From Where I Stand {2013 in Review}

As Nick and I were driving to Costco the other day (yes, this qualifies as a date in our household-- we enjoy Costco so much) we were discussing some of the stand-out moments of 2013. As we talked it became clear this year was one God continued to show Himself sovereign over every detail, hard and good. The realization came that hard can also be good. Stretching. Growing... Even if we don't like it at the time.

After buying our house, we decided it was time to put down roots in the local community and find a local church. It was very hard to leave our previous church where I had been a member for several years before we were married. What a wonderful family we had there!! Thankfully God led us to our new church home this year. Nick especially has been super encouraged by a men's group that meets every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.! (Yes, you read that correctly). We've joined a small group and will soon be starting a parenting class for 'soon' to-be and current parents. We know we are biting off a lot as first time parents with thinking we'll be bringing home more than one kiddo, most likely between the ages of 3 and 7, and think now is a good time to glean wisdom and think through how we will parent in the future.

I was able to nanny for a 2.5 year old during the first several months of the year. She is a complete and utter doll- probably the cutest little girl on the face of the planet (and I'm not exaggerating hehe). We got to hang out 4 days a week. I miss her lots, but she is loving her new preschool and I'm thankful for the friendship I have developed with her mom. We still grab coffee (tea for me) and I get to see Olivia some, especially during the summer when we can play at the local park. Their friendship is such an encouragement to me!

Having long-distance friends come to visit is always fun. Renae and I were roommates on a summer project in Traverse City with Cru waaay back in 2005. I find myself incredibly thankful for her friendship through the years. We got married the same year and were in each other's weddings. Since then, she and Samuel have had a little guy. He is THE cutest little thing ever and we became buddies. Samuel competes in the sheep shearing contest at the Indiana State Fair and we just love hosting them and having fun with like-minded friends!

Our biggest news was announced in October, right after we had celebrated our 2nd anniversary (have I mentioned how blessed I am?). In case you missed it, we're adopting! The plan right now is a sibling pair from Latin America. God knows what He is doing and we are along for this wild, crazy ride. Talk about growing our faith! We saw God graciously provide when we were at the Together for Adoption conference in Louisville by allowing us to meet another young couple who is walking a similar adoption road and who just happen to live in our area. We met some other friends there that we are blessed by and hope that we will see again even if they are several states south.

Adoption is crazy expensive and we are committed to doing this without going into debt. So, one way we decided to raise funds was through selling Jamberry. This has been a bigger blessing than I would have ever imagined, even beyond the financial benefits. I enjoy using my organization and communication skills it requires, meeting new friends and re-kindling old friendships, and of course, it goes without saying that I REALLY enjoy having my nails done in a cute, budget-friendly way!

Another highlight of the year was reading. Nick and I bonded over our love of reading in the early days of our relationship. As we talked in 2012 we decided we wanted to be intentional about reading in 2013. We know life just has a way of getting busier and busier, especially with adoption paperwork. My goal was to read 100 books. I read 70. Not sure what my goal for next year is in regards to reading. Suggestions are welcome!!

Overall, we'd say the theme of 2013 was a year of firsts, not all good, and yet hard can often lead to good. We hope that 2014 will be an even better year, but ultimately know the Lord is sovereign and this is what we cling to.

Be sure and check out my friend Julia's year in review: www.richardandjuliarudolph.blogspot.com

Jamberry Nails: Raising Funds To Bring Them Home

Y'all, I took the plunge! A plunge I NEVER thought I would take. I watched a friend wear her Jamberry nail wraps and be very successful with her business. So, Nick and I discussed it and prayed about it. I dove right in!

Yep, I'm an independent consultant for Jamberry Nails! Don't know what Jamberry is?? Here's some info for you!

We figured this was a good way to share the fun with others and also make some additional funds to go towards our adoption. I get to interact with other women, make new friends, share a bit about our adoption journey, and raise awareness about orphans around the world and right here at home!! 

Like what you see? Let's have a party! Seriously! It's as easy as you inviting people to a Facebook event and showing up to comment/participate in giveaway entries. I do the work and you walk away with some awesome product at the end of the party. OR we can have even more fun and invite all the girls over for some snacks, fellowship, and pampering! What I earn becomes part of our adoption fund. When we need to write our next check to the adoption agency we use this money to do so.You end up blessing us by having fun with friends and family and earning some awesome product in the process!!

