Puzzle Completion....

    For those of you who have been following our blog since starting it last year, you probably remember the beginning of our puzzle fundraiser that we started in September 2014. We have completely finished it with the help of so many friends and family. We sold all 1,000 pieces and it looks so cool! Since starting it in September this puzzle has been out on my dining room table for 10 months and I will be very glad to glue it and frame it on the wall of the nursery to have a dining room table again. There were some very fun times and frustrating as well getting the puzzle from start to finish, but what a great keepsake that was made. Thank you so much to each and every person who participated in our puzzle fundraiser!!
   There haven't been any additional updates about the adoption for us. We are just waiting. I have been looking at the agency website of the "waiting families" who are available right now and have not been matched with a birth mom yet. When I counted last night there are only 11 families available through our agency right now that the birth moms pick from. So I keep telling myself maybe it will be soon. However, there is nothing I can do to speed it up, its all in God's timing. In the meantime I was able to attend a second meeting at the Adoption Journey Support group who meets in Waxhaw monthly. It is always such a blessing to go to this meeting and hear everyone share about their life experiences with an adopted child. I know this support group will provide so much needed advice and suggestions in the years to come after our adoption has been finalized. I have been learning already and its nice to be in an environment where adoption is being discussed because it makes the waiting process a little bit easier.
   Also I was so fortunate to hear about a book a friend of a friend wrote called "Groanings" by Cindy Ketron. Her son was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 19 and they spent a year at St. Jude's hospital for his treatments. This book is compiled from her daily blog she kept about their time at St. Jude hospital. The way Cindy writes she brings each day back to God and how he was able to help direct her paths and get her through each day. I have had many days where I have felt alone and had heavy burdens throughout this adoption process and just life itself but every day I read her book God has used it to uplift me and it seems like exactly what I read is what I needed to hear that particular day. It is such a powerful book and gives really great insight to the very cool set up of St. Jude hospital and how amazing their ministry is there. If you like to read at all this would be a wonderful book to add to your library and share with others!!
   That's all the information I have to share right now. We are on a 2 week count down to my sister getting married...can't wait!!! We are all in the wedding and Maylena is looking forward to being a flower girl and dressing fancy with rings, a necklace and having a pretty dress on. She is starting to get more and more girly with wanting to dress up and play with jewelry on.