Over the last few days as we have been working on Christmas cards and getting prepared for the baby coming, I've realized how many changes we've gone through this year. Normally, change is a hard, difficult thing, but I think both Sarah and I would agree that the changes of this year have been challenging but well worth the effort.
The first main change started before 2010 had even began. Last year, we had been going to a large church in the area, but we weren't feeling connected to anyone. So on the Christmas Eve service we tried a church a friend of Sarah had recommended. We stopped by Harpeth Community Church and really felt a warmth from the people as well as some great Scripture based teaching. Little did we know this would be the start of a busy year.
After that service we quickly decided this was where we wanted to be. We jumped in with both feet and did the very first membership class offered and got into a book study group right away in January. From there it was getting involved in the Men's and Women's ministries, serving on the worship and production teams, and volunteering in the children's Sunday School. It has been a place that has challenged and grown us both, as well as, helping us to meet some of new best friends!
In March we took our dream vacation and got to spend a week at Disney World in Florida. This was something we'd been planning and waiting on for almost 8 months, so it was like Christmas Day when we finally got to head out. We stayed at the All-star Music Resort on the Disney Property and got to experience the "Extra Magic Hours" that let resort guests stay in the park until 3am some nights! We completed a personal challenge to see and do everything on the map in the Magic Kingdom park over the course of our week. Sarah has since made an amazing scrapbook of our adventures that week which she will proudly show any who are interested. In the end, it was just a great time to be together and have fun as a couple in one of our favorite places.
Another change that has been in process, was Culinary School for me (Kevin). I started taking classes in Fall of 2009 and completed my first year of the two year program in May. I have had classes in general cooking skills, sauce making, meat cookery, and beginning baking. On top of that I have studied nutrition, sanitation, and inventory/purchasing. Due to being laid off of work (I will discuss next) I took the Fall of 2010 off of school, but plan on taking more classes in 2011. I'm sure you're asking yourself what I plan to do with these new skills. The short answer is, I'm not sure! I've been working on my dessert skills and would like to eventually have a part-time dessert/cake business. Who knows, if I come into a lot of money I would love to open a restaurant.
So the next event in 2010 came in May when I was laid off from my job of three years as the whole department was let go. It had strictly been a business decision and so I didn't have any big sense of failure, just worry about finding something new. During what turned out to be my two months of unemployment, I was encouraged by friends at church, found a place to volunteer, and generally saw God providing for all our financial needs. The job that I eventually got was also a God thing. Out of the blue a manager from my old company called me and asked if I would be interested in applying back with the company for a promotion in another department. With only slight hesitation, I went for it. After completing the interview process I was offered the job. As I said, this was a promotion with better pay, more freedom and a great team to work with. I am constantly feeling blessed by this new opportunity and have enjoyed the last 5 months in my new position.
Sarah also went through some changes. After 2 years teaching and coaching in another county and driving almost 45 minutes each way to work, she found an opening at the school about 5 minutes from our house. This has been a huge blessing for her. The team she works with in the Special Education department is top-notch and they constantly challenge and support each other to be the best everyday. In addition, Sarah was an assistant volleyball coach this Fall. As she has previously written, this was a new adventure for her, but one she has greatly enjoyed.
Lastly, but definitely not least, we have been working through the adoption process this Fall with the intention of our baby being born the end of December/beginning of January. Even though this is a domestic adoption it has been a stressful and worrisome few months. We continue to feel strongly that God has opened this door wide for us, but have to continually seek His peace as we wait on details and timing of things.
This year has been one long, exciting adventure for us as a couple and God willing we will end the year with one more Honett in the clan! We hope this gives you a brief update of our life in the last 365 days.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
anxious
I have been worrying about our adoption today. Our communication with our birth mother has been on and off - mostly due to the fact that we do not have direct access to our birth mother yet. We have to go through a chain of communication. It's been about a week since we've heard anything, and I am trying to be patient.
I know that God is working in our best interests, and I know that He has already gone before us in this whole situation. Still, I am worrying. With so much still "up in the air" about this adoption, it is easy to become discouraged. I am fighting that!
Kevin's facebook status was a good reminder for me today... He posted Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Psalm 139:23 - "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts."
Most of all, I need to remember Philippians 4:6 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Hope these words will encourage you in your situation, as they have encouraged me in our adoption. I will keep praying for our birth mother and for our baby. I will keep asking God to go before us in every step of this process. I will not be anxious.
