The finish line is approaching—WE HAVE ANOTHER MATCH!

We got the GOOD NEWS last week that we've been chosen to adopt a baby girl that's due in less than eight weeks! 

We are very excited, but a little restrained in our excitement. Maybe because we've waited so long, or because we've experienced so many close calls; we are finding it's a little hard to "feel" like this is really happening. But the circumstances surrounding this potential adoption have the odds of us truly meeting our baby as favorable as they can be. 

So, in addition to our reserved excitement, we're also feeling a little nervous and a little anxious. We've been working and waiting for this day for quite a while, but it feels like there's so much that needs to be done and so little time to do it. We've kinda heard that's a normal feeling, for any parent-to-be :)

We have a nursery nearly ready; with just some "girl" touches to add, since we've kept it gender neutral. "We" also got a little ahead of ourselves and purchased some outfits that will be great in 6-12 months (but they are soooo adorable...). 

Thankfully we've already had some friends volunteer to let us borrow some newborn baby clothes, and we've had several friends offer tips for what we will need for the first couple days. We still don't want to go overboard, and we are mostly waiting for any baby showers in the case that things don't work out. So for now, we're planning to get the bare essentials to get us through the first little bit.

One thing that we are still praying to complete before the baby comes is our fundraising . We need close to $4,000 to finalize the adoption. God has been so good in providing nearly $18,000 through fundraising and donations of loving friends and strangers and we are trusting in Him to take us all the way. 

If you'd like to help take us to the finish line you can still make a donation through Paypal using the link on our blog's home page, or you give through our tax deductible fund set up through Lifesong for Orphans. 

Thank you for your prayers and for your support up to this point. Please continue to ask God with us for grace and provision, and for health and safety for our baby and her birth mom. 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

We are blessed!

Thank you to each person who participated in our recent Mary Kay fundraiser, hosted by our friends Candace Griffin and Lisa Morgan through our new friend Catie Sheppard, an independent Mary Kay consultant. Through product sales, raffles, giveaways, and other private donations we received over $1,700 towards our adoption. To God be the glory! It was remarkable to watch Him use so many new friends to pour out His blessings in perfectly unexpected ways.

And to all of you who prayed and gave, thank you! You are a blessing to us. 

Perfectly Timed Blessings!

So...we probably don't need to tell you that we haven't posted on the blog for a couple months. We'd love to say it's because we've been too busy adjusting to a new little baby demanding oodles of attention, but it's really because there's been no change at all since June. Except that we are two months closer to the day God's ordained for us to meet our adopted child.

It's been a little discouraging. Well, honestly it's been kinda heavy at times, just waiting. We wouldn't be telling the truth if we didn't say that there have been days we've questioned if our adoption is ever going to happen. But we started out trusting God that He would provide in His time, and there's absolutely no reason to stop trusting in the One who holds the whole world in His hands and who knows what's truly best.

And since He knows what's best, He knew we really needed some encouragement.

At just the time when we felt like we were stuck in a huge adoption journey life-pause, some friends surprised us with the idea of having another fundraiser, this time through Mary Kay; and it's given us some excitement and a reason to post on our blog again.

Caitie Sheppard, a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant and a friend of a friend, has volunteered to host an open house next Friday, August 22nd. The party goes from 6-9 and details can be found on the Facebook event page. Online orders can be placed on Catie's website between now and then. Proceeds from the sales at the party and online, as well as from other events planned to take place at the party, will go towards our adoption expenses.

We feel so blessed to have friends who sacrifice their time and resources to help support adoption.

We were also encouraged this week by a friend who lives across the country and learned of our adoption process through the Facebook post about this fundraiser and decided to give a VERY generous donation. God works in amazing ways!

And yet another reminder of His goodness was this timely and unexpected shout-out photo from the local Locklin Insurance Agency, where another sweet friend works. They recently purchased some of our shirts and wanted to encourage support for our adoption by posting the picture on their Facebook page today. That was a small act of kindness on their part but a gigantic blessing to us.

Please keep praying with us that God will provide the resources for our adoption and that He would grant us His continual grace to wait upon Him.

Also, please consider supporting us and our friends' efforts through this exciting upcoming Mary Kay fundraising event. Post it, share it, tell everyone you know about it...Who doesn't want to look good while doing good?

Thank you to all who have supported in whatever way possible. We will keep you posted.

Fundraiser update (and promo)...

BUY 2 GET 1 FREE!

We haven't put too much energy into any specific fundraiser efforts recently, but we have been receiving t-shirt orders every now and then. For those who have placed orders, we've been waiting until we reach 25 shirts to finalize the order so that we can get the best price (we apologize for the delay). We are a little short of that number, so we would like to try to speed up the process with a little promo.

