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Monday, December 30, 2013

Calling all sellers of stuff

I'm quite sure there was a better way to word that, but for now, that's the best I've got!

Can I just say that I have some pretty awesome friends? Seriously, the most generous and selfless friends on earth! My friend Jenn has created a domino effect with her amazing generosity, offering to donate all the proceeds from the sales of her doTerra essential oils in the month of January (also my birthday month by the way), so that they may go toward helping us fund our domestic adoption! Then, I get a call this morning from my bestie, Lea excitedly telling me that she has recruited 3 or 4 of her own friends to do the same. WHAT?! Are you kidding me?! That's amazing! I don't even know these people and they are willing to do this for us? I don't even have words (shocking, I know) to express how overwhelming and incredibly generous that is! God is so good, and I will boast in the one who's worthy!

So... I will be putting together a virtual facebook party featuring companies like, doTerra esstential oils (I swear by these oils!),
It Works Body Wraps (hey hey, just in time for all those New Year's resolutions ladies!),
Stella & Dot (love, love love!),
and possibly Thirty-One (love their Utility Tote!)
 
and Advocare (I think we could all use a little Spark in our lives!)


If you have your own business and feel led to help in our cause, please let me know and I can add you to the party too! Talkin' to all my Rodan+Fields peeps, Plexus Slim, Pampered Chef? Anyone, Bueller? I understand that for many, your business is your livelihood, so please keep in mind that you can donate any amount or percentage you wish. I also totally respect and understand if this is not something that fits into your life at this time, I just thought I'd throw it out there!

Anyway, thanks for reading and please join us in January for our AWESOME facebook shopping party - woot woot!

Humbly yours,
Candice

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Putting it out there...

Creating a life and delivering a dream for our family. That's exactly what you'd be doing if you choose to be a surrogate/gestational carrier for us.

While on my 8 mile training run today, it occurred to me that I need to stop dancing around what I want to say and just be vulnerable and put it out there. So, here it is. We want you to carry our baby!


I'm not sure who or where you are, but I am hoping that our story touches your heart and inspires a
desire in you to selflessly help us complete our family. Trust me, I realize what an enormous request this is, and believe me, I never thought I would ever have to be put in position to ask, but I knew that if I didn't take a leap of faith and put it out there, I would always wonder.

Of course, I know that there are agencies out there that arrange these types of things, however we just don't have the money to finance the $60-100,000 to go that route. We have some financial resources that we can provide, but not much, and depending on what your insurance covers (IVF procedure for frozen embryo transfer), we would have more to offer.

We would like to begin the process in the next year (sooner the better), but we are completely reliant on God's will and His timing in all of this. We also plan to continue with the process to adopt domestically, but will continue to pray for God's guidance every step of the way. So on that note, we would also ask that you spread the word that we are looking to adopt an infant domestically, so if you or someone you know is pregnant and looking to go the adoption route, we just ask that you please keep us in mind :)

If you would like to learn more about our infertility journey and what has brought us to where we are now, please feel free to read here. Even if you don't feel the Lord is calling you to carry our baby, you can still help us. Please, please, please share our story and this blog with everyone one you know, and tell them to share it too - this would mean more to us than you will ever know. You never know where the answer to your/our prayers may lie.

Together...
figured I'd stick with the theme ;)
 
 
Again, please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! Spread the word (and the blog) like wild fire! And pray for us, for someone to carry out baby and/or the birthmother of our child. We love you all and thank God for you and your support every day! Please feel free to email me anytime: themiksovskys@gmail.com
 
God Bless,
Candice & Jason

Thursday, December 26, 2013

It's Goin' Down!



Yup! This is happening peeps! I decided I needed something to take my mind off the whole baby thang, so what better way than spending hours and hours and hours training and running all by myself... hmmm. Sooooo yeah, this race will line up perfectly with my marathon training (which has pretty much been non-existent since San Antonio). Uhhh, oops. But whatevs, I'm not planning to PR or anything given my recent running hiatus, but I know this is what I need to do. After all, I have had this sign
(literal and figurative) staring me down every single day for the last year! The Austin Livestrong Marathon is schedule for February 16th, although I'll be honest and tell you that I have not registered for it yet :o

In other news, my Christmas wish is that God would open up doors for us to expand our family, be it through a surrogate (willing to carry our baby for little to no financial gain) or adoption. I keep dreaming about what our third child would look like, since Max and Emma look so different from each other, it just really makes me wonder!

