break! We have done some travelling( to my grandma's for our family get together and then to my mom's for a day), we also decorated in the house a bit- we hadn't really put up any of our decorations since moving here, just in the living room, so now we have other stuff put up, but for the most part we have just bummed around, lol. Its been great! I am so glad we had this time together, once school starts on Monday he will be occupied with basketball games, and getting his grades done as the end of the quarter will be here soon. As I write he is putting the last coat of paint in our entryway. We were going to take today and go out and about, but the weather forecasts were not so good, so we had our day out yesterday. It is kind of raining/sleeting right now. When I took the dog out this morning the driveway was already slick.

As I close this post, we again ask for your prayers. Please continue to pray for the birth mother of our child. I can't stress this enough, she is doing such a wonderful thing for us, yet she will be heartbroken in the end. I only hope that knowing she is putting her child in a loving home will be some comfort for her. I ask that you pray for us as a couple, that we have the patience we need to finish this journey. I ask for your prayers as well, that I can stay positive and not let things get me down. Thank you for all your prayers and support, we truly appreciate them!

Oh, one last thing, in early December when Hull had their Winter fest celebration we signed up for and won the Weekend to Remember from Family Life. Being where we are in the adoption process, we aren't sure when we will be able to go, but if nothing has happened by the end of March we will be attending the conference in Minneapolis. They are willing to work with us on finding a weekend that will work if we have a placement before the conference. We know several people who have gone to this conference and they highly recommend it.

" My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:8

"The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." Psalm 145:14

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

It's About Time!!!!/What's in a Name?

2008-12-21T14:15:00.001-06:00

Up until now it has been DeAnn who has done all the writing on our blog. She has done an excellent job of passing on our progress to you all. However, I figured I should finally do my part and post something.
As I sit here at the computer it's a cold Sunday afternoon. Our church services for this morning and afternoon have been cancelled. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am ready for spring. I enjoy seeing the snow fall and am reminded of God's continued activity in, and care over, creation. How could anyone say that all of what we see in the world around us, from the snow that falls to the flowers that grow in springtime, occur by chance or accident.
Over the last several days DeAnn and I have talked a lot about adoption and how God has led us to this point. There have been many decisions that we have made, much work that has been done, and now we wait.
Those of you who know me well know that I can be skeptical and more pessimistic than optimistic at times. However, I have been challenged to think about my perspective on certain things lately. DeAnn and I have been talking a lot lately about different baby names. Here's where it gets interesting: By the way, before you have me committed to the nearest psych ward please hear me out. I am not one to put a lot of value in dreams but I had one recently that really threw me for a loop. I won't give you all the details lest you really think I lost my mind. Part of the dream included a name given by a birth mother to a baby. I have no idea where the name came from as I had never heard it before. While looking online recently at baby names and meaning, I came across a variation of the name in my dream. The meaning of the name is "GIFT from God". This could be pure coincidence, however I believe that there is some substance/significance to it. The child that we bring home will truly be a gift from God. This is something that both DeAnn and I know, but what a neat reminder to me of God's hand in this whole adoption process.
The following is my favorite Bible verse and is a constant source of hope:Deuteronomy 5:29 "Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and their descendants forever.

Cold enough for ya??

2008-12-16T08:32:00.000-06:00

Oh the weather outside is frightful... you know the rest. We really don't have a lot to report at this time, just thought I would post something. The weather, as I said, is awful. Right now it is snowing, not so hard, just small little flakes, but there is more scheduled to come. Yesterday was very cold, I don't think it got above zero degrees. The wind made it worse, of course. I wasn't going to venture out but I ended up going to the post office and the grocery store.

Last Thursday night we went to the Kaitlyn's Fund support group. It is a local organization that helps couples with the expenses of adoption through grants. They have a website if you would like to check it out. www.kaitlynsfund.org
Anyway, they meet once a month and have speakers and its just a time we as adoptive parents can get together with others who have, or are in the process of adopting. The speakers they had were wonderful. A couple from Sioux City who have adopted 7 children. It was amazing to hear their story, as we sit here and wonder if it will ever happen, its nice to see and hear from someone who has experienced it all. We just have to remember.. its all in God's time.