I know that God is working in our best interests, and I know that He has already gone before us in this whole situation. Still, I am worrying. With so much still "up in the air" about this adoption, it is easy to become discouraged. I am fighting that!
Kevin's facebook status was a good reminder for me today... He posted Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Psalm 139:23 - "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts."
Most of all, I need to remember Philippians 4:6 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Hope these words will encourage you in your situation, as they have encouraged me in our adoption. I will keep praying for our birth mother and for our baby. I will keep asking God to go before us in every step of this process. I will not be anxious.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thanksgiving
We traveled to Kentucky this year for Thanksgiving with Kevin's family. We ate too much food, went Black Friday shopping, visited with the adults in Kevin's family, and entertained our three nephews! We had such a great time with everyone together from Kevin's side.
The whole time we were visiting with Kevin's family, we were both reminded that this is our last Thanksgiving with just the two of us! Our baby is due in the middle of January, but could really come at any time! We could have our precious little one before Christmas even. How quickly this adoption has progressed! While we still don't know the gender of our baby, we are praying for this little one every day!
Just over six weeks ago, we were making plans for vacation and proceeding with life...now we are preparing a nursery and praying for a baby that will be entering our hearts and lives before we know it! We have found some amazing garage sale deals, and we are so excited to be arranging the baby items all over the house! Stitch (blue stuffed animal) is keeping the high chair company until our baby is big enough to use it! We're getting the nursery set up with the jumper, swing, and pack and play. Before we know it, we'll have a little one to nurture and love.
The whole time we were visiting with Kevin's family, we were both reminded that this is our last Thanksgiving with just the two of us! Our baby is due in the middle of January, but could really come at any time! We could have our precious little one before Christmas even. How quickly this adoption has progressed! While we still don't know the gender of our baby, we are praying for this little one every day!
Just over six weeks ago, we were making plans for vacation and proceeding with life...now we are preparing a nursery and praying for a baby that will be entering our hearts and lives before we know it! We have found some amazing garage sale deals, and we are so excited to be arranging the baby items all over the house! Stitch (blue stuffed animal) is keeping the high chair company until our baby is big enough to use it! We're getting the nursery set up with the jumper, swing, and pack and play. Before we know it, we'll have a little one to nurture and love.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Fundraising and Finances
When we started looking into adoption almost a year ago, we were initially looking towards international adoption. This is still something we'd like to consider in the future, but at this point in life it is a very long process (i.e. 1-3 years) and very costly ($18-$30,000). That is part of why this domestic adoption has us so excited. It will be much faster and much more reasonable.
As a couple we went through Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" and have made great strides in re-organizing our finances. In doing this we've set aside a nice nest egg for the adoption and are trusting God's provision for the "gap" that may occur.
Right now we are looking into fundraising options, but we are coming up a little short. Several of the good ideas we have thought of are being used by groups in our church to raise money for their projects. If you have any ideas, skills, or items you would care to donate, or if you would simply like to make a financial gift it would be a huge blessing to us.
We have the support of our church; they have agreed to send any money they receive for adoptions to bless our efforts. So if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, checks can be sent to:
Harpeth Community Church 1101 Gardener Dr. Franklin, TN 37064. Don't mention our names specifically on the check, just put "adoption" in the memo line.
More than anything through this process we would love your prayers and support. It's been a fast and crazy road so far and won't slow down anytime soon. We're realizing that our baby is due in 7 weeks! We are preparing the baby's room and anxiously awaiting the doctor's appointment where we will find out the baby's gender! We feel such a huge covering of prayers and love from all of our friends and family. Thanks for being a part of our lives during this amazing time!
As a couple we went through Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" and have made great strides in re-organizing our finances. In doing this we've set aside a nice nest egg for the adoption and are trusting God's provision for the "gap" that may occur.
Right now we are looking into fundraising options, but we are coming up a little short. Several of the good ideas we have thought of are being used by groups in our church to raise money for their projects. If you have any ideas, skills, or items you would care to donate, or if you would simply like to make a financial gift it would be a huge blessing to us.
We have the support of our church; they have agreed to send any money they receive for adoptions to bless our efforts. So if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, checks can be sent to:
Harpeth Community Church 1101 Gardener Dr. Franklin, TN 37064. Don't mention our names specifically on the check, just put "adoption" in the memo line.
