Grief at a distance

Hey blog friends. It's been a long time. I want you to know that I'm going to keep this blog active. There will be an update, notes, random thoughts, about once a week from me.

Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know the grief I'm dealing with right now, from so far away. It doesn't seem right at this point to blog the details though, and I'm not ready to talk about it in person. After I got the news, I'll admit that my first reaction was, "What do I do now?? We submitted an adoption application!" That is the truth, from a grieving mother. It took 24-hours, a shooting star, and a long conversation with Jason to realize that no matter who it is, if we get the chance to adopt, we'll bring any little girl home.

It's such a hard thing to process. My heart is truly broken, but my faith is not. Jason asked me, "Do you think this is the ultimate test - to see if we really want to adopt?" While I don't think God would take her just to test us, it certainly is a test. But we're committed. If we get approved, this blog will serve as an outlet for our journey.

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Being home has been difficult for me. I saw the need firsthand, and just want to go back to snuggle with the kids. I've found a great way to deal with my need to care for the kids while being so far away. Shopping! Whenever I'm out I'm picking up diapers, formula, surprises for the staff, and I'm hitting up garage sales every weekend to find nice clothing for the babies. (Seriously - why pay retail when babies never wear out their clothing up here??)

Many of you have been asking what you can do. Well, the sky is really the limit. Here are some projects that people are taking on, along with additional ideas.
* My sister Kris is sewing PJs for all the babies. Since they hand-wash the clothes, they don't last as long. If you sew, you can join her on this project!

* My mom has made a commitment to make sure they always have enough receiving blankets. They go through MANY of them when the babies are in the hospital. They need these along with regular blankets for the babies to lay on.

* COTP is working on a solar energy project. The complete project will cost $35,000 and will save so much throughout the years in diesel costs (for the generator). Consider sponsoring a panel for $1,000. Donald Trump, if you're still reading my blog, just pay for the whole project!

* Formula is a big expense for them. Consider sending a monthly shipment.

* Become a garage sale nut like me!! The current need is boy's size 6-12 mos. Grab some cash and a cup of coffee and hit the sales on Saturday morning. Remember, it's HOT there! Think summer clothes.

* Be the Snack Attack Sponsor. Send down shipments of toddler snacks.

* Got access to medical supplies? It's all needed!

Just think baby and whatever you come up with is most likely a need down there. Feel free to send me an email and let me know about your idea, or ask questions.


I'm going to post an 'event' before Christmas that you won't want to miss out on. Make sure you keep checking back. It's going to be BIG.