Like a flood, His mercy rains...

And we are covered in His grace!

Y'all, that God, He's a funny one! Don't let anyone ever tell you He doesn't have a sense of humor, and loves to use it to humble us! 

Let me take you back just a few short weeks ago...

It was a Tuesday...just your average summer day, the kids were on day 2 of their swim lessons, which were going amazingly well btw, and Jason was taking advantage of the dry weather and finally getting to hit the trail on his mountain bike during his lunch break. 

My phone rang. I didn't recognized the number, but answered it anyway. It was Michelle from Generations (the gal that did our homestudy). Not thinking anything of it, I very casually said "Hey, what's up". She asked if it was a good time to talk and if Jason was around, still not thinking anything of it (our agency had recently had some people shifting positions, so I just assumed she was needing to update something or discuss our recent foster involvement. Then bam, she says the words we have waited so long to hear...

A birthmom has chosen you guys...

"Shut up, are you kidding me right now? Are you serious" - I vaguely remember those being the first words out of my mouth. Tears immediately well in my eyes and my heart pretty much explodes. I feel like I am having an out of body experience. Like really? Is this really happening on THE DAY we finished everything for Foster?! shaking my head She goes on to tell me how amazing this young woman is and how beautiful and smart she is, and y'all we're talking full blown tears now! Then I ask, "Does she know if it's a boy or a girl?" - and let me just tell you that honestly we didn't/don't care either way, but for some reason, I have always had this vision that it would be a girl, and even the kids when they talk about a future sibling, have always said it would be a girl...

It's a little girl... due in September...

heart explodes again. Still cannot believe this happening. Sidetone, while on the phone, Jason drives by on his way to the trail, sees me on the phone and has NO IDEA! So we hang up and tentatively plan to meet her and the mom for dinner THE NEXT NIGHT - eek! 

Now, I have to tell someone or I'm going to explode, so luckily my sweet friend Liz was there b/c her daughter had just finished her swim lessons and she gets to be the lucky first person to see my ugly cry and hear the amazing news! Sorry Jason. And my other friend Lindsay happened to walk up just as I'm telling her, so wham, 3 grown women hugging and crying at the pool! Now... it occurs to me that I get to think of a fun way to tell Jason, you know like a normal wife would get to do! 

After swim lessons, I tell the kids and Emma is OVER THE MOON excited! Max is too, but Emma was just beside herself to have a little sister. So we hop in the car and head to Carter's to get some big brother and big sister shirts to surprise daddy :)

Here's the video of the big reveal, I don't know why I thought I could keep it together, so please excuse my squeaky, shaky cry voice!

Sorry it got cut off, my finger accidentally pushed the end button

So yeah, we honestly didn't think it was ever going to happen and that maybe God was leading us to foster this whole time, but maybe He just wanted to humble us, tests our faith, and be certain that we were completely surrendered to Him? I don't know, and who knows, maybe our job is to come along side this beautiful mom and pour God's love into her, all I know is... that's what I plan to do, and whatever happens, I will continue to love on her, because I feel very strongly that that is what we are being called to do. In the meantime, we are anticipating that... we are going to have a baby girl in SEPTEMBER!! EEEKKK!!!

Please, please, please be in prayer for this sweet mom and that she would seek after Him and that He would be near her during this time and that He would give her peace and confidence in her decision, and that she would be willing to let us come along side her and love on her :) 

I am not skilled to understand...

What God has willed what God Has planned...




*Understatement*




Gosh where to start??




So, I haven't really told many people, mostly because I don't want to get my hopes up or spread false hope to our friends and loved-ones, but a very old (old as in from a long time ago) and dear friend got in touch with me a few weeks back and offered to carry our baby for us. This was a total shock. After I picked my jaw up from off the floor, I told her that this was a huge decision and that I really thought she should think about it and pray about it before going forward with anything. Since then, my stomach has been in knots, and I've all but completely chewed my thumb nail off (it's a thing, read about it). Currently, she is still thinking about it and talking with her family about their thoughts and feelings about it. She also will be making an appointment with her doctor to make sure it's even a possibility, since she has had a few previous C-sections.




So... there's that. I have basically been praying non-stop that the Lord would close a door for us, or make our path known to us, because I am driving myself crazy trying to figure out what He would have us do!