More than anything through this process we would love your prayers and support. It's been a fast and crazy road so far and won't slow down anytime soon. We're realizing that our baby is due in 7 weeks! We are preparing the baby's room and anxiously awaiting the doctor's appointment where we will find out the baby's gender! We feel such a huge covering of prayers and love from all of our friends and family. Thanks for being a part of our lives during this amazing time!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
We're Adopting!!
October 17 - the day that our lives changed forever...
Sunday morning - started like any other day. I was playing keyboards at church. Kevin came to 2nd service. At the end of the service, we heard about a baby that needed a home. Immediately, we made eye contact and knew that baby would find a home with us.
Long story short, a woman about an hour from Nashville went to a friend to get some help for her baby. She decided that she wanted to give the baby up for adoption.
We are going through a private adoption - the birthmother chose adoption, and through a mutual friend, we were put into contact with our birthmother.
In the last month, we have gone through the Home Study process to make sure our home would be fit for this baby. We just finished the last part in the Home Study yesterday with the home visit. Julie, our case worker, has been wonderful to work with - she has guided us through all the paperwork and encouraged us along the way.
We spent three weeks knowing that we were adopting, but we did not have any information about the birthmother. While we felt an amazing peace about the situation, we were so anxious to find out more - when is she due, what is our birthmother like, is the baby a boy or girl. While we still don't have all the information, we were blessed this week with information!
Our baby is due January 11 - so soon! We still don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl, but we at least have a due date now. We know the birthmother's name, and a little more information about her situation. We haven't met this woman yet, but I have such a love for her for the decision she is making.
We're in the process of setting up a meeting with the lawyer and our birthmother to create a formal birth plan for the adoption. With this in place, the adoption will seem a little more settled. We understand that so much of the adoption process is "in the air" until the baby comes home with us, but God has given us peace throughout this entire process so far. We know that He has our best interests in mind, and that He is taking care of a precious little one that will soon become a part of our family.
We would appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Pray for us as we prepare to become parents. Pray for the baby to continue to develop and grow in the womb. Pray for our birthmother that she stays healthy. Pray for our finances - that God will continue to provide the money that is needed to complete this adoption process. Most of all, pray for God's Will in this situation, and that we can accept His will - no matter what He has planned.
We are so excited to be able to share this process. We will be faithfully updating the blog with our thoughts, updates, and more news as we get it! As soon as the baby is in our home, we'll be update with pictures and stories, so that you can all share in our adoption journey!
Some day soon, we'll have to re-title our blog... no longer "You, Me, and the Pups" ...
Sunday morning - started like any other day. I was playing keyboards at church. Kevin came to 2nd service. At the end of the service, we heard about a baby that needed a home. Immediately, we made eye contact and knew that baby would find a home with us.
Long story short, a woman about an hour from Nashville went to a friend to get some help for her baby. She decided that she wanted to give the baby up for adoption.
We are going through a private adoption - the birthmother chose adoption, and through a mutual friend, we were put into contact with our birthmother.
In the last month, we have gone through the Home Study process to make sure our home would be fit for this baby. We just finished the last part in the Home Study yesterday with the home visit. Julie, our case worker, has been wonderful to work with - she has guided us through all the paperwork and encouraged us along the way.
We spent three weeks knowing that we were adopting, but we did not have any information about the birthmother. While we felt an amazing peace about the situation, we were so anxious to find out more - when is she due, what is our birthmother like, is the baby a boy or girl. While we still don't have all the information, we were blessed this week with information!
Our baby is due January 11 - so soon! We still don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl, but we at least have a due date now. We know the birthmother's name, and a little more information about her situation. We haven't met this woman yet, but I have such a love for her for the decision she is making.
We're in the process of setting up a meeting with the lawyer and our birthmother to create a formal birth plan for the adoption. With this in place, the adoption will seem a little more settled. We understand that so much of the adoption process is "in the air" until the baby comes home with us, but God has given us peace throughout this entire process so far. We know that He has our best interests in mind, and that He is taking care of a precious little one that will soon become a part of our family.
We would appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Pray for us as we prepare to become parents. Pray for the baby to continue to develop and grow in the womb. Pray for our birthmother that she stays healthy. Pray for our finances - that God will continue to provide the money that is needed to complete this adoption process. Most of all, pray for God's Will in this situation, and that we can accept His will - no matter what He has planned.
