Details of love.

I just have to give some glimpses of the room we have been working on in our home that is lovingly called, The Nursery. It is a combination of lovely things that I have purchased from some of my favorite shops: Target, IKEA, Craigslist, Thrift Stores, and Etsy.

Every time we walk past the room we have to stop and take in the warmth and beauty that it has added to our home. Dave even took the time to test out a nap on the floor and he loved it! I have sat in the room on the rocking chair, praying, and breathing in the fact that someday there will be a very loved little person making beautiful sounds to fill up the room. We will spend countless hours in this room, rocking, reading, laughing, soothing, feeding, playing, crying, teaching, and loving. I have such great anticipation!

This little guy was my first purchase for the nursery! He is handmade from Etsy.com.

I got a branch from the Powers family farm and hung our curtains on it. The branch was free and the curtains are reused and Target on clearance for $1.30!!

Our friend, Casree thrifted this lovely rocker for us!

This Craigslist antique dresser only cost me $40!! The diaper changing pad was from our friend, Jenny and the chevron fabric was on clearance at Target for $1.74. The three red baskets and pole are from IKEA and only cost about $15.00. LOVE IT!

My parents bought us this crib from IKEA and I got the Chevron bumper and crib sheets with a gift card to Target!

I replaced the knobs on my dresser with lovely little knobs that I found at Hobby Lobby and they were $1.50 each.

I can't wait to show you more as we prepare for this baby to come home. As you can see, I have had to keep it open to having a boy or a girl in this room. I can't wait to add details based on who we will be bringing into our beloved little room. Excitement is mounting!!

Adoption Photos.

I wanted to take some photos in preparation and celebration of the child that God is preparing for us!!
My friend, Ellie Pickett took the photos: www.EldeenAnnette.com & www.LilacPhotography.com

I completely stole the idea of the chair with balloons from another blogger that I follow who is in the adoption process. If you would like to read about her family and their adoption: http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog

*Special thanks to Jovan for allowing me to use her kid chair and baby shoes in this photo shoot!

My heart is stretching...

"Adoption means you grew in her heart instead of her tummy"

Waiting is.....HARD.

I didn't know how difficult this time was going to be. Everyone told me that this was the hard part but I think I had that absolutely optimistic thought that we would be one of couples that had the crazy story of adopting immediately. It has only been two months since we were placed on the website as a waiting family but I told Dave that it feels longer cause I've been waiting for a child for 5 years. I'm asking Jesus to continue to teach me about His heart for adoption and to teach me everything that I need to know during this time. One cool thought that keeps coming to my mind is that JESUS was adopted! How cool is that? 

I pray for every one of the other waiting couples on the website as often as possible. I pray for the birth family of our child. I pray for our child. I pray for us to know how to love this new little one that is coming soon to our lives!

Last night as I was lying in bed I was overcome with this fear of trying to love another child.  Not just ANY child, our child, our adopted child. I couldn't stop thinking about how we have been three peas in a pod for so long and that it was going to be so difficult to add another. I was bawling and saying out loud that I didn't know if I could do this! I had the coolest experience because the Holy Spirit totally came to my mind with the voice of MY Mommy! He brought comfort to me just like my mom so often does when fear strikes again!  He comforted my heart by reminding me that this child that will be added to our family will only cause there to be MORE love and joy. Our hearts will actually grow larger and have more room for love when our baby comes home! My heart is already stretching. And just like any muscle that is stretching, it feels good and bad at the same time!

Dear Baby,

We are getting prepared. Even in our doubts and fears- Father is reminding us how you absolutely fit, like a puzzle piece, with the Powers family. Praying for you, dear one.

Love,

This heart stretching Momma. <3

I'm adopted. You're adopted. We're all ADOPTED!

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."

We are God's kids. He adores us, He protects us, He provides for us, He prepares a place for us, He loves to be around us, He speaks over us, He gives peace, He brings joy, He gives GOOD gifts, He laughs with us, He cries over us, He thinks about us non-stop,
HE CHOSE US and HE ADOPTED US!!! 

i. am. grateful.

I love you Daddy,

Tara

$$

I HAVE to give you an update on where we are with saving and raising the money we need for our adoption. God has been so wonderfully good to us and HE definitely deserves the Glory!

The last update that I gave you was when we still needed $18,130.00!! Well, I'm honored to tell you that OUR GOD provided 9,175.00!!! (through people giving, us saving, and miraculous things!!) Which leaves only $8,955.00 needed. Do you SEE how good He is? Be encouraged that He provides when you are obediant to do what HE has planned for you. 

TO ALL of you who have prayed....You know who you are. I hope you know that I KNOW it is priceless and I cannot give enough thanks to you for speaking to God on our behalf!! How is it possible that God would use you to speak out for us?! I am unable to comprehend that kind of love but my gratitude is HUGE!


I have to give thanks publicly, to the people in our lives who have given toward our growing tribe. (financially or in some other helpful and cool way) I am honored and humbled...
Our family-Mary Jean Powers, Phil and Debbie Powers, Dave and Jeanie Rhoades, Rocky and Jovan Rhoades, Tredessa and Ryan Faaland, Stormie Rhoades, Tristan and Stephanie Kelley, and Jon and Holly Powers. Our Friends-Judd and Ellie Pickett, Michael and Stephanie Simants, Felix and Ashley Gilbert, Chad and Joanna Hoffman, Cody and Mandy Bohall, David and Casree Holland, Mike and Jennifer Orenstein, Todd and Kimberlee Herbic, Tom and Rushelle Hathoot, *Anyone who played Skee ball at the Christmas Party and payed to play=), Dale and Patti Paris, Scott Souther, Bruce and Mary Ellsworth, Matt and Leslie Richard, Scott and Jill McCollum, Daniel and Christina Miles.