If you would like an adoption t-shirt and have been holding off, or would like to get one for a friend, now would be a great time; we are going to offer a BUY 2 GET 1 FREE deal until June 20th. All you need to do is order two shirts as you normally would, and then add the details of your third order in the comments section at checkout.

We hope this will allow us to get the order finalized soon and start shipping out shirts to those of you who have already ordered.

Lifesong

Also, it may interest some to know that we are now working with Lifesong for Orphans to help aid in our fundraising efforts.  Lifesong is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and any gifts given toward our adoption are tax deductible.  100% of all funds raised will go directly to cover the adoption costs and nothing will be taken out for Lifesong for Orphans administrative costs.

If anyone would like to donate to our adoption through Lifesong, please consider these two options:


By Check

• Checks should be payable to “Lifesong for Orphans. In the memo, note “family name” and “family account number” (Thayer #4484) to assure it goes to the correct account. 
• Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744. 
• Lifesong has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all U.S. administrative and fund-raising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption. 

Online

• To pay online go to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate. 
• Select “Give to an Adoptive Family.” 
• Complete the online form and fill in “Family Account Number” and “Family Name” fields. 
• Note PayPal charges an administrative fee (2.9% + $.30 USD per transaction). Your donation will be decreased by the amount of this fee. 

Please also note the following:

• In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use. 
• Individual donations $250 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $250 will gladly be sent upon request. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. 

If you have any questions about the t-shirt promotion or the opportunity to donate through Lifesong, please let us know. 

Again, THANK YOU to all who have supported us through this journey!!!

Patiently Waiting on the Lord

We continue to wait...

hence the symbolic and kinda cute tortoise

Then said Christian, Now I see that Patience has the best Wisdom, and that upon many accounts: 1. Because he stays for the best things... (Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim’s Progress)

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. (Ps. 37:7)

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. (Ecc. 7:8)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jer. 29:11)

It's hard to believe it's been almost two months since we last posted. Since then we have had a couple situations arise where it seemed possible that were close to adopting; but it wasn't the Lord's timing and the situations were more tests of our faith and commitment than direct answers to our prayers. Without going into much detail, we were forced to consider our motives and solidify our decisions; both of which were necessary (though not too much fun).

So not very much has changed since March; except our faith is stronger, and we know we are closer now than we were then to meeting the child God has planned for us to welcome into our home.

A Bump in the Road

Our match isn't going to work out after all...

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the opportunity we were presented with to adopt a baby girl in June had to be called off. We received the call last week. The news was a little disappointing, mostly because we are now back to square one without an end date. But on the bright side, we are one day closer than we were yesterday; and we know that God is sovereign and that His will and timing are perfect. It just wasn't meant to be. 

So other than being unsure about the exact day of our adoption, which we really weren't that certain about anyway, we are pressing on and doing the same things that we have been. We are decorating the nursery, learning all that we can about adoption and parenting, and praying for God to continue to bless us with the resources to fully finance the adoption. We even have an infant parenting class scheduled in a few weeks. Suppose it will show us how to change a diaper?

A couple verses come to mind that have been a blessing to us at this time:

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. Psalm 18:30

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

We aren't discouraged because we know that God's way is perfect and that He will continue to give us the grace to accept His plan in His timing as we wait to be united with our precious little baby.

Fundraiser Update

James 1:17 tells us, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." So we would like to thank the Lord first for blessing our recent Jamberry Nail fundraiser which allowed us to raise another $875 towards our adoption!!! We would also like to thank our wonderful friend, Joanna, who donated her time and her earnings to help us reach our goals. And we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the 55 girls who participated in the event, spent over $2,500, and are now walking around America with beautifully decorated nails. The weeks of the fundraiser were an exciting time to watch our amazing God work through the hearts of so many loving people to take us one step closer to meeting our sweet baby. 

We would also like to publicly thank another friend whose manliness prevented him from jumping in on the nail decorating frenzy, but who generously donated $500 dollars to our adoption through the website. Unbelievable!

This brings our total commitment towards our adoption to a little over $15,100, with around $7,000 left to go. God is so good!

One more quick update has to do with out t-shirt orders. We know that several people have placed orders and are patiently waiting for them to arrive. We have been holding off on finalizing everything in order to see if we could get to a total of 25 shirts. We are still a few short, but either way the plan is to place the next order next Wednesday, March 5th. So if you are interested in another t-shirt, have been putting off your order, or know someone who you think might like one, please try to place your order before then. 

Thank you again for your support and especially for your prayers!

Placement Pending!!!

WE HAVE A MATCH!!! A birth mom has chosen us to adopt her baby girl, due in June. We are excited, sort of...

We truly are thrilled about the opportunity, but to be completely honest, it's a little hard to be incredibly excited because it just doesn't seem all that real.

