Adoption Update... (By Jason)

I want to take a few minutes and catch everyone up on where we stand in the adoption process. I realized over the last few days as I have received more and more questions about the adoption that we have done a poor job of relaying information to family and friends as it has come along. While we have had plenty to write about, Britney and I simply haven’t really had time to slow down and get it all down on paper. So here we go.

The last several weeks, although productive, have been quite frustrating at times. The primary frustration relates to a miscommunication (for lack of better words) from our adoption agency. The long and short of it is that they (the agency) suggested we go ahead and start our home study process a couple months back, which we worked very hard on, only to find out that we have to re-do a good bit of the paperwork to comply with our adoption agency’s requirements, which they didn’t send us until later. That was really a bubble buster to say the least, to think you have completed a step and put a check in the box only to have a new box drawn right below it… Luckily, only a couple of the items directly impacted our home study agent’s report, so it only slightly set her back. She has been great in this process and has been a great motivator for Britney and I. She has helped us set deadlines to aid us in finishing this stage of the process so we can focus on the next. We had a follow up visit with her a week or so ago, which went extremely well (that was another sideline change – have to have four in home visits with her, not three as we had originally planned). I think it makes it a little more difficult that we are using a different agency from Georgia to do our home study, and Georgia’s requirements are slightly different than Oregon’s. We are not saying this to talk down about our agency at all because other than this one thing they have been WONDERFUL at communicating and answering ANY questions we have.

One big thing we are currently working on is a great deal of adoption parenting education, online courses and a GIANT booklet. Some of the education has been extremely helpful, while other parts…. not…so….helpful….. We feel like some of the exercises we are asked to complete are a little silly, but I’m sure they have their purpose. Most of it has been great, and will be beneficial down the road as it covers the full spectrum of ages and potential problems we will face. As a matter of fact, one of the online courses, related to adopting/fostering older children, was really useful, so if anyone is looking for a course on older children we can point you in the right direction.

All in all, we are probably hopefully a month away from having our dossier completed and getting onto the wait list!! We both have doctor’s visits and drug screens to complete, as well as finishing up the remaining education, both of which are holding up our home study report. So as we are able to finish these documents/visits up in the next couple of weeks we will be that much closer to bringing Baby Cannon home!! Pretty exciting times around the Cannon Household!!! Just for reference, the waiting list as of last week included 92 families waiting for referrals for a girl and 64 for a boy.  We are not specifying a gender, so we will probably be adopting a boy... but only God knows for sure).

A few prayer requests for the coming weeks:

1. For God’s continued blessings and support. That he would go before us and prepare the way.

2. For Patience with this process as well as with the people we encounter as we move forward.

3. Please be praying for our child and his/her birth mother, especially considering that the birth mother is probably somewhere in the time frame of mid pregnancy. Be praying that they would both be healthy and find the nourishment that they need and that the birth mother would simply make good, sound, wholesome decisions in the coming months.

4. That our home study and dossier progress would be swift and smooth and that everyone communicates exactly what is needed to eliminate duplication of work/effort.

5. Lastly, simply for rest and peace of mind as this process can and has been tiring/frustrating/and time consuming. Pray that we would find the time and energy to complete the tasks at hand.

Thank you all for you continued prayers and support!!

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. ~Hebrews 10:36~

I love SEEING adoption happen!!!

One of my best friends from college has had a very trying last couple of years with infertility. We have had lunch several times during this time to discuss everything that goes along with this struggle. Jason and I have prayed and prayed… AND prayed for her and her husband. Up until recently we prayed for God to allow a baby to grow in her womb, but he had very different plans. I don’t even think I have told her this, because I would imagine the last thing someone wants to hear while they are trying everything possible to get pregnant is, “why not adopt?”, but for the last few months our prayer changed to, “God, please change her heart to be open to adoption.” I can’t imagine what it is like to go through what Carlie and her husband have gone through, all I know is that my heart broke every time I heard about their struggles. The last time we ate lunch together I cried out in prayer after I got back to my office (in case you are wondering…my office at my old job was far away from everyone else) because I can’t imagine the pain of wanting a baby so bad and getting upset over and over again. I can’t imagine being as emotionally and as physically tired as Carlie seemed.

Well… guess what?!?!? Carlie and Lee are now the proud parents to little Brooklyn Grace!!! In the wonderful words of Carlie’s grandpa (while smiling ear to ear), “have you ever heard of a 30 minute pregnancy? That’s how long Carlie’s pregnancy lasted. Did you know the baby’s middle name is Grace? That fits her perfectly because it’s only by the grace of God that she is here today.” Boy did his comment make me grin from ear to ear right along with him. He was SO excited about his new great-grandbaby!

On a Friday night about a month ago Carlie received a call from her OBGYN saying that he had just delivered a baby girl and the mother didn’t want the child. He gave Carlie and Lee 10 minutes to make a decision and call him back. Very excitedly Carlie called her parents and Lee called his parents, and then they called the doctor back and said they wanted her. I don’t know all of the details of this first weekend with little Brooklyn, but I’m sure it was one of the most exciting weekends of their lives. GOD CHANGED HER HEART in such a BIG way!!!  We love you Lee, Carlie, and Brooklyn.  Congratulations!

The Williamson Family

Congrats Monkey!!!

"Monkey" is one of Jason's best friends that he grew up with and has hunted with since they were little boys.  His real name is Jason also, and when they were younger the guys at the hunting camp gave them all nicknames, and well... "monkey" just stuck.  Anyways, last Sunday night, opening weekend of bow season, Monkey killed a ridiculously huge deer, so of course I want to blog about it.  Those of you who don't hunt... this is what Georgia hunters are trying to harvest everytime they step into the woods:

And, if anyone was wondering... he is SINGLE, and he does clean up well  :)  And, I don't even care if he kicks my butt for posting this on here hehehe.

