Thanks for your continued prayers.

Family & Friends,

Thanks so much for your continued prayers these past two weeks while the MS agency was trying to locate the birthmother in order to get her back into the office to make the decision. Our agency just notified us the birthmother has chosen another family.

I just spoke to Joni, and we are both happy to hear a decision has finally been made. Of course, we are disappointed that we were not selected, but we are more excited to know the little boy will NOW have a family to care for him.

Please continue to pray for that little boy and his adoptive family that the transition/attachment/bonding will be seamless between them.

Thanks again for your continued prayers for us, too

:) -Rodney

2/26/2010: PLEASE PRAY - Adoption Update!

Please join us in prayer!

Our adoption profile is being shipped overnight to deliver on Monday; 3/1/2010 to a young birthmother in MS. She will review our profile along with many other "waiting families" profiles next week in order to decide which family she wants to parent her newborn baby boy.

What we know:

* Birthmother delivered her healthy, bi-racial baby boy on February 5, 2010

* Wanting to choose an adoption plan, she released her baby to "interim care"/foster care until she could select the adoptive family.

* The agency is trying to contact the birthfather to determine whether he will relinquish his parenting rights (birthmother has voluntarily relinquished her rights to parent).

Please pray:

1. For the birthmother. We are thrilled that she chose LIFE! Though we can not imagine that emotional, physical, etc that she must go through in choosing an adoption plan, we are already praying for her...yes, FOR HER. As she has to review the many profiles in order to make such a life decision for her baby, she is sure to face many emotions. Please pray for her and that our Lord would direct her to choose the family that He has in mind.

2. For the baby boy. He is currently in interim care, and he will soon be placed into an adoptive family's care. So, within these past few weeks, this little boy will have already faced TWO MAJOR LOSSES in his young life.

- His mother.

- His interim care mother & family

From our training, we understand that even at his young age, he could struggle with attachment issues due to these major transitions occurring. Please pray for him.

3. For the birthfather. Though we are not sure whether he is known by anyone other than the birthmother, please do pray that if he comes forward that he will see God's grace and love through the lives of those adoption personnel working to serve the birthmother and this little baby boy.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

We will plan to update our blog just as soon as we receive an update from our agency.

SNOW ICE CREAM!

With 5+ inches of snow fall, we carefully scraped the top layer to create a SNOW ICE CREAM treat!

January SNOW DAYS!

Joni's snow dance paid off! She got a snow day from school as snow fell on Friday (1/29/2010), and we are guessing schools will also be closed on Monday (2/1/2010). A BEAUTIFUL SNOW (with layer of ice on top) that is GREAT for sledding! :)

Christmas in Arkansas, we head back home to Nashville, TN through the beautiful, snow-covered hills.

UPDATE: Agency Contacts Us With Our First "Situation" To Consider!

On 11/19/09 (one week after our official approval), our agency contacted us with a "situation" for us to review and consider.

The situation:

- birth mother expected to deliver on Dec 16

- birth father and & family supporting the birth mother's choice to choose an adoption plan

- birth mother requires direct placement (i.e. chosen adoptive parents would be welcomed at the hospital during delivery)

- ....and the BIGGEE!....

The birth mother is currently being filmed for MTV's "I'm 16 & Pregnant" reality show!

For us, we did not feel that we could say "no" to the opportunity to have our profile shown to her. We have come this far into the adoption process, and we seriously do not feel we can decline the opportunity for our profile to be shown to the birthmother as she considers her options. In the end, if she chooses us, we will trust the decision was Divine in our faith and trust that He has a plan and is directing the birthmother to choose us (even with the potential that our desire to remain private would explode into the public with this reality show being taped).

So, on Thursday afternoon, we let our agency know that we would like to have our profile shown.

During the weekend, our excitement grew with every passing minute.

To help with our waiting, we went shopping....for a CAR SEAT & STROLLER! :)

Fast forward to today, Monday - 11/23/09.

We prayed and waited and prayed and waited all weekend...trusting our profile was being delivered along with the 4-5 other family profiles to the birth mother's state. This morning, we followed up with the agency....silence. We continued to wait.

FINALLY, late afternoon today, our agency counselor let us know the birth mother had chosen a local family from her own city/state without even reviewing the "waiting family" profiles. We were not chosen. The car seat and stroller will need to remain empty in our upstairs bedroom, stored behind closed door.

Though we are disappointed, we do trust the decision made was the best choice for the birth mother and her baby.

We remain hopeful as we trust our Lord and continue to wait and listen for His perfect plan...looking forward to the day when we are chosen and we get to eagerly welcome our child into our hearts and home.

Thank you all for your continued prayers!

:) -Rod & Joni

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For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

11/12/09 - APPROVED!

After months of preparations, evaluations, classes, etc, Joni & I are THRILLED to report...

WE ARE APPROVED!

The adoption agency notified us today that we have been approved to adopt. Thank you for your continued prayers as we head into the official WAITING-TO-BE-CHOSEN period.

-Rod & Joni