I received the following compassionate (please note sarcasm here) email from our adoption coordinator last week (I had emailed him asking for an update on the February Training Class that he said we had a 50/50 chance of getting into):

Hi Candice, The class is still full and we do not expect opening it up.  Sorry Jerry Snider Operations Director / Adoptive Family Caseworker

Well... now I have to figure out if this is a door closing or just God telling us the timing isn't right. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like this guy is kind of a jerk. He never once emailed me to touch base, I always had to email him, wait several days for a response, and when I received one, they have always been very short and without any sense of empathy at all. And this guy is an adoptive dad too, so you would think he would understand and empathize with prospective adoptive parents. Anyway, I'll stop complaining now. The point is, we did not get into the class, and the next one is not until August. Just a re-cap... you don't officially "start" the adoption process or official "wait time" until after you have completed this training. So... door shut??? Who knows. Like I said (well actually Aaron Shust), I am not skilled to understand, what God has willed, what God has planned.

In other news, we submitted our pre-application paperwork to Loving Hearts Christian Adoption Agency here in Austin. And this is pretty comical... they also only have 2 state mandated adoption training classes a year, and wouldn't you know, they have one in April... on the day that I will be in Fredericksburg on my sewing retreat. Seriously? I get away maybe twice a year, unbelievable! You have no idea how much I have been looking forward to my girls weekend sewing retreat!  Ugh, I'm just so sick to my stomach, even writing it makes me feel like I'm going to throw up.

In the midst of all of these shenanigans, I felt it on my heart for a long time to try and re-connect with my best friend. We kind of stopped talking to each other in 2009, partly because we lived in different cities, both had our own lives, we were embarking on our very first IVF, I got upset about something stupid and she has always been a gold medalist in stubbornness, it's all so dumb. Anyway, long story short... she's pregnant! With their first child! A baby girl due in May. She even invited me to her baby shower next month and I am sooooo excited to see her and talk to her, it seems to be the only thing getting me over the crappy couple weeks referenced above. My head is buzzing with all sorts of cute things I want to make for her and baby, hello pinterest!

So yeah... sorry for all the word vomit and randomness of this post, that just seems to be my life these days - you don't even want to see my house! Anyway, if you read this and you pray, I would appreciate any prayers for a calm heart and for the Lord to reveal to us the path in which we should follow. Until then, we will praise him in the hallway.

Yup. That's all I got. Have a great weekend!

-Candice

Adoption Puzzle Fundraiser

In case you missed it, here's a recap of our big announcement...

Family is so important, we all know that. I always  smile when I think about how awesome our God knits families together. Every family is different and unique.

 

This is our family:

 

 

 

SURPRISE! WE'RE ADOPTING!!!

 

We are so thrilled to be able to share this exciting news with all of you! And as fate would have it, November is National Adoption Awareness Month!  

You can feel free to read all about our infertility story and how the Lord has lead us to adoption here, here and here. Now, as you may know, adoption can be very expensive (about $20,000), which was one of the major factors that deterred us from exploring the option before now. In order to raise the necessary funds for our Domestic Adoption, we are starting an Adoption Puzzle Fundraiser (in addition to the wreaths for sale in my Etsy shop).

 

You have the opportunity to be an important piece in our adoption journey by donating and/or purchasing a puzzle piece/s. The puzzle piece/s purchased will have the name of the person/family donating written on the back. As people/families purchase puzzle pieces, the Adoption Puzzle will be assembled. I will be updating my blog with the progress of the puzzle as it is formed.

After the puzzle is completed, we will frame it between two pieces of glass and hang it in our baby's nursery. This will be a wonderful keepsake for our son/daughter to see all of the people who were part of bringing him/her home.

 

Each piece of the 500 piece puzzle is $10. Feel free to buy as many pieces as you want! All you have to do is click on the "Donate" button at the bottom of this post to make a secure donation via PayPal. OR, you can wait until December 12th and click here to be directed to our secure fundraising website to make your donation (our profile will not be active until after our orientation with the agency December 11th). All donations made through AdoptTogether are tax deductible! Please be sure to list your name/family in the "Donation Details" section so we know whose name to write on each puzzle piece, or provide that info in the comments section on this post if donating via PayPal. You can also mail a check if that's what you would prefer, just email me at themiksovskys@gmail.com and I can send you our address.

 

Will you please pray for our family during this process, and more importantly for the birthmother of the precious child that God has waiting for us? And would you please consider supporting us and being a part of our child's "God Story" by helping us bring him/her home?

 

Here is the breakdown of where your donations are going:

 

Pre-Application Fee  -  $250

Orientation Fee  -  $250

Pre-placement Assessment Fee  -  $500

Home Study Fee  -  $1500

Approval Fees  -  $4500

Matching Fee  -  $5500

Placement Fees  -  $6000

Miscellaneous  -  $1500

 

*Our adoption will be through Generations Adoptions, please feel free to visit their website to learn more about Domestic and International Adoption.

 

Even if you can't contribute financially, there is something even more important that you can do for us. Please pray for us and share our blog and family profile (will add link to this once it is complete) on Facebook and Twitter and help get other people to join in our journey. Your love, prayers and support mean more to us than you will ever know!