We met with the birth mom a few weeks ago. Before going into the meeting we thought we would be nervous. But truthfully, we were so busy that we didn't have time to get nervous. In fact, the only feeling we remember that day was one of uncertainty. We just didn't know what to expect. We didn't know what we would say. We didn't know how we would act. But when we walked into the room to see each other for the first time we actually felt great peace. We had a good conversation. We shared one another's stories. We laughed some. And in the end, we both agreed that we would like to move forward, believing that if this is God's will that He will bless. We ended in prayer.

Once we left, life was exactly as it was the day before. And it's exactly the same now. We are still waiting. We continue to have great peace because we strongly believe that God is in control. We KNOW that He will unite us with the baby He wants us to bring into our home. We'd like to be certain that this baby girl is "the one" but we are all too aware of the possibilities.

So we continue on, trusting God. We are continuing to decorate a gender-neutral nursery. We continue to pray for God to bless us with the funds we need to fully finance the adoption. We continue to educate ourselves about adoption and parenting. And we continue to wait.

We really are excited. But it's a "cautious" excitement. It's a prayerful excitement. We're hopeful. We are still waiting...still waiting on God.

Thank you for your prayers. Be sure that we will keep you posted.

Jamberry Nails Adoption Fundraiser!

If you haven't already heard, another sweet friend is holding a fundraiser to help raise funds for our adoption. This one is really exciting for you girls out there who love pampering yourself from the comfort of your own home. You have until February 15th to check out this online Jamberry Nails party and place your orders for some super stylish nail designs!

To make it even more fun, this party has a twist. It's a Buy 3 Get 1 MYSTERY HOSTESS PARTY!!! What does that mean? It means that in the process of helping to raise support for our adoption, you also get the chance to win FREE REWARDS!

About this party:

1. It is all done ONLINE, and you can place your order any time between now and Feb 15.
2. No waiting for the party to end to get your items. They are shipped directly to YOU once the order is complete!
3. The products are amazing, but the cause is even better!
4. Please feel free to ask questions or post favorites.
5. Participate in games/trivia questions and have fun!
6. Say hello! Be social! Post a joke! This is a FUNdraiser after all!
7. Shop your heart out: http://joannanorton.jamberrynails.net and choose Thayer Adoption Fundraiser at checkout to support Shawn and Amanda!!!
8. ****BEST PART: At the end of the party, every person who has purchased a B3G1 on this party will be entered into a drawing to win all the hostess rewards that this Fundraiser earns!!! ****

For regular updates, you'll want to check out the fundraiser's Facebook page. You'll find fun games and lots of information about Jamberry Nails. 

Thanks again for all of your support!!!

Hope for the new year!

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (Lamentations 3:21-25 KJV)

These verses seemed fitting on New Year's morning as a great reminder to keep resting in God's goodness as we roll into 2014. Like many others, we've recently spent time looking back over the last year and recalling to mind how wonderfully merciful and faithful our Lord has been. This reflection has definitely given us hope for the new year and excitement as we anticipate the events that are to unfold as we continue to seek Him and His will for us in our adoption journey. And we can't wait to share it all with you!

Right now, we can't really give any specific updates relating to the adoption, but we can say that we've had a wonderful time over the last few weeks celebrating the holidays and visiting with family. We were able to take some time off from work to travel and see family up north, where we were definitely out of our "warm" comfort zone. It was ridiculously cold, but absolutely a blessing to be with those we love. Winston even came along, and had a blast (once he figured out it was ok to go "potty" in the snow).

Another treat was being home on New Year's eve, by ourselves, for the first time since we've been married. We have always been on the road somewhere, working our way back. But this year we thought it would be nice to enjoy a restful day ringing in the new year with each other. We even had time to start a little tradition, which we hope to keep, by making a true southern New Year's feast complete with pork, collard greens, black-eyed peas, corn bread, and some good-old sweet tea. It was fantastic! Bravo to the southern chef :)

The Lord really is good to those that wait for Him, and that's what we are expecting to do this year. Understandably, we were asked often for updates on the adoption as we visited with friends and family. And, of course, we would love to have had specific plans or dates to share with everyone. Who wouldn't? But the dates and even the specific "next steps" aren't really what's important. What is important is that God is in control. He knows best. And we must keep trusting in Him to provide according to His will and His timing.

We recently watched a video that was posted online which described an adoption journey that a couple had gone through. What really stood out when watching it, and has been an encouragement ever since, was a comment that the new Dad made to his adopted son. He said (paraphrased...of course), "God hasn't had us waiting this long for just any baby to bring home, God has been having us wait for YOU." At the start of this new year, we continue to be filled with hope as we seek the Lord in prayer that He will lead us to the precious child that he has been providentially orchestrating for us to love as our own.

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.