Here's a little photo dump for ya of what's been goin' on around here lately...

a little family hayride action

Max & Emma's first trip to the dentist. Max did AWESOME!

Emma was little squirrelly, but did pretty good too :)

The kids had their first fishing experience (didn't catch anything)

We checked out the new Austin Children's Museum

Took a tour of the Krispy Kreme donut store and got to make our own donuts!


Max had eye surgery to correct his strabismus

sweet baby passed out after his post-surgery popsicle
 
 

 
 
Made and sold 5 wreaths and 2 signs and 2 outfits for our baby fund! Woop!
Thank you to stranger in Washington, Memi, Jill & Bobbie for buying my stuff - you guys rock!

First Santa experience where no tears were shed and no one freaked out - woop!
Is it weird that I'm a little sad that they are no longer terrified of the Big Man?
 
Visited Grandma (Jason's Gma) in the hospital after she had her leg amputated.

Christmas with Jason's mom and step-dad!

Emma and daddy having a tea party at Gram and Poppy's
Christmas with Jason's dad and step-mom

Such a girly girl :)

Jammin' out with Papa G. Budding musician in the making?

Emma got to hand deliver the gifts we picked out for Preh (our angel tree child). Max was too busy playing soccer with the other boys and couldn't be bothered. Boys.

Looked at neighborhood Christmas lights, and Max would have sat here staring at the "trains that go by themselves" ALL night if we let him!

Made fun Christmas cookies

Went to Candlelight Christmas Eve service with our friends at our church

It's a wonder Max didn't catch Memi's hair on fire!

What? It doesn't snow inside your church on Christmas Eve?
 
So while we were at Jason's dad's, we ordered in some Chinese food. Before we left, Jason shoved a bunch of fortune cookies in my purse, and I had completely forgotten about them until I was cleaning out the black hole that is my purse the other day. One of the cookies was smashed to bits and I was about to throw it in the trash, but thought I'd open it up to read the fortune first. Upon read the fortune, I realized that it was another one of God's little love notes. It gives me chills every time I read it... "Enjoy what you have, hope for what you lack." Thank you Lord for reminding me of this, I guess we could all stand to be reminded of this every now and again. I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas!
 
-Candice

 
 

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Am I a bad person...

Because I would rather use a gestational carrier than adopt? I feel like a terrible person for even saying it out loud. It's so hard to not get caught up in what other people think, feel, believe and say on the subject. But honestly, until they have been in my shoes, gone through what I've gone through, do they really have the right to judge? I know the answer is, "no one has the right to judge", but that doesn't mean that they don't.

As I've been delving deeper into our adoption paperwork, and researching and assessing the affects of various drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and other health issues on a baby, I find my mind continuously drawn to the dream and idea of having a surrogate or gestational carrier carry our baby for us. Then I get mad and cry, frustrated that life isn't fair. Then I put my big girl panties back on and move on to the next task of the day.

Unfortunately, people are not climbing out of the woodwork and banging down our doors in hopes of carrying a baby for us, and I don't know how I would ever begin to ask something so huge of someone. Hey friend, are you doing anything for the next 9 months? Can I borrow your body? Um, yeah, no. I mean this is way huger than egg donation! (huger, like that? Yup, I was an English teacher) And the kicker of it all... I couldn't wait to be a surrogate/gc for a couple in need after I had the twins! But alas, it was not in God's plan for me. Then when we finally did get an offer to carry our baby, God very clearly closed that door. Why can't He make it clear to us now what we should do?

In other news... we picked an angel tree child to buy Christmas gifts for. Her name was Preh Mo. Yeah, you know like "pray mo" kinda slang for "pray more"... coincidence? I think not. That God and His love notes!
Emma giving Preh her Christmas gifts :)

There's a song that has really been on my mind lately, and I feel the lyrics really resonate with me, and are really meeting me right where I am right now...

Sidewalk Prophets "Help Me Find It" (excerpt)

If there's a road I should walk
Help me find it if I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will, whatever Your will
 
Can you help me find it?
Can you help me find it?
 
I'm giving You fear and You give faith
I'm giving you doubt, You give me grace
For every step I've never been alone
 
 
Lord, I sing these words as my prayer to you. Please guide me and reveal your will for me and my family.
 
-Candice
 

Just because it's cute and funny :)