9 months and.......still stretching (& a Giveaway!)

Eden came 9 months + 2days.  Eli came at exactly 9 months.  Tobe joined us1 week shy of 9 months.  Chloe???  Well maybe she is stubborn (isn't that what we say when they cook longer than we want them to?).  Maybe she is not even an orphan yet.  Maybe she is.  All I know is that we have been waiting and praying for 9 long months.....and right now my specific prayer is that we don't have to wait 9 more!  I am one of those lucky moms that made it through three pregnancies without any stretchmarks.  Quite ironic that the stretching would occur in the "paper-pregnancy" and on the 4th child we bring into our home.  I am definately having lots of stretchmarks this time around.  So this month our number (#38) stays the same.  :(

The families at the top of our wait list for a single child have been waiting 17-18 months at this point.  Surely there day is approaching.  This week?  This month?  The last single child referrals were all boys in Nov. & Dec. and they had only waited between 9-10 months!  Actually it was a year ago (March 2011) that the major slow down occurred, which limited the number of cases the court would see each day.  Couple that with stricter requirements (which is a VERY good thing) to prove orphan status, and you have multiple reasons for our "longer than we thought" wait.  Honestly, when we first started I was sure we could be referred a toddler within 4 months, and even most infant referrals had occurred between 6-7.  Also, girls are being referred less than boys right now.  I can't be 100%, but there is an unofficial wait list and I believe #1-16 are either waiting on girls or siblings. 

Friends, it is getting tougher.  There are other situations that break our heart.  There is poverty, broken families, and evil.  We want to adopt a child who truly needs adopting.  I know God has the right little girl for our family to help watch her blossom into His creation and into the gift that she is.  But please pray against the evil schemes of Satan, that we might be matched with a girl who needs a forever family, and for all those that are in this process.....some opening their hearts and homes and being vulnerable to being hurt by the system or lack there of.  Ethiopia is a beautiful nation, with beautiful people that needs a lot of beautiful and bold prayers lifted up.  Would you join us?  And pray for us as we continually are being stretched in many different ways. 


Speaking of stretching.....it is time for our giveaway.  Besides being one of my best friends and perhaps the most excited about Chloe coming home besides Chris & I is my friend Missy.  She ran 30 miles for Chloe last year and raised over $2000 just by doing so, she gifted Chloe a book "God Found Us You" (a special book about adoption) very early in our adoption process, and I know that her and her entire beautiful family are prayer warriors on Chloe's behalf.....Well besides being a personal trainer, she also sales Skinny Wraps.  These are detox wraps that tighten, tone, & firm any trouble area.  They also have products like Stretch Mark & Moisturizing Cream which "packs a powerful combo of botanicals to help restore the skin's youthful glow, while balancing skin tone to minimize the appearance of stretch marks and other skin scarring."   So if you have those bad stretch marks, then maybe this is the product for you. 

So if you have always wanted to try a wrap without having to buy one.....here is your chance!  Missy & I are giving away ONE body wrap.  You can read up on them and other products here: https://melissagerdel.myitworks.com/Home



3 ways to enter: 1) Leave a comment about how or what area in life you are being stretched.
                   2)  Become a follower of my blog and leave a separate comment that you did so.
            3) Share the blog & giveaway on facebook and leave a separate comment that you did so.

I will randomly select a winner on April 15th at 9:00 PM.  Chris & I, along with Missy & Andrew, Cassie & Eric, and Dana & Seth will be running a couple's marathon that morning (ok--marathon relay) ---so maybe by that time I can post the winner and highlights from race day!