Well, its only nine more days until Christmas. I'm still wondering how I am going to get everything done. I want to get some things baked yet, otherwise I am done with the shopping and such. We went light this year, with the expenses we have coming up, and the fact that Christmas has become too commercialized, we decided to focus on the real reason for Christmas- the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All too often Christmas is about the gifts, and we forget the most precious gift of all- Jesus. So this year, wish someone a Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays.

As I sit here watching the snow fall, drinking a cup of coffee (yummmmm), I can't help but wonder what next year at this time might be like. God willing we will have our baby home and celebrating their first Christmas. It really makes me anxious, not to mention emotional. But then emotional pretty much describes my state of mind lately. I can cry at the drop of a hat, lol. Especially to these Christmas movies and specials, and the music, well I am pretty much a goner with the music, lol. But, I do wonder what next year will be like.

Again, we thank you all so much for the prayers said on our behalf. We ask that you continue to remember our child's birth mother, I can't stress how important it is to pray for this woman. I keep putting myself in her shoes and wonder at the feelings she must be going through in trying to make this difficult decision, so please pray for her. We ask for prayers for our child as well, that he/she is healthy. We again ask for prayers for patience, it is so hard to wait- so hard!! But we know that during this whole process, God has a plan, and sometimes there are lessons we have to learn from those plans (does that make sense?). Thank you all so much for everything!

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord"
Luke 2:9-11

Our first grant response...

2008-12-08T10:10:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we got a response from the one grant that we could send in without a copy of our home study. Unfortunately, we were not awarded a grant. The letter said they had 140 applications with over a million dollars in requests. We really didn't expect to get anything from this one, it was a long shot but we thought it couldn't hurt to try. It's still a bit discouraging. I wrestled with even sending an application in, simply because it was not a Christian based organization. But, we are not losing hope, we have about 6 more to send in yet, but I am waiting to get our copy of the home study to include in the applications. God will provide!
We got our Christmas tree up this past weekend. I love to sit and just have the lights from the tree and decorations on, its very relaxing! Hull had our Winterfest celebration this weekend so we went and checked out the craft fair and went to the pancake supper. It was so cold and windy on Saturday. I also got our Christmas cards done this weekend, now I just need to get to the post office and mail them off.
There's not much else new to report. We thank you all for the prayers and ask that you continue to pray for the birth mother of our child, for our financing to come through at the appointed time and for Jim and I as a couple. There are so many things that require our attention that sometimes we put ourselves and each other last. We continually pray for patience and wisdom and the ability to keep our minds focused on the tasks at hand. We thank God every day for all of you, our friends and family, who love us and keep praying for our soon to be family. May you all have a blessed Christmas season!

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

And now...we wait

2008-11-25T07:55:00.000-06:00

Our home study is done, our books are with the agencies and there is really nothing left to do but wait. Before there was always another step to take, but now we have done what needs to be done. There's not a whole lot new to report but I thought I would post a little something. We are going to my mom's in Willmar for the weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. Maybe we will even be brave and go shopping early Friday morning, if there is anything on sale that we need or is such a good deal we can't pass it up, lol. Our thoughts lately have been like this "do we need this or is it a want?" Its amazing what you can actually do without, even if you think you need it. For the most part I have all of our grant applications filled out, I am just waiting for our home study to be delivered so we can put copies in them and mail them off. Its all in God's hands.
At this point we ask for prayers for the birth mother of our future child. The more I think about what she is doing for us, the more my heart breaks for her. She needs our prayers! Pray that our financing will come through, in God's time, not ours. I also ask that you pray for me. As we have gotten closer to the end, I have had such trouble sleeping. I go to sleep and within an hour or two I wake up and have a hard time falling back to sleep, this goes on all night long. I can't remember the last time I had a full nights sleep. Maybe God is preparing me for getting up with a baby in the middle of the night :) Please pray for us as a couple- that we have patience until God brings our child to us.
We thank you all so much for everything, especially prayer. It is so comforting knowing that there are people all over praying for us and our child to be. We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

" But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:25

Site problems?

