Excitement fills our hearts!

Today at 4:45, I received the biggest news! We are officially approved for our adoption. I kept my excitement hidden so I we can tell our parents this weekend. Easter at our home!! No words can completely explain how you feel when you are now WAITING...Any moment, any day, or any year? You think oh my goodness we could actually be parents at any moment. What do I need to do? Most parents have 9 months to prepare the house, car, closets, and do anything on their bucket list they have ever filled they needed to do. So as we prepare for any moment to be chosen ones. I will start my list! Although I know deep in my heart, when I'm a mom I can still do these things I've always wanted to do. Because most of them have changed to be more family related events. Most of them have to do with being a mother and a father! FAMILY!

Family has become the most important thing, with God of course on top. We are so blessed and remain to praise his wondrous works in our life! Now we wait for us to be added to the Christian Homes website!
http://www.christianhomes.com

WHERE ARE WE?

Everything except the books and letters are turned in! I go to print in the morning....and sign and mail....then we hopefully will receive an approval letter.

They have edited the Birth Mother Letter! YEA!!!! They are the BEST.

WE are so blessed by Christian Homes and Family Services, now to redo my car decal.
I can't wait to put it on my back window and drive with it on PROUDLY!!
If you know someone wanting to adopt, foster, or may be expecting and they don't know what to do....Here is the information!

                                             CHRISTIAN HOMES AND FAMILY SERVICES

Maternity~Adoption~Foster

1-800-592-4725

http://www.christianhomes.com

PROFILE BOOK

            The profile book is now finished..For some of you reading, let me clarify to you. A profile book is a book of pictures about your life. Sometimes it may be in my head as a "brag book" which I tried hard not to make it! You take pictures of you and your husband's life in all different situations, friends, kids, your home and write small quotes so the birth mother can get a glimpse of who you are as people.  To some this may have seemed to be an easy task, but to me another hard subject. I love to make digital scrapbooks, but this time it was different! This time I didn't want it to be too cutesy. I wanted it to be relaxed and represent us for us!
        So after months of working on this it is now finished. I have finally done the ultimate task! Now to print, sign, seal and mail these 6 copies to Christian Homes and Family Service for them to approve.  I pray that these profile books will let a birth mom know that we love our families and friends, that we are indeed not perfect!  We try to have a warm loving home and enjoy our time with our friends' kids too.  When you read about making these books there are many debates about putting in wedding photos, so I limited it to one picture. Some say it makes the birth mother feel hurt about her relationship she may lacking during this difficult time. I  tried to be sensitive to this painful time.  Also, some say a nursery picture..We did one page.
      Thanks to my dear friends whom have adopted they helped me through this part of the journey. I felt blessed, poor Derek did the paper work and I did the creative stuff.

Food for thought-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I end this post, I once again..ask you to think if you were looking to find parent's for your child...what would you want to see in pictures?
Hard hu? Well just remember as you see look at your child/ren remember how blessed you are to have them. There are so many adoptive parents waiting to make their lives full with the blessing of a bundle of JOY!

Blessings!

Tonight I wrote this simple prayer for our family....I hope it too will bless you and your adoption wait period...... I know this is a long process and I pray God will feel your hearts and the mothers too!

Lord, we ask you to help us as we begin this beautiful journey of adoption. We know as Christians you too have adopted us as your children. We ask that you watch over our birth mother you have picked out perfectly for us and her child/ren. We know that it is through your undying love that we were given the opportunity to have a family.  Times may be hard and long, and we ask that you fill our hearts with joy during this time and turn waiting tears of pain into joyous laughter of preparing our hearts and the heart of the mother to meet.  We know everything happens in your time and we submit our hearts to you and thank you for our future child.

In your name,

Mindy Opitz

   

We aren't Fancy Folks!

We aren't fancy folks! We are pretty down to earth, although, I dream of the time when I can dress up and attend the Oscars. As I watched parents tonight, I was amazed at the clothes people choose to wear with their kids who can read. Like I said, we aren't fancy, but to wear a shirt that states,                          " Shhhhh, this is my hangover shirt." Makes me thinks, I might be more fancy than I thought! As I sat there, in puzzlement wondering what the Birth Mother will think of our appearance, it hit me. I've got to really hit the gym again, and try to work on our health better so that she and her partner will know we want to give a full life to our child. But fancy may not be needed, but as we know looks do mean lots to other people. Because as much as we want to say, "Don't judge a book my a cover, we still do." I try not but I did today as I sat in wonder as to what would make an adult man choose a sad shirt. Derek doesn't like to dress up, I do! But I love him for him, and he does from time to time like to get FANCY... But as I think about the day I will meet the Birth Mother I wonder, what do I wear,,,,,not too fancy, and not too conservative...It certainly is food for thought..If you were going to meet have one of the most important interviews of your life, with a down to earth person...How would you dress?

So until this day! My Goal is the get back to the gym! I'm excited Clothes are ready in car!!! So it might not be FANCY, but Comfortably Classic might be the choice for me!

THE EDITED BL IS DONE!

Well, the letter is finally finished ready to copy. I have to tell you, they did edit it a bunch. But it sounds great. At first it broke my heart, thinking I had written something wrong before I saw the corrections. But after reading, I have decided it is perfect. These wonderful people have taken time to help us and they know exactly what they are doing. We are blessed beyond words! I can't tell you how amazed we are by this process and the people that are involved. I do have my days were tears fill up my eyes and I'm overwhelmed with the Lord preparing my heart. I do believe the Lord is giving my my own dose of Hormones! I may not be caring a child in my tummy, but God has placed the mother and child/children in my heart and I don't know them yet. It is an amazing feeling and I know one day I will meet this child and mother. I get excited and teary, and sad all at once! So many emotions in one breath.  So now to finish the Picture Book,,,and make copies and MAIL out TODAY!!! I have one last page in the middle somewhere.... Thank the LORD!!!

Blessings and remember to pray for those women trying to decide about their situation. That they will have it heavy on their hearts that there is a family that would love to cherish a child ALWAYS!

CHRISTIAN HOMES WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Editing the Birth Letter

After you write the hardest letter of your life, The Birth Letter...then the agency proofs it and you wait. You wait for the day when you become aware of what changes you need to make. This process I think has been the hardest until now and the adoption picture book. I took it to heart when on the phone I was told I needed to make corrections. I think because you work so hard to get it perfect and you feel so attached to a letter. But, talking to other adoptive parents everyone warns you this will happen. There will be changes you will need to make. And frankly, the agency knows what the birth mothers can relate too.  I'm waiting to hear what exactly we need to change. Once I find out I will gladly post, so others of you going through this same process will know NOT what to do!
I think about Peace and all the amazing gifts God has given us with this adoption process. I pray for the love of all the woman and men involved. Christian Homes and Family Services is helping our family to grow!

2 Thessalonians 3:16

May the Lord of peace give you his peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.