pre-application

Read all 23pgs of the PREapplication adoption packet & filled out most. Some I'll have to sleep on. I am SO excited! Sweet dreams tonight!!

getting organized

just created a folder in my inbox named "adoption"

great conversations

I can't say it enough, I can't wait to see what God has in store for the hubs & I in 2011! Had another great convo after dinner tonight! (:

2011 Goals

Tonight over dinner, Jeff and I started another tradition. Goals for the new year! I know this is a short list, but maybe we'll add to it as the year progresses.

1. stay employed (LOL) 
2. start the adoption process & possibly adopt this year! (that's being very optimistic considering the standard time frames)
3. Jeff: get at least 1 promotion at work
4. save up for a more permanent future residence
5. get our wedding album printed (this year is our 5 year anniversary) 

Remembering Haiti

 a year ago today, thousands of children lost their homes, families, and some even lost their lives. praying for the children of Haiti today.

Haiti Earthquake Anniversary

sweet thought

Another tweet from Jan. 11, 2011:

a sweet thought: I could be cuddling a sweet baby in my arms in the very near future God willing. pray w/us as we file adoption papers soon!

Top 10 of 2010

I tweeted the following, "super excited (& emotional) about the conversations I've been having w/my awesome hubby. God is so good & thru Him our future is bright!" Here's why: over dinner tonight, Jeff & I started a new tradition; we made a list entitled "Top 10 of 2010." Even though 2010 was not the easiest year for us, we did manage to squeeze in a few highlights.

1. the 1st time we played with B (our hound named Bentley) on the frozen lake in our backyard in MI 
2. Jeff: Hollie going off-shore with the guys for the 1st time
3. making the decision to move back home to Savannah
4. Jeff: turning in my 2-week notice at Signature when I landed the full-time job w/benefits
5. December 1st- the day we moved into a  place of our own again with ALL of our stuff out of storage for the 1st time in 2 years
6. Hollie: firing a gun for the 1st time
7. sledding with 2 of our nephews on New Years Day (Hollie's 1st time sledding)
8. our bike tour day (we rode our bikes to every square in Savannah in 1 day)
9. Hollie: learning to run & ran my 1st 5k (have walked 5k's in the past)
10. Thanksgiving meal with Jeff's side of the family, which included a huge grouper that Jeff had spearfished, vacuum-sealed and carried in the cooler from GA to OH
11. paid off Hollie's car = NO DEBT!! 

Okay, so 11 items made the top 10 list, that's just a bonus! We were blessed to have some great friends from our Journey group at church offer us a free place to live until we could get back on our feet. After living there for 6 months, we developed bonds that will last a lifetime. They are an extended family to us and we will forever be grateful for their generous hearts. It's crazy to me that even though the state of our economy had such an effect on our lives, we were still able to stay out of debt and even able to pay off my car note. I have to give all the glory to God on that one because I have no other explanation. I believe he took good care of us and he places people in our lives for a reason!

my story

My video seems like a good place to start. A friend of mine did a great job creating this video for me. It was shown that same week at Canvas Church. It's my story in a nutshell. If you would like further details, I am happy to share.