2008-11-13T08:04:00.000-06:00

Its been been brought to my attention by several people that when you try to post a comment, its not working. I don't know what to tell you- it must be some sort of problem with the site. I do believe you need to have a google or yahoo account and password, but I think you can set that up with prompts from the blog site. Otherwise, if you wanted to post a comment and that's not working for you, you can send an e-mail directly to us. By our picture there is a link to our full profile, click on that and then click on the left hand side where it says e-mail. That will send it directly to us. I will give our e-mail address here as well.
Not much else is new, we're working on grant apps. We thank you all for the prayers you send up on our behalf!

djpug55@hotmail.com

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

Finally...Adam Walsh checks are back!!

2008-11-11T17:24:00.000-06:00

We're so excited!! Our Adam Walsh background checks are back- our worker is putting the finishing touches on our home study and sending it to the agency. Thank you so much for your prayers!! Now we get to wait to be chosen, lol. Hopefully that won't be too long, only as long as God has planned. So now I am getting the rest of our grant applications put together so when we get our copy we can just make copies and send them off.
Again, we ask for your continued prayers for the birth mother of our child and her family. We also ask that as we send out these grant applications, we qualify for something to help us out in this journey. We also ask for prayers for us, as we get closer and closer, we need to have patience. Its not as easy as you might think. But, we know God is in charge and it will happen in His time!

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful, I know that full well" Psalm 139:14

Goin' shopping

2008-11-03T19:13:00.000-06:00

As we get closer to bringing our baby home, I've really come to enjoy something- shopping! Now that may sound horrible to some of you, but for someone who has spent most of her adult life buying baby gifts for someone else's baby- this is very exciting for me to be buying for our own child! We have been picking up little things here and there, some sleepers, a package of diapers & wipes, onesies, a diaper bag, you get the picture. We went to Rock Valley this past Saturday, hoping to pick up a crib we had seen the week before. It was a nice crib, but I hesitated because I thought that being as it was $30- there must be something wrong with it. I should have listened to Jim- it was gone. So I kicked myself all the way home, and for a better part of the afternoon, lol. So, we continue to look for a crib. I'm not too worried about it, we'll have the baby in a bassinet in our room for a while anyway, I just want to be able to get a room ready at some point. I found the cutest little Precious Moments blanket with Noah's Ark on it at Wal-mart, too. We found out that when we take physical custody of the baby, all the baby will have is the outfit it is wearing, one bottle, and one pacifier. They will also send any opened can of formula. This doesn't surprise me, yet it does. Which is why we have been looking and pricing things and picking up things here and there. But it doesn't matter what they come with, its what they will have when they become ours- lots and lots of love!!!
Now I don't want you to think that I am spending all kinds of money, that's not the case. I like to look, and look, and look some more, lol, and then I compare prices and see where I can get the best deal! I can't believe how much stuff you need for a baby, lol.
Well, this being the eve of another election, I urge all of you to go out and vote and to pray for the man that God has already planned to be our next president. We might not like the outcome, but we still need to pray for that man. Again we thank you for the prayers said on our behalf and on behalf of our future child. We again ask for prayers that our Adam Walsh checks come through in a timely fashion, and pray for the mother of our child- put yourself in her shoes and think about how she is feeling and will feel when surrendering that precious gift from God.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything , by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God"~Phil 4:6

Home study complete!!

2008-10-31T16:44:00.000-06:00

Well, our last home study visit is done. Things went well, I hope, lol. No, it all went well. Now we wait some more. All of the background checks have come back, except for the Adam Walsh check. That usually takes about 8 weeks, and we are about 5 weeks into that, so hopefully it won't be much longer. While we wait I will be busy completing some of our grant applications and other financing possibilities. While we have paid for a portion of this, the next bill will be the big amount- when we pick up our child. Its scary, but we know that in God's time, He will provide.

At this time we would ask for prayers that our Adam Walsh would go through a little quicker, and that financing will be made available to us. We ask that you continue to pray for the birth mother of our child and her family, that they will be able to get through this tough time in their lives and know that the decision they made will help their child to have a better life.

Last home study

2008-10-27T07:13:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that our last home study has been rescheduled for this Thursday night. I am not completely sure what happens after that, I do know that our Adam Walsh background checks have not come through yet, and until they do, I don't believe we will be able to do much of anything except wait. We're pretty good at that, lol. I know a lot of people have been wondering how and what to pray for, and we are so appreciative for those prayers, I think today I would ask that you pray for our back ground checks to go through quickly. Also, pray for the birth mother of our future child, she is doing such a wonderful thing and it will be very difficult for her and her family. We are also praying that our financing will come through as soon as our home study is done as well. Again, we thank you all for joining us in this journey.