Let's do this! Contact me! Ask about finding a date that will work for you, we'll have lots of fun, and you'll earn some amazing free product! You can email/call if you have my info or you can in touch with me via my page at www.facebook.com/EmilyBJamberryNails. While you're at it, can you like and share my page? This gets the word out about the business and, as you can already guess, helps grow our adoption fund!

I've also been blessed to do a few fundraisers for friends who are also adopting. The Lord has laid it on our hearts to use this business as a means to bless others, too. If you know of anyone else who is adopting and could use funds to bring their child(ren) home, PLEASE share this with them as well:

Thanks!

From Where I Stand: {Christmas Traditions, Old & New}

Nick & had the privilege to attend Together for Adoption in October. While there we met another young couple who live very near where I grew up. We've had the privilege of building a relationship with them and are blessed to see them every so often as we all walk this long road of adoption together. Stephanie had the brilliant idea of starting a circle blog and this would be the first post I am writing for From Where I Stand. 

We're still in the newlywed phase of life. This will be our third Christmas together, but only our second in the new house, so we are still very much in the process of creating and making new traditions during the holidays.

We each brought our own favorite childhood Christmas traditions into our marriage. I liked decorating the tree and re-living memories as we got out our ornaments and remembered who had given them to us or what grade we were in when we made it. Nick's favorite tradition growing up was listening to his dad read The Shoemaker's Christmas just before opening one gift on Christmas Eve. He also grew up baking Christmas cookies to send to relatives & making gingerbread houses. As an engineer, he takes this seriously and plans out his design before ever even baking his pieces. It may look messy when finished, but each piece has been graphed and carefully designed.

My most fondly remembered tradition of my growing up years was spending the night at my grandma's house after celebrating Christmas with my dad's entire side of the family. My great-grandmother would have all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren over. It was big gathering and I was a shy kiddo who didn't know everyone, but there was always this anxious anticipation for dinner to wrap-up, Santa to come and go (not a Santa person, sorry), and the gifts to get passed out.

My great-grandmother lovingly crafted new pajamas for each of us kiddos. Soft, warm, flannel nightgowns for us girls and a shirt/pant set for the boys. I was always so excited to see what material she would had chosen, what style she'd made, and it was as if I was holding my breath, waiting to see if she had done it again this year...

My younger sister and I in our pajamas.

She ALWAYS, without fail, made them as if we had stood in her sewing room for multiple fittings. The arms would be just the right length, the hem would stop right at our ankles, and we could always spin and twirl in them and see the fabric balloon out around us much to our delight. She never once asked for measurements. We saw her at Easter and often Thanksgiving, but even with those short and spread out visits she always got it just right, for everyone, the dozens of us great-grandchildren. It was such a special, loving tradition that has provided wonderful memories to this day. 

I'm not a little girl anymore and Grandma Slade is in Heaven, so those nightgowns are a memory, a tradition that has passed, but that still makes me smile every Christmas. I wonder if I'll ever do something so thoughtful for those in my life with each passing year. Time will tell.

As we have been establishing our own traditions in our marriage and new house we often find it is too easy to let the hustle & bustle of the season and the demands of being at this gathering and that gathering take over. It's hard to carve out time to just be.

We're starting a new tradition this year of really being mindful of this advent season. I bought The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts & blogger at A Holy Experience. I'm desperately anticipating opening the book later today and being refreshed. I'm excited to do the reading, printing and hanging of the advent ornaments from our fireplace mantel, and the remembering as we live these days leading up to Christmas. We're excited to really focus on THE meaning of the season this year- Christ come to earth as a baby only to grow into a man who would one day take away our sins.

We will build our traditional gingerbread houses. We'll watch White Christmas on Christmas Eve night with only the tree lights on, open gifts on Christmas morning and spend the day with family. But it will be that slowing down and meditating on the real meaning of the season that will be my favorite tradition this year (and hopefully for years to come).

What is your favorite Christmas tradition? New or old? How do you celebrate this advent season? 

Thanks for visiting and reading about our favorite Christmas traditions! Please check out my friend Julia's blog to read more about her favorite traditions at Christmas while living and serving in Germany.