Time For Change

Hi friends!

 

Happy Friday! I feel like I've been a little absent from this space and social media in general this week. While I've still had posts going up, I've really spent a lot of time away from the computer and instead spent it getting the house ready, doing little projects here and there for our adoption home study that is this coming Tuesday. We're going out of town to spend time with my Dad this weekend, and then when we get back home I'll be in full on cleaning mode for Tuesday. 

 

All of that to say, I might not be around these parts much but we'd so appreciate your prayer over the home study process that will be occurring in the next few days.

 

I also wanted to let you all know that this little space of mine will be undergoing a name change (and URL change) here pretty soon...and yep, my social media profiles will be undergoing a similar change. Nothing is changing around here in regards to content or types of posts, but there will be a new name that really fits me and this blog.

 

I don't have an official "launch" date yet as we're still working on a few design elements, but you'll receive your fair warning and explanation of the name change when it all occurs. I can't wait to share with you all!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend planned! xo

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Four Years

Today is our four year wedding anniversary. This one seems big for some reason.

I know it's not an "official big year" like number five, but four just seems like you're not newlyweds anymore. And that's most definitely true. I don't mean it in that "oh, it's felt like forever" way, it's just that we've done some life together in this four years of marriage...both of us working to get our degrees, college graduations, jobs, job promotions, family sicknesses, loss of family members, pregnancy, child birth, raising a child, and now adopting a child. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. 

I realized that I haven't posted the story of how met on my blog so I plan to hopefully do that in the next few weeks. And I'll share more wedding photos while I do those posts too. Until then, here are a few pictures from our big day. 

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Love Strongly.

Yesterday started like most any other day. I set my alarm for 6 am, but still didn't wake up till 7:10 when Gunner started stirring. We ate breakfast, watched an episode of Little Einsteins still in our pajamas. 

Around 8:00 am I heard the news of the Dallas firefighter trapped in a burning condo. Just an hour or so later I watched as firefighters and police lined the sidewalks, his body carried out by his brothers in the service. A husband, a father, a hero...draped with an American flag. His name was Stan Wilson. He was the uncle of a friend from high school.

Around 4:00 pm I heard of the devastation that was occurring in Moore, Oklahoma. Meteorologists kept saying that it's nearly impossible to survive a tornado of this magnitude. The death toll rose through out the evening. Roofs collapsing, storm shelters flooding on elementary school children and teachers. 

Gunner and I ended our evening playing in the backyard breeze and eating animal crackers. I kind of needed that escape from the bad news. I bathed Gunner, put him in pajamas, and let him stay up past his bed time. I soaked in his smell and little giggles knowing that some parents wouldn't be doing that before bedtime that night. 

I don't really have anything to say except that my heart is hurting for all of those affected by these tragedies. A firefighter death is always a sobering reminder of my husband's job. And an unspeakable, natural disaster is always a reminder of how little control we have over this life. 

I want to finish with a quote from a friend whose family was deeply affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma. His mother in law survived the tornado after being stuck under her collapsed house for a few hours. This is a direct quote from his Facebook status last night...

"Today started like a normal day and dramatically changed in a moment. Here is what I know to be true...if you are investing your time and resources into things instead of people and relationships, you are doing life all wrong. Love strongly. Don't be afraid to let people know you care. Spend your life building relationships and don't worry so much about stuff. In times of crisis your "stuff" will be of little help, but the people you invest in will astound you with their willingness to be present when needed most. God is good."

Amen.

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Neely's Must See Girlie Movies

Hi, y'all! I'm Neely and I blog over at A Complete Waste of Makeup I also own my own company Waste of Makeup Media where I do social media and blogging professionally. I also dabble in freelance writing! I enjoy a good book, a long walk, working out, social media, crappy reality TV, a delicious latte, a great glass of wine, makeup, clothes and currently I am enjoying my no spending for 60 days challenge I gave myself. Today marks day 21!  

I would love for you to come follow along! So come visit me and say "hi!" on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. And follow along on Bloglovin'.

Thank you Carly for letting me guest post today! Today I want to give you my list of every girl movie any girl needs to see! I am a self proclaimed movie buff and I can recite the lines to most of these along with a lot of the others I have in my collection! Enjoy!

1. I'm With Lucy
2. 13 Going On 30
3. Endless Love
4. About Last Night
5. 16 Candles
6. Pretty In Pink
7. St. Elmo’s Fire
8. Practical Magic
9. It's Complicated
10. Love Story
11. Breakfast At Tiffany’s
12. The Princess Bride
13. He’s Just Not That Into You
14. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Yes, there is a movie)
15. Singles
16. Sugar and Spice
17. The Big Chill
18. Sweet Home Alabama
19. View from the Top
20 Up Close And Personal
21. Valley Girl
22. Working Girl
23. Where The Heart Is
24. While You Were Sleeping
25. The Last Kiss
26. The Holiday
27. Love Actually
28. The Jane Austen Book Club
29. The Story Of Us
30. The Opposite Of Sex
31. The Notebook
32. Under The Tuscan Sun
33. The Devil Wears Prada
34. The Break Up
35. The Girl Next Door
36. She's Having A Baby
37, She's The One
38. Serendipity
39. Saved
40. Say Anything
41. Reality Bites
42. Pretty Woman
43. Playing By Heart
44. Outside Providence
45. Once Around
46. Now And Then
47. Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist
48. Never Been Kissed
49. My Best Friend's Wedding
50. Mean Girls
51. Loverboy
52. Lucky Seven
53. Love And Basketball
54. Love Actually
55. Loser
56. Life As A House
57. Lars And The Real Girl
58. Juno
59. Junebug
60. Julie And Julia
61. Jerry McGuire
62. Inventing The Abbots
63. In Her shoes
64. How To Make An American Quilt
65. How To Deal
66. How Stella Got Her Groove Back
67. Waiting To Exhale
68. Diary Of A Mad Black Woman
69. Heathers
70. Good Will Hunting
71. Garden State
72. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
73. Center Stage
74. For Love Of The Game
75. Father Of The Bride (1 & 2)
76. Fast Times At Ridgemont High
77. Enchanted
78. Elizabethtown
79. Crazy/Beautiful
80. Cocktail
81. Closer
82. Crazy Heart
83. Clueless
84. Can't Hardly Wait
85. Can't Buy Me Love
86. Bridget Jones Diary
87. Because I Said So
88. Beaches
89. A Walk To Remember
90. Atonement
91. 27 dresses
92. 500 Days Of Summer
93. Almost Famous
94. A lot Like Love
95. The Thing Called Love
96. Fried Green Tomatoes
97. When Harry Met Sally
98. Steel Magnolias