We are so excited to be able to share this process. We will be faithfully updating the blog with our thoughts, updates, and more news as we get it! As soon as the baby is in our home, we'll be update with pictures and stories, so that you can all share in our adoption journey!
Some day soon, we'll have to re-title our blog... no longer "You, Me, and the Pups" ...
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Busy!!!
With the start of a new school year, Sarah has her hands full with planning, getting to know new students, and preparing for the day-to-day responsibilities of a teacher. On top of that, she's in a new school district this year! She's made the jump to Williamson County - a move that puts her much closer to home! She works with a great staff, and she is starting to feel like a part of the school. Go Hornets!
New sport alert - Sarah's the assistant volleyball coach at her school, so she's spent a lot of time in the gym learning the ins and outs of volleyball. The season is well underway, and her team recently placed 2nd in the Mule Town Volleyball Classic! Coaching volleyball has made the beginning of this school year busier than usual, but she's enjoying the new challenge.
Kevin has been settling in more at work - his department even took a fun afternoon off and went to Nashville Shores for some waterpark fun.
This weekend Kevin went to Louisville to help his brother and family move in to their recently purchased house. He got to spend some quality time with our 3 nephews!!! We were excited for him to spend some extra time with his family, and we know that they appreciated the extra set of muscles for the move! hehe
This year we have been focusing on our finances. We took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University through our church, and we have begun to put those ideas into practice. So far, we have a "baby emergency fund," and we're working on paying off the car! We've committed to paying off the car by the end of 2010, so we've still got a little ways to go. If we stick to our budget and make this a priority, we should meet this goal.
It is interesting how little attention we were paying to our finances. We were blowing way too much money on "dumb stuff" that we didn't need. Now that we are actually budgeting and watching where every dollar goes, it's amazing how much more we are able to do with our money.
Tis the season for ... Weddings!
Our good friends Kyle and Joy Baker got married at the end of August - it was so great to see them enter the wonderful world of marriage! (We were a little jealous to hear that they made a stop at Disney World on their honeymoon!)
In a few weeks, Sarah's cousin Corey will be getting married (finally! hehe) to his lovely fiancé Marcia! We'll be traveling to IL for the weekend to see them tie the knot. Yes!!!
Then to round out the fall weddings, Sarah's cousin Nash will be getting married! Kevin's boss is getting married on the same day as Nash. Sarah will be going to Indiana to see Nash's wedding, and Kevin will be staying in Nashville to attend his boss' wedding.
When all is said and done, we'll have attended 5 weddings in 2010! How awesome is that! :)
New sport alert - Sarah's the assistant volleyball coach at her school, so she's spent a lot of time in the gym learning the ins and outs of volleyball. The season is well underway, and her team recently placed 2nd in the Mule Town Volleyball Classic! Coaching volleyball has made the beginning of this school year busier than usual, but she's enjoying the new challenge.
Kevin has been settling in more at work - his department even took a fun afternoon off and went to Nashville Shores for some waterpark fun.
This weekend Kevin went to Louisville to help his brother and family move in to their recently purchased house. He got to spend some quality time with our 3 nephews!!! We were excited for him to spend some extra time with his family, and we know that they appreciated the extra set of muscles for the move! hehe
This year we have been focusing on our finances. We took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University through our church, and we have begun to put those ideas into practice. So far, we have a "baby emergency fund," and we're working on paying off the car! We've committed to paying off the car by the end of 2010, so we've still got a little ways to go. If we stick to our budget and make this a priority, we should meet this goal.
It is interesting how little attention we were paying to our finances. We were blowing way too much money on "dumb stuff" that we didn't need. Now that we are actually budgeting and watching where every dollar goes, it's amazing how much more we are able to do with our money.
Tis the season for ... Weddings!
Our good friends Kyle and Joy Baker got married at the end of August - it was so great to see them enter the wonderful world of marriage! (We were a little jealous to hear that they made a stop at Disney World on their honeymoon!)
In a few weeks, Sarah's cousin Corey will be getting married (finally! hehe) to his lovely fiancé Marcia! We'll be traveling to IL for the weekend to see them tie the knot. Yes!!!
Then to round out the fall weddings, Sarah's cousin Nash will be getting married! Kevin's boss is getting married on the same day as Nash. Sarah will be going to Indiana to see Nash's wedding, and Kevin will be staying in Nashville to attend his boss' wedding.
When all is said and done, we'll have attended 5 weddings in 2010! How awesome is that! :)
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