Where it all began...

So i have been really bad at this whole "blogging" thing, and i have recently started the "blog hopping" game. I realize i really need to step it up! So here goes...

When I was in high school my parents had foster kids off and on in our home. It was heart breaking to see them go back to homes that were not ready to have them back yet, but it was out of our control. That was really hard for me. It was around this time that I knew I would one day adopt.

I have never been to Africa, nor had I even known anyone who had been. I can't say the exact date that God put the passion to adopt from there in me but I know that it was in high school.
When Casey and I first started dating I told him that if he was ever going to marry me he had to be open to adopting. I think this threw him a little, but he agreed to pray about it:)

Fast forward 3 yrs.... I am pregnant with Emree and I tell Casey that its time to start praying because I really want to adopt our 2nd. I think the idea of planning for our 2nd child before we even had our first was a little overwhelming to him:)
We didn't get really serious about it until Emree was aroung 1. We looked into all of our options, we attended a foster care orientation with full intentions to get licensed. But there was something not settling right with me, I knew God had placed a passion in my heart for Africa, but we never really considered it because of the cost.
Then the Keslers story enters.... We had heard that they were adopting, and that they were fundraising. That was a totally new idea to us. So we decided to take a week and pray for God to give us to go a head to at least dive in and see where it takes us.

The other really awesome part is that we didnt know that the Keslers were adopting from Africa, let alone Ethiopia.
When we decided to dive in, I spent about 4 hours looking at different countries in Africa and i kept coming back to Ethiopia. I didn't go into it with any idea of the different countries (except that Madonna adopted from Malawi) So because Ethiopia stood out to me, I said alright thats it, we are adopting from Ethiopia! I called casey and told him and started researching agencies from there.
So fast forward again the the Keslers auction, I get an evite for that and realize that they are adopting from Ethiopia as well. Oh and back to the day i decided, i called my friend caylan and told her, and she hooked me up with beka who was also adopting from Ethiopia. She helped me find Gladney. When i finally connected with Eryn, she also knew Beka and they too were going through Gladney.

It was just so cool to see God work. He even cares about the small details. I dont know where i would be with out the help that i received from those two ladies. Especially with all that paper work! Eryn you were amazing thank you!

I have more little God moments to share, but i feel that already i have babbled a little too much so i will save those for another time.