99. Bride Wars

100. The Hunger Games

101. Like Crazy

102. Friends With Kids

I'm sure I am forgetting some so feel free to comment and let me know what I forgot! Thanks again Carly! I hope to see some of you around my bloggerhood soon.

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Why We Chose International Adoption

Last week I had a "conversation" about international adoption through Facebook thread. I hesitate to even call it a conversation because I felt as if the statements made by the other person were rash, hurtful, and judgmental. The statements generalized international adoption as a whole in an extremely negative light. 

Boy oh boy, did those comments get to me. And honestly, the night after this "conversation" occurred, I considered rehashing the things that were said and my argument against them right here on my blog. But now, after advice from a friend and prayer, I've realized attacks against a person (or persons) often come from people who lack understanding of the situation.

In this situation the attack came against people who choose to adopt internationally instead of domestically. And maybe, just maybe, that attack came from a lack of understanding. And I thought that maybe some of you, although you have all been nothing but kind and supportive, might have the same questions.  

So today, I'll be sharing the reasons why we decided to adopt internationally AND why it's 100% okay with me that not everyone is called to that road. 

NUMBER ONE: We chose international adoption because we feel called to it. I know that feeling "called" is probably an overused Christian term, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. This decision was not made rashly. It was bathed in prayer, planning, and discussion. I believe that God calls each of us to different places, different ministries and this is ours. Right now, in this point of our lives, this is our call. 

During the Facebook conversation that I mentioned up above, someone kindly and innocently asked why people choose to adopt internationally besides feeling "called," and I won't deny that I began to wonder that maybe my number one reason wasn't "enough" of an answer. I don't think that's what the questioner was implying but still I found myself feeling unsure. 

But after some prayer, I realized how silly that is. We don't question pastors when they feel called to the ministry or college students who feel lead to work in the mission field during the summer. Adoption in general is just as much of a calling. In my book, feeling God's call on your life to adopt a child is plenty of reason to move forward.

NUMBER TWO: We chose international adoption because we saw a need and we were able to step up and meet it. The country we are adopting from has been torn apart by the several civil wars they have experienced in the past decade. An average of 50,000 people die each month from war, murder, and even cannibalism; but, people also die from simple illnesses such as diarrhea. Half of the 50,000 that die each month are children. Orphanages are overcrowded and receive little to no support from the government. Most children eat one meal a day and that meal is cooked over an outdoor fire. This is the need we saw and when we heard about it, we felt like there was no way we couldn't answer. 

I don't share those statistics to guilt or persuade anyone to adopt internationally, but those statistics are there. I also don't share those statistics to say that children in orphanages in the United States don't also have struggles and difficulties. I know that they also suffer from sicknesses, disabilities, disease, torn apart families, loneliness, depression, etc. and I do not discount that, I have not forgotten that or them. I pray that someday God will also lead us to meet the need of orphans here in the states through adoption. 

NUMBER THREE: Last and probably the least important reason that we chose international adoption at this time is because of some of the uncertainties of laws here in the US (e.g. birth mother changing her mind, biological family found for foster to adopt child, etc.). I am fully aware that people could consider that being a cowardly reason to choose international adoption; and while it wasn't the only factor, it was a factor. I will openly admit that when stepping out to adopt, there were some fears I just didn't want to address. Although, international adoption comes with a whole slew of other fears and concerns. I know and have seen people experience the loss of a child after a birth mother changes her mind and I just didn't want to deal with that risk at this time. Selfish? Maybe. Honest? Completely.

People have also asked why we didn't consider becoming foster parents for a child or children. Honestly, I love the idea of fostering and Cody and I have discussed it before. But at this time, with Gunner being so young, I don't like to idea of kids possibly being moved in and out of our house. I want his environment to be as consistent and steady as I can keep it. Just a personal preference. I definitely think Cody and I would consider fostering when our children are older. 

I know that our reasons to adopt internationally might be different than the reasoning for other people, and I'm okay with that. I also know that some people aren't called to international adoption or adoption in general, and I'm okay with that too. This is our specific journey, our specific story, our specific calling. What I really hope for is a Christian community that can support all adoptions and all types of orphan care. James 1:27 says that all Christians are called to take care of the orphans in some way; whether that be through adoption, foster care, summer mission trips, volunteering in programs, etc. We all play a part and each part is important. I hope we can stop arguing over continent and country boundaries and start loving and supporting each other. That is the only way we'll make a difference in this orphan crisis. 

If you have any other questions or comments, feel free to email me or just leave them in the comment form below.

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