Things don't always go as planned

2008-10-23T08:01:00.000-06:00

Just thought that we would let you know, we were supposed to have our last home study last night but our worker called and wasn't able to make it because of illness. So we will be rescheduling it for sometime next week. Thank you for all your prayers!
I was looking at my last post and didn't realize it was so long- I apologize. I tend to be a little wordy at times, lol. Please bear with me, I have a lot to say sometimes. Of course talking to 2 & 3 year olds all day might have something to do with that, lol. As soon as I know when the home study will be I will post it. Again, thanks so much for all your prayers!

What's in a name?

2008-10-22T09:32:00.000-06:00

As we get closer to bringing a baby home, we have been thinking of names. Maybe me more so than Jim, but I think that's a woman thing. Anyway, I've gone through several different ones, writing lists, putting together middle names with first ones. Its hard! We want one that means something, one that is maybe a family name, yet one that we can be sure the child is seen as an individual. I want one that is sort of unique, but not outrageous. No celebrity baby names for us, lol. There are too many to pick from! I know, or think, that maybe the birth mom will want to help pick a name, as a middle name- we're okay with that. Any suggestions?

Last Saturday we went to Sioux Falls to have our profile books copied. I had called several places Friday night explaining to them what we wanted and got quotes on how much it would cost. All except Kinko's said it would take several days, which meant a second trip back to get them. We really didn't want, or have time, to do that. But Kinko's said they could do it in a couple of hours so we decided to bring it there. We got there early, and went in and had our hopes dashed. The lady working said there was no way they could get done that day (we needed 5 copies of the book). They were short handed that day. Then she started just ringing up what she thought we wanted and when she said $600, we said no thanks we'll go somewhere else. She then went through and asked what it was that we wanted and came up with a more reasonable price. Even so, we had to decide what to do about having to wait a couple of days. North Carolina wanted 2 books by Wed. (today) to show to a birth mom, so we had them ship those books there directly, and had the others shipped to our house. I had a very hard time just leaving our book, the only copy I have, there at the store and really resisted the urge to call and make sure they did things the way I wanted them done. Sometime you just have to leave it up to God- so that's what I did. But it was SO hard, lol. Anyway, the books were delivered Tues. and they look good. The only problem was that they messed up the very first page. Our cover page is a picture of Jim and I, and when you turn the page, Jim's letter to the birth mom was supposed to be on the back side of the page, but it wasn't. It was the same as the front cover. I was so upset, the letter is a very important part of the book. I waited to do anything about it until Jim got home from school, then I called to see what could be done. We were hoping that they had made a copy of our original book and kept it in their files, but they didn't. If they have a hard copy, they don't save a copy at the store. We were thinking they could just make a new copy of what was messed up, but they couldn't. So I am still trying to figure out what to do with it, I think we are just going to print out a copy from our files (good thing we saved them, lol) and put it in the book with a little note. We'll see what our worker thinks. I sent North Carolina an e-mail right away and let them know the mistake, and sent a copy of Jim's letter for them to print and put with the book. I hope this works out. Other than that the book looks pretty good. Please pray that the birth moms that look at it understand that things happen that are out of our control, and won't hold it against us.

Well, its raining here in NW Iowa. We didn't go to Coffee Break this morning. I didn't want to walk in the rain with 3 kids, and I don't have enough car seats for all of them. They were disappointed, and kept asking if we could go, would keep looking to see if it was still raining. I am glad they enjoy going, plus its a nice out for me too.

Tonight is our last home study visit. Hopefully our Adam Walsh background checks will be done soon, and we can get the process completed and the grant applications in the mail. I have a couple I still need to fill out, but its been so busy these last two weeks, and the next few don't look any better. I have quite a few daycare trainings I am taking, trying to get most of my hours in before the baby comes, not that I couldn't once the baby is here, but it would just be simpler to get it done. Plus, they don't hold that many trainings in our area and I don't want to drive more than 15-30 miles to get to them. I need to have 32 hours to keep my registration and Child Net certification. Anyway, there are several in the next couple of weeks. Please pray that everything goes well for the home study and the daycare trainings. I don't like to drive at night, and most of them are after the kids leave.

