Doing it debt-free....

Jay and I have been working to become debt-free for many years.  At one time, for about a month, we actually were completely debt free (minus mortgage and car).  It was a glorious 2 seconds and then, we went downhill back again.  It doesn't take long for credit card debt to pile up.  The washing machine breaks, the trim needs painting, rotting wood replaced, the car breaks down, your budget runs out before the week's necessities are bought....and so on.  Every week, we strive to remain on budget and continue our very tiny baby steps out of debt.  Most weeks, we feel like we are spinning our wheels as our progress is ever so slow, but it's just that.... progress! Jay and I take turns reminding  and encouraging each other to celebrate the small steps and rejoice in small victories.  It's the small the victories that add up to BIG differences!

Last year, we sold our previous home we had been renting out since we moved to North Richland Hills.  We used a portion of the profits to make a big chunk in our debt payoff, some of the profits for various home improvements (that trim finally got painted outside), and we set aside a bit for 2 upcoming trips we knew were coming (still reliving that amazing Jamaican trip! And the family reunion in Missouri was one of the best yet!)  Last night, Jay and I were going over our budget for the week and upcoming months, knowing school will soon be starting and all.  It's back to our weekly tight reins, but I looked at Jay and said, "It sure feels good to have paid for the last two trips with cash." I can't remember the last time (not counting Jamaica), that we went on a trip and DIDN'T use the credit card! It feels good and is a taste of what is to come for us.  We are far from being debt free, and we continually mess up.  BUT, we will keep plugging on and forward.  Every day is a new day to start over, to dust yourself off and move forward.  Sometimes, it's 1 step forward, 2 steps back, but keep pursuing, because then it's 2 steps forward, 1 step back, and then it's 3 steps forward..... celebrate the small victories.  Appreciate the moments of success, no matter how small.

And now, as we have stepped out in faith into the journey of adoption, it has been another test of our faith (okay, of MY faith) to trust the Lord and not the power of the credit card.  There have been a few times here and there where we have used it to mail this, overnight that and such, but we.... no, I [emphasis on I] am really learning to not just grab that piece of plastic and swipe when it comes to paying for adoption expenses.  Jay, on the other hand, stays mostly calm about the financial part of it.  He amazes me.  Once we decided to step out in faith on this journey, he has had a peace about the financial part of it, knowing the Lord will provide.  Me? I inwardly panic at times wondering how we are going to pay the next amount due.  But Jay, he is my anchor in all of this, knowing that the Lord is our Rock and our Provider.  Loving another child, welcoming her into our home? That's the easy part of this journey! Trusting the Lord to provide financially so we don't go into further debt? That's the test of my faith....and it's just one of the ways the Lord will shine His glory in all of this.  Just as we are parents who strive to provide good things for our children, the Lord is our Heavenly Father and He provides all that we need as His Children.

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
Matthew 7:11

Praising my Heavenly Father that HE is our Provider and He has nothing but good for our family!
Thanking Him for His mercies that are new every morning!

Life Goals....
One day, we will be debt free.
One day, we will be able to financially bless others who are adopting.
One day, we will take all 4 of our kids on a dream vacation to Disney Land/World (I don't care which, I've never been to either!) and we will pay cash for it.

Every day, we want to glorify the Lord in every aspect of our lives, including our finances.

What have we been doing lately and how is the adoption process going?

Life has been a whirlwind and a blur these days, from making summertime memories to filling out grant applications to planning a family reunion to a certain handsome little fella turning 7 years old!

Eli turned 7 on June 16th.  SEVEN!!! We celebrated with lots of family and friends at the park with donuts and juice!  He had been asking for MONTHS to go skating, so we also rounded up a handful of his friends and hit the local skating rink up for a couple hours.  He had a blast and as we rounded out his birthday week with some Sonic shakes, he told Jay and I that this was one of his best birthdays ever.  He melts my heart faster than ice cream melts in the sun!

We have a family reunion coming up that has been over 2 years in the planning.  It's on my mom's side of the family and she is the youngest of 7 siblings... SEVEN! It's going to be a BIG reunion! :) The last one we had was when Jadyn was just 8 months old.  We are looking forward to seeing lots of old and new faces and making new memories! The past 2 years have flown by since we first began planning this and now we will soon be in the Ozarks!  This has given me something to look forward to and helped keep me busy and not twiddling my thumbs in the adoption process!

Speaking of the adoption process.... where are we at in it?

We are currently awaiting our I800A Approval to go through authentication process.  We are half way through the waiting process of authentication (it went to the Secretary of State and will go to the Consulate next).  Once our adoption agency has that freshly authenticated paperwork back, all of our documents will officially be DTC (Dossier To China)!  Man, I can't wait for that day when we can say we are DTC!! That is a HUGE milestone in the adoption process, and once you hit that milestone, you are usually traveling 4-5 months later!  We anticipate traveling around November to bring our little girl home!  We recently got an updated video and pictures of Annika and we were THRILLED to learn she now knows she is being adopted!!!  I put together a photo storybook that introduces us to her and it will be delivered here next week.  I've had the words translated to Mandarin and when I send our first care package to her, she will have the photo album written in both English and Mandarin, along with her set of goodies from us!  In the midst of all this, we have been filling out numerous grant applications and continuing our t-shirt fundraiser.  In all, we are over 1/3 of the way into our adoption costs.  That means, over $10,000 has come in through donations, fundraisers, and our first approved grant!  God is good!!!  We continue to trust Him to provide ALL of the funds needs to bring our little girl home.  If you feel led to donate, our crowd rise fund link is still active too.  You can donate here.  We know that it is His desire to bring Annika into our family and we know He will meet every need we have for our little girl.  Just this week, we decided that the boys will be staying home and Jadyn will travel with us to get her sister when we go.  All 3 of the kids are thrilled with this decision.  Eli can't wait to have adventures with his friends for 2 weeks and Asher is the same. (Whatever big brother is thrilled about, so is he! Ha!)  Jadyn has been praying from the get go that she would get to travel with us, and the Lord confirmed it in our hearts over the last week.  She is ECSTATIC to travel to China and bring home her sister!  We went this week to get her passport application turned in and her picture taken.  This big sister was all smiles! 

To God be the glory in all the we do....

Love Never Fails,

Shannon