Update - May 2010

Oops.

Been a little busy here as of late and I'll tell you why. Jack and I are on the path of becoming parents!

We are in the process of getting dual licensing for a 14-month-old bi-racial girl from Milwaukee. Dual licensed in the fact that she is a foster child, so we need a license to be foster parents, and then if the plan changes over the course of this next year and she becomes available for adoption, we would like to adopt her. However, she would need to be in our home for 6 months straight and her parents' rights would have been terminated for that to happen. I will not go into the details of her life, that is her story to tell. I will tell you that we were made aware of this situation as her current foster family attends Oakwood Church and thought of us for her long-term placement! This is a legal-risk placement in the fact that she could be reunited with her family. We just trust in God the Father about this child and the details, and we show her love and provide a stable home for her when she comes here. So please pray for the licensing process and that nothing hinders us from getting this little girl that God put indirectly in to our path.

If you want to know more about foster care and adopting from foster care, contact me! :)

I do hope we get a call from Lifetime in California this year about a child through them as we cannot have a license issued by one agency for one adoption and another license by another agency for the other. Complicated, I know. We got the book from DCFHS last week and can read every code made for foster care...boring. We have been told that our contract has been extended another 6 months at Lifetime because after 2 years of waiting with them, they review your file and hope to make a match in that time frame, but know that it's not a guarantee.

SO! We are learning so much about different types of adoption just this year alone. Crazy.

Personally, I just got hired for another part-time job, one mile from my house. So I would be working roughly 15 hours a week between the two over the summer.

Anyways...I'd like to hear from y'all. What have you done this year that you haven't done ever?

Okay..a bi-monthly update..?! :)

So...not much happening in our household these last two months. I celebrated my birthday back in February, it was a wonderful time out. We went to one of my favorite places, Applebee's, and I got sung by the staff with an ice cream sundae to boot! I do have my new hearing aids now and even managed to wash them once in the washing machine...yahoo!! So, now I can continue to use the state's assistance with finding a full-time job, yet I still hold on to the hopes of becoming a mommy through adoption soon! :) As for Jack, well, Jack's Jack! Not much new in his world either, except for a 5 day work trip to L.A. for technical training.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

Thank you everyone for your prayers, encouragement as we continue on this journey here on earth till we meet (we pray for you!) again in Heaven for all of eternity!

JAKZ

Wow...2010 is here!

Okay, okay. Stop razzing me about the lack of posts. I can't believe how I can spend time on facebook and twitter and not take that same amount of time and post on this blog. So hold me to the promise of posting once a month on here, okay? I even have it as a calendar appointment in my e-mail program to get over here.

Updates:

Kimberly:
I currently have a part-time job with a local drugstore doing greeting card ordering/organizing. It is fun! Gets me out of the house for a few hours a week, my paycheck is my spending allowance, and I could get insurance if I need to. I am still on the board with the local food pantry, volunteering often and am now helping them to convert from a paper and pen environment to digital via laptop!!! I am also on the leadership team of Mission: Hope as Assistant Director and we are celebrating our first year of serving our God on the 24th of January! And when I am not at either of those ministries, shopping, or at work, I may be found helping out a new ministry called Aroma Cafe TV found on my1channel. Check it out!

I am also in the process of getting new hearing aids with the assistance of the state. So excited to be able to "hear normal" again after being without them for over 6 months now. Jack is probably more excited, hehe.

Jack:
He is Vice President/Owner of Air Technology Services. That alone is a great blessing during these economic times. They currently have 3 employees on staff and may hire another one in 2010. Jack has become more active in church by running the computer during Sunday morning service once a month. You know one should put those great computer skills to use for the greater good! Love you babe! ;) Jack has flown quite a bit this past year in his plane when we were not busy using commercial airlines to get to new places.

Adoption plans are still active. We had our home study updated as we have officially completed two years waiting. God has it all planned for the perfect child HE wants us to be blessed with. Each child is a gift from God, ours temporarily, His eternally.

We only have one "vacation" planned this year and that will be to Georgia/Blue Ridge Mountains for a family reunion with Kimberly's family for a week in the summer. We recently celebrated 10 years in October and had taken our trip earlier in the year as deals were great for Hawaii then. We had also gone to San Diego as a vacation/work trip for Jack. Just wanted to put our feet in the sand on the beach at the ocean and we did that a couple of times. Oh how I miss Hawaii!

I often sit and wonder at the beginning of a new year:
How can I be a better person? What is God doing to and through me for my good and His glory? I have heard of a wonderful song this past year or so that has become a fixture on my playlist:

Mighty to Save by Hillsong
Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus (x2)

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

My Saviour, you can move the mountains,
You are mighty to save,
You are mighty to save.
Forever, Author of Salvation,
You rose and conquered the grave,
Yes you conquered the grave


Do you believe that Jesus came to Earth to save YOU?! I do, and I hope you find the joy in your life that only He can bring!

Happy New Year everyone, God bless!

Woohoo!!! We celebrated 10 years of marriage last week!

Wow, time really does fly. I am blessed to have Jack in my life, happy 10 years for us honey! We celebrated by eating out our one meal a month with no coupon!! :) Here's a picture of us at our celebratory dinner.

Did it again...

I shopped CVS this morning out of boredom LOL.



Paid $2.54, Saved $219.62. Here's what I got:
2 Saturday Freeman papers (for the coupons); 2 pks HP Multi-purpose 500 sheets; 2 Oral B Stage 1 toothbrush/paste kits; 1 Fleece red robe (for me); 5 Airborne "Squid" soap pump for kids; 5 Green reed diffusers; 19 Nivea trial care body washes; 6 Carefree pantiliners; 4 Thermacare Arthritis hand 2 ct; 3 Sinucleanse kits (for nasal irrigation); 2 rulersWhat's not pictured and I forgot to include:2 Golden Emblem mixed nuts trial sizes (for Jack); 2 Golden Emblem whole cashews trial sizes (for Jack)

Crazy, huh?