Here are some pictures of him from our wedding... and he is good with kids hahahaha... this is his little huntin' buddy Cole

Now I'm just praying that he talks to me ever again after I post this... because I know someone is going to tell him it is on here.  Just for Jason's sake - he had NOTHING to do with this, so it's not his fault :)

We love you Monkey... and congratulations on the deer!!!

Welcome Baby Kendall!!!

My super, super, super beautiful little niece was born yesterday... yay!!!  Here are a few pics:

I wasn’t sure if I should post this, but once again, I want to be completely honest with myself, and with those who read this (whoever you may be); therefore, I decide to go for it.  The first reason I didn’t want to post this is because I don’t want to take anything away from the special day that my niece was born… it will be a day to celebrate her life as long as I live.  Another reason is because I don’t want my adopted child to ever read my posts and get their feelings hurt or think for a second that I missed out on something because they are adopted; and last, I wasn’t sure if I should post this because God has given me such a beautiful gift by changing my heart and opening my eyes to adoption, that I don’t want to, and I try so hard not to see the negatives involved with the process, although I definitely know it will be difficult at times.  But… last night while I was sitting at the hospital holding little baby Kendall, only a few hours after she was born, I couldn’t help but think about what I will be missing in the first few seconds, hours, and even months that my baby will live without me.  I know that God has already picked out the perfect child for our family, and that even with missing the first few months of that child’s life, this is God’s plan… and I will obediently trust and follow Him.  I also know that once we see our child, I will definitely not be thinking about the time I missed, but will ONLY be thinking about the lifetime I have to be with my baby and all of the exciting times the future holds with our little one from Ethiopia.  So, although I was delighted last night to finally be sitting at the hospital holding my 6lb 5oz baby niece, I couldn’t help but think about the 3-9 months I will miss with our baby… my heart breaks thinking about it… but deep down I know that God will more than make up for this lost time!  I know that our baby will be so special that it will be SO worth this small, itsy bitsy, teeny weenie amount of time we will not have with him or her… and I absolutely cannot wait for our baby to be able to play with their cousin Kendall J      

Successful Labor Day Weekend Hunt

Bad news is Jason and I got back from Kentucky last night around midnight and still had to unload the absolutely packed car, AND I started a new job this morning (well sort of new, I worked there a little over a year ago and now I'm back).  Good news is the reason we were so late getting back to Georgia is because I shot my first deer with my bow!!!  AND Jason shot his first buck with a bow (and he shot a doe too)!!! Therefore, we had to make a couple pit stops at the taxidermist and the processor on the way home.  Getting home late is a good problem to have when coming back from a hunt : )  I also just want to say I LOVE Kentucky... and not just because I shot a deer with my bow there.  The farm we were on was absolutely beautiful and the weather was perfect... much cooler there than in GA.  Thanks J.H. and Sandy for letting us hunt your property!  We loved it!!!  Here are a few pictures from the weekend.... sorry if this grosses anyone out.

Just for kicks... this is me goofing off in the deer stand...I get a little bored sometimes : ) 

Jason's Buck... Woowhoo!!!

 (sorry my camera doesn't take night pictures very well)

My Doe

Hopefully we will post a more detailed post of our trip and our hunts later this week.  For now, we've got to get some of our adoption education paperwork done.  Have a good short week!!! 

Off to Kentucky for our First Whitetail Hunt of 2010!!!

Jason and I are headed to Kentucky for the weekend... for a much anticipated deer hunt!  Wooowhooo!!!  Can you tell I am excited?  Georgia's bow season doesn't open for one more weekend, so it works out perfect for us to go there this weekend to try and harvest a whitetail, or maybe even two :)  I can't wait!!  Also in Kentucky you can bait, where as in Georgia baiting is illegal.  Jason's parents are friends with a couple who bought a farm in Kentucky and moved their to retire, and they are letting us hunt their property for free!!  They have also been putting corn out for us and emailing us trail camera pictures of the deer... I haven't met them yet, but just from hearing Jason talk about them they seem like they are super sweet people.  I can't wait to meet them tonight.  Hopefully I will have some good pictures to post when we get back (sorry to all of you animal lovers out there).  Those of you who are against hunting, just think about how many deer get hit by cars every year, think about car insurance rates increasing if the deer population gets out of control, and just know that everything we do is extremely ethical and much less disturbing than the way they kill the cows, pigs, and chickens you eat everyday.  Sorry for the pro-hunting spill, but I just don't want people to think that hunting is a bad thing, even if you can't see yourself killing a deer (because I completely understand that).  Have a good weekend!!!

P.S.  I just watched a video on my friend Andrea's blog here.  Her and her husband are part of an incredible organization called Wiphan, and they are starting a project called Operation Silent Night.  Go to her blog post to read more, or go to http://www.wiphan.org/shop/operation-silent-night.  Here is the video:


Operation Silent Night - Wiphan Care Ministries from Wiphan Care Ministries on Vimeo.
    

A New Gotcha Day Video

This is a new gotcha day video from filledwithpraise.blogspot.com.  This family adopted their little Elijah from the same agency and orphanage we will be getting our little baby from!  Everytime I see one of these vidoes it makes me that much more excited about meeting the baby that God already has picked out for us.


Our Journey to Elijah Mihretu - Ethiopia Adoption from http://vimeo.com/filledwithpraise on Vimeo.