O-F-F-I-C-I-A-L

 We had a second Christmas yesterday when the FedEx "Angel" dropped off our long anticipated Photo Books. These books include our Birth family letter, tons of pictures of us, and stuff about us for the Birth Families.

Hunter patiently waiting to open our Photo Books

Dave got to open the box and be the first to hold one!! We "oooed and ahhed."

 6 Photo Books 
+ 1 Check for $8,375 all mailed on 12/28/2011 = 
OFFICIAL status with the Adoption Agency and Dave, Tara & Hunter on the "Waiting Birth Family" list on their website!!

Me at the Post Office mailing our precious books to the Agency.

*ahem* I have an announcement.

WE 

ARE

APPROVED!!!!!

We found out yesterday, Tuesday, December 20th at 3:02pm that our home study was approved. 

Am I freaking out? Yes, I am! Did I scream when I got off the phone with my caseworker, Emily? Yes, I did! Did I have butterflies ALL day waiting to hear if they would approve us to have a child in our home? Why, of course!!

Finding out yesterday that we are approved was like going to the Dr. (when you're pregnant), getting an ultrasound, and finding out that you are pregnant for sure and not only relying on the pregnancy test anymore. We officially have the HOPE of a child entering our lives soon. We don't know when, who, what, etc. but we KNOW. 

Now, I'm off to wait......

First Trimester.

You know how I said before that adoption has some similarities to pregnancy? I feel like we just finished the first trimester. I'm serious too. You know, exhaustion, sickness (So weird, but I actually was sick for an entire month!;)), excited, eager to tell everyone and secretly hoping that noone else will tell so you get to, talking about it non-stop, praying a lot that you can actually raise this child, kinda freaking out a little, reading every little website or book about where you are in the process....

One of the main differences is that instead of feeling a lot of the physical stuff, you go through a lot of brain work. Lots of paperwork and finding the right pictures and trying to convince someone that you are credible and would make a great parent for someone's child.

We had our third and final Home Study interview today at our home. We walked through our home with our case worker and she had to check on smoke alarms, water heaters, etc and make sure we were sanitary. (not a hard one to pass for this clean freak!) She had an interview with Hunter that went so well. She kept quoting him to us during the last part of our interview. That's my boy!;) She asked him what he thought Adoption was. His answer, "It's when a kid is part of one family and then they get to be a part of another family." WOW! I'm still thinking he knows more than I do. She approved the home inspection part and didn't give us anything to do for our home. Yea! We should find out within the next week if we are approved officially for the complete home study and I'm so ready and very excited.

The Home inspection part of our Home Study, Approved.

4 Thumbs up for a good last interview. The flash really liked my face!

Here we go. Number two.

Did you know that we have completed our first interview for our Home Study and tomorrow we are doing our second interview? NO?!? That's my fault for not writing about it! 

This was Dave and I on our first interview which we were mostly excited and a little scared for a couple of weeks ago..

It went well. We sat in the office and answered a lot of questions about ourselves. Some questions were extremely easy and others were difficult. There are things you think you know about yourself until someone asks you point blank and you find it very difficult to find the words. 

Tomorrow is the first time our case worker comes to our home to look around and then Dave and I are separated for a private 2 hour personal interview. This interview is definitely more foreboding but I just keep telling myself that I'll be fine because I have nothing to hide. (which is true, by the way;))

After this interview there is a third and final interview and another check on our home to make sure it is up to code to be approved for our Home Study. AHH! Anticipation is building....

In other news. Christmas is coming and we have been decorating our home. Hunter and I pulled stockings out and we both decided that we should definitely hang one up for the baby. Three turns to four....

Four Stockings

Holy Jeans. (jeans having holes in them)

This is my husband and the Daddy of my children...

David Michael Powers

This man is my match. He desires Jesus above all else, he makes me laugh, he takes care of me when I'm sick, he watches to see what I need, he listens and cares about what I have to say, he takes time for our son, he dreams and he sees his dreams come true, he speaks well of me when I'm not around, he tells our love story often, he encourages me toward my dreams, he prays with and for me, he knows my faults and loves me even more, he teaches our son the Word of God, he sings and plays guitar for us and for Jesus, he loves people, he is intentional about learning from people who know more than him, he likes to come home and be with us, he is not afraid of making lots of silly faces and voices, he can tell me where to find stuff in the Bible, he taught me that confrontation can be a good thing, he lets me verbally process everyday as much as I want, he is beautiful and I love him and LIKE him very much.

He told me the other day, after I mentioned that I could not believe he had holes in his newer and more expensive jeans, that he didn't care about having holes in his jeans right now. He said that he understood this time of life is to be down on the floor with Hunter. Allow me to explain what this means: Dave and Hunter have wrestling matches, light sabor fights, kung fu madness, tickle fights and the like on the floor on a daily basis. Dave realizes that this is a season and he is not going to miss it because of holes in his jeans. We'll keep buying jeans and they'll keep playing on the floor. What a great daddy!

Here is what Hunter says about his Daddy...

"I like Daddy and boy day. I like my Daddy. I like that he takes me to Xtreme Challenge and Chuckee Cheese. He is my Dad and I love him a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot."

This whole adoption process really started with Dave. He started the conversation in the car on the way to Iowa back in March. We had no idea that conversation would have us where we are today. We are filled with joy!! 

I love you, my sweet husband and I can't wait to see you with the other children that God gives to us.

Tara Jean Powers