Blessings....

I'm finally feeling a little better today so I hope I'm on the mend. I'm such a good wife that I share everything with Donny, like my germs. So, now he's feeling pretty crummy. Sorry babe. I hope he doesn't get as sick as I did.
  We got our first packet from the adoption agency a few days ago. I was really excited! It had a ton of info. in it that answered a lot of questions for Donny and I. The biggest question, of course, was how much this was going to cost. In case you're wondering it's going to be around $25,000. Feel free to make a donation to us. HAHA!! Just kidding. There are a lot of ways to help pay for that; loans, grants, etc. And once we actually have a child in the home then there is a tax credit (whatever that means). It's a lot of money. But I'm not too worried about it. It's either that or no kids at all and I really don't feel God saying that to us. We are going to continue to go towards adoption and if God doesn't want that then He'll shut the door on it. We should be getting another packet soon with the first of two applications for us to fill out and dates on some informational meetings we can go to at their Fresno branch. It's almost officially started. I'm so excited!
  I've been thinking a lot about God's plan in my life and what that might be. I always thought that life would be a certain way for me/us and so far that has happened. I feel like God just keeps pounding into our heads that He is in charge, that He has the plan and that we don't need to worry about anything. Easier said then done though. I always thought that by 28 I would be having my last of three kids, that we would own a home, and that Donny would have been a cop for almost 10 years. First let me say how grateful I am that Donny is not a cop. It is his dream job and it breaks my heart that he's had to let go of that dream but I just don't know if our marriage would have survived that. It's a hard job on everyone involved. I'm not too sad about not owning a home either. If the choice is a home or kids I'm totally going for kids!
  I feel like we often just focus on what we don't have rather then what we do have. Isn't that what satan wants from us? To distract us with our wants rather then us seeing our blessings? So, in my effort to focus more on our blessings here is my list for today of a few things that I am thankful for......
  1. Very cheap rent that has never been raised in 5 years.
  2. Steady jobs for both of us and the fact that Donny works for/with christian men.
  3. Direction from God - we asked for clear direction about the kid thing and He has given us that.
  4. The fact that we have a washer and dryer in our rental so I don't have to go to a laundry mat.
  5. That Donny and I are proactive about our marriage and are never afraid to ask for help if we need it to keep our relationship healthy.
  6. That I am married to a man that loves the Lord and me dearly. <3
  7. That we have amazing support from our family and friends who care for us deeply and pray for us often.
  8. The simple things in life like a roof over my head, clothes to wear, and food in my fridge.
  9. Not one but two cars that run great.
  10. That I have the sweetest 7 speed beach cruiser you've ever seen. (Sorry, couldn't resist that one.)   :)