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18


 

Guess What?!?!?!

Family is so important. I always smile when I think about how awesome our God knits families together. Every family is different and unique.

 

This is our family:

 

 And we have something we'd like to share with you...

 

 

SURPRISE! WE'RE ADOPTING!!!

 

We are so thrilled to be able to share this exciting news with all of you! And as fate would have it, November is National Adoption Awareness Month!  

 

 

You can feel free to read all about our infertility story and how the Lord has lead us to adoption here, here and here.

 

Now, we need your help! Can you please pray for us as we go through this journey?  And more importantly, for the birthmother of the precious child that God has waiting for us? 

We will be updating the blog in the coming weeks on other ways that you can help us, but for now we only ask for your love, prayers and support, it truly means the world to us!

 

To date, we have submitted our application paperwork to Generations Adoptions, a Christian non-profit adoption agency, and are eagerly awaiting our orientation on December 11th! We are hoping to adopt a baby through their Domestic Adoption program, but are always open to other possibilities. We cannot wait to expand our family and give Max & Emma a new little brother or sister!

 

Let the journey begin...

Rock 'n' Roll Half Playlist

So for the past couple days I have been carefully constructing my playlist for this weekend's San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Half, and here's what I came up with...

RnR Half Jamz

One Direction - Best Song Ever
Jay Z - Holy Grail
Katy Perry - ET
M83 - Midnight City
Jay Z/Kanye - No Church in the Wild
Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop
Karmin - Brokenhearted
Ke$ha - C'mon
LeCrae - Go Hard
Youngblood Hawke - We Come Running
Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark
Citizen Cope - Let the Drummer Kick
Neon Trees - Everybody Talks
Kanye - Get 'Em High
Flo Rida - Wild Ones
Carrie Underwood - Blown Away
Flo Rida - Club Can't Handle Me
Jay Z - Run This Town
Zedd - Clarity
Walk Off The Earth - Revo
Jay Z/Kanye - Ni**as in Paris
Kanye - Jesus Walks
Young the Giant - My Body
K'naan - Better
Oliy Murs - Troublemaker
LaCrae - Gravity
M.I.A. - Paper Planes
Imagine Dragons - Demons
The Script - Hall of Fame
Mandisa - Overcomer
Selena Gomez - Come & Get It
Sara Bareilles - Brave
Katy Perry - Roar
Jay Z/Kanye - H.A.M.

It comes to 2 hours and 13 minutes and my goal is 2:10, so I better not hear one of these songs, ya feel me?! Hopefully the streets are so loud with kick a$$ music that I won't even need my jamz, but we shall see.

My 12 mile run yesterday was not so great :( It actually turned into a 10 mile run (with literally a 12 min mile pace - ouch!) because I was in such pain. I had gotten the new Mizuno Sayonaras and while I'm sure they are an awesome shoe, it was just too much of a profile drop for my poor feet and ankles to handle! This was the 3rd or 4th run I had done in them, and I just couldn't do it anymore, so I took those babies back and got me some Mizuno Wave Inspire 9s (they are supposed to be most like my Mizuno Wave Nirvanas which they discontinued... awesome).

wish they came in more fun colors, but whatevs it is what it is?

 

Can I just say, Rogue Running in Cedar Park is the BOMB! I do have a little blister on my foot, which I'm hoping with just go away quickly (thanks a lot Sayonaras), and I can just continue right along with my last week of half training. I'm going to break in the new shoes today with my 4 mile run and a little strength training. The guy at Rogue told me that since these shoes are so similar to my Nirvanas that I should be able to run in them this week and be ready to use them on Sunday for the half - score!

In other news, we had family pics over the weekend, including a fun little photo op for our adoption announcements that we plan to include on our Christmas card, I'll give you a teaser... it involves feet - oh my goodness I can't wait, it's going to be so cute! Speaking of adoption stuff, we have completed and submitted our pre-application paperwork! My typed answers came out to 6 pages, Jason's, not even a full page, ha! He's a man of few words :)

OK, so maybe his was a whole page

 

In other news, I decided on a whim to weigh myself yesterday, no particular reason, just curious. And imagine my surprise to see 129.5?! What the what?! Mind you, I have not been lifting (or running much for that matter) in the last few weeks, so that just goes to show you what a liar the scale is. All that number represents is the amount of muscle I have lost in the last few weeks - womp womp! So yes, a part of me was a little excited, but at the end of the day, it doesn't change what you see when you look in the mirror! Gotta lift those weights!

Lifting weights toddler style! Gotta get it in when/where you can!

Hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday! Is it just me or is November flying by at the speed of light?! Cray!

-Candice