I need to apologize for something in my last entry. I said a big thank you foes out to my mother in law and my aunt for helping with the profile scrapbook, it should have said "goes". Spell check didn't catch that, and neither did I! Sorry mom and Evon!! Again we want to thank you for all your prayers. I think from the happenings in the last week or so, it will be a lot sooner that we make a trip to pick up our child and bring them home, things are moving much more quickly than we thought they would. We'll keep you updated.

The closer we get...

2008-10-16T13:50:00.000-06:00

Not a whole lot to report for while. I have been busy filling out grant applications. We are hoping to qualify for these grants, as they are pretty much the way we are hoping to finance this adoption. We do have a couple other options, but we are praying that we qualify for something! Our second home study went well, and our last one is this coming Wed. night. On Saturday we are going to go to Sioux Falls and get our profile books completed (color copied, laminated and bound). All I need is the picture of Jim and I for the cover of our book- then its done! Yeah!! Well, we have to finish our letter to the birth mom yet, but that's almost done. I found I didn't really like scrap booking much. Maybe after the baby I will enjoy it a little more, when I am not under so much pressure to get it done. I shouldn't have procrastinated - then I wouldn't feel so pressured. Its no ones fault but my own. I wouldn't be as far as I am without the help of Jim's mom and my aunt Evon- a big THANK YOU foes out to them!!

We covet your prayers at this time. Please pray for the birth mom and her family- I can't imagine what she is going through or will be going through, but I know she needs our prayers. Please pray that our Adam Walsh background checks come back in a timely fashion. Please pray that, if its God's will, our financing will all fall into place when its supposed to. Please pray for Jim and I as we prepare to enter this stage of the process- for patience and understanding, and wisdom, too. We truly thank you for all your prayers and support!

What would you do for your child?

2008-10-08T06:15:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about how happy we will be when we finally bring our baby home. The thought of it brings happy tears to my eyes. This is something we've hoped for, prayed for, since we were first married. We talked about having a big family. Adoption even came up once in a while as a way to add to our family. We make plans, often forgetting that we are not the ones in charge of our lives, God is. He has a plan for our lives. But during this whole time of struggle, the waiting, the paperwork, more waiting, etc, I lost sight of something very important. For us to be happy and have our child, there is going to be someone who is going to be very heartbroken. I never thought of our child's birth mother and how she is going to feel walking out of that hospital without the baby. Adoption is such a gift, and she is giving us, and her child such a wonderful gift- the gift of being a family. I wonder how these birth moms go on afterwards, when their hearts are breaking. They are giving their child the best gift they can, a family who will love them and be able to take care of their daily needs- a stable loving home- something that she recognizes that she isn't able to give them. This doesn't mean she doesn't love the child, this means she loves that child so much that she is thinking of their needs before her own. What an unselfish act of love!! So, I ask you to pray for the birth mother of the child God has in mind for us, and for her family as well. This is a very difficult time in their lives and they need all our prayers.

One more thing, I don't know if you realized it or not, but you can leave a message for us on this site. We would love to hear from you!!! At the bottom of each post there is the word "comment", just click on that and follow the prompts. Also, you can sign up to get an e-mail alert when I write a new post. For now I won't be writing something everyday. As we get closer and have more to report, then I will be updating more often. Again, we thank you for your support and prayers!

Answers to the mysteries of life

2008-10-03T17:03:00.000-06:00

We started Coffee Break on Wednesday morning. We are studying Ephesians. One of the first things the book says is " You are about to embark on a difficult study." We know that Paul composed this letter under house arrest in Rome, while he was awaiting trial. The intro in the study says that he lived in a house and was free to accept visitors and to correspond with people, but was probably chained to a guard at all times. Unlike some of his other letters, Ephesians was not written because of a problem with the church, rather, Paul describes what God has in mind for the church by explaining its history. Once his readers understood God's design for the church, they would more likely be interested in the implications for the personal lives. Which leads to the question: What does God have in mind for my life? I've often asked myself this question, sometimes during trials and storms, sometimes during praises and sunshine. My gut instinct is to ask questions. Why does God let things happen, why do bad things have to happen to me? I think we've all asked questions like these. I know God has a plan for my life, as well as those people in my life. We all ask questions and want answers, the only thing is, we don't like the answers we get sometimes. For the past five years my question to God has been why can't we have a baby? Over and over again I wonder if I have done something wrong, why can everyone else can have a baby but I can't. Unless you have been through the battle, you can't understand what I have been through. When we got married, I figured we would start our family right away, but God had other plans. As the years, and heartaches , went by, I gave up asking the question. I just figured it wasn't meant to be and it wasn't going to happen. I became a little bitter. I would plaster a smile on my face and pretend to be happy when friends and family members announced pregnancies, don't get me wrong- I was happy for them, its just that I had to put that smile on my face because if I didn't I was going to lose it. I don't write this to make anyone feel bad, I love all our nieces and nephews, but you can't imagine the hurt I felt. This is something I haven't really ever talked about with anyone except my wonderful-loving and understanding husband ( and 2 of the most wonderful friends a woman can have- Heidi & Karen). Jim got to see the tears and heartbreak, he felt it too for himself. It isn't just the woman who is affected when miscarriages happen, it takes two to make a child, and it hurt him just as much. All my life, all I ever really wanted was to be married and have a house full of kids. I am getting a little off track here- there was something in our Coffee break lesson that really struck me and I've been thinking about it for the last two days. We were discussing the issue of how God answers prayers and our need, as humans, to know the answers for everything. One of the ladies brought up a Bible verse. Deuteronomy 29:29." The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." God doesn't want us to know the answers to everything, we wouldn't need Him if we had all the answers. That's the mystery - God doesn't reveal the answer until its time His time. I don't know why this struck me or why I felt the need to share. All I know is that once I gave it all to God, I felt so much better. It still hurt when people announced they were having babies, but it didn't bring me to instant tears and jealousy any more. This was about the time God stepped in and brought us to New Horizons Adoption Agency. The rest of the story will follow soon, God willing. One last thing on this- never give up hope. Its all a downward spiral from there, if you can't hope for something- what is left? We begin to let everything go- our attitudes, our relationships with those we love, our overall general attitude of life. Nothing matters anymore- we do what we have to to get by. That's not the way God wants us to live our lives. Like the song says... Praise God from whom all blessings flow... we know the rest but sometimes, as I am sure you'll find out, music is very important to me and I'll probably be quoting song lyrics before long, lol.
One last thing, we have our second home study this coming Tues night (Oct 7). Please pray that everything goes well. Also, we were told by the social worker that there is such a need for adoptive parents right now. For every couple wanting to adopt- there are 30 babies who need homes. With that said, we are hoping and praying this means that we won't have such a long wait for our baby, :) Anyway, if you know of anyone looking to adopt, who has been talking about it, thinking about it, have them contact New Horizons. It will change their life!

Our adventures this far.

2008-09-30T14:53:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,
This is something new for us, and I hope I got this all right, lol. This is my first experience blogging, obviously.
We just wanted to bring everyone up to date on where we are in this whole adoption process. We have had many, many people ask us how we are doing and by setting up this blog, I hope we can help out everybody who is interested. First off I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We truly covet these as sometimes it seems like this is a never ending process. As far as the process and where we are: we have had our first of three homestudys. Our next one is on Oct. 7 and the last one on Oct. 22. Hopefully I will have our profile books done before then and they can begin to show them right away. Wait, they won't be able to show them until our homestudy is complete, and the homestudy won't be complete until all of our background checks come back. This can take quite a while, but I am hoping (and praying!) that this will be quick.
I have been working on our profile books, along with help from Jim's mom and my aunt Evon. Now its just to set it up and put some writing in it, then we both have to write a letter to the birth mom. We will then be taking it to Kinko's and having copies made.
I never knew there would be so much to do when adopting a baby. But with God's help, and your prayers, we have been able to get through everything so far. We ask for continued prayers as we get closer to bringing our baby home. It used to be that I had no hope of us having a family, I figured that adoption was too expensive for us to even consider. But, after talking and praying, and more talking and praying, we decided that if God wants us to have a family- He would provide for us. We still wonder how and where the money will come from, but we know in our hearts that God is in control.